The six articles comprising this issue of the MRS Bulletin deal with ultrathin films formed from organic molecules by a variety of techniques. In each case the component molecule forming the film is a relatively simple, single molecule which may or may not have important self-organizing properties that facilitate the formation of a film or related ordered molecular assembly. Taken together, the series of articles offer a concise look at the remarkable diversity and complexity of molecular thin films in terms of preparation and their properties.