Science Fiction: A Brief History and Review of Criticism

Author(s): Marshall B. Tymn

Source: American Studies International, Vol. 23, No. 1 (April 1985), pp. 41-66
Published by: Mid-America American Studies Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41278745 .
Accessed: 29/03/2014 10:04

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Mid-America American Studies Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend
access to American Studies International.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 41

Science Fiction: A Brief

and Review of
History

Criticism

By Marshall B. Tymn

HISTORY OF THE GENRE

EXILED TOCOMICSTRIPS, PULPMAGAZINES ANDLATE-NIGHT MOVIES,
science fictionis now the most popular of the specializedliterary
ONCE genresin theUnitedStatestoday.1Itsenthusiasts rangefromomnivo-
rous devourersof paperbacksto serious scholarswho probe, analyze and
discussthecharacteristics and significance ofworksold and new.
The reasonforthisexplosionof interestis notjust fascination withexotic
settings and futuristic
worlds. Science fictionis a literaturewhich preparesus to
acceptchange, to viewchange as both natural and inevitable.
And sincechange
is fastbecomingone ofthefewconstants in oursociety,theattractiveness ofthis
genre is both understandable and encouraging. Add the popularappeal that
science fictionhas as pure entertainment, and it becomes clear why this
literatureis attractingvastnumbersofreadersofall ages and fromall stationsof
life.
Sciencefictionis a literature witha heritagereachingback into ancient
times,to a pre-scientific worldinhabitedbypeopleswhosemyths,legendsand
superstitions becamea wayofthinking aboutand explaining thewondersofthe
universe.The seeds of sciencefictionwereplantedthousandsofyearsago, as
thehumanspeciesdreamedof thegreatunknown.
Sciencefiction has itsbeginnings at leastas earlyas the2nd century witha
GreeknamedLucianwho satirizedhis own societythroughthe deviceof an
imaginary moonvoyage.Althoughfantastic voyagesand otherwritings contain-
ing elements of science fiction
appear in Western literature
over thecenturies,it

American
Studies 1985
International,
April , Vol.XXIII,
No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
42

was not untilthe beginningof the IndustrialRevolutionin the 18thcentury,

withitsvisionofa future alteredbytechnology, thatsciencefiction couldexistas
a viableliterary form.Suddenlythereseemedto be a veryrealpossibility that
tomorrow mightbring a betterworld, and the new science
fostered the idea that
mankindmightlearnto controlitsown destiny.
As theIndustrial Revolution burstupon theVictorian world,peoplebegan
towritefantastic talesbased uponthepossibilities ofscientific
discovery and the
now-evident factthattheworldwas changing.By thenineteenth centurythe
worldhad come to believein the limitlessmiraclesof science,and the seeds
weresown forthedevelopment of sciencefiction.
BrianW. Aldiss,thenotedBritishwriterand critic,contendsthatscience
fiction"was bornin the heartof the EnglishromanticmovementwithMary
Shelley'sFrankenstein (BillionYearSpree,1973).WhenShelleywrotehernovelin
1818,she starteda trendthatleftbehindthesupernatural elementsoftheGothic
horror taleand introduced "science"as an ingredient offiction.Manyhistorians
considerFrankenstein tobe thefirst sciencefiction novel.Itwas certainly thefirst
trulyoutstandingsciencefictionsuccess,not onlyas a novelbut also on the
Londonstage.Frankenstein demonstrated thethemeofmancreating lifeand the
inevitableretribution which follows.The novel warnedthatthe scientistis
responsibleforanticipating the futureeffects his inventionsmayhave on the
world.Thisthemewas echoedin thepulpmagazinesofthe1920sand 1930sand
is stillwithus today.
The 19thcentury was fascinated withideas ofscienceand progress, and its
moodwas generally one ofoptimism. The machineage had been inaugurated,
and itsimpacton fiction was tremendous. Popularmagazines,suchas Century ,
Cosmopolitan, Harper's,AtlanticMonthly, and SaturdayEveningPost kept the
publicinterest keenwithstoriesfeaturing newmechanicaldevicesand scientific
marvels.The groundwork was laid by such writersas NathanielHawthorne,
EdgarAllan Poe, Fitz-James O'Brien,EdwardBellamy,AmbroseBierce,and
MarkTwain,who produceda groupoftalesthatconstitute thefirstimportant
Americancontributions to the growthof sciencefiction.Nearlyeverymajor
writer in Americaand manyin Europeexperimented withwriting storiesabout
thenew scienceand thepossibilities ofthefuture, butJulesVernewas thefirst
to devotemorethanpart-time effortto thetask.
JulesVerne (1828-1905)was the almost archetypalexpressionof the
nineteenthcentury'sromanticinterestin science and technology.His life
spannedthegreatage ofinvention, and his workrepresents "thehightideof
Europeandelightin themarvelsand possibilities ofscience."Vernechampioned
therevolution in transportation withsuchworksas FiveWeeks ina Balloon (1863),
FromtheEarthtotheMoon(1865),Twenty Thousand LeaguesUndertheSea (1870),
and AroundtheWorldin Eighty Days(1873).
Verne'ssuccessas a writeroffantastic adventurehelpedpioneera genre.
His blendofscienceand invention in his "voyagesextraordinaires" insuredthe

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 43

survivalof sciencefiction, and his fertileimagination made it exciting.Verne

was nota greatinnovator ofsciencefiction ideas,buthe capturedtheoptimistic
spiritof the nineteenth centurywhen he made technological achievements a
subjectfor fiction.Thus science fiction, not
though yet named, gainedits own
identityand a measureofrespectability as definedbyVerne'sprolific and highly
profitableoutput. His worlds seem limited, though, when comparedwiththe
workofanothernineteenth-century writer,H. G. Wells.
Withhis backgroundas scientist,teacherand journalist,HerbertGeorge
Wells(1866-1946)publishedhis first"scientific romance,"TheTimeMachine , in
1895.Not onlywas thisnovela vehicleforan extraordinary journeythrough
time,moreimportantly, theworkcontainedsocialcommentary. Wellscriticized
the exploitationof the workingclasses by attackingthe Englishclass system
whichdivided workersfromthe leisuredrich. He challenged19th-century
notionsof progressand asked far-reaching questionsabout the directionsin
whichprogresswould takeus.
A one-timestudentof Thomas Huxley,Wells was deeply affectedby
CharlesDarwin's theoryof evolution,which triggered Wells' own ideas of
evolutionand progress,laterto be expressedin his greatestand mostfamous
works.TheTimeMachine,TheWaroftheWorlds , TheIslandofDr. Moreau,The
Invisible
Man, When theSleeper Wakes, and First Men intheMoonall warnthatthere
arelimitsto progress which man should not surpassbecauseofthedetrimental
changeswhichmightresult.
Througha varietyof motifsand new perspectivesH. G. Wells made
startlinginsinuationsabout the insignificance of man in the universe.With
Wells, science fictionbegan to take form and direction,becomingmore a
mediumof ideas than a variety of adventure. He became one of the most
respectedwriters oftheearly 20th century. He not onlyshowedthatfiction can
anticipatethe power of science to change the world, he also predicted that
discoveries
scientific wouldchangepeople'sviewoftheirplacein theuniverse.
Wells'visionofthefutureas seen in his sciencefiction storiesand novelswas
tempered bypessimism, unlikeJulesVerne,whowas invariably optimisticinhis
talesofthewondersofa new scientific age.
Althoughstoriesheraldingthenew technology popularizedby Verneand
others constitutethe early core of science fiction, other motifshad emergedby
theturnofthecentury.2 As a responsetoa movement in Englandcallingforthe
reorganization of thearmedforcesto meetthethreatofglobalwar,thefuture
war motif,characterized by George Chesney's "Battleof Dorking"(1871),
establishedimaginary warfare as a viablethemeforsciencefiction writers,with
the warringnationsdepictedin Chesney'stale eventuallyreplacedby alien
invaders.
The interplanetary voyagemotif,whichhad existedin variousguisessince
David Russen'sIterLunare:Or, A Voyageto theMoon(1703),has adoptedthe
moretechnological orientation thatremainsa stapleof modernsciencefiction.

American
Studies 1985,
International,
April No.1
Vol.XXlll,

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
44

foranarticle
Illustration intheNewYork claimed
Sunin1835.Thenewspaper thatthewell
known EnglishastronomerSirJohn hadseenthesestrange
Herschel andobjects
animals
onthemoon,from attheCapeofGoodHope.Lithograph
hisobservatory byBenjaminH.
Day.PrintsandPhotographs Division, ofCongress,
Library Washington,D.C. Negative
number USZ62-2310.

Storiesofcatastrophes evolvedfromworkssuchas MaryShelley'sTheLastMan

(1826),in which plague destroysthe humanrace,and fromthreatsof world
destruction as portrayedin Wells'TheWaroftheWorlds , to an Earthdevastated
by atomic war,overpopulation, pollution, depictedin post-World
or as WarII
works.Contemporary has focusednotso muchon thecatastro-
sciencefiction
phe itself,but on the kinds of societydeveloped afterthe catastrophe(or
holocaust).Matureversionsof thismotifare GeorgeR. Stewart'sEarthAbides
(1949), WalterM. Miller'sA CanticleforLeibowitz (1960), BrianW. Aldiss'
Greybeard (1964),and Vonda N. Dreamsnake
Mclntyre's (1978).
Byfarthemostpopularoftheearlymotifs on bothsidesoftheAtlantic was
the lost race, which developed out of the interestin geology,archeology,
paleontology Escape was thekeynoteofsciencefiction
and exploration. in the

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXlll,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 45

earlyyearsof the twentieth century,and tales of exoticlands and lost races

provided readers with a temporary release fromthe cares of the mundane
world.H. RiderHaggardwas the pioneer,but EdgarRice Burroughs(1875-
1950) was the most popular writerin this motif.Burroughswas a master
storytellerwhose workswere packed with solid entertainment and whose
Tarzanseriesmade himthemostwidelyread authorin theEnglishlanguage.3
ManyoftheTarzannovelscenteredon lostcitiesand lostraces.Burroughs also
wrotea seriesof novels set on Mars, wherethe remnantsof a once mighty
civilization
weredepictedwithgreatcolorand vigorand exoticsplendor.Other
seriestookthereaderto Venus,theMoon, and to thecenteroftheEarth.His
adventureswerelight,his characterizations superficial,and his sciencealmost
nonexistent; but his strikingsettings and spellbindingadventuresoffered
readersan escape fromthe gloomof industrialized citiesand the realitiesof
WorldWarI. A greedyaudience,and theinclination ofpulpmagazineeditorsto
publishescape fiction, notonlyenhancedBurrough's reputation, butalso gave
sciencefiction anotherpopularoutlet.
It was not untilHugo Gernsback(1884-1967),a Luxembourgimmigrant,
began publishinga series of electricalmagazines4which regularlyfeatured
sciencefiction thatthecontemporary labelsciencefictionevolved.5Sciencefiction
entereda new phase when,in 1926,Gernsbackplacedthefirst issue ofAmazing
Storieson the newsstands.It was the firstmagazinedevotedexclusivelyto
sciencefiction("scientifiction," as Gernsbackfirsttermedit), and it was an
instantsuccess.WithAmazing Storiesthepulp era ofsciencefiction began.This
formofliterature separated itselffrom themainstream byisolating itself
withina
long line of specialistpulp titles, and remained the
virtually only outletfor
sciencefictionwriters untilafterWorldWarII. Bythe1930s,othersciencefiction
magazineswereappearingregularly, competing withAmazing and otherGerns-
backtitlesforthegrowingnumberof sciencefiction readers.6
Gernsbacksteadfastly promotedsciencefiction, as he filledhis issueswith
reprintsof classictalesbyVerne, Wells and Poe. Later,he featured thestoriesof
EdwardE. Smith,Ray Cummings,JackWilliamson,EdmondHamiltonand
Murray Leinster,amongothers.Mostofthesciencefiction appearinginAmazing
Storiesemphasizedthe wonders of science,and were filledwith futuristic
hardwareand fantastic adventure - anotherbrandofescape fiction. One ofthe
mostfamouswriters oftheGernsbackera was EdwardE. "Doc" Smith,whose
Skylark series,withitsindestructible heroesand supervillains,interacting on a
galacticscale,popularized the term spaceopera. Other pulp adventure magazines
ofthe1930sand 1940senteredthefieldwithstoriesofspaceexploration, robots,
catastrophes, and alien encounters.Like Verneand Burroughsbeforethem,
thesewritersleanedheavilyon romanceand adventure.
In 1952Hugo Gernsback was theguestofhonorat theWorldScienceFiction
Conventionin Chicago. The followingyear,at the Philadelphiaconvention,
popularworksofsciencefiction wereawardedsilverrocketsnamed"Hugos," in

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXlll,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
46

honorof the man who inventedthe termscience fictionand encouragedthe

development of new writersin the field.
Sciencefiction begantochangeshapeand direction when,inlate1937,John
W. Campbellassumedtheeditorship ofAstounding Stories.7
Campbell,a regular
contributorto thatmagazine,recruited writers who couldwritemorerealistical-
lyaboutscienceand scientists and demandedfromthemgreatersophistication
ofstyleand technique,and greaterrigorofideas. Writers refined theirplotsand
characters,while emphasizing human relationships, and were encouragedby
Campbellto tap psychology, philosophy,politics,and othersoftsciencesand
areasofspecialization. Astounding gradually becametheforemost sciencefiction
magazine and one of the fewto survive the economic hardshipsand wartime
shortages of the 1930s and 1940s.
Campbell'spositionin thefield,at thehead ofthebest-paying and highest-
circulationmagazine,gave himtheadvantageofpre-eminence: writerslooked
to him as theirprimarymarket,wrotetheirideas to him and acceptedhis
suggestions, senthimtheirstoriesfirst,and oftenrewrotethemto his order.
Campbellalso had thegood fortuneto becomean editorwhen sciencefiction
was respondingto a new wave of popularity,throughthe publicationof a
growingnumberof new sciencefictionmagazines.Amongthenew writersto
appear in the pages of Astounding duringthe early years of Campbell's
editorship were Isaac Asimov,RobertA. Heinlein,A. E. van Vogt,Theodore
Sturgeon,Lesterdel Rey,and Clifford D. Simak,all ofwhomare stillactivein
the field.Guided by Campbell'sdemands forqualityand seriousscientific
conjecture,sciencefictionmatured, and enteredwhatfansrefer toas its"golden
age," roughly theperiodfrom1938-1950. Astounding changeditsnametoAnalog
in 1960as partofan alteration ofitsoverallformat, and is todaystillone ofthe
world'sleadingsciencefiction magazines.The "goldenage" endureduntil1950,
whenthefieldbroadenedand improvedas influential magazinessuchas The
MagazineofFantasy and ScienceFiction(1949),undertheeditorship of Anthony
Boucherand J.FrancisMcComas,and Galaxy,(1950),editedbyHoraceL. Gold,
appeared,and as sciencefiction spilledoverintothepaperbacks.
Whilepre-warsciencefictionhad concentrated on the technicalwonders
suggestedbyscientific advances,writers in thepost-World WarII periodbegan
to examinethe humanconsequencesof theseadvancesand the fearthatwe
mightbecomethevictimsof our own creations.Sciencefictionexperienceda
new directionof growthas the social sciencesbecameimportant subjectsfor
writersin the 1950sand 1960s.The dystopianfuturebecamea stapleplotof
1950spulp sciencefiction. Frederik Pohland CyrilKornbluth satirizeda society
dominatedby advertising corporations in TheSpaceMerchants (1953),whichis
perhaps the most famous work of thisgeneration of science fictionwriters.So
prominent was the in
dystopianimage magazine science fictionof thisperiod
thatan entirebody of worksdealingwiththisthemewas producedover a
twenty-year period,notonlyin thepulps,butin a remarkable numberofvaried

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 47

dystopiannovels, such as Ray Bradbury'sFahrenheit 451 (1953), CyrilM.

Kornbluth's NotThisAugust(1955),Anthony Burgess'A Clockwork Orange(1962),
HarryHarrison'sMakeRoom!MakeRoom!(1966),and JohnBrunner'sStandon
Zanzibar(1968).
The responseto social issues was intensified in the 1960sby Britishand
Americanwriterssuch as MichaelMoorcock,J.G. Ballard,BrianW. Aldiss,
NormanSpinrad,HarlanEllison,SamuelR. Delany,JoannaRuss,and Thomas
M. Disch. The "New Wave," as thisgroupcame to be called,warnedof the
chaosand despairthreatened bythepotentialforwarand internal corruption in
a technological society. New Wave writers also lent a fresh approach to the
writing ofsciencefiction, which,by theend ofthe1950s,had becomesetin its
ways.Eventually theNew Wave was absorbedintothesystem,butbeforethe
movementfaded, it was responsiblefor several importantand permanent
changesin thequalityofsciencefiction writing, and helpedto establishscience
fictionas a literatureof serioussocialcomment.
Science fictioncontinuedto grow and develop in the 1970s. Robert
Silverberg hithis stridewithTimeofChanges(1971)and DyingInside(1972)and
six othermajornovels publishedduringthe period 1970-72.8Ursula K. Le
Guin'sTheLeftHandofDarkness and TheDispossessed (1974)becamesymbolsof
thehighstandardsofqualityofwhichthefieldis capable.PhilipK. Dick,who
died in 1982,leftbehinda greatlegacyofworks,includingFlowMy Tears,the
Policeman Said(1973)and A Scanner Darkly(1977). One oftheleastpredictable of
sciencefiction writers,BrianW. Aldiss,continuedto explorenew territory with
workslikeFrankenstein Unbound (1974)and TheMalaciaTapestry (1977). A British
writer,his influencein the UnitedStateshas been pervasive.It was Frederik
Pohl, however,who made the greatestimpactin the seventies.Followinga
periodof low productivity and indifferentsuccess,Pohl powerfully reestab-
lishedhis reputation withhis novelsMan Plus (1976),Gateway (1977) and JEM
(1979),each ofwhichhas won majorawardsin thefield.He has continuedthis
prolificproductionofenduringworksintothepresentday.
Amongthewriters whosecareersbegan(orwho first achievedrecognition)
intheseventiesareGeorgeR. R. Martin,DyingoftheLight(1977),JamesTiptree,
Jr.,Up theWallsoftheWorld(1978),Vonda N. Mclntyre, Dreamsnake (1978),Joe
Haldeman,TheForever War(1975),JohnVarley,ThePersistence ofVision(1978),
Gregory Benford, In theOceanoftheNight(1977), C. J.Cherryh, BrothersofEarth
(1976),Gene Wolfe, TheFifthHead ofCerberus D.
(1972),Joan Vinge, The Outcasts
ofHeavenBelt(1978),MichaelBishop,Catacomb Years(1979),and British authors
Christopher Priest, TheInvertedWorld (1974), Ian Watson, The Kit
Jonah (1975)
and BrianStableford, HalcyonDrift(1976).Manyotherwritersenteredthefield
duringthe seventies;it was a fruitful decade forsciencefiction.As Robert
Holdstockhas pointedout, "the fieldhas diversified to the pointwhereto
describeit any longeras a genre,whilea convenientshorthand, is hopelessly
inadequate. SF, if the term means anything, is a form of contemporary

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
48

metaphor, a literary deviceforexamining ourworldand ourlivesfromanother

perspective. formofthecontemporary
It is a significant novel:nota substitute
forit,nota poorrelationofit,butan integral partofit.Itsspeciesofimaginative
metaphoris one whichhas been attracting moreintelligent readersand more
seriousand dedicatedwritersin the 1970s."9
Thedecadeofthe1980sholdshighpromise,withmorewriters entering the
fieldthaneverbeforein itshistory, and pioneerssuchas Isaac Asimov,Arthur
C. Clarkeand RobertA. Heinleinre-affirming theirpopularity withnewworks.
Sciencefictionhas comea longway sincethe 1930sand 1940swhenthepulp
magazinesprovidedthesole training groundfornew talent.In manywaysthe
literature
is stillgrowing, its
altering forms,modifying itstechniquesand subject
matter.Thiswillingness to adaptto changesin styleand directionis typicalofa
that,above all else, is concernedwithevaluatingtheforcesaffecting
literature
theshapethefuturemaytakeand providing a visionofthepossibilities
open to
societyand the human race.

SCHOLARSHIP

Alongsidethe growthof sciencefictionas a popularliterature has been its

gradualemergence and acceptance as an academic discipline. Science fiction's
gradual climb to academic "respectability"began in the late 1950s with three
significantevents: in 1958, Scott Osborne of Mississippi State University
organizedthe firstConferenceon Science Fictionat the ModernLanguage
Associationmeetingin New York; a year later the firstacademicjournal,
, was foundedby ThomasD. Claresonat The CollegeofWooster;
Extrapolation
and at Princeton University in 1959,KingsleyAmis,a recognizedEnglishpoet
and author,presenteda seriesoflecturesin whichhe proclaimed his long-time
admiration forsciencefiction. A yearlaterthelecturesappearedas NewMapsof
Hell, and various surprisedpopular media, reviewingthe book, began to
reconsider theirown policyofconsistently ignoringor denigrating thescience
fictionwhichhad somehowreachedtheirdesks.10
The genrewas givenfurther impetuswhen the ScienceFictionResearch
Associationwas establishedin 1970 to serveas a gatheringpointforthose
concernedwithsome phase of thestudyof sciencefiction.At aboutthesame
time,coursesin sciencefiction witha noticeable
beganto proliferate, increasein
thepublication ofworksofcriticism and referenceto meetthedemandsofthe
scholarand teacher.Specialsectionson sciencefiction are now regularfeatures
on the programsof academicorganizationssuch as the ModernLanguage
Association,theNationalCouncilofTeachersof English,thePopularCulture
Association,and theirregionaland stateaffiliates. Scholarlyjournalssuch as
Extrapolation (U.S.), Science-FictionStudies(Canada), Foundation (U.K.), and
ScienceFiction(Australia)serve the needs of a world-widescience fiction
community.

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 49

In 1980 the International Conferenceforthe Fantasticin the Artswas

establishedbyRobertA. Collinsand a staff at FloridaAtlanticUniversity. Now
thelargestconference ofitskindheld in thefield,itsannualmeetings(which,
beginning in 1985,willrotateamongvariousgeographical locationsunderthe
direction oftheInternational AssociationfortheFantasticin theArts)aremajor
focalpointsforthedissemination ofscholarship in fantasy, sciencefiction, and
horror literature among a wide of
range specialized and traditional disciplines.
Theacceptanceofsciencefiction as a propersubjectforscholarly investiga-
tionwas precededbyseveraldecadesofresearchactivity bydedicatedamateurs.
Manyoftheseearlyattempts at indexingand classifying materialsappearedin
fan magazineswith small distributions or were publishedas pamphletsin
severelylimitededitionsnow difficult to locate.Few oftheseamateurresearch-
ersweretrainedin bibliographical methodology; compilingindexes,checklists
and bibliographies was largelya laborof love, an activity whichreflected the
particular enthusiasms of thecompilers rather than any systematic exploration
ofthegenre.Thesefanprojectsnonetheless helpedtoestablishthebibliography
as a mainstay in sciencefiction and fantasy research,and commercial publishers
are now receptiveto this kind of scholarlyendeavor.These pioneerefforts
constitute an important body of core documents,manyof whichhave been
to
indispensable contemporary researchersin theirefforts to establishbibli-
ographic control forthe science fictionand fantasy fields.
RobertE. Brineyand EdwardWood's SF Bibliographies (1972)was thefirst
to
attempt publish information on earlybibliographic work in thefield.This49-
page booklet supplied exhaustive of
coverage bibliographical reference tools,
listing and annotatingapproximately 100 books and pamphletspublished
duringtheperiod1923-71.Manyof thetitlesin theBrineyand Wood volume
havesincebeensupersededbyrevisionsofexisting worksorbynewworks.The
currentsummaryof science fictionand fantasyscholarshipin book and
pamphletformis A Research GuidetoScienceFictionStudies(1977), compiledby
MarshallB. Tymn,RogerC. Schlobinand L. W. Currey.Thisworksupplements
and in some cases supersedescitationsin SF Bibliographies , and providesthe
researcher witha comprehensive, annotatedlistingof theimportant scholarly
toolspublishedin theUnitedStatesand Englandthrough1976.
The pioneerbibliography ofprimary worksin sciencefiction and fantasyis
Everett F. Bleiler'
s TheChecklist of Fantastic first
Literature, publishedin 1948.The
resultofsevenyearsofresearch,thevolumecontainsapproximately 5300prose
titlespublishedfrom1764(HoraceWalpole'sTheCastleofOtranto) through1947.
Thisseminalworkhas remainedan indispensablereference toolforthisperiod,
whenthepublication offantastic fictionwas scattered and erratic. In 1978Bleiler
issueda revisedversionofhisearlierworkunderthetitle,TheChecklist ofScience-
FictionandSupernatural Fiction(1978). For thecurrent volume, each titlefromthe
1948editionhas been carefully re-examined foraccuracyofbibliographic data,
withfirst editioninformation now suppliedforvirtually all titles.Bleilerhas also

American
Studies Vol.XXIII,
1985,
International,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
50

eliminatedsome 600 marginalworksand added morethan 1,150new titles

overlookedduringtheoriginalcompilation.A new featureof thiseditionis a
subjectcode ofmorethanninetydifferent categories whichclassify thecontents
of95% ofthebookslisted.The periodofcoveragehas beenextendedone year,
through 1948,at whichtime,accordingtoBleiler,a moresystematic approachto
the publishingof fantasticfictioncan be observed.Information on works
published after 1948, he concluded, is more readilyavailable, as are thebooks
themselves.
Of the dozen or so checklistsand bibliographies of sciencefictionand
fantasy that have appeared since 1948, only three recent works canbe compared
to theBleilervolumein termsoftheirscope ofcoverage.The first majortitleto
appear was Donald H. Tuck's The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy
Through 1968, (1982) which was the accumulation of over twentyyears of
research.In his introduction to thistwo-volumework,Tuckstressesthatboth
his 1974and 1978volumescomplement the 1948Bleilerchecklist and "can be
consideredas a sortofcontinuation ofthatbook." Thisbibliography consistsof
an alphabetical of
listing authors,anthologists, and
editors,artists, others,with
biographical sketches when available, and compilations oftheirworks.In most
cases entriesincludeall knowneditionsand forms,includingforeigntransla-
tions.Fulllistingsofthecontentsofstorycollections and anthologies, as wellas
seriesdescriptions, are an important featureofthiswork.In addition,mostof
thetitlescitedhave contentdescriptions, a featurewhichresearchers willfind
invaluable, especiallyregarding those works forwhich reviews are unobtainable
ordifficult tolocate.Althoughtheauthorchecklists arenow severalyearsoutof
date, the scope of this compilation is immense and it is likelyto remainan
important reference tool formanyyears.
Thus far,the mostcomprehensive generalbibliography is R. Reginald's
two-volumeScienceFictionand FantasyLiterature (1979). Althoughno science
fictionresearcher shouldrelyon a singlesourceofinformation, thisworkcomes
closeto beingthe"essential"checklist forthesciencefiction field.Volumeone
lists15,884English-language editionsofbookspublishedbetween1700and
first
1974,includingnovels,story collections and anthologies.The secondvolume
presents1,443biographical sketches of both livingand deceasedauthorsofthe
modernperiod. Reginald'sworkis a remarkableachievementand a major
contribution to scholarship in thefield.
SinceReginalddoes notprovidedescriptive annotations fortitlescitedin
his checklist, scholarswill findthe Tuck Encyclopedia stillveryusefulforthis
information, as well as for data on the reprinthistoryof books, content
descriptions collectionsand anthologies,and references
of to the magazine
appearances of short stories.Furthermore, Tuck citessome 21,000titles,many
outsidethescope ofReginald'sdefinedlimits.It shouldalso be mentioned that
although Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature eclipsesBleiler's ChecklistofScience-
Fictionand Supernatural Fictionin termsof the scope of its coverage,scholars

American
Studies
International, No.1
Vol.XX///,
1985,
April

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 51

should not be too hastyin discardingthe latteras a now altogether useless

researchtool.Bleilerhimself has estimatedthatroughly25% ofthe5,500titlesin
his 1978 editionhave not been supersededby Reginald.The Tuck, revised
Bleiler,and Reginaldvolumesnicelycomplement each otherand shouldall be
consultedby scholarsdoingsystematic researchin sciencefiction bibliography.
Sciencefictionmagazineshave been well indexedsincethepublicationof
Donald B. Day's pioneeringwork,Indexto theScience-Fiction Magazines1926-
1950.Thisvolumeindexesthecontentsoffifty-eight sciencefictionmagazines
fromtheirfirstissues throughDecember1950. Withthe exceptionof three
Britishtitles,all are Americanpublications.Day's workremainsthe standard
indexforsciencefiction magazinesofthisperiod.The 1951-65periodis covered
by Erwin S. Strauss' The MIT ScienceFictionSociety's IndextotheS-FMagazines ,
1951-1965 , whichindexesthecontentsof100English-language magazines. The
New EnglandScienceFictionAssociationsubsequently issueda five-yearindex
compiledby Anthony Lewis, Index to the ScienceFictionMagazines 1966-1970,
whichincludesall oftheAmericanand British magazinespublishedduring the
period.Commencing withthe 1971-72supplement,coveragewas extendedto
includeoriginalanthologies. The NESFA has issuedannualvolumesat irregular
intervalssince1972;theyhave becomethe standardmagazineindexesforthe
sciencefiction and fantasyfields.
Complementing themagazineindexesis WilliamContento'sIndextoScience
Fiction and
Anthologies Collections (1978),whichcontainsfullcontentslistingsof
1,900 books containing 12,000 different storiesby 2,500authors.MostEnglish-
language science fiction and fantasy anthologiesand storycollections published
through June 1977 are included. This workwas followedin 1984by an update,
IndextoScienceFiction Anthologies andCollections 1977-1983,whichcontainsfull
contentslistingsof approximately 1,000anthologiesand collections,manyof
whichwereeithermissedor intentionally notincludedin thefirstindex.The
secondvolumeindexes1,017bookscontaining 8,527storiesplus othermaterial
by2,890 authors.
Dozens of authorbibliographies and checklists have been publishedover
theyears,mostlythrough fanoutlets.Theirefforts constitutesomeoftheearliest
availabledocumentation of the worksof some of our mostimportant science
fictionwriters.In an attempt tointroduce a systematic patternto thepublication
ofauthorbibliographies, theMastersofScienceFiction andFantasy bibliographic
serieswas createdin 1976by G. K. Hall underthe editorshipof MarshallB.
Tymn(now L. W. Currey).Each volumein thisseriestreatsan author'stotal
outputof English-language fictionand non-fiction (mostauthorbibliographies
lack this scope) and includesannotatedlistingsof criticism on the subject
author.Fourteenvolumeshave been issued since1980.
Threesingle-volume authorreference workswererecently publishedwhich
togethercomprise an essential set of resources for locatingbiographicaland
bibliographical information on hundreds of science fictionwriters,past and

American
Studies
International,
1985,
April No.1
Vol.XXIII,

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
52

present.Twentieth-Century American Science-FictionWriters(2 vols., 1981),com-

piled by David Cowart and Thomas L. Wymer, contains biographical-critical
studiesof ninetyauthorswho began writingafter1900and before1970.Each
entryprovidesup-to-datebiographicaland bibliographical materialtogether
witha synthesisof thecriticalresponseto theauthor'sworks.CurtisSmith's
Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers (1981),is a reference handbookwhich
provides information on more than 600 writers. Each entry consists of a brief
a
biography,bibliography and a short critical
essay. This work is valuable forthe
scope of its coverage. E. F. Bleiler's ScienceFiction Writers:CriticalStudiesofthe
Major Authors the
from Early Nineteenth Century tothe PresentDay (1982) contains
studiesof the lifeand worksof seventy-six important sciencefictionwriters.
Each essay providesbasic biographicalinformation, commentary on major
works, historical background and a selected In
bibliography. many instances the
studiescomprisethefirstextendedcoverageofthesubjectauthor.
critical
The area of filmhas been thoroughlydocumentedby science fiction
researchers. The single,mostvaluableindexto thefantastic filmis WaltLee's
Reference Guide to Fantastic Films (1972-74). This three-volume worklistsover
20,000 films produced in more than fiftycountries since about 1900. Eachcitation
includes date of release,country production,length,cast,credits,content
of
notes,sourceoffilmstory,and references to reviews.Lee's guideis praisedin
Anatomy ofWonder (1981ed.) as "an extraordinary achievement characteristic of
the best of fan scholarship."An update is badly needed, for no other film
reference workof thisscope exists.The 1972-81periodis coveredby another
filmreference work,Horror andScience FictionFilmsII (1982),compiledbyDonald
C. Willis.A sequeltoan earlierworkwhichoverlapswithLee's Reference Guideto
FantasticFilms,this update lists2,350 titles from the period, with data and
commentary. A thirdvolume issued in 1984 documents all releases since
October1981throughDecember1983.Approximately 760 moviesare covered,
includingupdatingsofpreviousentriesand recently unearthed titlesfromthe
past. A typicalentrylistsdistributor, year,runningtime,principalcreditsand
cast,and features a paragraphor two ofsynopsisand comment.VolumesII-III
comprisethe most comprehensive film reference currently availableforthe
modernperiod.
The completerecordof books reviewedin sciencefictionis H. W. Hall's
SFBRI:ScienceFictionBookReviewIndex , whichhas been publishedeach year
by the author since 1970. SFBRI indexes book reviewsin the science fic-
tion magazines,selectedfanzines,and in generalreviewingmedia such as
LibraryJournal, Publishers Weekly and Choice.Duringtheperiod1974-79,SFBRI
cited16,700reviewsto over5,000books. These six issues were publishedas
ScienceFictionBookReviewIndex,1974-1979by Gale ResearchCo. in 1979.An
earliercompilation, Science Fiction BookReviewIndex,1923-1973,also published
by Gale, appeared in 1975. Annual volumes continueto be issued by the
author.

American
Studies
International
, April No.1
, Vol.XX1I1,
1985

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 53

Some generalreferenceworksthatare importantguides to the science

fictionfieldas a whole shouldbe mentionedat thispoint.Perhapsthe most
usefulof these,and the one whichappeals to the largestaudience,is Neil
Barron'sAnatomy ofWonder: GuidetoScience
A Critical Fiction(1981).Thisguide
annotatesalmost1,700English-language
critically books,fiction
and nonfiction,
and containsessays which providehistoricalcontextsfor the annotations.
Coverageoffilmand TV,sciencefiction art,themagazines,and teachingaids,as
wellas foreign language science is also included.Anatomy
fiction, is themajor
sourceforcontentdescriptions of sciencefictionnovels,storycollectionsand
anthologies.
A one-volumereference workcoveringall aspectsofthesciencefiction field
is PeterNicholls'TheScience Fiction Encyclopedia (1979).Most entriesarebrief,but
over 2,800itemsare listed,coveringauthors,themes,magazines,films,TV
programs,publishers,series,terminology, awards, conventions,and much
more.This volume is unmatchedin scope by any otherbook in the field.
MarshallB. Tymn'sTheScience Fiction Reference Book(1981),is a comprehensive
handbookand guideto thehistory, literature,scholarship,and relatedactivities
ofthesciencefiction and fantasy fields.Whileitis notas broadin itscoverageas
the Nichollsvolume,its backgroundessays, readinglistsand discussionsof
current resourcesmakethisan ideal companionfortheclassroomteacherand
student.
The mostambitioussurveyofthegenreeverpublishedis thefive-volume
SurveyofScienceFictionLiterature (1979),editedby FrankN. Magill.The set
513
comprises essay-reviews representing 280 authors,includingaboutninety
foreign-language titles written by seventy-two authors.The workshave been
carefully chosen, with most major works in the fieldfromMary Shelley's
Frankenstein (1818) to the presentrepresented.Anatomy of Wonderannotates
twiceas manyworksbutwithbriefer commentary.
RobertE. Brineyand EdwardWood remarked that
in theirSF Bibliographies
"fantasy fiction in general and science fictionin are
particular among themost
thoroughly documentedof the specializedliterary genres.Especiallysincethe
emergence of thefantasy and science magazinesofthe1920's,enthusiasts
fiction
havebeencompiling uncountedindexes,checklists and bibliographies,covering
theworksoffavorite authors,thecontentsofindividualmagazinesorgroupsof
magazines,storiescenteringabout a commontheme,... or the productsof
variousspecialistpublishinghouses, in additionto a fewmorewide-ranging
and comprehensive listings.. . . The percentageof theseliststhatfoundtheir
way intolibraries, to be preservedfortheuse offuture workers, was dismaying-
ly small."
This is not the case today. Since the early1970sand the emergenceof
sciencefictionas an academicdiscipline,majorpublishersand reprinthouses
have suppliedtheneed forresearchtoolsby issuingreference worksin record
numbers.These titleshave been acquiredby privateand institutional libraries,

American
Studies
International,
1985,
April No.1
Vol.XXIII,

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
54

as wellas a growingnumberofreadersand scholars.The scope and qualityof

recentbibliographic scholarship has been impressive.
NeilBarron,a librarian and sciencefiction researcher, oncecommented that
"untilthepastfewyears,littlein theway ofsystematic history and criticism
of
modern(post-1920)sciencefictionhad been published.. . . Amateurpublica-
tions(fanzines)had publisheda fairnumberof studiesofvaryingmerit,most
ratherbrief,some occasionallyfindingtheirway intomorepermanentbook
form.Far too muchof what was and is publishedby and forsciencefiction
readershad and has an inbred,defensiveand/orcultishquality,long on
adorationand shorton balancedappraisalsinformed by a widerknowledgeof
literature,to say nothingofscience."11
The situation,as Barronoutlineditthen,was essentially accurate,although
I commenton some noteworthy early critical studies. The volume of criticism
published for the science fiction field since 1970, however, has been literally
overwhelming, and impossibleforanyone personto knowin itsentirety. Over
theyears,scholarscommitted tothegenrehavepublishedworksofhighquality
whichhave been acceptedby a wider audience than thatto whichBarron
alludes. This portionof the essay isolatessome of the important worksof
criticismin thesciencefiction field.
The firstcomprehensivebackgroundstudywas J.O. Bailey'sPilgrims
Through SpaceandTime(1947),a surveyofthescientific and Utopianromancein
English,emphasizing fictionpublishedprior to 1914. Stilla standardwork,its
chiefvalue is the thematicarrangement of the material.One of the earliest
symposiums on sciencefiction, ModernScience Fiction (1953),editedbyReginald
Bretnor, is an important document on the "goldenage" of theliterature. The
firstfull-lengthcommentary on the genreby a criticfrom outside the science
fictioncommunity, KingsleyAmis'NewMapsofHell:A Survey ofScience Fiction
(1960),gave direction to current criticism of science fiction by emphasizingits
roleas an instrument ofsocialdiagnosisand warning.H. BruceFranklin's Future
American
Perfect: ScienceFictionofthe Nineteenth Century an
(1966), anthology with
extensive critical
commentary by the editor, remains the most perceptive survey
ofsciencefiction written by Americanliterary figuresoftheperiod.
Theseearlyefforts havebeencontinuedwithseveralworkspublishedinthe
1970s,thefirst ofwhichwas RobertM. Philmus'IntotheUnknown: TheEvolution
of ScienceFictionfrom Francis Godwin to H. G. Wells a
(1970), surveyof English
sciencefiction oftheeighteenth and nineteenth centuries, relating thegenreto
Utopian satire and to a mythological view of life.Donald A. Wollheim's The
UniverseMakers: Science Fiction is a
Today(1971) personal statement of the placeof
sciencefictionin literature and an excellentintroduction to the genreforthe
beginningstudent.Thomas D. Claresonhas been responsibleforbringing
togethera multitude ofcriticalviewpoints on theliterature ofsciencefiction. His
pioneeranthology,SF: TheOtherSideofRealism(1971),illustrates the diverse
waysin whichthe studyof sciencefictionmaybe approached;and his Many

American
Studies
International, Vol.XX///,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 55

Futures, ManyWorlds (1977) integrates viewson thestudyofsciencefiction from

starting pointsas diverseas philosophy,mythology, theologyand technology.
An important landmarkin thetreatment of sciencefiction historyis Brian
W. Aldiss'BillionYearSpree:TheHistory of Science Fiction (1973),whichsurveys
thedevelopment of thegenrefromits nineteenth-century beginningsthrough
contemporary writings ofthe1950sand 1960s.FollowingtheAldissstudywas
JamesGunn'sAlternate Worlds: TheIllustrated History ofScience Fiction (1975),an
informed study of the scientific, social and philosophical climate that brought
forth and shapedsciencefiction fromitsearlybeginnings to thepresent.Science
Fiction:History, Science , Vision(1977) by RobertScholesand EricS. Rabkin,is a
textbooksurveyof sciencefictionwhichoffersa synthesisof the historical,
scientificand thematicelementsthatconstitutethe genre.The book's three
sectionssummarizetheliterary development and comment on thegenre'smost
significantwriters; the evolution of scientificideas and theirimpacton literature
and sciencefiction; and theforms,themesand socialconcernsofsciencefiction,
includingcriticalreadingsof tenmajornovels.In his 1978autobiography, The
Way the Future Was: A Memoir, Frederik Pohl offers a and
delightful absorbing
accountofhis careeras fan,writer, editor,anthologist and literary agent,while
providing an inside view of thedevelopment of the genre from the late1920sto
thepresent.Anotherimportant is
genresurvey BarryMalzberg's Engines The of
theNight:Science Fiction intheEighties (1982),in whichMalzberglooksat thestate
of the art in science fictiontoday, and in the process offersa thoughtful
consideration ofsciencefiction's classicpast,thegoldenage ofthepulpsand the
seminaleditors,fandomand conventions,and the practicesof the modern
sciencefiction scene.The mostrecently publishedcommentary on thecontem-
porary science fiction scene is Ageof Wonders: Exploring the WorldofScience Fiction
(1984)by David Hartwell, one of America's leading science fictioneditors and a
very influential voice in its publishing industry. Hartwell examines a number of
issues, including the of
experience discovering and becoming addicted to
sciencefiction,the phenomenonof fandom,sciencefictionpublishing,the
academictreatment ofsciencefiction, sciencefiction as a reflection ofcontempo-
raryculture, and how it came to be. It is an illuminating book which shouldbe
readby anyonewithmorethana passinginterest in thegenre.
The growinginterestin theoretical criticism is represented by severalkey
works.David Ketterer's NewWorlds for Old: The Apocalyptic Imagination, Science
Fiction,and American Literature (1974) is an to
attempt place the literature of
sciencefiction withinthebroadercategoryofthe"apocalyptic" - literature that
concernsitselfwiththe"destruction of an old worldand thecomingofa new
order."Ketterer maintainsthat"becauseofa commonapocalyptic qualityand a
commongroundingin theromance,sciencefictionand mainstream American
literaturesharemanysignificant features."Thisis an important scholarly study
and thefirstbook-length treatment of sciencefictionto givesustainedexplica-
tionofcontemporary texts.RobertScholes'Structural Fabulation:An Essayon the

American
Studies
International,
1985,
April No.1
Vol.XXIII,

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
56

DeLacknerAerocycle, writers
1956.Sciencefiction andinventors assumethatthe
often
willbe likethepastonlymoretechnological,
future as in thisideafora loneairborne
Smithsonian
cavalryman. AirandSpaceMuseum,
Institution, Washington, D.C.

FictionoftheFuture(1975)is a criticaland theoretical studyof sciencefiction

the
relating genre to the literarytraditions and to modern intellectual history,
arguing for theseriousness of science fictionand itsvalue as literature.GaryK.
Wolfe'sTheKnownandtheUnknown: TheIconography ofScience Fiction(1979)is a
significantadvance overthe generalsurveys which dominated studies ofscience
fictionuntilthe mid-1970s.Wolfeexaminesthe evolutionand meaningof
severalkey images- spaceships,the city,wastelands,robots,monsters;in
relatingtheseimagesto the fundamental beliefsand values of the genrethe
authorrevealsa complexand sophisticated ideologyconcerning themeaningof
technology and the role of humanity in the universe. Darko Suvin's Metamor-
phosesof ScienceFiction:
On the Poetics a
of Literary Genre (1979) is a seriousand
insightfulexamination of what theauthor calls"the fiction of cognitive estrange-
ment."The first partofthisstudyis an elaboration oftheconceptsofcognition
(science)and estrangement inwhichSuvinsetsthesciencefiction
(fiction) genre
apartfrom eithernaturalisticfiction
or the supernatural. The second part,on the
historicaltradition,deals with sciencefictionin Europe and Americafrom

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 57

ThomasMoreto H. G. Wells,withreferences to earlierwriters as wellas Slavic

sciencefictionup to the 1950s. This work is a major contribution to the
intellectualhistoryof sciencefiction and to theoretical studiesof thegenre.
One of themostfar-reaching of therecentbodyof theoretical criticismis
CaseyFredericks' TheFutureofEternity: Mythologies ofScience FictionandFantasy
(1982).This studyof the impactof mythology on modernsciencefictionand
fantasyrangesbroadlyin interdisciplinary fashionover many of the most
populartheoriesand conceptsof modernthought:myththeory,historyand
philosophyof science,Freudianand Jungianpsychology,narratology and
fictiontheory,along with recentdevelopmentsin science fictioncriticism.
Fredericks emphasizesthreespeculativeconfrontations ofcrucialinterest to the
twentieth-century imagination:man/superman, man/machine, and human/
alien.Thisis a pioneerworkwhichwillformthebasisoffuture studiesofscience
fictionas an interdisciplinary genre.
The growinginterestin subjectstudies of the science fictiongenre is
represented in severalimportant recentworks.The firstsystematic studyof
twentieth-century dystopian fiction is The Future as Nightmare: H. G. Wellsandthe
Anti-Utopians (1967), by Mark R. Hillegas. A more detailed and wide-ranging
examination of the dystopiantrendin contemporary sciencefictionis Harold
Berger'sScienceFiction andtheNewDarkAge(1976),whichincludesworksthat
have previouslyreceivedlittlecriticalattention.A well-documented study
whichis concernedwiththeuses to whichsciencefiction writersputlinguistics
is WalterE. Meyers'Aliensand Linguistics: LanguageStudyand ScienceFiction
(1980).Meyers'approachis speculative,but firmly groundedin currenttech-
of
niques languageanalysis and is informed by a wide acquaintancewithscience
fictionliterature. PatriciaWarrick'sTheCybernetic Imagination in ScienceFiction
(1980) is the firstin-depth treatment of artificial intelligence(robotsand
computers) in science fiction. Based on a study of 225 shortstoriesand novels
written between1930and 1977,theworkis botha history ofcybernetic science
fictionand an analysisofitsrecurring and
images,patterns meanings.
Untilrecently,the full-length criticalstudyof individualauthorswas a
neglectedarea of sciencefictionscholarship.The earliestattemptsat author
coverageweretwoworksby historianSam Moskowitz:Explorers oftheInfinite:
Shapers ofScience Fiction (1963), with on
chapters pre-World War II writerswho
influencedthe developinggenre;and Seekers of Tomorrow: Masters ofModern
ScienceFiction (1966),with on
chapters twenty-one modern writers. The tradition
established by Moskowitz has been continued by Thomas D. Clareson, withhis
Voicesfor theFuture series (Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1976, 1979,
1984), which are collections of critical essays by various academics on major
writers of sciencefiction whose careershad begunby WorldWarII or later.A
second series,Writers of the21st Century , edited by JosephD. Olanderand
MartinHarryGreenberg, was an important landmarkin sciencefiction author
studies.The firsttwo volumesin the series,collectionsof essays on Isaac

American
Studies
International,
1985,
April No.1
VolXXIII,

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
58

Asimovand ArthurC. Clarke,werepublishedby Taplingerin 1977;themost

recentvolume,on PhilipK. Dick,was releasedin 1983.
Studiesof sciencefiction writersare appearingwithincreasing frequency,
not only as isolatedpublications,but more oftenas part of existingseries
devotedto authorstudies.Threeongoingserieswhichcomprisea readymarket
forsingle-authored studies of science fictionwritersare TheMilfordSeries:
Popular Writersof Today(BorgoPress), editedby R. Reginald,whichbegan
publication in 1977; TheStarmont Reader'sGuidesto Contemporary ScienceFiction
andFantasy Authors (Starmont House), editedbyRogerC. Schlobin,whichwas
launchedin 1979;and Recognitions (Frederick Ungar),editedby SharonJarvis,
whichreleaseditsfirstvolumein 1980.
Althoughthe area has not been completelyneglectedby sciencefiction
historians, morecriticalstudiesof the pulp magazinesneed to be done. Two
pioneeringworks,bothby Sam Moskowitz,are ScienceFictionbyGaslight: A
and
History Anthology ofScience Fictionin thePopularMagazines , 1891-1911 (1968)
" in
and UndertheMoonsofMars:A History andAnthology of"TheScientific Romance
theMunseyMagazines , 1912-1920(1970). The thirty-six page introduction to
ScienceFictionbyGaslight is one ofMoskowitz's most important contributions to
thestudyofsciencefiction history.He chartsthe earlydevelopment of themass
circulation,generalinterest English-language magazineand,through hishistori-
cal surveyand representative fiction
selections, examinesthethemesand extent
ofa popularliterary formof theperiod.UndertheMoonsofMarsis, in part,a
continuation of Gaslight,thoughhere the study is restricted to American
periodicals with emphasis on the Munsey group. In a valuable 154-page
historicalsurvey,Moskowitztracesthe influenceof Edgar Rice Burroughs,
whosescientific romancessacrificed verisimilitude forromantic adventure.The
scientificromancewas a dominantliterary formduringthistransitional period,
and thepopularfiction magazinewas themajorvehicleforthistypeoffiction.
In 1974-75and 1977-78,theNew EnglishLibrary issuedfourvolumesofa
serieseditedbyMichaelAshley.Each volumeofTheHistory oftheScience Fiction
Magazine examines a decade of science fictionmagazinepublication (theseries
coversthe period 1926-1965)throughhistoricalcommentary by Ashleyand
selectionsfromthe magazines.The series,as faras it goes, providesthefirst
balancedcompactoverviewof the developmentof thisspecializedmagazine
genre.
A welcomeadditionto pulp magazinehistory, Paul Carter'sTheCreation of
Tomorrow: FiftyYears ofMagazine ScienceFiction(1977) continuestheworkbegun
byMoskowitz.Carter'sworkis a historical surveyofthematic trendsapparentin
pulp science fictionsince magazines devoted entirely to the genrebeganto be
published.Complementing the Carter study is a new seriesdealingwithseries
characters in thepulp magazines.Two ofa projectedfourvolumes,written by
RobertSampson,havebeenreleased:Yesterday's Faces:A StudyofSeriesCharacters
in theEarlyPulpMagazines.Volume1: GloryFigures and Volume 2: StrangeDays.

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 59

Theseworksmakean important contribution to thehistory ofthesciencefiction

magazine.
The studyofthesciencefiction filmcontinuestobe a viablearea ofinterest
on thepartofbothfansand scholars.Therehas been no shortageofbookson
thissubjectsincethefirstseriousstudywas publishedin 1970byJohnBaxter.
Science Fictionin theCinemaoutlinesthehistoryof thesciencefictionfilmfrom
1895to 1968.The coverageis broadand informed, especiallyfortheperiod1900
to 1940.WilliamJohnson's FocusontheScience FictionFilm(1972)containsessays
by American, British and European criticscoveringthreehistoricalperiods:
the
1895-1940, 1950s, and the 1960s. Accordingto PeterNicholls,writingin
Foundation magazine,Philip Strick's
ScienceFiction Moviesis "thebestbookso far
on SF and thecinema. . . and makesforan excellent balancebetweenwordand
picture/7 It is an informative text which includes an unusuallywide and
interesting range of films and treatsall thepopular themes. Equal to theStrick
study, ifnot to
superior it, Johnis Brosnan's Future Tense: TheCinemaofScience
Fiction(1979). This is a scrupulously researched and exhaustively detailedwork
whichis a comprehensivehistoricalsurveyof 400 filmsthat includesplot
summaries, developments intechnical mastery and specialeffects,thedifference
betweenwrittenand filmedsciencefiction, and a historyof thegenre.Vivian
CarolSobchack'sTheLimitsofInfinity: TheAmerican Science FictionFilm1950-75
(1980) is an aesthetic study which focuses on the American science film
fiction
fromitsbirthas a critically recognizedgenre in theearly 1950sthrough 1975and
thegenre'scurrent renaissancein popularity. Sobchackinvestigates therelation-
ship betweenthe science fictionand horrorfilm,discusses science fiction
imagery,and exploresa previouslyneglectedarea, the sounds of the science
fictionfilm(dialogue, music, sound effects).A useful recentstudy is Bill
Warren'sKeepWatching theSkies!American ScienceFictionMoviesof theFifties
(1982),whichis a comprehensive surveyof everyfilmproducedin theUnited
Statesbetween1950and 1957thathas someelementofsciencefiction important
totheplot.Nota history, buta personalreactiontoeach movie,articulated bya
knowledgeable fanand expertin thefield.Each filmis discussedin essaystyle,
withfilmdata relegatedto an appendix.An insightful book. The mostrecent
bookdealingwithfilmhistoryis PeterNicholls'TheWorldofFantastic Films:An
IllustratedSurvey (1984).Nichollsdocumentstheriseofthefantastic filmand the
paralleladvancesin special-effects techniques,and discussesthepresentstatus
as thedominantmediumfor"alternatevisionsofreality."
There are two "centralclearinghouses"for those who have ideas for
scholarly books on sciencefiction.These clearinghouses takethe formof two
criticalseries,which,takentogether,supportthe workof a largenumberof
researchers and scholarsin the sciencefictionfield.The firstof theseseries,
Alternatives, is publishedby SouthernIllinoisUniversity Pressand is editedby
EricS. Rabkin,MartinH. Greenberg and JosephD. Olander.It was established
to servethegrowingcritical audienceofsciencefiction and fantasyfiction.The

American
Studies
International, No.1
Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
60

firstvolumein theserieswas publishedin 1980,and fivebooksofcriticism have

so farbeenreleased,thelatestin 1983;all areessaycollections. Thesecondseries
totheStudyofScience
is Contributions Fiction
andFantasy, publishedbyGreenwood
Pressand editedby MarshallB. Tymn.The focusof the seriesis on selected
historicaltopics,neglectedauthors,and thematicstudies.Nine volumeswere
publishedduringtheperiod1982-84,and severalmorewillbe releasedin early
1985.
How does one keep trackof the vast amountof scholarshipnow being
publishedin fantastic literature? Thereis no standardlibraryreference work
whichindexesall ofthearticlesand booksinthefield,as is thecasewithsomeof
the traditional disciplines.The firstpersonto compilea guide to the critical
literaturewas ThomasD. Clareson.His ScienceFictionCriticism: An Annotated
Checklist(1972) covered books and articles
published in the Englishlanguage
priorto 1972.It containsabout800 annotatedentriesgroupedintoninebroad
categories.The chronological continuation of Clareson's bibliography was an
annual series of articles,"The Year's Scholarshipin Science Fictionand
Fantasy,"compiledby Roger C. Schlobinand MarshallB. Tymn,which
appearedannuallyin Extrapolation untiltheyoutgrewthe confinesof journal
publication. These bibliographies collectedand publishedin 1979and 1983
were
as TheYears'Scholarship in ScienceFiction andFantasy: 1972-1975and TheYear's
Scholarship in ScienceFiction and Fantasy:1976-1979. Now called The Year's
Scholarshipin Science
Fiction, Fantasy andHorrorLiterature
, thenew seriesis being
as
published separate annual monographsby the Kent StateUniversity Press
underthedirection B. an
ofMarshall Tymnand international boardofeditors.
Thesebibliographies areintendedtoservetheneedsoftheacademiccommunity
and are a uniquesourceforannotatedcommentary on secondaryworks.

NOTES

1. Portionsof thisessayappearin "ScienceFiction: CopingwithChange/'Media&

Methods,(November 1979)andin"ScienceFiction"inConciseHistories
ofAmericanPopular
Culture,ed. M. ThomasInge(Greenwood Press,1982).I wouldliketothankProfessor
JamesGunnforhis comments on a draftof thisessay;someof themhavebeen
incorporated.
2. Foradditionalcommentary onearlymotifs seeThomas D. Clareson, A
"Introduction:
Spectrum ofWorlds," A SpectrumofWorlds(Doubleday, 1972).
3. TarzanoftheApes,Burroughs' secondpublished novel,firstappeared intheOctober
1912issueofAll-Story. novel,Under
Hisfirst theMoonsofMars, appeared theFebruary
in
1912issueofthesamemagazine andranas a six-part in1917
foritsbookpublication
series;
thetitlewaschanged toA Princess
ofMars.
4. Gernsback published as earlyas 1911,whenhisownstory,
sciencefiction "Ralph
124C41+,"appearedin Modern He also published
Electrics. sciencefiction
in Electrical

American
Studies Vol.XXIII,
1985,
International,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 61

(1915-1920),
Experimenter andInvention
Science (1920-1928),RadioNews(1919-1928), and
TheExperimenter(1924-1926).
5. Thetermwas first usedin Gernsback's "ScienceWonder
editorial, in the
Stories/'
premiereissueofScience Wonder , datedJune1929.
Stories
6. Gernsback launched Amazing Annual
Stories in1927,Amazing Stories
Quarterlyin1928,
andScience Wonder Storiesin 1929.Thesewerefollowed by Air Wonder Stories
, Scientific
Detective
Monthly,andScience WonderQuarterly;in1953hepublished hislasttitle,
Science
Fiction
Plus,a large-formatmagazine.
7. Astounding of SuperScience
Stories beganpublication in January 1930underthe
editorshipofHarry Bates;thenexteditor wasF. OrlinTremaine (1933-1937),whowas
replacedby John W. The
Campbell. magazine changedits name to AstoundingScience
Fiction
in 1938,andtoAnalog Fiction
Fact-Science
Science in 1960,witha minor changeto
AnalogScience Factin1965.
Fiction-Science
8. Downward totheEarth (1970),TowerofGlass(1970),A Time ofChanges (1971),TheWorld
Inside Son
(1971), of Man (1971),TheSecondTrip (1972),
Dying Inside(1972),andTheBook of
Skulls
(1972).
9. Encyclopedia Fiction
ofScience (OctopusBooks,1978),p. 189.
10. Gunn,James, "FromthePulpstotheClassroom" inTheScience Fiction Book,
Reference
ed. MarshallB. Tymn, (Starmont House, 1981).
11. Barron,Neil,"Anatomy ofWonder: A Bibliographic
GuidetoScience Choice
Fiction,"
6 (1970).

LIST OF WORKS CITED

PrimaryWorks
Aldiss,BrianW. FrankensteinUnbound. New York:RandomHouse, 1974.
New
Greybeard. York: Brace& World,1964.
Harcourt,
TheMalaciaTapestry.New York:Ace Books,1981,c. 1977.
Benford, Gregory.In theOceanofNight.New York:Dial Press,1977.
Bishop, Michael. CatacombYears.New York: BerkeleyPub.; distributedby
Putnam,1979.
Bradbury, Ray.Fahrenheit451. New York:Ballantine,1979,c. 1953.
Brunner, John.Standon Zanzibar.New York:Ballantine,1976,c. 1968.
Burgess,Anthony. A Clockwork Orange.New York:W. W. Norton,1963,c. 1962.
Cherryh, C. J.Brothers
ofEarth. New York:DAW Books,1976.
Dick,PhilipK. FlowMy Tears Said.New York:DAW Books,1981,
, thePoliceman
c. 1973.
A ScannerDarkly.New York:DAW Books,1984,c. 1977.
Haldeman,Joe.TheForever War.New York:Ballentine,1976,c. 1975.
Harrison,Harry.MakeRoom!MakeRoom!New York:Ace Books,1984,c. 1966.
Kornbluth, CyrilM. NotThisAugust.New York:PinnacleBooks,1982,c. 1955.
Le Guin,UrsulaK. TheDispossessed. New York:Avon,1975,c. 1974.
TheLeftHandofDarkness. New York:Ace Books,1983,c. 1969.

American
Studies
International,
1985,
April No.1
Vol.XXlll,

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
62

Mylntyre, Vonda N. Dreamsnake. Boston:HoughtonMifflin, 1978.

Martin,GeorgeR. R. DyingoftheLight.New York:Simon& Schuster,1977.
Miller,WalterM., Jr.A Canticle forLeibowitz.
New York:Bantam,1976,c. 1960.
Pohl,Frederik.Gateway. 1977. London,Gollancz,1977;New York:Ballantine,
1978.
JEM.New York.St. Martin's,1979.
Man Plus.London:Gollancz,1976.
and C. M. Kornbluth. TheSpaceMerchants.New York:Ballantine,1981,
c. 1953.
Priest,Christopher. TheInverted World.New York:Harper& Row, 1974.
Russen,David. IterLunare:Or,A Voyage totheMoon.Boston:GreggPress,1976,
c. 1703.
Shelley,Mary.Frankenstein. New York:Bantam,1981,c. 1818.
TheLastMan. Lincoln,NE: Univ.ofNebraskaPress,1965,c. 1826.
Silverberg, Robert.DyingInside.New York:Bantam,1984,c. 1972.
A TimeofChanges.GardenCity,NY: N. Doubleday,1971.
Stewart,GeorgeRippey.EarthAbides.New York:RandomHouse, 1949.
Tiptree,James,Jr.UptheWallsoftheWorld. New York:Ace Books,1984,c. 1978.
Varley,John.ThePersistence ofVision.New York:Berkeley Pub., 1984,c. 1978.
Verne,Jules.Around theWorld inEightyDays.New York:Bantam,1984,c. 1873.
FiveWeeksina Balloon.Leyden,MA: AeonianPress,1976,c. 1863.
FromtheEarthtotheMoon.New York:Bantam,1967,c. 1865.
Twenty Thousand LeaguesUndertheSea. FranklinCenter,PA: Franklin
Library, 1978,c. 1870.
Vinge,JoanD. TheOutcasts ofHeavenBelt.1978.
Watson, Ian. TheJonah Kit.New York:Scribner, 1975.
Wells,H. G. FirstMenin theMoon.1901.(Out ofprint)
TheInvisible
Man. New York:Bantam,1983,c. 1897.
TheIslandofDr. Moreau.Cambridge,MA: RobertBentley,1981,c.
1896.
TheTimeMachine.Milwaukee,WI: Raintree,1981,c. 1895.
WhentheSleeperWakes.1899.(Out ofprint)
TheWaroftheWorlds. London:Distributed by HeronBooks,1968,c.
1898.
Wolfe,Gene. TheFifth HeadofCerberus. Hastings-on-Hudson,NY: UltraMarine
Pub., 1972.

ReferenceBooks
Barron,Neil. AnatomyofWonder: A Critical
GuidetoScience
Fiction.
2nd ed. New
Yorkand London:R. R. Bowker,1981.
Bleiler,EverettFranklin.The Checklist
ofFantastic
Literature:
A Bibliographyof
Fantasy, Weirdand ScienceFictionBooksPublished
in theEnglishLanguage.
Chicago:Shasta,1948;rpt.WestLinn,OR: FAXCollector'sEditions,1972.
TheChecklist
ofScience-Fiction
andSupernatural
Fiction.
GlenRock,NJ:
FirebellBooks,1978.

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 63

Science FictionWriters:CriticalStudiesoftheMajorAuthors from theEarly

Nineteenth Century to thePresent Day. New York:CharlesScribner'sSons,
1982.
Briney,RobertE. and EdwardWood. SF Bibliographies: AnAnnotated Bibliography
ofBibliographicalWorks onScience andFantasy
Fiction Fiction.Chicago:Advent,
1972.
Clareson,ThomasD. Science Fiction AnAnnotated
Criticism: Checklist.Kent,OH:
KentStateUniv.Press,1972.
Contento,William.Indexto ScienceFictionAnthologies and Collections.Vol. 1.
Boston:G. K. Hall, 1978.
Indexto ScienceFictionAnthologies and Collections1977-1983.Vol. 2.
Boston:G. K. Hall, 1984.
Cowart,Davidand ThomasL. Wymer.Twentieth-Century American Science-Fiction
Writers. 2 vols. Detroit:Gale Research,1981.
Currey,L. W. withMarshallB. Tymn.Mastersof ScienceFictionand Fantasy
(authorbibliographical series).Boston:G. K. Hall, 1980- .
Day, Donald B. Index to the Magazines1926-1950.Portland,OR:
Science-Fiction
PerriPress,1952;rev.ed. Boston:G. K. Hall, 1982.
Hall, HalbertW. ScienceFictionBookReviewIndex , 1923-1973.Detroit:Gale
Research,1975.
ScienceFictionBookReviewIndex , 1974-1979.Detroit:Gale Research,
1981.
SFBRI:ScienceFictionBookReviewIndex(annualvolume).Bryan,TX:
SFBRI,1981- .
Lee, Walt.Reference GuidetoFantastic , Fantasy& Horror.
Films:ScienceFiction 3
vols. Los Angeles:Chelsea-LeeBooks,1972-74.
Lewis, Anthony.Indexto theScienceFictionMagazines1966-1970.Cambridge,
MA: New EnglandScienceFictionAssociation,1971.
Magill,FrankNorthen.SurveyofScienceFictionLiterature. 5 vols. Englewood
Cliffs,NJ:SalemPress,1979.
Nicholls,Peter. The ScienceFictionEncyclopedia. United Kingdom:Granada;
GardenCity,NY: Doubleday,1979.
Reginald,R. Science FictionandFantasy A Checklist,
Literature: 1700-1974.2 vols.
Detroit:Gale Research,1979.
Smith,Curtis.Twentieth-Century Writers.
Science-Fiction New York:St. Martin's,
1981.
Strauss,ErwinS. TheMIT Science Fiction IndextotheS-FMagazines,
Society's 1951-
1965.Cambridge,MA: The MIT ScienceFictionSociety,1965.
Tuck,Donald H. TheEncyclopedia ofScienceFictionandFantasyThrough 1968.3
vols. Chicago:Advent,1974,1978,1982.
Tymn,MarshallB. TheScienceFictionReference Book:A Comprehensive Handbook
and Guideto theHistory, Literature, and
Scholarship, RelatedActivitiesofthe
Science Fiction
andFantasy Fields.MercerIsland,WA:Starmont House, 1981.
TheYear'sScholarship in ScienceFiction,
Fantasy, andHorrorLiterature
(annualseries). Kent, OH: Kent StateUniv. Press, 1983-
Tymn,MarshallB. and RogerC. Schlobin.TheYear'sScholarship inScience Fiction
andFantasy: 1972-1975.Kent,OH: KentStateUniv. Press,1979.

American International
Studies , April
1985, No.1
Vol.XX///,

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
64

in ScienceFiction
TheYear'sScholarship andFantasy:1976-1979.Kent,
OH: KentStateUniv. Press,1982.
Tymn,MarshallB., RogerC. Schlobinand L. W. Currey.A Research Guideto
ScienceFiction AnAnnotated
Studies: Checklist and
ofPrimary Secondary Sources
forFantasy andScience New Yorkand London:Garland,1977.
Fiction.
Willis,Donald C. Horror
andScience FilmsII. Metuchen,NJand London:
Fiction
ScarecrowPress,1982.

Critical Studies
Aldiss, Brian W. BillionYear Spree:The Historyof ScienceFiction.London:
Weidenfeld & Nicolson,1973;GardenCity,NY: Doubleday,1979as Billion
YearSpree:TheTrueHistory ofScienceFiction.
Amis, Kinglsey.New Maps of Hell: A Surveyof ScienceFiction.New York:
Harcourt,Brace,1960;rpt.New York:Arno,1975.
Ashley,Michael.TheHistory oftheScience Magazine.4 vols. London:New
Fiction
EnglishLibrary, 1974-76, 1978; Chicago:HenryRegnery, 3 vols., 1974-76.
Bailey,J.O. Pilgrims
Through Spaceand Time: TrendsandPatternsin Scientific
and
UtopianFiction.New York:Argus,1947;rpt. Westport,CT: Greenwood
Press,1972.
Baxter,John.Science in theCinema.London:Zwemmer,1970;New York:
Fiction
A. S. Barnes,1970.
Berger,Harold L. ScienceFictionand theNew DarkAge. BowlingGreen,OH:
BowlingGreenUniv.PopularPress,1976.
Bretnor,Reginald.ModernScienceFiction: ItsMeaningandItsFuture.New York:
Coward-McCann, 1953;2nd ed. Chicago:Advent,1979.
Brosnan,John.Future Tense:TheCinema Fiction.
ofScience New York:St.Martin's,
1979.
Carter,Paul A. TheCreation ofTomorrow: FiftyYearsofMagazineScienceFiction.
New York:ColumbiaUniv. Press,1977.
Clareson,ThomasD. ManyFutures, ManyWorlds:Themeand Formin Science
Fiction.Kent,OH: KentStateUniv.Press,1977.
SF: TheOtherSideofRealism:Essayson ModernFantasyand Science
Fiction.BowlingGreen,OH: BowlingGreenUniv.PopularPress,1971.
VoicesfortheFuture(authorcriticalseries). BowlingGreen,OH:
BowlineGreenUniv.PopularPress,1976,1979,1984.
Franklin,H. Bruce. FuturePerfect: American ScienceFictionof theNineteenth
Century. New York: Oxford Univ. Press,1966;rev.ed., 1978.
Fredericks,Casey.TheFuture ofEternity: ofScience
Mythologies Fiction
andFantasy.
Bloomineton: IndianaUniv.Press,1982.
Gunn,James.Alternate Worlds:TheIllustrated
History Fiction.
ofScience Englewood
Cliffs,NJ:Prentice-Hall,1975;rpt.New York:A&W VisualLibrary, 1976.
Hartwell, David. AgeofWonders: ExploringtheWorldofScienceFiction.
New York:
Walker,1984.
Hillegas,MarkR. TheFutureas Nightmare: H. G. Wellsand TheAnti-Utopians.
Carbondale:SouthernIllinoisUniv.Press,1967.

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 65

Sharon.Recognitions
Jarvis, (authorcriticalseries).New York:Frederick Ungar,
1980- .
Johnson,William.Focus on the ScienceFictionFilm. Englewood Cliffs,NJ:
Prentice-Hall, 1972.
Ketterer,David. NewWorlds forOld: TheApocalyptic Imagination , ScienceFiction,
and American Literature.Bloomingtonand London: Indiana Univ. Press,
1974.
Malzberg,BarryN. TheEngines oftheNight:Science FictionintheEighties. Garden
City,NY: Doubleday,1982.
Moskowitz,Samuel.Explorers oftheInfinite:
Shapers ofScience Fiction. Cleveland:
World,1963;rpt.Westport, CT: Hyperion,1974.
Science Fiction
byGaslight: A HistoryandAnthology ofScience Fictioninthe
PopularMagazines,1891-1911.Cleveland:World,1968;rpt.Westport,CT:
Hyperion,1974.
Seekersof Tomorrow: Mastersof ModernScienceFiction.Cleveland:
World,1966;rpt.Westport, CT: Hyperion,1974.
UndertheMoonsofMars:A History and Anthology "
" of TheScientific
Romancein theMunseyMagazines, 1912-1920.New York:Holt,Rinehart &
Winston,1970.
Myers,WalterE. AliensandLinguistics: LanguageStudyandScience Fiction.Athens:
Univ.ofGeorgiaPress,1980.
Nicholls,Peter.TheWorldofFantastic Films:An Illustrated Survey.New York:
Dodd, Mead, 1984.
Olander,JosephD. and MartinHarryGreenberg.Writers ofthe21stCentury
(authorcriticalseries).New York:Taplinger,1977- .
Philmus,RobertM. IntotheUnknown: ScienceFictionfrom Francis Godwin toH. G.
Wells.Berkeley: Univ. ofCalifornia Press,1970.
Pohl,Frederik. TheWaytheFutureWas:A Memoir. New York:Del Rey-Ballantine,
1978.
Rabkin,Eric S., MartinH. Greenbergand JosephD. Olander. Alternatives
(criticalseries).Carbondale:SouthernIllinoisUniv. Press,1980- .
Reginald,R. TheMilford Series:PopularWritersofToday(authorcritical series).San
Bernardino, CA: BorgoPress,1977- .
Sampson,Robert.Yesterday's Faces:A StudyofSeriesCharacters in theEarlyPulp
Magazines.Vol. I: GloryFigures.BowlingGreen,OH: BowlingGreenUniv.
PopularPress,1983.
Yesterday's Faces:A StudyofSeriesCharacters intheEarlyPulpMagazines.
Vol. II: StrangeDays. BowlingGreen,OH: BowlingGreenUniv. Popular
Press,1984.
Schlobin,Roger C. Starmont Reader'sGuidesto Contemporary ScienceFiction
and Fantasy(authorcriticalseries).MercerIsland, WA: StarmontHouse,
1979- .
Scholes,Robert.Structural Fabulation:An Essayon theFiction oftheFuture.Notre
Dame: Univ.ofNotreDame Press,1975.
Scholes,Robertand EricS. Rabkin.ScienceFiction: History, Science,Vision.New
Yorkand London:OxfordUniv. Press,1977.

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
66

Sobchack,VivianCarol. TheLimitsofInfinity: TheAmerican ScienceFictionFilm

1950-75.SouthBrunswick, NJ:A. S. Barnes, 1980.
Philip.Science
Strick, FictionMovies.London:Octopus,1976.
Suvin,Darko.Metamorphoses ofScienceFiction:
On thePoeticsofa LiteraryGenre.
New Haven and London:Yale Univ.Press,1979.
Tymn,MarshallB. Contributions totheStudyofScienceFictionandFantasy (critical
series).Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1982-
Warren,Bill.KeepWatching theSkies!AmericanScience
FictionMoviesoftheFifties.
Vol. 1: 1950-1957.Jefferson,NC and London:McFarland,1982.
Warrick,PatriciaS. TheCyberneticImaginationinScienceFiction.
Cambridge, MA:
MIT Press,1980.
Wolfe,GaryK. TheKnownand theUnknown: TheIconography ofScienceFiction.
Kent,OH: KentStateUniv.Press,1979.
Wollheim,Donald A. The Universe Makers:SciencesFictionToday.New York:
Harper & Row, 1971.

Marshall
B. Tymn, ProfessorofEnglish atEastern Michigan
University,
Ypsilanti,
Michigan, isthedirectorofthenation-
al WorkshoponTeaching ScienceFictionandtheauthor of
numerousreference worksand articles on sciencefiction
andfantasyliterature.
Dr.Tymn is editor
ofContributionsto
theStudyof ScienceFictionand Fantasy and the annual
TheYear's
bibliography, inScience
Scholarship Fiction, Fantasy
andHorror
Literature.
He is alsoa governor oftheInterna-
Association
tional fortheFantastic intheArts.Hiscontinu-
inginterest
inearlyAmerican artandculture is reflected
in
hisThomas
Cole'sPoetry(1972)andThomas Cole:TheCollected
andProseSketches
Essays (1980).

American
Studies
International, Vol.XXIII,
1985,
April No.1

This content downloaded from 182.185.206.108 on Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:04:15 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions