? By examining important aspects of science fiction in the twentieth century, this book explains how the genre evolved to its current state. Close critical attention is given to topics including the art that has accompanied science fiction, the subgenres of space opera and hard science fiction, the rise of SF anthologies, and the burgeoning impact of the marketplace on authors. Included are in-depth studies of key texts that contributed to science fiction's growth, including Philip Francis Nowlan's first Buck Rogers story, the first published stories of A. E. van Vogt, and the early juveniles of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein.
Drawing on his previously published works on the topic (revised, expanded, and updated for this book), the author traces the history of American science fiction from the 1920s to the 1960s. He describes the emergence of American science fiction and its impact on the world; pulp science fiction, including space opera and hard science fiction; the work of A.E. van Vogt and Robert A. Heinlein; early science fiction anthologies; purportedly factual accounts of false events and phenomena; juvenile science fiction; the fragmentation of science fiction in the 1960s and 1970s; the art that has accompanied science fiction; the impact of the marketplace on authors; and other aspects. Annotation ©2020 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
