Projections: Science Fiction in Literature and Film

by Lou Anders (Editor)

Examines the history and people, the science and the society, the lives, times and themes, the cultural impact and the critical response of the dynamic genre that is speculative fiction.

Genres: Nonfiction

329 pages, Paperback

First published December 25, 2004

About the author

LOU ANDERS is the author of the novel Once Upon a Unicorn, the Thrones & Bones trilogy of fantasy adventure novels (Frostborn, Nightborn, and Skyborn), and the novel Star Wars: Pirate’s Price. He is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. In the tabletop roleplaying game world, Anders is the creator and publisher of the Thrones & Bones: Norrøngard campaign setting. He has also done game design for Kobold Press, River Horse, and 3D Printed Tabletop. In 2016, he was named a Thurber House Writer-in-Residence and spent a month in Columbus, Ohio, teaching, writing, and living in a haunted house. When not writing, designing, and editing, he enjoys playing roleplaying games, 3D printing, weightlifting, and watching movies. He lives with his wife, children, and two golden doodles in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit Anders online at louanders.com or on Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks.

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Behind a suitable mechanoid science fictiony cover, Projections: Science Fiction in Literature & Film, edited by Lou Anders, collects essays from leading critics and writers. Michael Moorcock, Robert Silverberg, Jonathan Lethem, Robert J. Saywer, Michael Swanwick, David Brin, John Clute, James Gunn, Michael Resnick, and others discuss a variety of topics from Leigh Brackett to Star Wars, Harry Potter to Star Trek, and all points in between.

The quality of the essays varies greatly. Some meander without getting to any point. From several of the contributors, I've read superior essays elsewhere. Highlights include the two bracketing essays from Michael Swanwick, Brin on Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, Moorcock's remembrance of Leigh Brackett, Mike Resnick on Burroughs, a history Australian sf by McMullen, and Jonathan Lethem's thoughts on science fiction.

Most of the essays in this volume are reprints and often feel dated. The copyright dates range from 1984 to 2004. This could have easily been fixed by placing the copyright information with the essays themselves. To make matters worse, the reader is not made aware that the essays are reprints until they see the permissions listing at the end of the book.