Science Fiction After 1900

by Brooks Landon

A broad overview of the evolution of science fiction, from the early twentieth century dime store novel to the soft agenda SF of the '90s. Authors examined include E. M. Forster, John W. Campbell, Philip K. Dick and Ursula K. Le Guin.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

286 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 1997

Reviews

[Myrdschaem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the series "Genres in Context" from Routledge, which gave Science Fiction two volumes. I finished the other one a while ago. Overall a good scholarly introduction for first hand sources, at least for me. Focus is on literature (I came away with a lot of recs, as planned) and mostly on English language scifi, with one chapter focusing on soviet writings.

I would have liked more outside these trodden paths, but Landon was frank about the limitation and pointed to other sources. It at least gave me a good handle on the broad streams within the genre context. The book was published mid-90s, so nothing about the last 25 years. Final hat-tip for broad overview was the mention of K/S as a vibrant field that got many women interested in scifi. I would recommend this as a serious entry level look at the history of the genre and important milestones within it.

[Joseph Henry Kester · Rating 1 out of 5]

Landon begins the first chapter of this book by telling a story which only serves to illustrate the fact that he can't take a joke.

In his Preface, he states that, "Some of the genre's most dramatic and most significant changes have seen the dime-novel, boy-engineer appeal of pulp magazine 'scientifiction' being wrestled into a useful and compelling vehicle for feminist expression, ecotopian protest, and wide-ranging explorations of difference and marginality of every kind."

It seems he mostly prizes SF for its 'usefulness' in advancing certain ideologies and is consequently totally untouched by the wonder and love of SF that characterize most of its readers.

[Francis Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better SF histories. (that I've read I mean)

[Stephanie White · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Lyle Wiedeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A scholarly work, possibly not to the taste of those reading for entertainment. Still - not a long read, and well written. It was particularly interesting to me because it was half about things that happened before I was reading SF ("history") and half about things I'd watched happen ("news.") I enjoyed the stories, the details, the objectivity, and the perspective that emerges from following the arc of history.

[Kamakana · Rating 3 out of 5]

151007: sf is... everywhere! good historical review of the genre from edisonade to after cyberpunk, focus mostly on us, uk, russia, authors like lem, dick, ballard, gibson. interesting for the bibliography and suggestions. this follows development through editors, pulps, uk new wave, us new wave... feminist exploration... and as written in 1994, reports of death of sf are greatly exaggerated...