The Evolution of Science Fiction discussion

Please nominate books for the October 2022 read for books published prior to 1920.

Fore-runners of SF, so-called "Proto SF", are welcome as well as "True SF" (whatever that means).

SF novels or short story collection/anthologies that have not previously been read by the group are eligible. Please check the bookshelf & the nomination rules for further clarification before nominating a book.

Previously nominated books are on this bookshelf. More qualifying authors & books can be found here. Also, both Wells & Verne are eligible for nominations. It's been more than 5 years since we read the first of their books.

Please add your nominated book title as a clickable link directly to the goodreads' book page, with author and year using "add book/author" link found at the top of the area where you post comments.
(If you can't create book links, please include the URL to the book.)

Tell us why you chose the book that you're nominating. Remember that books require seconding now. Each member is allowed to make one nomination & second one other book other than their own.

We'll close this nomination thread on the 15th of August, in order to have plenty of time for poll(s) and then for acquisitions of the winner(s).

Nominated:
The Blue Peril by Maurice Renard
On the Silver Globe by Jerzy Żuławski
In Search of the Unknown by Robert W. Chambers

Nominated and Seconded:
Etidorpha: The End of Earth by John Uri Lloyd
The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Well, there’s Fitz James O’Brien’s The Diamond Lens
The Dancing Partner by Jerome K. Jerome
Repairer of Reputations by Robert W. Chambers
In Search of Unknown Origins by Robert W. Chambers
and it’s sequel, Police! . Then there’s The Automata by ETA Hoffman.

I nominate Etidorpha: The End of Earth. Its a psychedelic hollow earth novel.

Steven wrote: "Well, there’s Fitz James O’Brien’s The Diamond Lens
The Dancing Partner by Jerome K. Jerome
Repairer of Reputations by Robert W. Chambers
In Search of Unknown Origins by Robert W. Chambers
and it’s..."
I’ll go with The Dancing Partner by Jerome K. Jerome

I'll go once again with Polish classic SF The Lunar Trilogy either as aa whole or just the first volume On the Silver Globe

Steven wrote: "...I’ll go with The Dancing Partner by Jerome K. Jerome..."

Steven, we generally try to pick a whole book, not a short story. You can nominate a short story if you choose, but maybe you could find a book or a story collection?

The First Men in the Moon. H.G. Wells, originally published 1901.

The interesting John Kessel novella The Dark Ride, published last year in F&SF and then as the title story in a Kessel collection (The Dark Ride: The Best Short Fiction of John Kessel), is full of allusions to this Wells book, which I haven’t read.

I would like to nominate Herland (1915) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Written in 1915. This is a great book which I previously studied in a "SF and Utopia" course at university. It's pretty well known, so is easy to obtain. And is available as an Audiobook.

Sometimes old SF books can be hard to find. But MIT Press has recently been releasing some SF books from the "Radium Age". Perhaps someone would like to nominate one of these recent re-publications:

A World of Women by J.D. Beresford. When a plague wipes out most of the world's male population and civilization crumbles, women struggle to build an agrarian community in the English countryside.

The World Set Free by H.G. Wells. In a novel written on the eve of World War I, H. G. Wells imagines a war “to end all wars” that begins in atomic apocalypse but ends in an enlightened utopia.

Voices from the Radium Age. A collection of science fiction stories from the early twentieth century by authors ranging from Arthur Conan Doyle to W. E. B. Du Bois.

(They have also re-published "The Clockwork Man" which we have already read in this group.)

I’ve read and enjoyed Voices from the Radium Age.

There’s also a book by a black writer, George Schuyler called, “Black No More.” It’s a social satire with an SF bent concerning some blacks paying some guy with a machine that will turn them white. But this did not end well.

Steven wrote: "There’s also a book by a black writer, George Schuyler called, “Black No More.” ...."

I enjoyed that book and have discussed it in another thread. There is even a recent stage musical version of the book.

But, that was published in 1931. It would be better to talk about that book elsewhere, not in this thread for nominations for books published before 1920. You can nominate "Black no more" in the future when we get to the proper time period.

I didn’t pay attention to the publishing date. Duh, I guess. 🙄

I'm a bit confused here. Which books have been nominated and waiting for seconder?. And which books are just sugestions?

I intended to nominate The First Men in the Moon. My mention of Voices from the Radium Age was just a comment. Sorry for any confusion, I’ll be more careful in future.

I’ll nominate The Blue Peril by Maurice Renard

Cordelia wrote: "I'm a bit confused here. Which books have been nominated and waiting for seconder?. And which books are just sugestions?"

Sorry. I've updated the first post with the list of nominees. No books have been seconded at this point.

The 3 books I listed were just comments. I did not officially nominate them, but someone may if they wish.

Two Envelopes And A Phone wrote: "I’ll nominate The Blue Peril by Maurice Renard"

I also am interested in that. But I fear most of our users would balk at $25 for a used paperback of a 1910 book, which is the only option other than kindle. Of course, the voters can make their own decision.

I've disregarded the short stories that were mentioned above, though we may choose some of those for short story of the month at some point.

Steven wrote: "Well, there’s ...
In Search of Unknown Origins by Robert W. Chambers ..."

Ok. That one is a full-length book, so it counts as your nomination.

People may quibble over whether it is really SF, but I like to let the voters decide for themselves.

I second Wells book

I second Etidorpha.

I second Herland.

The poll is up for the October 2022 BofM: Pre-1920, the proto era. Please vote between now and September 6th!
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/1...

The poll is still up for a few more days. Vote or change your vote if you wish. Consider whether you would be able to get a copy of the book if it wins.

The winner for the October 2022 BofM is Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Look forward to reading your comments in the discussion thread found here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...