The Road to Science Fiction: From Heinlein to Here James Gunn 9780810842458

Now in Paperback! Between an ancient Roman's trip to the moon and the fantastic tales of H.G. Wells lies a journey through time and space and an awesome evolution in scientific thinking. From Gilgamesh's search for immortality to Lucian's odyssey on the moon; from Jonathan Swift's hilarious satire on scientists in Gulliver's Travels to Mary Shelley's horrifying description of a scientist who has gone too far in Frankenstein from Edgar Allan Poe's balloon trip in the year 2848 to Jules Verne's prophesies of the impact of scientific inventions on future civilization; from Edward Bellamy's utopian escape from the industrial Revolution to H.G. Wells's magnificent story of Earth threatened by an inescapable menace-here are the chief ancestors of the modern science fiction story. For the first time, these and other key works are gathered together in one anthology, complete with revealing commentary on the authors, their eras, and the role each played in establishing what we today recognize as science fiction. The Road to Science Fiction is a six-volume anthology of science fiction that covers the development of science fiction from its earliest prototypes in the Sumerian Gilgamesh and the Greek epics to approximately 1990. Created originally to provide anthologies for use in classes, these volumes have become mass-market sellers as well, since they are not only a source of outstanding stories but also explain what constitutes science fiction, how it developed and the contribution the authors and the stories have made to the evolution of science fiction. Volume 3, From Heinlein to Here, covers the period from 1940 to 1975, beginning in the Golden Age of Science Fiction and ending at a time when SF book publication was just beginning to explode and SF films (2001: A Space Odyssey; Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars, E.T.) would soon dominate box offices. Cloth edition previously published in 1979.

About the Author
James Gunn is Emeritus Professor of English at University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.

Reviews
...the stories are among the field's best known, by the most highly regarded authors of the period....There's little doubt why these stories are considered among the finest in science fiction history....Gunn's commentary is both informative and perceptive....he explains the literary development of science fiction, and the stories support his analysis....It belongs on the bookshelf of everyone who loves science fiction. * Science Fiction Weekly *
An excellent introduction to the history of the genre. * The New York Times *
The best series, historically arranged, of SF anthologies ever assembled...All six volumes belong in the library of every university, school, and teacher and reader of science fiction. Gunn has gathered stories of importance to the development of SF and stories that represent the best writing of the genre. * Anatomy of Wonder, 5th Edition *
...provides one of the most comprehensive views of the field and should be required reading for all students of sf. It has withstood the test of time, with classic stories....Gunn's headnotes and introductions remain provocative, even years later. The Road to Science Fiction can be read as an historical document, one that says much about Gunn, his mind, and his take on sf as it does about the state of sf from its roots to its full maturity as a genre. * Science Fiction Studies *



Book Information
ISBN 9780810842458
Author James Gunn
Format Paperback
Page Count 576
Imprint Scarecrow Press
Publisher Scarecrow Press
Series The Road to Science Fiction
Weight(grams) 943g
Dimensions(mm) 231mm * 154mm * 37mm