Nonfiction Sci-Fi

Will Lavender · Dec 24, 2007

I'm reading Jeff VanderMeer's Why Should I Cut Your Throat?, and I was thinking about other nonfiction sci-fi titles. Anybody know of a good one? I rarely read sci-fi or fantasy, but I've been looking for a good retrospective of the history of science-fiction or fantasy for awhile. Love that kind of thing.

I'm not really talking about encyclopedias; I want a thematic or critical survey of the genre.

Thanks in advance.

MargueriteMing · Dec 24, 2007

Hrmmm, isn't science-fiction by definition fiction?

Will Lavender · Dec 24, 2007

MargueriteMing said:
Hrmmm, isn't science-fiction by definition fiction?

Well...good point.

However, I'm not looking for science-fact. I'm looking for critical studies about the science-fiction genre, histories of the genre, studies of science-fiction's great writers, etc. etc.

PeeDee · Dec 24, 2007

Well, anything written by John Clute -- particularly his science fiction encyclopedia -- is worth a long and detailed read.

And then there's Science Fiction of the 20th Century which is one of my favorite books ever. My copy is so worn out. It's a delight.

And I can't find the title of it now, but if you can find the biography of John W. Campbell, Jr, then that's practically a guide to the golden age of science fiction all by itself.

Will Lavender · Dec 24, 2007

PeeDee said:
Well, anything written by John Clute -- particularly his science fiction encyclopedia -- is worth a long and detailed read.

And then there's Science Fiction of the 20th Century which is one of my favorite books ever. My copy is so worn out. It's a delight.

And I can't find the title of it now, but if you can find the biography of John W. Campbell, Jr, then that's practically a guide to the golden age of science fiction all by itself.

Thanks a lot, Pete. I actually jumped from your second link to Thomas Disch's The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of. Supposed to be sort of an offbeat history; I love that sort of thing, so a dutiful UPS man will deliver it to my front door in a few days.

PeeDee · Dec 24, 2007

Disch's book is a lot of fun.

And may I also suggest Isaac Asimov's autobiographical volumes? They're useful too.

I adore reading about writers, about stories, and about the history of science fiction and fantasy. Nuts about it.

Will Lavender · Dec 24, 2007

PS.

I don't know what it says about me that I'm shopping for myself on Christmas Eve.

PeeDee · Dec 24, 2007

You can shop for me if it makes you feel better.

Will Lavender · Dec 24, 2007

You might like the VaderMeer book I mentioned above. There's a lot about his own career in there, but the story of how he self-published City of Saints and Madmen is extremely interesting. The book was later purchased by Pan Macmillan, but the first edition was published by a small company using Lightning Source. Took them literally MONTHS to get the different fonts and the cover exactly right.

The book also opens with a fascinating, hilarious story about Vandermeer's run-in with Harlan Ellison.

PeeDee · Dec 24, 2007

Proving true what they say: sooner or later, everybody has a Harlan Ellison story...

Stormhawk · Dec 24, 2007

Will Lavender said:
PS.

I don't know what it says about me that I'm shopping for myself on Christmas Eve.

It says nothing. Obviously you've already gotten all the presents for others that you're going to get, and now after that, you're taking a moment to think about what you would like.

Nonfiction Sci-Fi

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

MargueriteMing

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Stormhawk

Angry Bunny Girl