Customer Reviews

Future Perfect - American Science Fiction of the Nineteenth Century

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book brings together short stories by largely canonical American authors--people we all read in school such as Hawthorne, Poe, and Melville. What Franklin has done brilliantly is shown, by the way he has collected the stories, how much they share a developing science fiction sensibility. Franklin also offers introductions to the stories and authors that are well written and intelligent, but here is also the source of my only complaint: I wish the introductions were slightly shorter, leaving room to include a few more stories. Still, this is an excellent anthology, one that will interest both converted science fiction fans and those who restrict themselves to reading that counts as "virtuous."

I found this at a used-book store, and was excited at the notion of reading short-story 19th century visions-- of the fantastic and of the future. The author gives a very interesting commentary/criticism which I feel adds much value to this book, not only as an anthology, but as a critical study (given this book was published so long ago, the criticism itself is an interesting look back. However, I do feel it was odd that attention was given either to a specific author (there was a very long Hawthorne section, for example) or to a sub-genre (e.g., automata)--making the topic of commentary seem at times a bit arbitrary.

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely--it was extremely engaging and entertaining (and the format made it a perfect read on my commute). I thank the author for introducing me to science-fiction by authors I wasn't aware of (or by those who I had not previously considered sci-fi authors--e.g., Melville). The sophistication and logic (and surprisingly accurate projections in many cases) have made for some interesting dinner-table discussion with my husband (who is now reading it). I'm giving this book 5 stars, as I believe it to be a must-read for those interested in the history of the future.