Linguistics and Language in Science Fiction Fantasy [Hardcover]

Myra Edwards Barnes (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 196 pages
• Publisher: Arno Press (January 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0405063199
• ISBN-13: 978-0405063190
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,490,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, Scholarly, Sly, September 4, 2009

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Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Linguistics and Language in Science Fiction Fantasy (Hardcover)

A fascinating topic-- the lingustics of science fiction -- how fictional languages are created, how they function, and how they serve the science fiction novel. Some of the primary authors Barnes examines are Asimov, Lewis Carroll, Jack Vance, Sprague de Camp, Heinlein, Robert Nathan, Robert Graves, Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis.

Barnes begins back before "science fiction" existed as a genre, considering Thomas More, Ben Jonson, Swift. The bulk of her book, however, looks at science fiction from the 1930's onward.

First published in 1971, this book is part of a substantial series (over 60 fiction and nonfiction books) on speculative or fantastic fiction put out by Arno Press in the 1970's. This series was rather generically titled "Science Fiction" and featured the iconic, dopey lavender & white binding with illustrations of robots and alien landscapes.

Table of Contents:
- Introduction

- Growth of Linguistic Realism in Fiction (pp 14-29)
- Linguistic Novelties and Modern Fiction (pp 30-44)
- Historical Linguistics and Hypothetical History (pp 45-63)

- Speaking the Same Language (pp 64-81)
- Lexicography and Doctored Dictionaries (pp 82-96)
- How to Learn Martian (pp 97-113)

- What People Mean and How Carrots Say It (pp 114-139)
- The Language of Thought Control (pp 140-170)

- Conclusion, Bibliography, Appendix.
- Complete list of titles in Arno Press' Science Fiction series

196 pp, cloth over boards with a sewn binding, probably released without dustcover.