Science Fiction of Konstntin Tslkvsky [Paperback]

Tsiolkuski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1979

The Science Fiction of Konstanin Tsiolkovsky. The first time a complete collection of his science fiction has been published outside the Soviet Union. Tsiolkovsky - Man of Vision - was one of the very first science fiction writers. He was considered by the Russians to be the father of the theory of jet-propulsion and interplanetary travel. Fascinating reading.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

From a review in the July, 1980 issue of Analog:

"A book that deserves at least brief mention in this column is The Science Fiction of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Tsiolkovsky was a provincial Russian schoolmaster who dreamed of space travel. His primitive experiments pre-dated Goddard's in this country and the wings of his imagination were more magnificently pinioned than any since Leonardo. He was at least two generations ahead of his time, for in the writings collected here are foreshadowings of the orbital elevators of Clarke's and Sheffield's novels, of the Ringworld of Niven and the Macrolife of Zebrowski, of multistage rockets and asteroid and moon mining. There are even sections that read like primitive drafts of O'Neill's High Frontier.

"Calling Tsiolkovsky's work science fiction is less than just, for though his pieces may resemble 1920s Amazing SF -- a lecture dressed in a tutu of a plot -- they are primarily essays, and in a style reminiscent of Asimov at that. Their main interest to us now must be historical, for much of the science is outdated, but that interest is considerable. I recommend the book to anyone concerned with the history of SF or of space technology." -- Tom Easton, Copyright 1980, Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact (Used by permission of the publisher.)

From the Author

I am an avid science fiction reader with profound admiration for good science fiction writers. Two of my favorite writers are Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein; so when I was presented with the opportunity to read works by the Russian writer Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1858-1935), I frankly undertook it as a labor of love, but with some skepticism, since - quite obviously - my standards are high. But let me say that I was completely captivated by Tsiolkovsky. His writing style, his ventures into delightful fantasy, the manner in which he laid scientific foundations before he took me along on his interplanetary and galactic carousing. I found myself understanding the Soviets’ grandiosity in calling him “the father of the theory of jet propulsion and interplanetary travel,” because of his work in pure science; for I am tempted to say that he has done for the science fiction genre of writing what Poe did for the short story per se. I was in fact so impressed with Tsiolkovsky’s science fiction that I was instrumental in gathering a collection of his stories for republication - in the United States - in one volume. Some of the stories that I selected were “On The Moon,” “Outside the Earth,” “Life in Space,” “On Vesta,” “Mercury,” “Mars,” “The Asteroids” - and there are others. I selected these stories because I believe they best exemplify the archetype of the story for which aspiring science fiction writers always strive. The collection was published by University Press of the Pacific (who are the publishers of “Konstantin Tsiolkovsky: His Life and Work” and also of Isaac Asimov’s non-fiction book “Worlds Within Worlds: The Story of Nuclear Energy”) in 1979.

Adam Starchild

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Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Intl Specialized Book Service Inc (December 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898750059
• ISBN-13: 978-0898750058
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,414,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Father of the Soviet space program, February 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Science Fiction of Konstntin Tslkvsky (Paperback)

A pioneering Russian aeronautical theorist and writer, he is the father of the Soviet space program. He built the first wind tunnel and solved fundamental problems about space travel, such as use of liquid rocket fuel, long before such activity was feasible. Although he was unappreciated in his lifetime, Sputnik's launch was made to coincide with his centennial.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tsiolkovsky was a bold innovator and inventor, February 10, 2001

By 

Francisco d'Anconia (Galt's Gulch) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Science Fiction of Konstntin Tslkvsky (Paperback)

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky died on September 19, 1935 at the age of 78. His works and his ideas have become the scientific basis of the modern theory of jet propulsion. He foresaw the significance of jet propulsion and the conquest of the stratosphere, of flights at supersonic speeds.

A museum has been opened in Kaluga in the house where Tsiolkovsky died. The exhibits are mechanical devices and models which he made with his own hands. The scientist's manuscripts and copies of his published works are exhibited in glass showcases.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky's tombstone bears the following prophetic words inscribed under the bas-relief of a rocket: "Mankind will not remain on the earth forever, but, in search of light and space, will at first timidly penetrate beyond the limits of the atmosphere and then finally conquer the spaces of the solar system."