Customer Reviews

Speculations on Speculation: Theories of Science Fiction

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A wonderful compilation of essays edited by James Gunn and Matthew Candelaria. Some are out of print or hard to find canonical articles, such as 2 chapters from Darko Suvin's _Metamorphoses of Science Fiction_, other from Robert Scholes' _Structural Fabulation_, Alexei and Cory Panshin's «Science Fiction and the Dimension of Myth», or even David Ketterer's «The Apocalyptic Imagination...». Others are more recent or even written for the occasion, as is the case of Gary K. Wolfe's «Coming to Terms», on the almost impossible task to define the genre.
It is a wide ranging and impartial collection (it is very hard to find Suvin and the Panshins side by side on other compilations), which is a must if you have a theoretical interest on this literary genre (particularly teachers on any level), but also recommended for everyone who just reads SF for pleasure and wants to know a little more on its history and significance.
Will The Scarecrow Press and the editors be willing to have it on mass market paperback, thus reaching a wider audience?

Noted science fiction author and critic James Gunn has amassed a set of lectures and papers analysing science fiction. The authors attempt a serious look at what defines science fiction, as contrasted to other genres like mystery, romance or adventure. The hardest problem appears to be in drawing a good demarcation between science fiction and fantasy.

If you are a science fiction reader, here is a rare chance to get deeper look at your genre. Perhaps the essays might give you a better appreciation of what makes SF so distinctive.

It should be said that the essays are not light reading. Unlike breezy book reviews [like mine]. Some of the essays also provide a good survey of the trends over the decades in SF. And there are also numerous references to classic SF stories, like the Demolished Man and the Cold Equations. But you, presumably, are a fan, so you should recognise most of these stories.