Wonder's Child: My Life In Science Fiction [Paperback]

Jack Williamson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 11, 2005

Telling much more than the story of a single man's life and work, this autobiography is an amazing look at the entire 20th century from the eyes of one of the greatest voices in science fiction. This story of a man plagued with a perpetual sense of wonder at the world around him begins with Williamson's youth and his family's struggle to survive on farms in the arid southwestern United States. Early attempts at education, the publication of his first story, his service in the Pacific during World War II, and his eventual success in the genre of science fiction are all detailed to tell the life of this Hugo Award–winning author.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA Williamson traces the development of science fiction in America through his experiences as a sci-fi author. He first began writing stories for the pulp magazines in the 1920s and today is the award-winning author of over 40 books. Each chapter of his autobiography begins with historical highlights emphasizing scientific developments. Williamson describes the general attitude in America of wonder and expectation towards technology and how it changed to cynicism and fear with the invention of the atomic bomb. Even so, his sense of wonder and love of learning have never left him, and they brighten this straightforward, highly informative chronicle. The author supplies copious historical detail, advice for would-be science fiction writers, generous yet unfawning descriptions of other writers and editors and numerous black-and-white photos of his friends and family. Monica Forbes, PGCMLS, Md.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jack Williamson has been at the forefront of science fiction since his first short story appeared in 1928. He is the author of the Humanoids series, the Legion of Space series, and the Seetee series, and the novels Darker Than You Think and The Legion of Time. He lives in Portales, New Mexico.

Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: BenBella Books (August 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932100571
• ISBN-13: 978-1932100570
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,489,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Otherwise fascinating account affected by poor copyediting, September 10, 2009

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Transpohzbooks "transpos" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Wonder's Child: My Life In Science Fiction (Paperback)

Williamson is a legend in the world of science fiction, a person who pretty much influenced everyone and helped create the medium as we know it today.

His story is fascinating. He was born in Arizona before it was even a state. He grew up in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico, but his imagination was such that he could write all kinds of fantastic, futuristic stories. He served in the military, became a college professor and lived to be nearly 100 years old. He was still teaching classes and writing books to the end.

This edition is basically a reissue of his autobiography (the original book is long out of print), with some updates. The package is nice and the story is all there, but I'm pretty disappointed with the poor copyediting employed by the publisher. While reading, I found a significant number of grammatical errors, confusing sentences, and other oversights that do not do this man justice.