Science Fiction

by Patrick Parrinder (Editor/Contributor)

First published in 1979. What do we mean by Science Fiction? What does it do, and why do so many people read it? What are its characteristic values, attitudes and procedures? Is it a creative force in our society, or merely a pathological symptom? How much of it is worth the attention of the ordinary 'non-scientific' or 'non-addicted' reader? That these questions are frequently asked is a consequence of Science Fiction's current status as a highly popular and fashionable art-form. They are not easy to answer because SF is a confused concept and a confused field, varying from formula-repetition and institutionalized self-congratulation on the one hand to the most profound imaginative achievements on the other. This Critical Guide attempts a composite portrait of science fiction as a form of creative not, that is, as a disembodied current of notions and ideas (e.g. about technological progress), nor as a 'sub-literature' which may only one day hope to aspire to literary status.

Genres: Nonfiction

250 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Patrick Parrinder took his MA and Ph.D. at Cambridge University, where he held a Fellowship at King's College and published his first two books on Wells, H. G. Wells (1970) and H. G. Wells: The Critical Heritage (1972). He has been Chairman of the H. G. Wells Society and editor of The Wellsian, and has also written on James Joyce, science fiction, literary criticism and the history of the English novel. His book Shadows of the Future (1995) brings together his interests in Wells, science fiction and literary prophecy. Since 1986 he has been Professor of English at the University of Reading.

Reviews

[Jude Brigley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful guide.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be the first book I've ever skim-read the entirety of (through necessity imposed by time restrictions), and therefore my review has to be taken with a grain of salt.

It contains an excellent collection of articles on the science fiction genre. It is only a shame that there has been no new edition to update the discussion of what happened from 1979 to present day.