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Science fiction is at the intersection of numerous fields. It is literature which draws on popular culture, and engages in speculation about science, history, and all varieties of social relations. This volume brings together essays by scholars and practitioners of science fiction, which look at the genre from different angles. It examines science fiction from Thomas More to the present day; and introduces important critical approaches (including Marxism, postmodernism, feminism and queer theory).
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The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction Science fiction is at the intersection of numerous fields. It is a literature which draws on popular culture, and which engages in speculation about science, history and all types of social relations. This volume brings together essays by scholars and practitioners of science fiction, which look at the genre from these different angles. After an introduction to the nature of science fiction, historical chapters trace science fiction from Thomas More to the present day, including a chapter on film and television. The second section introduces four important critical approaches to science fiction drawing their theoretical inspiration from Marxism, postmodernism, feminism and queer theory. The final and largest section of the book looks at various themes and sub-genres of science fiction. A number of well-known science fiction writers contribute to this volume, including Gwyneth Jones, Ken MacLeod, Brian Stableford, Andy Duncan, James Gunn, Joan Slonczewski and Damien Broderick.
THE CAMBRIDGE C O M PA N I O N T O
SCIENCE FICTION EDITED BY
E D WA R D J A M E S AND
FA R A H M E N D L E S O H N
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge , United Kingdom Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521816267 © Cambridge University Press 2003 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2003 - -
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Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of s for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
CONTENTS
List of contributors Foreword Acknowledgements Chronology Introduction: reading science fiction fa r a h m e n d l e s o h n
page viii xv xix xx 1
Part 1. The history 1 Science fiction before the genre b r i a n s ta b l e f o r d
15
2 The magazine era: 1926–1960 b r i a n at t e b e ry
32
3 New Wave and backwash: 1960–1980 da m i e n b ro d e r i c k
48
4 Science fiction from 1980 to the present jo h n c l u t e
64
5 Film and television mark bould
79
6 Science fiction and its editors g a ry k . wo l f e
96
v
List of contents
Part 2. Critical approaches 7 Marxist theory and science fiction i s t va n c s i c s e ry - ro n ay, j r
113
8 Feminist theory and science fiction v e ro n i c a h o l l i n g e r
125
9 Postmodernism and science fiction andrew m. butler
137