I recently took a break from horror and suspense and entered a time machine into my past. I grew up reading and revering Science Fiction, but I gave the genre up for the most part in the early 80's. I still have infinite fondness for the old stuff, and this book is a perfect look back at it all.
I can hardly imagine a better guide than the late Lester del Rey. Maybe Damon Knight could have done as well, and perhaps Isaac Asimov could have done the job if he had had a mind to do it. But Lester did, and he did it well.
The World of Science Fiction is a look back at the origins of SF, through the early years and into the Golden Age and beyond. Del Rey is a congenial and extraordinarily knowledgeable host. The man was there, a part of it, and he was writing, publishing, and editing groundbreaking work from the early 1930's to the 1980's. He never received the fame and acclaim of an Asimov, a Clarke, a Heinlein, but the genre benefited greatly from his efforts.
The World of Science Fiction details how it all developed from a time when stories were written in gadgetry magazines and were intended for hobbyists. It went on to the years of Space Opera, when a lot of the stuff was basically dressed-up western or adventure yarns. Del Rey provides intimate insight into the days when John W. Campbell, Jr. wrestled Science Fiction into the genre's Golden Age and how he lost that grip on it all. How the magazines died out and book publishing took over the field.
Lester of course chronicles the New Wave of SF from the 60's and he gives a fair account of the period. And he does so without the rancor that many of the old timers felt.
No account of the history of Science Fiction would be complete without considerable space devoted to the phenomena of fandom. SF fans have always been an important element of the field and del Rey devotes a lot of pages to it.
I also liked the way the book notes the artists who visualized the stories for magazine and book covers. These people are too often overlooked in critical studies.
Finally del Rey discusses the effects media had on the genre. This history ends in 1976, and that is an appropriate time to do so. Star Wars came along and everything changed. Just as the author knew it would. Lester was optimistic about how the influence of Georges Lucas and Roddenberry would affect everything. For my money it had a negative impact, but I think most people consider "Sci-Fi" to be better off because of movies and TV shows.
If you are interested in the development and the history of SF, you won't find a better book on the subject than The World of Science Fiction.
Written by Mark Sieber
I can hardly imagine a better guide than the late Lester del Rey. Maybe Damon Knight could have done as well, and perhaps Isaac Asimov could have done the job if he had had a mind to do it. But Lester did, and he did it well.
The World of Science Fiction is a look back at the origins of SF, through the early years and into the Golden Age and beyond. Del Rey is a congenial and extraordinarily knowledgeable host. The man was there, a part of it, and he was writing, publishing, and editing groundbreaking work from the early 1930's to the 1980's. He never received the fame and acclaim of an Asimov, a Clarke, a Heinlein, but the genre benefited greatly from his efforts.The World of Science Fiction details how it all developed from a time when stories were written in gadgetry magazines and were intended for hobbyists. It went on to the years of Space Opera, when a lot of the stuff was basically dressed-up western or adventure yarns. Del Rey provides intimate insight into the days when John W. Campbell, Jr. wrestled Science Fiction into the genre's Golden Age and how he lost that grip on it all. How the magazines died out and book publishing took over the field.
Lester of course chronicles the New Wave of SF from the 60's and he gives a fair account of the period. And he does so without the rancor that many of the old timers felt.
No account of the history of Science Fiction would be complete without considerable space devoted to the phenomena of fandom. SF fans have always been an important element of the field and del Rey devotes a lot of pages to it.
I also liked the way the book notes the artists who visualized the stories for magazine and book covers. These people are too often overlooked in critical studies.
Finally del Rey discusses the effects media had on the genre. This history ends in 1976, and that is an appropriate time to do so. Star Wars came along and everything changed. Just as the author knew it would. Lester was optimistic about how the influence of Georges Lucas and Roddenberry would affect everything. For my money it had a negative impact, but I think most people consider "Sci-Fi" to be better off because of movies and TV shows.
If you are interested in the development and the history of SF, you won't find a better book on the subject than The World of Science Fiction.
Written by Mark Sieber
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