A rich and well-balanced selection of science fiction, past and present. Spanning the nineteenth to the early twenty-first century, the 55 stories offer a substantial array of important writings drawn from a variety of traditions and cultures. The selections range from classic works (like H.G. Wells’
The War of the Worlds and Karel Capek’s
R.U. R.) to stories by major mid-twentieth century figures (like Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and Philip K. Dick), to fiction from important contemporary writers (including Ursula LeGuin, Octavia Butler, and William Gibson).
A flexible thematic organization. Six chapters explore major themes in science fiction: Alien Encounters, Artificial Life, Time, Utopias and Dystopias, Disasters and Apocalypses, and Evolutions. Within each chapter, the selections are arranged chronologically to suggest the development of the theme over time. Alternative chronological and thematic contents enhance the anthology’s teaching flexibility.
Unique contextual readings. Each thematic chapter closes with selections suggesting the intellectual background informing the theme. These 18 critical contexts, by such thinkers as Jean Baudrillard (on artificial life and simulacra), Hannah Arendt (on totalitarianism and dystopias) and Susan Sontag (on disasters and apocalypses) help students forge interdisciplinary connections between the world of imagination and the world of ideas.
Highly praised editorial apparatus. The lucidly written editorial matter includes an introduction to the genre and to each theme, biographical and explanatory headnotes for every selection, and annotated bibliographies of important works for further reading.