Great Themes of Science Fiction: A Study in Imagination and Evolution

(Hardback)

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The most comprehensive work of its kind, Great Themes of Science Fiction looks at the most important elements of the genre and shows how each has evolved over time. Among the topics examined are aliens and alien worlds, supermen and adapted men, immortality and paranormal powers, robots and computers, space civilizations and colonies, wars on earth and in space, worldwide disasters, time travel, and parallel worlds. Selected examples of each theme are discussed together with changes that have become apparent with shifts in popular attitudes and the increasing sophistication of readers. The impact and significance of each type of science fiction scenario is considered, and the challenges it poses to human ingenuity, understanding, and responsibility are discussed.

Reviews

. . . a valuable and refreshing addition to the history and criticism of science fiction on several counts. . . . The range and variety of works included is impressive . . . his books are not only worth owning, but well worth reading.-NIEKAS
." . . a valuable and refreshing addition to the history and criticism of science fiction on several counts. . . . The range and variety of works included is impressive . . . his books are not only worth owning, but well worth reading."-NIEKAS

Author Bio

JOHN J. PIERCE, associate editor of Private Label Magazine, is the author of a companion volume, Foundations of Science Fiction (Greenwood Press, 1987), and is working on a third volume in the series, titled When World Views Collide.