The Science Fiction Century, Volume 1

by David G. Hartwell

Overview

"Science fiction is the characteristic literary genre of the century. It is the genre that stands in opposition to literary modernism." –David G. Hartwell, from the Introduction

First published in hardcover in 1997, The Science Fiction Century was an anthology that defined and explained what we mean when we talk about modern SF. Now it returns to print in an affordable two-volume softcover edition. Here in volume 1, literary names such as Rudyard Kipling and Jack London rub shoulders with genre authors whose pedigrees run back to the 1940s and 50s, including figures such as Hal Clement, John Wyndham, Poul Anderson, Harlan Ellison, Bruce Sterling, James Tiptree, Jr., and Connie Willis. Here is modern science fiction in all its breadth, from the anthologist hailed by John Updike as a "loving expert."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312864842
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/18/2006
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	528
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.14(d)

About the Author

David B. Hartwell is a renowned editor and anthologist who lives in Pleasantville, New York.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	11
	Beam Us Home	15
	Ministering Angels	25
	The Music Master of Babylon	33
	A Story of the Days to Come	51
	Hot Planet	106
	A Work of Art	121
	The Machine Stops	133
	Brightness Falls from the Air	155
	2066: Election Day	160
	The Rose	171
	The Hounds of Tindalos	226
	The Angel of Violence	236
	Nobody Bothers Gus	245
	The Time Machine	255
	Mother	259
	As Easy as ABC	279
	Ginungagap	298
	Minister Without Portfolio	321
	Time in Advance	327
	Good Night, Sophie	346
	Veritas	363
	Enchanted Village	376
	The King and the Dollmaker	387
	Fire Watch	429
	Goat Song	456
	The Scarlet Plague	480

Editorial Reviews

Over the past quarter century, Hartwell has built a well-deserved reputation in SF, fantasy and horror as an editor extraordinaire. In addition to discovering many of the leading luminaries in the genre, he has produced a pool of anthologies that attempt to stand as definitive volumes. The Science Fiction Century is another such successful landmark collection.” —Publishers Weekly

“A superb survey for the uninitiated and a definitive sampler for confirmed fans.” —Booklist on The Science Fiction Century

“This ranks as one of the definitive anthologies of the genre—and it makes the perfect introduction to the field of science fiction. . . . The Science Fiction Century shows great breadth and range. . . . Editor Hartwell succeeds by including a wide range of authors, styles, and themes.” —The Des Moines Register

“This is a book filled with familiar treasures and a great way to introduce a skeptic to the field.” —SF Chronicle on The Science Fiction Century

“We are in the hands of a loving expert.” —John Updike on The Hard SF Rennaissance

From the Publisher

The Barnes & Noble Review
Originally published in 1997 as a gargantuan 992-page hardcover, The Science Fiction Century -- David G. Hartwell's ambitious attempt to pack 100 years of science fiction into one anthology -- has finally been released in a two-volume trade paperback edition.

Included within The Science Fiction Century: Volume One are stories by genre legends like H. G. Wells, A. E. van Vogt, and C. S. Lewis -- as well as mainstream literary icons like Rudyard Kipling, E. M. Forster, and Jack London. London's "The Scarlet Plaque" follows a group of semi-barbaric survivors of a mysterious contagion that wiped out most of humankind, while "Ministering Angels" by Lewis delves into spiritual enlightenment -- and fornication -- on Mars. Poul Anderson's Hugo- and Nebula-winning "Goat Song," equal parts science fiction and restructured Greek myth, pits man against the gods, or in this case, a supercomputer.

Hartwell writes in the introduction: "Science fiction is the characteristic literary genre of the century. It is the genre that stands in opposition of literary Modernism. It is the paraliterary shadow of Modernism…it expresses, represents, and confirms faith in science and reason." That unwavering faith exemplified in the 26 classic stories included herein makes this anthology one of the most comprehensive -- and downright interesting -- historical overviews of 20th-century science fiction ever put together. With stories by the aforementioned authors, as well as genre heavyweights like Hal Clement, James Tiptree Jr. (a.k.a. Alice B. Sheldon), and Philip José Farmer, this collection is a priceless addition to the library of anyone with a taste for science fiction. Paul Goat Allen

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