The Elusive Margaret St. Clair

Science Fiction has a reputation as being the boy's club, where all the major names, such as Asimov, Heinlein and Clarke get a majority of the credit for the development and direction of the genre as a literary movement. It's unfortunate, because that's not the full story, and it means that there's a lot of other authors out there that really don't get the credit that they deserve.

Margaret St. Clair is one of those authors, and she's someone who's name I've seen come up a lot as I've researched this column. Unfortunately, there's not a lot known about her life: just her numerous stories that were published throughout the 1950s and 1960s. I'm not sure why she's not as well known as others, despite the higher quality of her stories.

Go read The Elusive Margaret St. Clair on Kirkus Reviews.

Sources:

• Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965, Eric Leif Davin: This was a fantastic resource to use, and an interesting book about women in science fiction. He's working under the thesis that women's writing in the genre wasn't actively suppressed, and makes a compelling argument to back it up. It's an interesting side of the issue, for sure, with lots on St. Clair.
• Change the Sky and Other Stories, Margaret St. Clair: There's a short introduction here from
• The Best of Margaret St. Clair, Margaret St. Clair: This collection of her stories is a great compilation of her fictional works. No introduction or other non-fiction, but some great stories.
• Women of Wonder: The Classic Years, Pamela Sargent: This anthology has a great introduction from Sargent about the state of women authors in the early SF field, with some good comments about St. Clair and her life.
• Margaret St. Clair Part 1 and Part 2: These two blog posts that came up provided some interesting details that helped fill in some gaps about her life.
• St. Clair, Margaret: This SF Encyclopedia entry has a good blurb on her.

The Ignition Point of Ray Bradbury

Yesterday, my latest column for Kirkus Reviews went up online, something that I've been wanting to write about for a while now. Because my research into a couple of other authors has been bumped back while I search out materials, my look at Fahrenheit 451 has been bumped up. Given the holiday and the temperature lately, it seems appropriate.

A bit on methodology. While the column runs every two weeks, there is a constant state of research going on. I've started with a rough timeline of what I'd like to write about, scheduling an A and B post for each month. (C, when I can get one, such as with Jack Vance.) This timeline is put together alongside a couple of resources that I've got: a fantastic map of the history of science fiction (Which you can see / purchase here.) It helps me put things into context. In addition to that, I've reach Adam Robert's History of Science Fiction, which provides a broad structure of how SF history played out. Finally, I've been working to make the column self-reinforcing. The entire genre is a mess of personal connections: Ray Bradbury was friends with Leigh Brackett, who was friends with C.L. Moore and Henry Kuttner. Bradbury sold The Fireman to H.L. Gold, who also published Alfred Bester's novels, and so forth. In many ways, this sort of history shows the rich bonds and community in which the genre is known for, not just among professionals, which makes this a fairly unique case.

Once a subject is selected, I begin to find out what's written about them: wiki articles (as a jumping off point, not a source), biographies, autobiographies, scholarly works, references in SF-nonfiction. I'll order a handful of books from my local university library's inter-library loan program (or will find some on their shelves - The Kreitzburg Library has a fairly good collection of SF nonfiction.) before pulling all of the books of my shelf and going through the indexes, looking for references to my subject. I'll label them, and begin reading, taking notes and writing at the same time. Generally, this is where I find the theme and importance of an author (especially if I'm not overly familiar with them or their works), and over a draft or two, I'll improve it before doing a line by line edit, formatting titles and inserting hyperlinks to prior posts. Once that's done, off it goes to my editor!

I have to say, it's the best damn thing that I do for money right now.

Back to Fahrenheit 451. As noted in the column, this is one of my absolute favorite novels of all time, and I've been wanting to write about it for a long time. This is an interesting novel, because it doesn't conform to the usual: author sits down, writes story model that most follow. It started as one story, merged with another, got published, got expanded, had other things added onto it, and then onto bookshelves. It's an important work, and I've found that its backstory makes it even more so.

Go read The Ignition Point of Ray Bradbury over on Kirkus Reviews.

Sources used:

• Conversations with Ray Bradbury, edited by Steven L. Aggelis. When it comes to sources, you can't get better than the author's own words, and this book of interviews is a bit of a rarity, because there's a lot of great information in it about this book.
• Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. I used a 2001 edition of this novel, because it contains a particularly good forward from Bradbury that recounts some of the major influences that brought the story onto the page.
• Survey of Science Fiction Literature, vol. 2, Frank Magill. This book contains a good critical review of Bradbury's novel, and it helped to put some of the influences into context.
• Ray Bradbury, ISFDB. This entry in the Internet Science Fiction Database is an excellent bibliographical source that helped put some of the publication dates into order.

A Brief History of the Dystopian Novel

Lists are hard to do well. There's always too many entries, too much to say, and too short a space. For a while now, I've been wanting to do a survey of some of the notable dystopian stories, and following the news of Edward Snowden's leak of classified NSA program information, it seems like a good time to take a look at some of the notable works where government overreaches. It's fitting, as 1984 has enjoyed considerable success in the last couple of weeks.

This list was originally twice as long: I had to cut down a number of great reads to make this fit.

Go read A Brief History of the Dystopian Novel on Kirkus Reviews.

Here's the sources that I used:

Brave New Worlds, edited by John Joseph Adams: in addition to being an entry in and of itself, there's a fantastic reading list and great introduction that helps put things into perspective.

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley: I have the Harper Perennial Classics edition of this book, which has some fantastic end notes that shed some light on the genesis of the novel.

Red Planets, by Mark Bould and China Mieville: This was an interesting, helpful read on socialism and science fiction. The pair seem to intersect quite a bit in the early days.

Survey of Science Fiction Literature, Frank Magill, Vols 1-5: This was a really helpful series to look into, because of the summaries and analysis of most of the books on the list (some of the most recent novels came after it was published.) These not only helped to brush me up on the books, but help me figure out what they were arguing and how they fit in with one another.

The History of Science Fiction, by Adam Roberts: This is a usual source of knowledge, and it was particularly helpful with some interesting information on a bunch of the books featured.

The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells: This is one of the early classics of SF, and the Penguin Classics edition has a good introduction and some biographical notes.

We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin: I read this book earlier this year, and really enjoyed it. There's some great notes in the Penguin Classics edition that provide a lot of background information on Zamyatin's life and his writings.

How I Became a Geek

My parents aren't all that into science fiction, but when the Star Wars Special Editions rolled into theaters, my parents discussed taking me to see the first one. I was 12 at the time. 

"Do you think it'll be too scary for him?"
"Well, if it is, we can leave early."

So, we went to Montpelier's Capitol Theater, where I spent the entire film with my eyes glued to the screen, and babbled the entire way back about how cool it was. A week or so later, we went to The Empire Strikes Back, and shortly after that, to Return of the Jedi. 

 Since then, science fiction has been a major part of my identity, and I can't be happier. Thanks, Dad!

Changing the Playing Field: H.L. Gold & Galaxy Science Fiction

One of the things that I've really loved about this column is getting a sense of how connected everyone was. Truly, everyone seemed to know one another, even as small groups formed around certain editors. A case in point, over the last couple of columns, I've been looking at the Golden Age of SF, which is generally regarded as beginning with John W. Campbell Jr.'s rein at Astounding. Campbell's star was bright and enduring, but it lost its innovative edge. H.L. Gold, I think, deserves more attention for his role during the Golden Age, as his magazine Galaxy Science Fiction provided some of the genre's most enduring classics.

Go read Changing the Playing Field: H.L. Gold & Galaxy Science Fiction over on Kirkus Reviews!

Here's my sources for this post:

• Alternate Worlds, James Gunn: Gunn's book has a particularly good section on Galaxy and Gold's influence during the Golden Age of SF.
• A Pictorial History of Science Fiction, David Kyle: This book has an excellent analysis of the importance of Gold and his work at Galaxy, giving me some very good information on how he impacted the genre.
• New Maps of Hell, Kingsley Amis: Amis provides some good information about Galaxy and Gold.
• Billion Year Spree, Brian Aldiss: Galaxy gets a brief mention here, chiefly in context of Alfred Bester.
• Seekers of Tomorrow, Sam Moskowitz: Moskowitz provides some good early biographical information on the beginnings of Galaxy Magazine, and Gold's involvement with various authors.
• The Way the Future Was: A Memoir, Frederik Pohl: Pohl took over for Gold in 1961, and this book details his dealings with the man, as well as Gold's final days in the editor's chair.
• The Futurians, Damon Knight: Knight provides some good information about Gold here.
• Science Fiction of the 20th Century: An Illustrated History, Frank M. Robinson: Robinson has a good, important section on the influence of Galaxy Magazine.
• The Creation of Tomorrow: Fifty Years of Magazine Science Fiction, Paul A. Carter: Carter details some great information on Gold and his work at Galaxy Magazine.
• H.L. Gold Wikipedia Entry: I almost never use Wikipedia as a primary source, but in this instance, there were references to a source that I would have otherwise used, but didn't have, which helped provide some good biographical information on Gold.
• Horace Gold Britannica Entry: This entry provides some good biographical information on Gold's life that I didn't find anywhere else.

Jack Vance: Inventor of Worlds

Earlier this week, SF Grandmaster Jack Vance passed away at the age of 96. His writing career lasted over six decades, and he's known for his fantastic worldbuilding in addition to his enormous volume of works.

Vance wasn't an author I came across often as a kid - looking back through my anthologies this week, I found only a handful of stories, but the one that stuck out in my mind was 'The Moon Moth', collected in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume IIB. Reading up on his life, I found that most of my usual sources mentioned him sparingly - often in the context of his first great work, The Dying Earth. At other times, it seems as though he was an author who's influence faded to the background, which seems to have suited his personality.

Go read Jack Vance, Inventor of Worlds over on Kirkus Reviews.

Sources:

• Billion Year Spree: The True History of Science Fiction, Brian Aldiss: Aldiss mentions Vance only a couple of times, noting the context of his works.
• Dreamer of Dune: The Biography of Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert: Vance and Herbert were fairly close friends. They traveled together and lived nearby, and it's interesting to see the connection form through mutual interests.
• Science Fiction: What It's All About, Sam Lundwall: I picked up Lundwell's book recently on a whim, and while there's not much, there's a brief mention of Vance's works here.
• Survey of Science Fiction Literature, vol 2, Frank Magill: This volume has a fantastic review of The Dying Earth, noting its influence and worldbuilding.
• The History of Science Fiction, Adam Roberts: Roberts devotes much space to Vance and The Dying Earth, which was particularly helpful early on.
• This is me, Jack Vance!, Jack Vance: This book was a critical one for learning about Vance's life, recounted through his Hugo-award winning autobiography. It's a really interesting read, and one that I'll likely revisit at some point.
• The Genre Artist, Carlo Rotella: This is a great interview / feature with Vance from a couple of years ago.
• Jack Vance Biography, official website: An official biography that helped me put together some details about his life.
• Jack Vance Profile, ISFDB: No biographical details here, but it is a great look at the works that he's written.
• Vance, Jack, SF Encyclopedia: A fantastic biographical look at Vance in the context of his works.

The Nomadic Alfred Bester, Renaissance Man

Last year, I picked up and read The Stars My Destination for the first time. It's an astonishing book, one that I alternatively wish that I'd read it earlier, and that I'm glad that I read it now, with the capabilities to really get how important of a book it is. The book was used in a science fiction class that I sat in on this past semester here at Norwich, and it was interesting to see the student's reactions to it.

I've been waiting to get to Bester for a while now, and after a bit of digging around, I'm astonished to see that there isn't more about him in the SF non-fiction arena. Certainly, he appears in a number of sources (see below), but often, it's centered around his two major, landmark works, The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination. He had an exceptional career, working in the SF pulp, comic, radio, television, magazine and novel markets over the course of his life, all the while turning out an incredible amount of material. His career is notable for his writing and his sheer influence on the genre, and there is possibly no other author writing at this time that had more of an influence on where the genre would go.

Go Read The Nomadic Alfred Bester, Renaissance Man, over on Kirkus Reviews.

Here's the sources that I used for this piece:

• Hell's Cartographers, edited by Brian Aldiss: This book is a collection of biographical essays, and Bester contributed a fantastic one to this book. This was probably one of the more important sources I worked from, because it gave some considerable insight into Bester as a person and how he went about doing things. You can read the essay online here.
• The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction, edited by Arthur Evans, et al: This anthology contains Bester's Fondly Fahrenheit, prefaced with a short, but very good biography of the author.
• William Gibson on The Stars My Destination, William Gibson: this short essay appears on the LOA website, and is a fitting tribute to the novel. Read it here.
• Alternate Worlds: The Illustrated History of Science Fiction, by James Gunn: This book contained some excellent information surrounding the formation of The Demolished Man, which was helpful.
• Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book, by Gerald Jones: This book contains a single reference to Bester, but discusses in depth the reasons for why he and his editors went over to DC Comics. It also seems that Bester had a fairly positive relationship with them, which is at odds with how they're portrayed in this book.
• Survey of Science Fiction Literature, vol 2 & 5, edited by Frank Magill: These two volumes contain reviews of The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination, which helped provide some good additional insight into their works.
• The History of Science Fiction, by Adam Roberts: Roberts' text really talks at length about TSMD, and points to their influence when it comes to the New Wave and Cyberpunk.
• Science Fiction of the 20th Century: An Illustrated History, by Frank M. Robinson. This book had some good, extra information on Bester's life.
• Alfred Bester, by Carolyn Wendell: This short book is part of the Starmont Reader's Guides to Contemporary Science Fiction and Fantasy: This is a short book that I borrowed through interlibrary loan, which has some good additional information on Bester. As far as I can see, it's the only biography out about him.
• American science Fiction: Five Classic Novels, 1956-1958, edited by Gary K. Wolfe: This volume is one that I've referenced before, and I can't recommend it highly enough. It contains TSMD, and a great biographical blurb on the author.

I'm also particularly indebted to Maxwell Neely-Cohen for sending me an interview with Bester in Tangent Interviews. This was an interesting piece taken sometime in the 1980s, with a fairly interesting interview with Bester about some of his stories, and how he generally went about the writing process. There's not a whole lot that's new here when taken against some of the other sources that I had, but it's a great look at Bester as a person.

John Joseph Adams also provided some extremely helpful materials: An obituary from Locus Magazine, which shed some interesting details on his life, as well as an excerpt from Paul Walker's Speaking of Science Fiction and a review of Tender Loving Rage in Science Fiction Eye.

The Futurians and the 1939 World Science Fiction Convention

One of the interesting things that I came across recently was the story of the Futurians at the 1st WorldCon in 1939. The Futurians were a legendary group of fans - quite a few notable authors came out of their ranks over the years, and it looked like an interesting story, one that was far more complicated than I thought.

Fandom is really an artificially constructed thing - Gernsback helped jumpstart it alongside his magazines with his Science Fiction League clubs around the US, probably recognizing that if you keep your readers engaged, you'll have a more reliable cash flow. Would fandom have emerged on its own, without those clubs? Maybe, but I'd bet that it helped define the identify of a science fiction fan far earlier, and from what I've seen, you really don't have the same communities in other genres (although that's just from my own observation, rather than any actual research.

I'll admit, I have a bit of an ax to grind with this piece: the fan community can be infuriatingly annoying at times. It doesn't matter if it's amongst book reviewers, 501st members, authors, literature fans, movie fans, or any other community, there's always drama. And, it looks like there's always been drama. It's something that I'm a bit tired of, and I'm beginning to just ignore people who are drama-prone in my own life. It's a bit liberating, but isolating, at times.

Go read The Futurians and the 1939 World Science Fiction Convention here.

The Futurians, Damon Knight. This is probably the best place to go to read about the Futurians, written by one of their members. It's certainly one-sided, but it's an interesting read. The Immortal Storm, Sam Moskowitz. This is an exhaustive, egotistical and defensive book, and I wonder if Moskowitz had some lingering resentment about the event. This book is a fairly exhaustive (and it's utterly exhausting to read) look at fandom. I found myself very disheartened by what I read here: it's a petty survey, but it does contain quite a bit of information about the early days. Basement and Empire series, Frederik Pohl. Pohl talks a bit about early fandom in this series of blog posts for his website, The Way the Future Blogs. These, and the rest of his website, are a very, very interesting read. The Way the Future Was: A Memoir, Frederik Pohl. Polh's biography is a neat who's who of the early science fiction days, but he doesn't go into much detail about the events of the 1939 convention, simply noting that it happened, and who was involved.

The Connections of Judith Merril

One of the things that I've found distinctly interesting about the Golden Age of SF is how the authors shape the field that they're in, but also how much one can extrapolate a larger picture out of an author's life. An excellent example of this is Judith Merril, through whom one can find an excellent viewpoint of the shifts in publishing, as well as a number of similarly-high-profiled authors writing at the same time. This is the first of probably a couple of posts about Merril - her career as a whole will likely require more space. Indeed, the Futurians themselves warrant a couple of posts of their own.

Merril was an interesting author to research. I remember reading some of her short fiction when I was in high school (Including, I *think* 'Only A Mother'), and rediscovering her was a rewarding process. Frustratingly, most of my usual sourses really didn't examine Merril's contributions to the field, or did so in passing. However, there are some very good sources on her that I was able to draw upon.

Go Read The Connections of Judith Merril over on Kirkus Reviews.

Sources: Judith Merril, 74, Science Fiction Editor and Writer, Gerald Jonas. This is Merril's obituary, and provided a good snapshot of her life.

Better to Have Loved: the Life of Judith Merril, Judith Merril & Emily Pohl-Weary. This autobiography is a fantastic look at the life of Merril, as well as an excellent source for reading up on the Furturians, the Golden Age and a wide smattering of authors. It's a little scattered at points, but there's a great number of letters, recollections and sections about her early life.

The Way the Future Was, Frederik Pohl. Pohl's autobiography doesn't discuss Merril in great depth, but it does mention her frequently and provide some good context for her work in the early 1950s.

The Futurians: The Story of the Great Science Fiction 'Family' of the 30's that Produced Today's Top SF Writers and Editors, Damon Knight. Knight was one of the Futurians, and the book is a good, personal look at the rise and fall of the group, and Merril shows up quite a bit.

Asimov, de Camp and Heinlein at the Naval Air Experimental Station

I came across an interesting tidbit a while ago, while reading something about Robert Heinlein: he served as a researcher during World War II, alongside fellow SF authors Isaac Asimov and L Sprague de Camp. It's a neat intersection, and while their experiences don't yield any major works or revelations to the science fiction field, it does demonstrate the real inter-connectivity between authors working in the field.

At the NAES, Asimov, Heinlein and de Camp all worked on various experimental projects, working in the high-tech, cutting edge of R&D that's so often portrayed in the genre at the time. It's a neat story, one that tells quite a bit about each of the authors.

Read Asimov, de Camp and Heinlein at the Naval Air Experimental Station over on Kirkus Reviews.

Sources used:

I, Asimov, Isaac Asimov: this autobiography is an interesting one, and it's still just as smug and self-deprecating as his other one that I've read, It's Been A Good Life, but this one has quite a bit more when it comes to information.

It's Been A Good Life, Isaac Asimov: this is a bit redundant, but it's a decent, if annoying read on Asimov's life. The man really was a bit of a twit.

Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue With His Century, Volume 1 (1907-1948), William Patterson: This biography is astonishingly good, and incredibly detailed and dense with information. Patterson does an excellent job getting Heinlein's life (the first part!), in day by day detail.

Time and Change: An Autobiography: L Sprague de Camp: This autobiography from de Camp is an excellent one. Rich in detail, lacking the ego, and generally provides an excellent look at who de Camp was.

Leigh Brackett's Planetary Romances

I came across something interesting in the last couple of years: The best of the Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back, was written by a longtime SF author, Leigh Brackett, who had written the film's first draft before passing away. When I had been writing about C.L. Moore, I came across her name again, and because I've been wanting to look more closely at the women in the Golden Age of SF, there was no brainer: I had to look her up. Beyond Star Wars, she had a wealth of SF and Mystery novels and short stories on her resume, and was someone who really continued the planetary romance genre forward.

Go Read Leigh Brackett's Planetary Romances over on Kirkus Reviews.

Here's the sources that I used:

American Science Fiction: Four Classic Novels, 1953-1956, edited by Gary K. Wolfe: This is part of an impressive collection of stories put together by the Library of America series. Brackett's story, The Long Tomorrow is included, along with several other really awesome stories from the 1950s. At the back of the book, and linked here, is a short, biographical sketch. Leigh Brackett: American Writer, by John L. Carr: This short booklet was a fantastic source of knowledge on Brackett and her life. It's a bit disorganized at points, but it has a lot of information on her career and some analysis on her works. Interview with Leigh Brackett, Experiences as a Writer, Youngtown State University Oral History Program by Juanita Rocerick and Hugh G. Ernhart: This was a cool thing to come across: an interview with Brackett, one that covers much of her life and her works. I have a feeling that a lot of the information that we know about her comes from this interview. Leigh Brackett — An Audio Interview, by Tony Macklin: Reading an interview is cool, but listening to one is just as interesting. Brackett talks at length here about her works and life.

Isaac Asimov and the 3 Laws of Robotics

If I had to point to any one author that influenced my early years of science fiction, there's no contest: Isaac Asimov is it. I practically lived in my high school library, which was well stocked with a wide range of Asimov stories. I distinctly remember borrowing, reading and re-reading I, Robot, and scouring anthologies for other stories of his. As a result, I've always had a fascination and appreciation for Asimov's works. He's certainly not without his flaws: reading Caves of Steel for the first time now reveals much about his writing style. But, it lends itself to a certain charm. When I covered John W. Campbell, I knew it would be a matter of time before I reached Asimov, and looking at his career through his Three Laws of Robotics proved to be an excellent trip down memory lane.

Go read Isaac Asimov and the 3 Laws of Robotics over on Kirkus Reviews

Sources used:

Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov: I purchased an omnibus copy of Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun at Boskone recently, and I've been reading through it, enjoying it. I wish that I'd picked it up as a teenager: I think I would have enjoyed it then, but I'm certainly enjoying it now.

I, Robot, Isaac Asimov: One thing that I hadn't realized when I first read the book was that the stories had been edited and fixed up a bit to fit into a single story, composed of a bunch of short stories. This was helpful while I worked on piecing together the timeline of Asimov's Robot stories.

It's Been A Good Life, Isaac Asimov: A condensed version of Isaac Asimov's 3 volume autobiography. I read this years ago, and re-reading it now, all that I can say is: holy hell, that man has an ego. This particular book isn't all that useful: it's edited down and very brief. I'll need to look up his longer work before I do more with him.

Robot Visions, Isaac Asimov: This collection of Robot stories contains a favored story: The Bicentennial Man. I might be one of the only people to enjoy the film, and the story is fantastic. This particular volume is helpful for its introduction.

Survey of Science Fiction Literature, vol 1 & 2, Frank Magill: Magill has come through time and time again, this time, for the entries on I, Robot and Caves of Steel. The entries aren't as helpful as some of the others, but they do shed some good light on the subject.

The Way the Future Was, Frederik Pohl: Frederik Pohl's autobiography sees Asimov appear several times, which makes sense, given that Asimov published several stories with Pohl's publications (although he was published with Campbell's publications more often.)

Brave New Worlds, Jeff Prucher: This wonderful book is a dictionary of science fiction words, and was helpful when it came to looking up the roots of the words for Robot and Robotics.

The History of Science Fiction, Adam Roberts: Roberts has a fantastic section on Asimov, split between his Foundation and Robot series, with a good look at the philosophy behind the stories.

John Campbell Jr. and Astounding Magazine

Last year, I largely covered the formation of the Science Fiction genre, going from some of the notable early authors, and running up to the pulp era. There's a lot that I haven't covered, and at some point, I'm going to be going back and filling in some of the holes behind me. There's an enormous number of authors and editors out there, and there's always going to be new things to add and explore.

I'd intended to go right from Gernsback to John W. Campbell Jr., but took a detour through some of the pulp authors, such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, E.E. 'Doc' Smith and C.L. Moore. Now, we're set up the Golden Age of SF, which a lot of people feel begin with John Campbell Jr.'s work at Astounding Magazine, which is this week's topic over at Kirkus Reviews. He was a pretty fascinating character, and one who wielded enormous influence on the genre.

Go read John Campbell Jr., Astounding Magazine and the Golden Age over on Kirkus Reviews.

Here's the sources that I referenced for this post:

A Requiem for Astounding, Alva Rogers: This book is an excellent resource on the history of Astounding Magazine, and was invaluable for helping me set up and figure out what happened at Astounding prior to Campbell's hiring, as well as what he did right after he began.

The Way the Future Was: A Memoir, Frederik Pohl: I love how I got this book. I went to Barnes and Noble to buy a gift card from someone, and this book was sitting on top of the used book table at the front door. Pohl is an excellent author, and it's worth checking out his blog as well. He recounts several meetings with Campbell here, which was very useful in understanding how the man worked.

Billion Year Spree: The True History of Science Fiction, Brian Aldiss: One of my usual sources, Aldiss has an excellent section on Campbell's influence and time at Astounding Magazine.

The History of Science Fiction, Adam Roberts: Another usual source, Roberts doesn't really devote as much time to Campbell, but he does highlight the man's legacy and the authors that he worked with at the magazine.

Ages of Wonders: Exploring the World of Science Fiction, David G. Hartwell: I came across this book at ReaderCon: Hartwell signed the copy for me after I bought it. This looks to be a really interesting book, and Campbell pops up a couple of times here, with some good information on how he worked and a bit about his influence, which was very helpful.

It's Been A Good Life, Isaac Asimov & Janet Jeppson Asimov: Asimov wrote a number of biographies: this is one of the shorter ones. It's a good thumbnail of his life, very readable and well-rehersed. There's a good section on Asimov's first meetings with Campbell.

Robert A. Heinlein: Learning Curve 1907-1948, William H. Patterson, Jr.: This is an exhaustive volume on part of Heinlein's life, one where Campbell pops up quite a bit. I didn't use this source as much, but there were some very good parts that talked about Heinlein and Campbell's dealing.

Collected Editorials from Analog, John Campbell Jr. and Harry Harrison: This is a free download from Archive.org, and it's an interesting read. Harrison has some good biographical elements in his introduction, but there's also an invaluable thing here: Campbell's own words. I tell you, primary sources are the best.

Upcoming Books & Reviews

Last year was a decent one for books, but this year is already shaping up to be a pretty good one. So far, I've attacked the ever growing book pile with a bit more organization than I have in the past, and as a result, I've got a hefty stack of books that I'm planning on reading over the next couple of months, for reviewing and for pleasure. Here's what I've got coming up:

The Office of Mercy, Ariel Djanikian - This review's been turned in, and it'll be up at some point. Think Hunger Games with a bit more of a philosophical twist. The book's an interesting read, one with quite a bit to think about, and an intriguing plot and world.

The Burn Zone, James K. Decker - James and I had the fortune to be on a podcast together, and he graciously offered to send me a copy - I'm very sad that I overlooked it when I wrote up my February book list for Geek Exchange. I'm reading it now, and it's pretty awesome so far.

The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination, edited by John Joseph Adams - This is a new JJA themed anthology, and there's a solid reputation behind it for really high quality stories there. I'm a couple of stories in already, and it's a really funny, excellent read a couple of stories in.

Debris Dreams, David Colby - This is a book published by VT Speculative Fiction publisher Candlemark and Gleam, and it looks like a fun read, one that I'm planning on reviewing for Geek Mountain State. It came out last fall, and it's slowly crept up my to-read list.

Bowl of Heaven, Gregory Benford & Larry Niven - I've seen this book get some pretty terrible reviews, which is unfortunate, because it looks like it's got all the markings of a really epic read, from two major Space Opera authors. I've been looking forward to reading this one since it came out.

You, Austin Grossman - Grossman's long overdue for a second novel (his first was Soon I Will Be Invincible, which I need to re-read), and this one is just as good, if not better. This one follows the video game industry, and it's got a nicely complicated, multilayered plot that spans decades, platforms and space & time.

NOS4A2, Joe Hill - A friend of mine snagged me an advance copy of this book, and I'm eagerly waiting to read it. Hill's prior novel, Horns, is one of my absolute favorites, although I've yet to get to Heart Shaped Box. This one sounds wonderfully demented.

Love Minus Eighty, Will McIntosh - It's going to be a couple of months before I get to this book, because it's officially out in June from Orbit Books. I've been a huge fan of McIntosh's last two books: Soft Apocalypse is one of the best books to have been released in the last decade, and Hitchers wasn't bad either.

Abbadon's Gate, James S.A. Corey - I don't have a copy of this in hand, but it's easily the most anticipated novel that I've got on my forecast so far this year. Leviathan's Wake and Caliban's War were two awesome reads, and I can't wait to see how they finish out this 1st trilogy.

Others to Read:

There's a couple of other books that I'm taking my time with and enjoying on my own pace:

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn - This has been the hot item of 2012, and I picked it up at Christmas thanks to a couple of gift cards. It's a really dark, interesting read so far (I'm probably 1/3 of the way through). I can see why there's a lot of hype for it.

Northwest Smith, C.L. Moore - I recently joined Singularity & Co, a small company dedicated to saving old science fiction novels and re-releasing them as eBooks. It's a fantastic idea, and a great company to get behind, with a neat store down in Brooklyn. I wrote about C.L. Moore recently, and really found her stories entertaining.

Lay Saints, Adam Connell - I'm going to eat my words on self-published fiction with Lay Saints, a book that Connell couldn't find a publisher for. A couple of people who's opinion I hold in good regard recommended the book, and I've been picking away at it.

The Girl Who Would Be King, Kelly Thompson - I'll go back for a second helping, because Thompson's book is another self-published effort that I came across last fall, and it looked like it had an intriguing plot and characters.

Among Others, Jo Walton - This book won the Hugo last year, and I can see why: it's got a lot of references to a lot of books from SF's history. I got this when I became a supporting member of ChiCon last year, and I've been reading away at it ever since, a chapter or two at a time. It's a fantastic read.

The Universal Mirror, Gwen Perkins - Gwen was a classmate of mine at Norwich, and this book has languished on my shelf for too long. Sometime this year!

Undoubtedly, there's a couple of other books that I've got that I'd like to read that I'm forgetting, as well as some that I'll pick up that are unexpected. The pile grows ever greater, and one of the big goals that I've got is to get through some of the classics, especially those that come as I research more and more of SF/F's history. There's a lot of good material there, and with the exception of those short times after I finish a book, I'm never wanting for something to read, which is nice.

The Many Names of Catherine Lucille Moore

Women are vastly underrepresented in science fiction circles, especially back in the pulp days. While many point to Mary Shelley, her role is a real influence, but still removed from the modern science fiction market. As we move further up in time, the pulp era saw the first professional female authors who would continually shake up the genre. Catherine Lucille Moore was one of the earlier authors to have been writing, with her first stories published in the early 1930s.

Researching C.L. Moore was an a frustrating, but rewarding endeavor. Up until now, I've put together a fairly good go-to list of books for background information on my subjects, which generally requires some additional research by combing through author or book specific texts. In this instance, C.L. Moore is largely ignored by most SF History scholars. When mentioned, it's often in the context of being married to her husband, Henry Kuttner, who's generally considered a lesser author. There is no formal biography, and the information that I found for this piece was spread out among a number of sources - a bit of information here, a bit there, and so forth.

More research was - and is - needed. Contacting Indiana University's archives, I found the existence of three previously unknown stories, and other online searches found a considerable amount of anecdotal information on Moore and her works.

Read up on The Many Names of Catherine Lucille Moore over on Kirkus Reviews.

Here's the sources that I used:

The Bulletin, Fall 2012, SFWA: This feature in the SFWA bulletin has some good background information on Moore's career, in a discussion between Mike Resnick and Barry N. Malzberg, two admirers of Moore's.

Moore, C L, SF Encyclopedia: This entry on Moore has a good look at her publication history and a good discussion about her work with her husband, Henry Kuttner (His entry provided some good background information on him).

Doomsday Morning, C.L. Moore: While writing this piece, I happened upon a used copy of this book, which provided a nice author biography, which brought out a couple of neat details: that she liked writing with a view.

Seekers of Tomorrow: Masters of Modern Science Fiction, Sam Moskowitz: Moskowitz's history is one that I continue to take with a grain of salt, due to anecdotal evidence that he never disclosed his sources, and a lot seems to be based on second-hand stories. Nonetheless, he devotes an entire chapter to Moore and her life, providing some biographical notes in context with her work.

Catherine Lucille Moore & Henry Kuttner: A Marriage of Souls and Talent: A Working bibliography: When I got this from interlibrary loan, I thought that this volume would have more of a biographical component, but all that it contains is a fairly comprehensive listing of Moore and Kuttner's works. It did, however, yield some good information about the publication dates of some stories, as well as a listing for her Gandalf Award, which I didn't know about (none of the other sources that I came across had this information).

Indiana University: I'm particularly indebted to Assistant Archivist Carrie Schwier and intern Cynthia Lynn, at Indiana University's archives, who was able to help me locate some early stories that Moore published, as well as some other archival information.

Many thanks are owed to Mike Resnick, who provided some great memories of Moore, and some good background information on her life.

Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Moons of Mars

For my last Kirkus Column, I talked about E.E. 'Doc' Smith and his stories that kickstarted Space Opera. This week, we're going back a little further and looking at pulp author Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the characters for which he's known: John Carter and Tarzan.

I had a passing familiarity with Tarzan as a kid, but I wasn't really introduced to John Carter until last year, when the movie was released. I thought it was decent, a bit long, and a bit directionless, but that seems to be the case with Burroughs and his stories. But, it's not the only story to be found from Burroughs that's been adapted, and while researching, I got to do delve into some of his books a bit more, and found them to be perfectly entertaining, even if I found him to be a bit of a racist git.

Go read Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Moons of Mars over on Kirkus Reviews.

Here's the sources that were used:

Billion Year Spree, Brian Aldiss: Aldiss spends a considerable amount of time (an entire chapter), talking about Burroughs' stories and his influence after the fact. It's an interesting and critical look at ERB's writings and legacy. A Princess of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs: Junot Diaz introduces this volume, and like all other Library of America editions, this one comes with a very good biography at the end, as well as a detailed timeline of the John Carter stories. It's a little complicated, because the timeline ONLY covers the John Carter stories, which requires a little puzzle-work when coming up with a fuller chronology. Tarzan of the Apes, Edgar Rice Burroughs: Thomas Mallon introduces this one, and like the John Carter edition, this comes with a biography and chronology that was extremely helpful. Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Man Who Created Tarzan: Irwin Porges: This tome is much like Burroughs himself: it's overly long and winded, but it's a near-exhaustive biography of Burroughs and his life, recounting extreme details into the man's life. It's not entirely critical, but it's probably one of the best resrouces out there. A People's Guide to Los Angeles, Laura Pulido; Laura Barraclough; Wendy Cheng: I try and avoid Wikipedia for hard facts, and I only use it to get a thumbnail sketch of a person during my initial stages. However, it does have its uses, and the entry on Tarzana linked me to this book when I started seeing things about ERB and his fairly racist views towards anyone not white. None of the other sources seemed to contain this information, which I thought was strage, but important. The History of Science Fiction, Adam Roberts: Roberts' history is a trusty stand-by, and provided a good overview of ERB's work.

The Amazing Stories of E.E. Doc Smith

I got into science fiction through my love of Star Wars. The geeky primer had already been charged with earlier stories, but George Lucas's films pushed my geeky little mind into overdrive.

Space Opera is said to have begun with a fellow known as E.E. 'Doc' Smith.  Last time we talked about science fiction, we left with Hugo Gernsback and his contributions to the genre, and between his work and the beginnings of John W. Campbell's Golden Age, Smith's a major figure to look at. He's a fascinating character, and his contributions to the genre deserve quite a bit more notice.

In a lot of ways, Smith invented the intergalactic space opera, from which so many well known books, television shows and films owe their existence. Read up on The Amazing Stories of E.E. Doc Smith over on Kirkus Reviews.

Here's the sources that I used:

Billion Year Spree: The True History of Science Fiction, Brian W. Aldiss: Aldiss's reliable book has some excellent commentary on Smith's place in fandom and the legacy of his novels, as well as some background information on the book's creation. There's nothing extensive: what we have here is a small nugget of information, but it's a valuble piece of information. Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, John Clute: This has become a favorite source of mine - There's a great entry on Smith's works and their importance. Most importantly, it pointed me to some other sources, and provided some good dates. The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of: How Science Fiction Conquered the World, Thomas Disch: Small mention of Smith here, but there's some background information. Alternate Worlds: The Illustrated History of Science Fiction, James Gunn: Gunn's' book has a great couple of pages on Smith's life and works, providing some contextual information in addition to covers. Seekers of Tomorrow, Sam Moskowitz: Probably one of the most valuable sources, Moskowitz's text is one that needs to be taken with some salt: it's not a hugely reliable source in most circles, and reportedly, Moskowitz didn't divulge his sources. However, it provides a look at Smith's early life, filling in the gap between his birth and the time he began to write. Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with his Century, Volume 1: Learning Curve: 1907-1948, William Patterson Jr.: Heinlein was a friend of Smith's, and he popped up several times in its pages. The History of Science Fiction, Adam Roberts: Roberts provides a good overview of Smith's works, and their placement within the pulp era. Survey of Science Fiction Literature, volumes 3 & 5, Frank Magill: These two volumes of literary criticism looks at the Lensman and Skylark stories that Smith authored in great detail, providing an excellent literary overview and some biographical information.

Jagannath, Karin Tidbeck

A journalist recounts an encounter with an alien entity that appears throughout human history, a woman creates a creature from her own blood and spit in a can, and a man falls in love with an airship. These are just a couple of the tales to be found in Swedish author Karin Tidbeck's collection of short fiction, Jagannath. The collection has received considerable critical acclaim in the past couple of months, from Tor.com to NPR, and it's easy to see that the attention is well deserved: it's a brilliant book, full of stories that linger long after the words have been read, and the book replaced on the bookshelf.

Jagannath is by far one of the best books that I've picked up this year, a collection of short stories that left me utterly breathless and at the edge of my seat while reading it. More than once, I found myself at the end of a story, only to turn back and begin rereading it immediately. Each story in this short book is a gem, wonderfully crafted and constructed, each leaving me with a shiver of dread and thrill.

What impressed me the most is how utterly normal and natural a vast majority of the stories felt while reading them: normal people encountering something that's just slightly off from what is typically natural. A woman comes out of the woods and marries into a family - supernatural elements may or may not be at play, while a suicidal friend in Rebecka may or may not be insane, or tormented by divine intervention. Other stories are more fantastic, but still utterly grounded, such as the strange call center in Who is Arvid Pekon?, the timeless fairy world in Augusta Prima or the historical encounters with some sort of creature in Pyret. Still others are way out there, such as in Aunts or the title story, Jagannath. In a lot of ways, she does Lovecraft better than Lovecraft ever did himself.

Location figures into this: I've come across several articles and interviews where Tidbeck highlights her home in Sweden, with its long winters as an inspiration for some of the strange occurrences that she's written about. Coming from New England, with its dark geography and short summers, I can certainly relate to the dark atmosphere that has been injected into these stories.

Tidbeck's stories are uniformly haunting, surreal and sublime, and the collection as a whole is a wonder to behold. There's little surprise to see that the book is recommended by such authors as Ursula K. LeGuin and China Miéville, and Jagannath easily falls into the Weird subgenre, as easily as it can be classified into any genre. The stories are a bit odd, and should place Tidbeck on every reader's must-read list from here on out. I for one, can't wait to see what she has coming up next.

There and Back Again - The Hobbit

In the middle of November, I talked about Tolkien's WWI experiences and their impact into their writing. With the live action adaptation of The Hobbit released into theaters soon, it makes sense to look at how The Hobbit was written in the first place. It's an interesting story, with a bunch of twists and turns. Go read  There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale over on Kirkus Reviews.

Here are the sources that I used and would recommend:

The Annotated Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien and Douglas A. Anderson: This edition of The Hobbit has received the annotated treatment. I was a big fan of the Annotated Dracula, and this edition has some good insights into the creation of the book.

The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Chronology, by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond: This massive volume was an invaluable resource in determining where Tolkien went during his time in combat. It’s detailed down to the day in most cases, with an overwhelming amount of information.

The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Reader’s Guide, by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond: This second companion book was also great for background information on Tolkien’s friends and some of his influences.

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, by Humphrey Carpenter: This book was one that I came across years ago, and it still remains one of the definitive biographies of the author, with a comprehensive and readable detailing of his life and works.

J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century, by Tom Shippey: This book provided some good background information on Tolkien and his influences in the War.

J.R.R. Tolkien and the Great War

Sometimes, stories find you when you least expect them. I began this column thinking that I would find Tolkien's experiences in war as an almost superficial influence on his later stories, only to find the complete opposite. Tolkien went to war and underwent pure horror. He witnessed a terrible war from the front lines, and found most of his friends dead when he left. It's little wonder that he felt that his creative spirit was dampened by it.

That aside, I found the story of Tolkien and his three close friends to be the most emotional and heartbreaking episode of his life, and I can't help but wonder how much it will change how I read certain parts of the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit.

Interestingly, this piece comes shortly after Veteran's Day (Armistice Day elsewhere), commemorating the end of WWI. I hadn't realized that this piece would come out at the same time.

Read J.R.R. Tolkien and the Great War over on Kirkus Reviews. We're not done with Tolkien yet, so stay tuned through December!

Here are the sources that I used and would recommend:

The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Chronology, by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond: This massive volume was an invaluable resource in determining where Tolkien went during his time in combat. It's detailed down to the day in most cases, with an overwhelming amount of information.

The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Reader's Guide, by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond: This second companion book was also great for background information on Tolkien's friends and some of his influences.

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, by Humphrey Carpenter: This book was one that I came across years ago, and it still remains one of the definitive biographies of the author, with a comprehensive and readable detailing of his life and works.

Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle Earth, by John Garth: This volume is dense, but an invaluable resource on how World War I impacted Tolkien's life and later works.

J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century, by Tom Shippey: This book provided some good background information on Tolkien and his influences in the War.