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.

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.

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.

Some Kind of Fairy Tale: George MacDonald

With October's Horror duo over with, I decided that it was time to shift gears again in preparation for the really big fantasy event of the year: The Hobbit, and thus focus on some of the background on Fantasy literature, which I haven't really focused on thus far. Like Science Fiction, context for the development of Tolkien's works relies on an earlier look at what came before, and the notable author that I became interested in was George MacDonald, who really jump started the Fantasy genre by creating a number of modern fairy tales that inspired many fantasy authors that came before him. He's not a household name like Mary Shelley, Jules Verne or H.G. Wells, but he was no less influential in his works, which went on to inspire authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

Go read Some Kind of Fairy Tale over on Kirkus Reviews.

Sources Used:

George MacDonald, Michael R. Phillips: This biography of MacDonald is an interesting one, taking on both the man and his works, in both historical and narrative style. It's a good read, with quite a bit of information about the author and some of his major influences.

An Expression of Character: The Letters of George MacDonald: This volume contains the collected letters of MacDonald, which proved to be marginally useful for this piece: some of his books are mentioned, but nothing other than mentions of his books, rather than process (at least that I could find).

Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature, Vol 3, Frank Magill: I've been talking a lot about Science Fiction recently, and as I've begun to look more closely at Fantasy literature, needed to pick up the companion to the Survey that I've been using. Also edited by Frank Magill, it covers a wide range of fantasy novels and authors. The entry for Phantastes is a great overview of MacDonald and his career, and was incredibly useful for this piece.

George MacDonald, William Raeper: This biography is another good insight into MacDonald and his life and really helped to support the other pieces that I referenced.

H.P. Lovecraft and the Other

With October a traditionally - horror themed month capped with Halloween, it seemed appropriate to follow up Bram Stoker and Dracula with another notable horror author: H.P. Lovecraft. Hugely influential in the horror genre, Lovecraft is an author that I got into while in college, with a course on Gothic Literature. I've found Lovecraft's stories to be delightfully macabre, and living in Vermont, I can identify with his love of the sheer age of the location, and can see just why this corner of the country is so suited for horror fiction.

Read up on H.P. Lovecraft and the Other over on Kirkus Reviews.

Sources Used:

The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, introduced by Robert Bloch: This collection of Lovecraft's stories is one that I've had since college, when I was first introduced to his works. Robert Bloch has a particularly good, if apologetic introduction to the man, laying out his life and some of the motivations behind his fiction.

Lovecraft - Tales, edited by Peter Straub: This tome from the Library of America Collection is an impressive book, not only for the stories that have been collected, but for a very comprehensive timeline in the back of the book (Philip K. Dick's own collections featured very similar reference material), which was particularly invaluable as an overview for Lovecraft's life.

Lovecraft: A Biography, by L. Sprauge de Camp: de Camp is someone that I would like to examine at some point in his own right, but for the time begin, his biography is eminently readable and extremely detailed, providing quite a bit of insight into his life and works.

Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature, vol. 4, Frank Magill: This volume provides a great overview of Lovecraft's short fiction career, rather than an individual book. In this instance, the survey focuses on Lovecraft's Cthulhu works.

Bram Stoker's Dracula

It's October, and taking off from the end of September, we've shifting gears from Science Fiction to Horror Fiction on the Kirkus Reviews blog, where I get to tackle a novel that I've wanted to research in more depth for a while now: Dracula and its formation.

While I was in college, took a course in Gothic Literature, taught by Dr. F. Brett Cox, and had my eyes pried open to the fantastic gothic and horror world, something that I'd never been really interested in before that point. Dracula, Frankenstein and many others were books that we read, and for the first time, I read through Stoker's fantastic story, not realizing how much I didn't know about the story (and how much I did).

So, to hearken in the dreary fall season, go read Revisiting Bram Stoker's Horror Masterpiece, Dracula over on Kirkus Reviews!

Sources: As I've shifted from Science Fiction to Horror, most of my usual stand-by reference books don't apply, as they focus extensively on the history of Science Fiction, over that of Horror or Fantasy. Because of that, I had to do a bit more digging around for some background information, coming across some excellent books on the background of Dracula and Bram Stoker while doing so:

The Handbook for the Gothic, edited by Marie Mulvey-Roberts: This book provides a very brief thumbnail sketch of Stoker in the greater context of the Gothic literature movement, and provided a good starting point for a bunch of things.

Bram Stoker, Carol A. Senf: This scholarly biographical piece examines Stoker as a Gothic author, and examines more than just his Dracula books: there's some good background in his other, underappreciated novels, and at some point, I'd like to return and look at these in a bit more depth.

The New Annotated Dracula, by Bram Stoker / Leslie S. Klinger, ed.: For any Dracula / vampire / horror fan, this book is an essential purchase. It's a bit large and unwieldly, but Klinger has exhaustively researched the background of Stoker and his story, inserting annotations throughout the text and providing a bit of background on vampire fiction that predates Dracula. It's a stunning book, and I'm still reading it.

In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires, by Raymond T. McNally & Radu Florescu: This book takes on the search for Dracula as a historical character, looking at the background to Stoker's research and everything that essentially supports the inspiration for the character. In the middle of the book is a fantastic biographical sketch that sheds a considerable amount of light on Stoker's work and life.

Brief History of the Vampire Novel

I had a gap in the schedule, and it seemed like a good time to start getting ready for October. Somewhere, I decided that I wanted to take a look at a broad swath of a genre, and because I was working on the pieces for October (Dracula), it seemed as good a time as any to see where Dracula fits into the larger picture. Turning to social media, I asked people what they thought were some of the more important vampire novels, coming up with an impressive list that had to be really pared down. There's not a lot of surprises on it, but I did find a couple of interesting points: many people believe that Dracula was *the* original Vampire novel, when in fact it's predated by a number of others that in turn influenced Dracula. Stoker's novel proves to be a tipping point, and there's quite a bit of variety after the publication of that book.

Head over to Kirkus Reviews to read A Brief History of the Vampire Novel.

This is something that's bothered me over the past couple of years: frequently, people complain about how the Twilight novels have shifted away from the traditional vampire story. The results, in a bit way, show that this isn't the case: there's not really any 'traditional' vampire novel, because each has taken on liberties of their own, driving right down to the folklore level. Camilla, Varney, Dracula, Lestat, Edward, and others all have their quirks and differences. I've yet to sit down and steel myself to read Twilight, but at some point, I'll get to it.

For this piece, I was quite a bit looser than usual with my research: The Internet Speculative Fiction Database and Wikipedia provided chunks of information on each book, but at points, I went to author's pages and book profile pages for the main details. Of the books that I consulted, The Annotated Dracula is a particularly good resource that I'll talk about when the Dracula piece is up. Another excellent source that I've since found is In Search of Dracula, by Raymond T. McNally & Radu Florescu, which has a good section on post-Dracula vampire works.

Exploring Lost Worlds: Arthur Conan Doyle

My latest post for Kirkus Reviews is now up online. Originally, I'd planned on finishing out the Science Romances with Olaf Stapledon, but when went to see if there was anyone else to look up, I found a notable author that I'd overlooked: Athur Conan Doyle. While he's most famous for his Sherlock Holmes stories, he was a prolithic author. His novel The Lost World captured my imagination as a young teenager, and I was surprised to learn that there was more to that series. Read Exploring Lost Worlds: Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor Challenger over on Kirkus Reviews.

For Sources, I had a couple of notable ones:

Billion Year Spree, by Brian Aldiss: One of my usual suspects for sources, surprisingly, Robert and Disch's history don't have any mention of Conan Doyle's character, which surprised me a little. While he doesn't seem to have had the impact of other authors, his stories DO demonstrate the impact of Jules Verne and Edgar Allan Poe.

Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters, edited by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower and Charles Foley: This is a stunning biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, one that intertwines an incredible number of letters with commentary from the authors, which provides an incredible insight into Conan Doyle's busy life, his relationships with other authors and family members, and how he set about writing his stories. Highly recommended for anyone interested in ACD's works.

Survey of Science Fiction, Frank Magill: this series has been a good standby for background reference on the books, and this one had a good critical overview of The Lost World and the Poison Belt. (I think - I'm typing this up from memory, and I'm pretty sure that I read entries about these books from here - I'll check when I'm home.)

Rounding Out the Science Romances

Over on Kirkus Reviews, I have a bit of a roundup post that looks back over the posts that I've written, looking at the foundational stories of the genre, and how they all fit together in the bigger picture. You can read it over here. This isn't it for my coverage of the Science Romance period: in early September, I'll be going back and looking at Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor Challenger books, but after that, we'll be looking a bit at Horror and Fantasy, before moving on towards the Golden Age of Science Fiction, which should be very exciting.

This column has been a really fun thing to work with, both in the writing and researching components. Since starting this, I've relied heavily on the Kreitzburg Library for sources, and buying some books that I've been going back to time and time again.

The usual suspects that I generally go back to are the following works, and I really encourage anyone who's got a passing interest in the overall history of the genre to do themselves a favor and check them out:

Billion / Trillion Year Spree, by Brian Aldiss: This fantastic look at the genre comes in two editions. The Billion Year Spree is all Aldiss, while the Trillion Year Spree adds in some other material. Aldiss covers the genre in exhausting detail, and at points, pulls in material that other books don't touch, providing a really great look at science fiction and its formation.

History of Science Fiction, by Adam Roberts: Robert's history is one that I've really enjoyed for years now, and he covers the genre as a speculative sort of history, going far back into antiquity for some of the really deep roots of the genre.

The Stuff Dreams are Made Of, by Thomas Disch: Disch's book is a bit more on the popular history side of things, but what he does do is provide a great, high level snapshot of Science Fiction and it's progression from author to author.

Survey of Science Fiction, edited by Frank Magill: This series has been an invaluble purchase for me: a critical survey of the genre from around the 1970s, collecting thousands of reviews of notable science fiction novels. It's been a really good tool, especially for looking over books that I haven't read, or read a long time ago.

To compliment the posting up on Kirkus, here's a list of my source posts with additional sources specific to each author:

• Hugo Gernsback: Father of Science Fiction?
• Adapting Philip K. Dick
• Looking Far into the Future: Olaf Stapledon
• Jules Verne and the Moon
• H.G. Wells and the War of the Worlds
• Ray Bradbury, 1920-2012
• Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne
• A Meeting in Geneva: The Birth of ‘Frankenstein’

Hugo Gernsback: Father of Science Fiction?

With Chicon-7 coming next month, I wanted to take a look at the man behind the main event: the Hugo Award ceremony. Over on Kirkus Reviews, I've got a brief history of Hugo Gernsback, often called 'The Father of Science Fiction'. While it's true that Gernsback coined the term science fiction, we've seen that he's not the founded of the genre as a whole. Rather, he's the founder of a modern strain of science fiction, and his influence persists to this day. Read Hugo Gernsback: To Great Heights And Down Again over on Kirkus Reviews.

An interesting letter that I came across came from Alex Eisenstein, who left me with the impression that Gernsback sat at the crossroads between quality literary style and commercial success. While the two aren't mutually exclusive, looking at the attitudes science fiction over the last half-century, it's clear which style won out. Here's the sources that I used for this piece:

- American Inventors, Entrepreneurs and Business Visionaries, by Caharles W. Carey Jr.: This book compiles a number of profiles of people, including a good thumbnail of Gernsback’s life and accomplishments.

- Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book, by Gerard Jones: This book is a great look at the rise of the comic book industry in the United States. Gernsback makes a brief appearance here in a section devoted to the pulps, which helps to provide a bit of extra insight into his life and how he influenced others.

- Hugo Gernsback and the Century of Science Fiction, by Gary Westfahl: This is an an academic book on the man and his influence: it provided some in depth information on Gernsback, but it is quite dense at points.

- History of Science Fiction, by Adam Roberts: Roberts puts together a good profile and analysis of Gernsback’s contributions to the genre, highlighting not only his life, but how he affected the genre as a whole.

- The Trillion Year Spree, by Brian Aldiss: Aldiss is less kind to Gernsback, providing an notably critical profile of the man and his contributions to the genre.

- Wells, Verne, and Science, Alex Eisenstein, from Science Fiction Studies: This letter was a turning point in how I thought about this piece: rather than just looking at the contributions of Gernsback, it made me realize that the story is more about just how much he influenced the genre that we know and love.

For the Hugo Awards, I did a bit of research online between a couple of websites:

- INFOGRAPHIC: Everything You Need to Know about the Hugo Award: SF Signal’s Infographic covering the high points of the Hugos.

- A Short History of the Hugo Awards Process: This page on the official Hugo Awards website is a good one to look into for year to year, and a general overview of the award.

Adapting Philip K. Dick

This week on the Kirkus Reviews Blog, I jump ahead from some of the older stories to a very modern author: Philip K. Dick and the adaptations of his works.

This was an interesting article to write, because I wanted to tie it in with the upcoming movie release of Total Recall. Prior to writing it, I was able to find a number of the films and watch through them over the course of a weekend, to get a sense of how they were adapted. Some were a pleasant surprise: Total Recall and Screamers were two that I particularly liked. Others, like Paycheck and Next, I didn't like very much.

Dick's works have translated interestingly into film, I suspect because the premise that he's really known for - this world is not correct - is something that's easy for a film to capture and challenge its characters with in ways that audiences can easily understand.

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

The Library of America Series (Four Novels of the 1960s, Five Novels of the 1960s & 70s, and Valis & Later Novels): This series examines notable works from American authors, seldomly looks at Science Fiction. These books are fantastic examples of the author's works, but are also excellent for their in-depth chronological look at Dick's life.

Minority Report Special Features: This is something that I watched way back, when Minority Report was the first DVD that I ever owned. It's an excellent collection of special features, not the least of which the one that talks about the adaptation of the story and how it came to be.

Prophets of Science Fiction: Philip K. Dick: This was a really neat one to watch, even as it glosses over much of Dick's life and dramatizes some of it. The most interesting thing was Ridley Scott's impressions of the man, whom he met at a screening. There's also some interesting points about how Minority Report was going to become a sequel to Total Recall.

Internet Speculative Fiction Database: This large archive was useful for tracking down the original publications of each of the stories, which allowed me to string them out in publication order.

The films: I was able to track down almost all of the films, with the exception of A Scanner Darkly and Radio Free Albemuth. Watching each (and reading most of the stories that they were based on) really helped to see what exactly was adapted.

Usual Suspects: The Stuff Dreams are Made Of, History of Science Fiction and Trillion Year Spree each have sections about Philip K. Dick and his works, which provide good background material on the life of the author and his contributions to the genre.

Looking Far into the Future: Olaf Stapledon

My latest post for the Kirkus Reviews Blog is now online! This time, we look at English author Olaf Stapledon and his legacy.

This wasn't the post I'd intended on writing. Originally, this spot had been reserved for an examination of C.S. Lewis, and his Out of a Silent Planet trilogy. As this series has progressed, I've been finding a curious evolution of the science fiction genre, something that will continue on. From Mary Shelley to Edgar Allan Poe, to Jules Verne and to H.G. Wells, there's a facinating story of connections between one another. They found influences in themselves, carrying ideas forward in time, changed somewhat by each author's own sensibilities. Following Wells, we find Olaf Stapledon, who by his own words, was influenced by Well's stories, and in turn, inspired future authors, such as Sir Arthur C. Clarke. Lewis, I found, wrote in opposition of the two, and in a large way, was out of place in my plans.

Stapledon was an interesting author, and the scale of his works and the themes behind them set him apart from just about everyone in the field at the time and since. Read Looking far, far into the future: Olaf Stapledon over on the Kirkus Reviews Blog!

Here's the sources that I used:

An Olaf Stapledon Reader, By Olaf Stapledon, Robert Crossley: This book contains an interesting series of articles on Stapledon and his writing, but of most interest is two letters that Olaf wrote to famed science fiction author H.G. Wells, where he talks about how the former influenced him.

The Olaf Stapledon Online Archive: Located here, the site for Stapledon contains a fairly good biography on the author and some of his works, which provided a good starting point for the biographical elements of this piece.

Last and First Men / Last Men of London, Olaf Stapledon: This collected version is a book that I picked up on a whim a couple of years ago, and read through Last and First Men. An interesting story, it was of particular use when coming to understand the scale and scope of Stapledon's efforts - it's a very different, but highly recommended novel.

Arthur C. Clarke: The Authorized Biography, by Neil McAleer: This biography of Clarke helped to confirm that Clarke was influenced by Stapledon's works.

Survey of Science Fiction, vol 3 & 5, Frank Magill: This book as usual, is a particularly useful resource in looking up specific meanings and critical reviews of Stapledon's works.

The History of Science Fiction, by Adam Roberts: Roberts devotes an entire glowing section to Stapledon's legacy, shedding some light on the author and his influences.

Jules Verne and the Moon

My latest column for Kirkus Reviews is now online! In it, I talk about Jules Verne and his fantastic novel From the Earth to the Moon. I recently talked about Jules Verne in his influences that stemmed from Edgar Allan Poe, and I was particularly eager to return to Verne as a major influence in the genre.

As July is the month where the anniversary of the first Moon landing rests, it seemed like a good time, although Verne's novels are closer to what happened with Apollo 8, when we first reached the moon, rather than landed on it.

You can read the entire post here on the Kirkus Reviews Blog.

Here's the sources that I used for the column this time around:

Billion Year Spree, by Brian Aldiss: Once again, this book provides some good background on Verne throughout, and some of the things that helped to influence him and this particular novel, especially Poe.

The History of Science Fiction, by Adam Roberts: Roberts takes to task the idea that Verne 'predicted' how the space program would be put together, and lambasts critics who nitpick Verne's story based on some of the things that he didn't get right - such as using a giant cannon to get into space as opposed to that of a rocket. It's a good perspective to understand, that Science Fiction doesn't predict the future, but if the author is paying good attention to science, it's not likely to change all that much, as is what happens in this situation.

Survey of Science Fiction Literature, Vol 3, by Frank Magill: Magill's collection provides a great analysis of From the Earth to the Moon in its themes and influences.

To a Distant Day: The Rocket Pioneers, by Chris Gainor: This is a great history (and part of a great series on human space exploration, the Outward Odyssey series), on the development of Rocket Science. This book points to a number of rocket pioneers who read Verne's stories and looked at how they could do that in real life. Verne's an excellent example of where fiction becomes real.

Jules Verne, inventor of science fiction by Peter Costello: This biography of Verne was a particularly good one, outlining much of Verne's life and some of his influences when it came to science fiction and storytelling. He's a facinating individual, and the book provides a good overview.

From the Earth to the Moon and Round the Moon, Jules Verne: Of course, there's the source material, in this instance, a nicely bound collected edition that my wive brought with her when she moved up to Vermont. This edition has several other books, and I look forward to someday reading it to whatever children we end up having.

H.G. Wells and the War of the Worlds

Over on the Kirkus Reviews blog, I've turned my attention to one of my absolute favorite science fiction novels, The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells. One of the absolute greatest works of science fiction, it's a story that I've continually learned more about ever since I first read it so many years ago. You can read H.G. Wells and the Decline of Empires over on Kirkus' website.

There's a couple of unconventional sources that I used for this book, in addition to the usual sources that I've gone to continually for this column:

Experiment in autobiography; discoveries and conclusions of a very ordinary brain (since 1866) by H.G. Wells: For specific author information, one can do no wrong by going to the original source: in this instance, H.G. Wells' words. This biography is a little frustrating at points, because he doesn't talk much about his actual writing, but it does give a unique insight into his daily life around the time that he wrote this novel.

Not Separated at Birth: Dracula and The War of the Worlds (Panel Discussion): This wasn't a reference work, but a panel that included Charlie Stross, Gregory Feeley, David G. Hartwell, Faye Ringel and Darrell Schweitzer at Boskone 38 this past spring. I took a number of notes during the talk, which was a facinating comparison between both Dracula and War of the Worlds, and examining them as colonization novels, which was part of a much larger genre at that time.

Prophets of Science Fiction, H.G. Wells: Last year, the Science Channel and Ridley Scott partnered for a series titled The Prophets of Science Fiction, which examined a handful of notable authors in the genre, including H.G. Wells. Taking their works, the program alternatively looked at biography and some of the modern technological innovations that are fairly loosely associated with the works. It's not mindblowing, but the episode on Wells provides a nice snapshot of his life, while glossing over some of the other things, such as his social politics.

The usual sources of Billion/Trillion Year Spree, by Brian Aldiss, The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of, by Thomas M. Disch, The History of Science Fiction, by Adam Roberts and the Survey of Science Fiction all had their own praises and examinations of Wells' novel and provide a great background into that era of science fiction.

The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells: of course, the best source of them all is the original novel by Wells. It's a brilliant, stunning work that is fresh every time I go back to it. If you've never read it, you're missing out on a classic.