

First published in 1979. What do we mean by Science Fiction? What does it do, and why do so many people read it? What are its characteristic values, attitudes and procedures? Is it a creative force in our society, or merely a pathological symptom? How much of it is worth the...

This book, first published in 1979, presents a portrait of science fiction as a distinct form of serious and creative literature. The essays establish the common properties of science fiction writing, and assess the history and significance of a field in which critical judgements...