Acknowledged as one of the founding figures of science fiction scholarship and teaching, and one of the genre's leading writers, James Gunn in 1951 wrote what is likely the first master's thesis on modern science fiction, Modern Science Fiction: A Critical Analysis. It achieved some degree of legendary status when portions appeared in the short-lived pulp magazine Dynamic, but has otherwise remained unavailable for scholars and general readers of science fiction. Appearing for the first time in book form, this early critical work by a science fiction master is an important historical addition to the field of science fiction studies. Gunn's observations on many of the classic Golden Age stories of the 1940s, before they were classic, highlight this exuberant and astute early academic critical assessment of science fiction. Here the reader will witness the development of Gunn's critical perspective that informed his essential genre history Alternate Worlds and the monumental anthology series The Road to Science Fiction. Michael R. Page's introduction and commentary show the historical significance of Gunn's work and frame it within the context of the later development of science fiction criticism and theory.

About the Author
James Gunn, an emeritus professor of English at the University of Kansas, is the author or editor of 45 books and more than 100 short stories, has been president of both the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the Science Fiction Research Association and has received their lifetime awards, including the Grand Master Award of SFWA and induction into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. He was one of the pioneer teachers of science fiction and its scholarship, and influenced several generations of science-fiction scholars and authors. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas.

Michael R. Page is a lecturer in the English department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.


Book Information
ISBN 9781476673196
Author James Gunn
Format Paperback
Page Count 213
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 279g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 10mm