ANATOMY OF WONDER 4: A CRITICAL GUIDE TO SCIENCE FICTION.
New Providence, New Jersey: R. R. Bowker Company, [1995]. Octavo, boards. First printing of the fourth edition. The fourth edition. The first part of the 1995 edition is five annotated checklists of science fiction: "The Emergence of Science Fiction: The Beginnings Through 1915" by Thomas D. Clareson (108 entries); "Science Fiction Between the Wars: 1916-1939" by Brian Stableford (157 entries); "From the Golden Age to the Atomic Age: 1940-1963" by Paul A. Carter (225 entries); The New Wave, Cyberpunk, and Beyond: 1963-1994" by Michael M. Levy and Brian Stableford (553 entries) and "The Speculative Muse: An Introduction to Science Fiction Poetry" by Steve Eng (19 entries); and "Young Adult Science Fiction by Francis J. Molson and Susan G. Miles (180 entries). The second part, pages 455-817, comprise ten sections of "research aids" including seven annotated checklists of secondary sources (a total of 570 entries) and other material, compiled by Barron and others. Anatomy of Wonder is generally considered the major research guide to the study of science fiction. It is the only comprehensive English-language source for the study of foreign-language science fiction not translated into English. Its coverage of English-language modern science fiction is sound as is the survey of reference sources. However, successive editions placing more emphasis on English-language modern science fiction at the expense of proto science fiction and foreign-language science fiction have, by the fourth edition, created a serious lack of historical perspective required in such critical guides. The first and second editions are still of value for their surveys of pre-1938 science fiction. For this period researchers should also consult Bleiler, Clareson, and Suvin. The third edition is essential for its extensive coverage of foreign-language science fiction that was not carried over into the fourth edition. Burgess, Reference Guide to Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror 51. A fine copy. (26400). Item #26400
Price: $75.00