Science Fiction: A Very Short Introduction

A solid short introduction to science fiction, largely by theme. There are no great insights in this book but it provides a good basic starting point for anyone not well versed in the genre and wanting an up-to-date guide to where they might put some time into learning more.

As one expects nowadays, obeisance is made to the small but highly respectable contribution of feminist writers and to the tiny group of self-consciously black authors in the genre. There is a respectful slight nod to Marxism so the text clearly comes from the modern academy.

There are around 15 decent illustrations.

This is a brief discussion of recent academic criticism of Science Fiction (both literature and movies). Though the author promises to avoid a historical approach, devoting chapters to themes rather than periods, each chapter turns out to be a small history. This leads to a sense of repetition. Within each chapter the author surveys a variety of critical approaches, citing many examples from Science Fiction books and film, without devoting much attention to any one of them. Though there is a faint Marxist undertone to the book, still, as in many Oxford Very Short Introductions, the appropriate genuflections are made in the directions of all popular critical coteries. In short, this book doesn't say much of interest to the Science show more Fiction fan, but gets lost in an academic echo chamber. Recommended for undergraduates in literature looking for a compendium of quick references. show less

Useful book with good recommendations for futher reading.