The Road to Science Fiction - (Road to Science Fiction (Scarecrow Press)) by James Gunn (Paperback)

About the Book

Volume 4 From Here to Forever covers the period from 1950-1992, illustrating how science fiction can be as concerned with language and character as much as traditional fiction and anything in the mainstream. Includes stories by Jorge Luis Borges, Richard Matheson, C. M. Kornbluth, Jack Vance, and Pamela Zoline.

Book Synopsis

Now in Paperback!
The Road to Science Fiction is a six-volume anthology that covers the development of this genre from its earliest prototypes to the current day. Created originally to provide anthologies for use in classrooms in the late 1970s, these volumes became mass-market sellers.

Between an ancient Roman's trip to the moon and the fantastic tales of H.G. Wells lies a journey through time and space and an awesome evolution in scientific thinking. From Gilgamesh's search for immortality to Edgar Allan Poe's balloon trip in the year 2848 these and other key works are gathered together for the first time in one anthology, complete with revealing commentary on the authors, their eras, and the role each played in establishing what we today recognize as science fiction.

Volume 4 From Here to Forever covers the period from 1950-1992, illustrating how science fiction can be as concerned with language and character as much as traditional fiction and anything in the mainstream. Includes stories by Jorge Luis Borges, Richard Matheson, C. M. Kornbluth, Jack Vance, and Pamela Zoline.

Review Quotes

...provides one of the most comprehensive views of the field and should be required reading for all students of sf. It has withstood the test of time, with classic stories....Gunn's headnotes and introductions remain provocative, even years later. The Road to Science Fiction can be read as an historical document, one that says much about Gunn, his mind, and his take on sf as it does about the state of sf from its roots to its full maturity as a genre.-- "Science Fiction Studies"

The best series, historically arranged, of SF anthologies ever assembled...All six volumes belong in the library of every university, school, and teacher and reader of science fiction. Gunn has gathered stories of importance to the development of SF and stories that represent the best writing of the genre.-- "Anatomy of Wonder, 5th Edition"

About the Author

James Gunn is Emeritus Professor of English at University of Kansas.