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oleksandr's review
3.0
This is non-fic book about various aspects of SF genre developments. Initially, it was a set of essays, which are combined into a single volume.
The name definitely alludes to [b:Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II|6659145|Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II|Edward Gibbons|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|6853812] by [a:Edward Gibbon|11628|Edward Gibbon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1211479967p2/11628.jpg]. Actually, it is not as bad: the author doesn’t suggest that SF is dead, but that in the 1930s-1950s there was a separate highly recognizable brand of the US SF, while later it became more global. As he states: “Only a few aspects of American culture were enthusiastically embraced throughout the world—such as rock’n’roll, blue jeans, and science fiction”. According to the author, the definite brand of SF is to a large extent the work of two men, who were editors of early SF magazines – [a:Hugo Gernsback|460779|Hugo Gernsback|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1351417232p2/460779.jpg](Amazing Stories) and [a:John W. Campbell Jr.|5410853|John W. Campbell Jr.|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1547803774p2/5410853.jpg](Astounding). They turned ‘adventures in the space/other planets’ like works of [a:Edgar Rice Burroughs|10885|Edgar Rice Burroughs|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1207155710p2/10885.jpg] to more ‘a yarn to think about after finishing’.
There are 4 parts plus an epilogue:
- The 1920s and Thereafter. It starts with the early space operas, [b:The Skylark Of Space|576878|The Skylark Of Space ("Skylark", First Novel In The Series)|E.E. "Doc" Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1175957213l/576878.jpg|1379469] and [b:Armageddon 2419 A.D.|627939|Armageddon 2419 A.D.|Philip Francis Nowlan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1264374652l/627939._SY75_.jpg|614282], both of which appeared in the August 1928 issue of Amazing Stories. The author discusses how they differed from earlier space adventures (attempts at being scientific), debates other pieces from the same issue to show the initial stage. There is then an attempt to categorize SF art, chiefly covers of SF magazines and later books by their adherence to prevalent idea what SF is about – from detailed machines by Frank R. Paul to ‘brass brassière’ of Earle K. Bergey to abstract art of some 50s covers.
- The 1930s and Thereafter. Appearance of pulp magazines and their effects, the strange case of space opera, which while being looked down by a ‘serious’ reader, remains popular; and forms of space opera, from hard to humorous and romantic.
- The 1940s and Thereafter. why A. E. van Vogt is almost forgotten while Robert A. Heinlein is still popular (the answer: less flare more consistency); The Three Golden Ages of Science Fiction – not only Astounding, but also space operas from Planet Stories and pseudoscience (like ancient aliens or UFOs) which the author consideres a mockumentary form of SF; earliest thematic SF anthologies and what their authors considered important
- The 1950s and Thereafter. the real life become more SF than SF: A-bomb, space programs, jet planes… also SF goes mainstream – movies and TV start mass producing works marketed as SF (most ‘book’ SF fans disagree), comics use scientific ideas in their stories; there is growth in SF related merchandize, appearance of juvenile SF and hard SF.
- Epilog. The 1960s and Thereafter The old world fells apart: SF magazines fall in quality and quantity, authors shift to novels as more lucrative, outsiders assume that SF is about blasters, monsters and UFOs based chiefly on movies; New Wave and writers from outside the USA become more prominent
The name definitely alludes to [b:Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II|6659145|Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II|Edward Gibbons|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|6853812] by [a:Edward Gibbon|11628|Edward Gibbon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1211479967p2/11628.jpg]. Actually, it is not as bad: the author doesn’t suggest that SF is dead, but that in the 1930s-1950s there was a separate highly recognizable brand of the US SF, while later it became more global. As he states: “Only a few aspects of American culture were enthusiastically embraced throughout the world—such as rock’n’roll, blue jeans, and science fiction”. According to the author, the definite brand of SF is to a large extent the work of two men, who were editors of early SF magazines – [a:Hugo Gernsback|460779|Hugo Gernsback|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1351417232p2/460779.jpg](Amazing Stories) and [a:John W. Campbell Jr.|5410853|John W. Campbell Jr.|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1547803774p2/5410853.jpg](Astounding). They turned ‘adventures in the space/other planets’ like works of [a:Edgar Rice Burroughs|10885|Edgar Rice Burroughs|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1207155710p2/10885.jpg] to more ‘a yarn to think about after finishing’.
There are 4 parts plus an epilogue:
- The 1920s and Thereafter. It starts with the early space operas, [b:The Skylark Of Space|576878|The Skylark Of Space ("Skylark", First Novel In The Series)|E.E. "Doc" Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1175957213l/576878.jpg|1379469] and [b:Armageddon 2419 A.D.|627939|Armageddon 2419 A.D.|Philip Francis Nowlan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1264374652l/627939._SY75_.jpg|614282], both of which appeared in the August 1928 issue of Amazing Stories. The author discusses how they differed from earlier space adventures (attempts at being scientific), debates other pieces from the same issue to show the initial stage. There is then an attempt to categorize SF art, chiefly covers of SF magazines and later books by their adherence to prevalent idea what SF is about – from detailed machines by Frank R. Paul to ‘brass brassière’ of Earle K. Bergey to abstract art of some 50s covers.
- The 1930s and Thereafter. Appearance of pulp magazines and their effects, the strange case of space opera, which while being looked down by a ‘serious’ reader, remains popular; and forms of space opera, from hard to humorous and romantic.
- The 1940s and Thereafter. why A. E. van Vogt is almost forgotten while Robert A. Heinlein is still popular (the answer: less flare more consistency); The Three Golden Ages of Science Fiction – not only Astounding, but also space operas from Planet Stories and pseudoscience (like ancient aliens or UFOs) which the author consideres a mockumentary form of SF; earliest thematic SF anthologies and what their authors considered important
- The 1950s and Thereafter. the real life become more SF than SF: A-bomb, space programs, jet planes… also SF goes mainstream – movies and TV start mass producing works marketed as SF (most ‘book’ SF fans disagree), comics use scientific ideas in their stories; there is growth in SF related merchandize, appearance of juvenile SF and hard SF.
- Epilog. The 1960s and Thereafter The old world fells apart: SF magazines fall in quality and quantity, authors shift to novels as more lucrative, outsiders assume that SF is about blasters, monsters and UFOs based chiefly on movies; New Wave and writers from outside the USA become more prominent
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