Science-fiction


Book Description

Complementing Science-Fiction: The Early Years, which surveys science-fiction published in book form from its beginnings through 1930, the present volume covers all the science-fiction printed in the genre magazines--Amazing, Astounding, and Wonder, along with offshoots and minor magazines--from 1926 through 1936. This is the first time this historically important literary phenomenon, which stands behind the enormous modern development of science-fiction, has been studied thoroughly and accurately. The heart of the book is a series of descriptions of all 1,835 stories published during this period, plus bibliographic information. Supplementing this are many useful features: detailed histories of each of the magazines, an issue by issue roster of contents, a technical analysis of the art work, brief authors' biographies, poetry and letter indexes, a theme and motif index of approximately 30,0000 entries, and general indexes. Science-Fiction: The Gernsback Years is not only indispensable for reference librarians, collectors, readers, and scholars interested in science-fiction, it is also of importance to the study of popular culture during the Great Depression in the United States. Most of its data, which are largely based on rare and almost unobtainable sources, are not available elsewhere.




At the Mountains of Madness


Book Description

At the Mountains of Madness is a story, which details the events of a disastrous expedition to the Antarctic continent in September 1930 and what was found there by a group of explorers led by the narrator, Dr. William Dyer of Miskatonic University. Throughout the story, Dyer details a series of previously untold events in the hope of deterring another group of explorers who wish to return to the continent. The title is derived from a line in "The Hashish Man," a short story by fantasy writer Edward Plunkett, Lord Dunsany: "And we came at last to those ivory hills that are named the Mountains of Madness..." Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) was an American author who achieved posthumous fame through his influential works of horror fiction. He is now regarded as one of the most significant 20th-century authors in his genre. Some of Lovecraft's work was inspired by his own nightmares. His interest started from his childhood days when his grandfather would tell him Gothic horror stories.




As If


Book Description

Many people throughout the world "inhabit" imaginary worlds communally and persistently, parsing Harry Potter and exploring online universes. These activities might seem irresponsibly escapist, but history tells another story. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, when Sherlock Holmes became the world's first "virtual reality" character, readers began to colonize imaginary worlds, debating serious issues and viewing reality in provisional, "as if" terms rather than through essentialist, "just so" perspectives. From Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos and Tolkien's Middle-earth to the World of Warcraft and Second Life, As If provides a cultural history that reveals how we can remain enchanted but not deluded in an age where fantasy and reality increasingly intertwine.




The Gernsback Days


Book Description

"In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in Hugo Gernsback, and the start of a serious study of the contribution he made to the development of science fiction. . . . It seemed to me that the time was due to reinvestigate the Gernsback era and dig into the facts surrounding the origins of Amazing Stories. I wanted to find out exactly why Hugo Gernsback had launched the magazine, what he was trying to achieve, and to consider what effects he had-good and bad. . . . Too many writers and editors from the Gernsback days have been unjustly neglected, or unfairly criticized. Now, I hope, Robert A. W. Lowndes and I have provided the grounds for a fair consideration of their efforts, and a true reconstruction of the development of science fiction. It's the closest to time travel you'll ever get. I hope you enjoy the trip."-Mike Ashley, Preface




Lovecraft Short Stories


Book Description

Curated new collections. H.P. Lovecraft was the inventor of cosmic horror, of weird fiction and the Cthulhu mythology. His stories, incubated by a lonely and febrile childhood, found purchase in the fertile earth of pulp fiction where he inspired many other writers, from Robert E. Howard, to Robert Bloch and Clark Ashton Smith, many of whom also collaborated on the several short stories, some of which are also included here, in this special deluxe edition. This title, alongside H.G. Wells Short Stories, is a companion volume to our hugely successful Gothic Fantasy series of classic and modern writers.




Amazing Stories


Book Description




The 45th Golden Age of Science Fiction MEGAPACK®: P. Schuyler Miller, Vol. 2


Book Description

P. (Peter) Schuyler Miller (1912-1974) was a technical writer with an MSc in chemistry, as well as a critic, amateur archaeologist, and author. He reviewed science fiction works in Astounding Science-Fiction from 1945 until 1975. He accumulated one of the largest private collections of science fiction books in his day (roughly 8,000 hardcovers and paperbacks). In 1963 he was presented with a special Hugo for his reviewing. He began as an author of fiction at 18 years old (“The Red Plague,” 1930) and was one of the more popular and accomplished SF pulp writers of the 1930s. This volume collects 22 classic works: Man’s Question The Red Plague Dust of Destruction The Man from Mars The Arrhenius Horror Tetrahedra of Space Through the Vibrations Cleon of Yzdral The Red Spot of Jupiter The Duel on the Asteroid Jeremiah Jones, Alchemist The Forgotten Man of Space The Titan The Atom Smasher The Pool of Life The People of the Arrow The Ultimate Image The Facts of Life John Cawder’s Wife Plane and Fancy Ship-in-a-Bottle Ghost If you enjoy this ebook, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more of the 300+ volumes in this series, covering adventure, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, science fiction -- and much, much more!




The Armchair Detective


Book Description




Pulp Magazine Holdings Directory


Book Description

Increasing literacy rates and advanced printing technology gave rise to the pulp magazine in the late 19th century. Affordable, disposable, and commercially in-demand, the fiction magazines remained popular through the mid 20th century, and are now frequently cited by researchers as culturally and historically significant documents. This work is a comprehensive index of American pulp magazines. Entries are organized alphabetically by magazine title, and offer bibliographic data including author, volume/issue numbers, dates of publication, publisher, and a brief categorization. Each entry also includes a helpful list of current library holdings, if any, among American, Canadian, and European libraries.