A leading science-fiction editor examines the work of the great science-fiction writers, defines the genres many subdivisions, surveys the history of science fiction, and comments on the genres values as literature, entertainment, and escape. Age of Wonders: Exploring the World of Science Fiction gives an insider's view of the strange and wonderful world of science fiction, by one of the most respected editors in the field.
David G. Hartwell edited science fiction and fantasy for over twenty years. In that time, he worked with acclaimed and popular writers such as Robert A. Heinlein, Poul Anderson, Frank Herbert, Roger Zelazny, Robert Silverberg, Gene Wolfe, Nancy Kress, L.E. Modesitt, Terry Bisson, Lisa Goldstein, and Philip Jose Farmer, and discovered hot new talents like Kathleen Ann Goonan and Patrick O'Leary. Now in Age of Wonder, Hartwell describes the field he loved, worked in, and shaped as editor, critic, and anthologist.
Like those other American art forms, jazz, comics, and rock 'n' roll, science fiction is the product of a rich and fascinating subculture. Age of Wonder is a fascinating tour of the origins, history, and culture of the science fiction world, written with insight and genuine affection for this wonder-filled literature, and addressed to newcomers and longtime SF readers alike.
Age of Wonder remains "the landmark work" Roger Zelazny called the first edition. The book contains sections that offer advice on teaching courses in science fiction, disquisitions on the controversial subgenre of hard SF, and practical explanations of the economics of publishing science fiction and fantasy. Age of Wonder still lives up to Hugo and Nebula Award winner Vonda McIntyre's description: "An entertaining and provocative book that will inspire discussion and argument for years to come."
Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Do you know what the term "fannish" means? How about "filk" or "fen"? Or "Twonk's Disease"? If not, there's a good chance you're a mundane, which is to say you're not a hardcore SF fan. For you, David G. Hartwell--one of the field's finest editors and most stalwart champions--has written Age of Wonders, a book about the inner workings of the SF cognoscenti. It is an intriguing look into the rabid subculture spawned by science fiction that also offers insights into why some people give up reading SF in their teens, while for others it becomes a lifelong passion.
"A landmark work. daring, imaginative, witty--it is the best commentary on the field yet written." -Roger Zelazny, creator of the Amber series
"David G. Hartwell has taken his cosmic mind on a marvelous exploration of science fiction as it was, as it is, and as it may well be. I was enthralled by Age of Wonders all the way through." -Frank Herbert, author of Dune
"An insider's view of the science fiction scene today--full of insights, sidelights, convention nights--by one of the ablest minds in the business. Engaging and engrossing." -Gregory Benford, author of Timescape
About the Author
David G. Hartwell is one of science fiction's most experienced and infuential editiors. A winner of the World Fantasy Award, Hartwell has edited many anthologies including The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard Science Fiction (with Kathryn Cramer), The World Treasury of Science Ficiton, and a new annual series, Year's Best SF, from HarperCollins. He has also received fifteen Hugo nominations.