A Companion to Science Fiction assembles essays by an international range of scholars which discuss the contexts, themes and methods used by science fiction writers.* This Companion conveys the scale and variety of science fiction.* Shows how science fiction has been used as a means of debating cultural issues.* Essays by an international range of scholars discuss the contexts, themes and methods used by science fiction writers.* Addresses general topics, such as the history and origins of the genre, its engagement with science and gender, and national variations of science fiction around the English-speaking world.* Maps out connections between science fiction, television, the cinema, virtual reality technology, and other aspects of the culture.* Includes a section focusing on major figures, such as H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, and Ursula Le Guin.* Offers close readings of particular novels, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.

Notes on Contributors ixIntroduction: Approaching Science Fiction 1Part I Surveying the Field 91 Hard Reading: The Challenges of Science Fiction 11]Tom Shippey2 The Origins of Science Fiction 27George Slusser3 Science Fiction/Criticism 43Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Jr.4 Science Fiction Magazines: The Crucibles of Change 60Mike AshleyPart II Topics and Debates 775 Utopia 79Phillip E. Wegner6 Science Fiction and Religion 95Stephen R.L. Clark7 "Monsters of the Imagination": Gothic, Science, Fiction 111Fred Botting8 Science Fiction and Ecology 127Brian Stableford9 Feminist Fabulation 142Marleen S. Barr10 Time and Identity in Feminist Science Fiction 156Jenny Wolmark11 Science Fiction and the Cold War 171M. Keith BookerPart III Genres and Movements 18512 Hard Science Fiction 187Gary Westfahl13 The New Wave 202Rob Latham14 Cyberpunk 217Mark Bould15 Science Fiction and Postmodernism 232Veronica Hollinger16 The Renewal of "Hard" Science Fiction 248Donald M. HasslerPart IV Science Fiction Film 25917 American Science Fiction Film: An Overview 261Vivian Sobchack18 Figurations of the Cyborg in Contemporary Science Fiction Novels and Films 275Christine Cornea19 British Television Science Fiction 289Peter WrightPart V The International Scene 30720 Canadian Science Fiction 309Douglas Barbour21 Japanese and Asian Science Fiction 323Takayuki Tatsumi22 Australian Science Fiction 337Van Ikin and Sean McMullenPart VI Key Writers 35123 The Grandeur of H.G. Wells 353Robert Crossley24 Isaac Asimov 364John Clute25 John Wyndham: The Facts of Life Sextet 375David Ketterer26 Philip K. Dick 389Christopher Palmer27 Samuel Delaney: A Biographical and Critical Overview 398Carl Freedman28 Ursula K. Le Guin 408Warren G. Rochelle29 Gwyneth Jones and the Anxieties of Science Fiction 420Andy Sawyer30 Arthur C. Clarke 431Edward James31 Greg Egan 441Russell BlackfordPart VII Readings 45332 Mary Shelley: Frankenstein: Or, the Modern Prometheus 455Susan E. Lederer and Richard M. Ratzan33 Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Herland 466Jill Rudd34 Aldous Huxley: Brave New World 477David Seed35 Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 489Brian Baker36 Joanna Russ: The Female Man 500Jeanne Cortiel37 J.G. Ballard: Crash 512Roger Luckhurst38 Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid's Tale 522Faye Hammill39 William Gibson: Neuromancer 534Andrew M. Butler40 Kim Stanley Robinson: Mars Trilogy 544Carol Franko41 Iain M. Banks: Excession 556Farah MendlesohnIndex 567