Atomic Age Literature.

Science fiction gained respectability after World War II. As the nation came to terms with the atomic age and began to speculate about the possibility of space travel, fictional accounts of alien creatures in stellar worlds became plausible enough to interest general readers. Before the war, science fiction was written according to standard genre formulas for plot and character, distinguished only by galactic settings. Nine science-fiction magazines published virtually all of the new work in the field, and, as a result, short stories dominated the genre. When science-fiction novels were published, they were either serialized in magazines or presented in paperback format and marketed to what was regarded as an undiscriminating audience.

Popular Demand.

After the war, science fiction matured as it attracted the attention of big business. Hollywood led the way with films that exploited Americans' fear of invasion. The...