The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Spanning three incarnations since 1930, this is perhaps the most influential magazine in the history of the genre. Begun as Astounding Stories between 1930-1938, it published lurid pulp fare and launched E. E. Smith's Lensmen series. A name change to Astounding Science Fiction established a new direction for both the magazine and the genre under editor John W. Campbell, Jr. Between 1938-1960, Campbell militated for plausible scientific extrapolation and straightforward prose. His editorship catalyzed the careers of Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein, among others. It also introduced the controversial dianetic theories of L. Ron Hubbard in May 1950. Emphasizing hardware-orientated stories that eschewed literary experimentation—what has come to be labeled "hard science fiction"—the magazine became Analog and remained under Campbell's guidance until his death in 1971. Such classics as Frank Herbert's Dune and Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight initially appeared in Analog. It remains a fixture of the genre today.
Aldiss, Brian. Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction. New York, Atheneum, 1986.