Inside Science Fiction

James Gunn, emeritus professor of English and director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, has published 40 books and nearly 100 short stories. His novels include The Immortals, The Joy Makers, The Listeners, and The Dreamers. He has published seven collections of short stories, including Future Imperfect and Breaking Point. His books about science fiction include Isaac Asimov: The Foundations of Science Fiction, The Science of Science Fiction Writing and the six-volume The Road to Science Fiction. He is the only person to serve as president of both the Science Fiction Writers of America and the Science Fiction Research Association. Gunn is the 24th writer recognized by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America as a Grand Master.

In this collection of essays, Gunn (English, U. of Kansas, emeritus) discusses his relationship with science fiction as a writer and critic and offers several approaches to teaching works in the genre. He also discusses the film industry's treatment of science fiction and its impact on the "real world." This revised and expanded edition includes five articles published since the book's first publication in 1992.

• Part 1 IntroductionPart 2 Part 1. Getting inside Science FictionChapter 3 1. The Education of a Science Fiction TeacherChapter 4 2. From the Pulps to the Classroom: The Strange Journey of Science FictionChapter 5 3. Science Fiction and the MainstreamChapter 6 4. The GatekeepersChapter 7 5. Fifty Amazing, Astounding, Wonderful YearsChapter 8 6. The Worldview of Science FictionPart 9 Part 2. Science Fiction and the TeacherChapter 10 7. Teaching Science FictionChapter 11 8. Teaching Science Fiction RevisitedChapter 12 9. The Academic ViewpointChapter 13 10. Science Fiction as LiteratureChapter 14 11. The City and the CriticsChapter 15 12. Libraries in Science FictionChapter 16 13. The Protocols of Science FictionPart 17 Part 3. Science Fiction on Film and TelevisionChapter 18 14. The Tinsel ScreenChapter 19 15. Television and The ImmortalChapter 20 16. The Great Science Fiction Radio ShowChapter 21 17. Looking Backward at 2001Part 22 Part 4. Science Fiction and the Real WorldChapter 23 18. The Uses of SpaceChapter 24 19. A Short History of the Space Program; or, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the MoonChapter 25 20. Shapechangers and FearmongersChapter 26 21. Science Fiction and the FutureChapter 27 22. Science Fiction in the NinetiesChapter 28 23. Science Fiction in the Second MillenniumPart 29 A James Gunn BibliographyPart 30 IndexPart 31 About the Author