Science Fiction and the Dismal Science

Gary Westfahl, a professor emeritus at the University of La Verne, California, has authored, edited, or co-edited 31 books about science fiction and fantasy, and hundreds of articles and reviews. In 2003, he received the Science Fiction Research Association’s Pilgrim Award for his lifetime contributions to science fiction and fantasy scholarship. Gregory Benford is a professor of physics at the University of California, Irvine. He is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, was Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University, and in 1995 received the Lord Prize for contributions to science. He has published 32 novels, four volumes of nonfiction, and over 200 short stories and several hundred scientific papers in several fields. Retired professor Howard V. Hendrix, taught at the college level for 40 years. He has published six novels and four collections of stories; has authored, coauthored, or coedited seven works of nonfiction; and has written numerous articles, reviews, and editorials. He lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Jonathan Alexander is Chancellor’s Professor of English and Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author, co-author, or editor of fifteen books. His work primarily focuses on written and digital production in the extra-curriculum, “fan texts,” and genre fiction.

“[The essays] are all well-written and generally entertaining even though economics is itself usually considered a pretty dry subject.”—Critical Mass.

• Table of ContentsIntroduction (Gary Westfahl, Gregory Benford, Howard V. Hendrix and Jonathan Alexander)Part One: The Business in Science Fiction Economics and Science Fiction: An Introduction (Gregory Benford)An Underutilized Resource: Economics in Science Fiction(Steven Postrel)Complicating the Frankenstein Barrier: Science Fiction Futures and Social Transformation (Joey Eschrich)Robert A. Heinlein Revisited: A Response to George Slusser’s Calvinist Interpretation of His Works (Bradford Lyau)The Emperor—and Heretic—of Point of View (David Brin)Counterfeit Worlds: Simulacron-3 on Film and Television (Jonathan Alexander)Millions Seek the Egg: Replicative Technofuturism in Ready Player One and Armada (Howard V. Hendrix)Part Two: The Business of Science FictionScience Fiction: The Age of Perspective (Gary K. Wolfe)You Can’t Get There from Here: Unrealistic Expectations Among the Practitioners of Science Fiction (Charles Platt)Negotiating Fear and Optimism: Surveillance in Early Science Fiction(Ari Brin)The Pulp Cauldron of the 1960s: Ace Books and Ursula K. Le Guin(George Slusser)The Homeostatic Culture Machine Revisited, or, the Contemporary Wordmills of Science Fiction (Gary Westfahl)Father of the Strugatskys: The Origins of Russian Science Fantasy (George Slusser)Looking Backward: Soviet Utopianism and ­Post-Soviet Dystopias (Stephen W. Potts)Chinese Science Fiction and Its Doubles (Lisa Raphals)Part Three: The Business of Science Fiction ScholarshipThe Slusser Test for Generic Identity: Reflections on George Slusser’s “Reflections on Style in Science Fiction” (Alvaro ­Zinos-Amaro)The Early Life of the Eaton Collection and Dr. George Slusser’s Invaluable Contributions (Julia D. Ree)The Odd Couple: Blending Disciplines of Science and Humanities Through Teaching (Robert L. Heath)Profiting from Prophecies: Science Fiction Scholars and Their Textbooks (Gary Westfahl)Bibliography of Primary and Secondary Works Related to Science Fiction and EconomicsAbout the ContributorsIndex