Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction
Compiled by Leigh Grossman
992 pages | 8.5″ x 11 ” | $49.95 tpb
$39.95 ebook
ISBN: 978-1-4344-3079-3
EBOOK ISBN: 978-1-4344-4035-8
Sense of Wonder is a broad, inexpensive, single-volume anthology designed to give students a sense both of literature and history; the book includes canonical works, stories written in response to those works, and essays on major themes and topics in the field. The book will facilitate a variety of different types of speculative fiction course, whether the course is focused on particular themes, on a chronological look at writers, or on the roots of contemporary SF. Beginning with early twentieth-century writers, Sense of Wonder continues up through the most acclaimed present-day writers. Stories are not treated as purely academic exercises, but contextualized, which is vital in reading a genre where most writers know each other and the relationship between writer and reader is a major factor in how stories are created.
The collection includes more than 200 stories, poems, and bibliographic essays (contributed by professors who teach science fiction and by professionals), with an emphasis on the roots of modern SF. Each story author is given a biographical introduction as well.
Features By far the most comprehensive teaching anthology available for SF — more than twice as long as competing works. Available in both book and ebook editions — only $50 for the book and $40 for the ebook. A wide variety of stories by both major names and lesser-known but influential writers. Dozens of essays introducing topics in the field, ranging from space opera to cyberpunk, from early radio dramas to postcolonial SF, from John W. Campbell and his writers to disability in science fiction. A generous sampling of science fictional poetry — an important part of the field that’s often missing from textbooks. Short biographical introductions to each author An appendix geared to aspiring SF writers, with overviews on submitting manuscripts, literary agents, avoiding publishing scams, writers’ workshops, and more.
Sense of Wonder is a broad, inexpensive, single-volume anthology designed to give students a sense both of literature and history; the book includes canonical works, stories written in response to those works, and essays on major themes and topics in the field. The book will facilitate a variety of different types of speculative fiction course, whether the course is focused on particular themes, on a chronological look at writers, or on the roots of contemporary SF. Beginning with early twentieth-century writers, Sense of Wonder continues up through the most acclaimed present-day writers. Stories are not treated as purely academic exercises, but contextualized, which is vital in reading a genre where most writers know each other and the relationship between writer and reader is a major factor in how stories are created.
The collection includes more than 200 stories, poems, and bibliographic essays (contributed by professors who teach science fiction and by professionals), with an emphasis on the roots of modern SF. Each story author is given a biographical introduction as well.