Science Fiction: A Guide for the Perplexed

Sherryl Vint is Professor of Science Fiction Media Studies at the University of California, Riverside, USA. She is editor of the journals Science Fiction Studies and Science Fiction Film and Television and Vice-President of the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts. Her previous publications include Beyond Cyberpunk (2010) and, as co-editor, The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction (2009).

• 1. Introduction \ 2. Technologically Saturated Societies \ 3. Cognitive Estrangement \ 4. Megatext \ 5. Speculative Fiction \ 6. Culture/Community \ 7. Politics \ 8. Literature of Change \ 9. Conclusion \ Further Reading \ Index.

Sherryl Vint is one of the sharpest science fiction critics of her generation. This is a taut, rigorous and very readable introduction to thinking historically, formally and theoretically about a genre that has steadily gained in prominence across all kinds of media over the last century. This is a fantastic start for those encountering science fiction for the first time, because it provides a tool-kit of critical resources to help formulate responses to a dynamic and exciting genre. Highly recommended.