Science Fiction Before 1900

Paul K. Alkon is Leo S. Bing Professor of English at the University of Southern California. His work Origins ofFuturistic Fiction was the recipient of the Eaton Award for the year's best critical work on science fiction.

• Preface Chronology 1. A Short History of the Future 2. England: New Viewpoints 3. France: Technophilia 4. America: Technophobia Notes and References Bibliographic Essay Recommended Titles Index

"Anyone looking for a lively, impassioned, and knowledgeable survey of the early texts that helped shape and define . . . science fiction would be well served by seeking out Paul Alkon's informative volume Science Fiction Before 1900: Imagination Discovers Technology. . .Alkon is authoritative and passionate; clearly a lifelong love for SF has guided his research; that love, his excitement at unravelling the evolutive thread of SF's various tropes and shared ideas, and his deep and broad appreciation for the visionary writers who created the most influential early SF texts all combine to create an infectiously enthralling historical narrative. . .The bulk of the book is a cornucopia of SF history, painstakingly researched and vividly and lovingly brought to life - a thrilling and exciting read for those wanting to explore SF's origins." -- Claude Lalumière, Locus Magazine