The Depart..Nt at Librarllwlhlp Dectl.Ber 1974
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SCIENCE FICTION I AN !NTRCIlUCTION FOR LIBRARIANS A Thes1B Presented to the Depart..nt at LibrarllWlhlp hpor1&, KaM.., state College In Partial ll'u1f'lllJlent at the Require..nte f'ar the Degrlle Muter of' L1brartlUlllhlp by Anthony Rabig . DeCtl.ber 1974 i11 PREFACE This paper is divided into five more or less independent sec tions. The first eX&lll1nes the science fiction collections of ten Chicago area public libraries. The second is a brief crttical disOUBsion of science fiction, the third section exaaines the perforaance of SClltl of the standard lib:rary selection tools in the area.of'Ulcience fiction. The fourth section oona1ats of sketches of scae of the field's II&jor writers. The appendix provides a listing of award-w1nD1ng science fio tion titles, and a selective bibli-ography of modem science fiction. The selective bibliogmphy is the author's list, renecting his OIfn 1m000ledge of the field. That 1m000ledge is not encyclopedic. The intent of this paper is to provide a brief inU'oduction and a basic selection aid in the area of science fiction for the librarian who is not faailiar With the field. None of the sections of the paper are all-inclusive. The librarian wishing to explore soience fiction in greater depth should consult the critical works of Damon Knight and J&Iles Blish, he should also begin to read science fiction magazines. TIlo papers have been Written on this subject I Elaine Thomas' A Librarian's .=.G'="=d.::.e ~ Science Fiction (1969), and Helen Galles' _The__Se_l_e_c tion 2!. Science Fiction !2!: the Public Library (1961). Neither was fully satisfactory as an aid for the librarian who must select in this field. The Galles paper drew heavily on sources frca the mid-19508, as it had to, and is nOlf outdated. The Thomas paper, While still useful for a brief historical sketch of the genre, doss not renect fully the ohanges that took place in science fiction during the 19608. iv This I&per renectll these changes, in the final list and in the disoussiOll8 of the writers, to a greater extent. HOlfever, this I&per will alao soon be obsolete. New writers are cOIling into their Olfn in this field very rapidly! a nUllber of new nun are &IIsUll1.ng proIlinence today, nutes that were unImOlfn five "ears ago. So, the librarian II8.Y find this I&per to be of soae use--for a the. But its l.I8efulneaa will be short-lived. The critical discussions will be lIdequate for several years, perhaps, and the list will be l.I8e ful &II a guide to earlier II&ter1al, he-ever the I&per will not serve &II a real selection aid to the world.ng librarian for aore than three or four ,,-ara. Science fiction, lin &IIy area of literature, changes. No cheoklist can keep up With theee changes. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE • • ,. •••••••••••••••••••••••••• • 111 m-pter 1. SCIENCE nCTION IN PlmLIC LImlABI COLLECTIONS • • • • • • • 1 CHECKLIST tEED !If COLIBCTION EVALUATION • • • • • • • • • 1:3 CONCLffiIONS OJ' EVALUATION or COLLECTIONS •••••••• 20 2. SCIENCE FICTION. A CRITICAL DISCtESION •••• • • • • • • 22 COlITEMPORARY SF. A OAFS ULE HISTORY ••••••••••• 26 THE VALlJl!5 AND FUNCTIONS OF SCIENCE FICTION • • • • • • • :3:3 :3. SCIENCE FICTION AND LIBRARY SELECTICII AIDS •••••••• 44 SOURCES OF SCIENCE FICTION CRITICISM ••• • • • • • • • 58 4. MOOERN WRITERS OJ' SCIENCE FICTION • • • • • • • • • • • • • 64 BRIAN V. ALOISS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 64 FOUL ANDERSON • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 65 ISAAC ASIMOV ...............,....... 66 J. G. BALLARD • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 67 A.LP!iED BE:STER • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 68 JAMES BLISH • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 69 JORGE LUIS BORGB5 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 70 RAY BRAD.B11RY •••••••••••••••••••••• 71 ARTHUR C. CLARKE •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 72 HAL CLEMENT • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7:3 PHILIP K. DICK •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 74 PHILIP JOOE FARMER • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 75 IWlRY IWlRISON •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••• • • • 76 vi Chapter Paee ROBERT A. HEINLEIN • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 77 DAMON KNIGHT • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 78 llRI'rZ LEIllER • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 79 PREDERlK POIIL • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• ••• • • • 80 CLIrraRD D. SIMAK • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 81 THEODORE STUftGEON • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 82 JACK lIILLIAMSON • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • •• • • • • 84 PIERS ANTHONY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 86 JOlIN BRUNNEIl • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 87 SA!'IUEL R. DELANY • • ••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 88 THOMAS M. DISCH • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 89 IWILAN ELLISON • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 90 DAVID GERROLD • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 92 ftlANK HER1lERT • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • •• • 93 DEAN R. KOONTZ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ~ R. A... IJ.FFERTY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ~ UIlSULA. K. I.E GUlN • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 95 BARRY N. MALZBERG • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 96 LARRY NIVEN • • • • •• • • • • • • ••• • •••• • • • 99 ALEXEI PANSHIN • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 100 JOANNA RIES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 100 ROBERT SILVERBERG • • • • • • • ••• • •• • • • • • • • 101 NORMAN SPINlW> • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 103 KATEVILHELM • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 104 ROGER ZELAZNY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 104 v11 Chapter Page APPENDIXES A. JlOOEBN SCIENCE FICTION I A SELECTIVE BIllLlOORAPHY. • • • • • 107 B. SCIENCE FICTICIf AWARDS. • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • 121 B~~OORAPHY •••••••••••• ••• • • • •• • • • • • • • • 125 1 CHAPT!R 1 SCIDCI lI'ICTIOlf III PUBLIC LIBIWlY OOLL1IC'1'IatS Dur1118 the Oourlle ot tbla atlll,., the aoience netieD collaeti_ ot ten Cblcaso &rll& publie librari••ere exaa1ned and. Ollllpared. to a cheokliat at nelftla and. antholost... The 19)8-65 partieD ot the oheok liat w.. taken oblen,. frlIIl the liata prepared. by Ducm lnigbt am the Soience notion Writers ot A.-rica, both at .bloh ••rs published in I!! brar7 Joumal. The 1965-74 aeetieD ot the liat ... 4run pr1ur1l,. frlIIl liats ot Hugo and. "ebula award. .innere IIDl1 nOlline.a, thea. awar4a are siv en every year tar the best aoience nction. The Hugo ia siven by rell4 ere, the "ebula ia ghen b,. the Soience netieD lIr1tere or berica. To aOllS .xtent, the 1965-14 list reneots the author'a tnc.ledge ot the ne14. The liat dcee have ...knes_, theae .111 be diao_ed. The librariea viaited .ere, The Cbloago Public Library aDl three ot ita b1'anches (Scoteda1e, Cbloago Lawn, aDl Brighton Park), the Oak Park Public Li1lrar1, the South Stieb.,. Publio Li1lrar1, the Oak Lawn Public Librar1, the Br1dgev1_ Public Library, the SUDit-Argo Public Library, aDl the Bedtord Park Public Lib:rar;y. Theae librar1es .ere obo sen tar exa- natieD beea.e the,. .ere convenientl,. located. Hc.ever, ' the,. vary en01lflb in aise to give a_ indieatiClll of the representation ot acience nctiClll in the colleetions at J.arse, aedia, am saall publio libraries. The cam catalogs ot thes. libraries .ere checbd spinst the list, the n1lllbers ot titles bl liated writere c.ned b1 the 11brar:l....ere ncted. 2 It was touad. that writers who becue prClll1nent in the neld dur 111g the 1940e IUIIl 1950. were better r-preeented tbaD th.e who becaae prclII1Dent duriJIg the 19608. The .01ence notion write:Ell be.t :ElIpreHnt ed in the libmry collectlons wer- Hobert A. HeWein, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaao Aelacw, lIay Bradbury, Poul. ADde:Ellon, IUIIl Hobert.SUnrberg. Also wen r-preaeated wer- J..... Bll.h, Harr:r Harri.on, JCelth La_r, Cllf'fcmi Sbak, GomOll DloDon, IUIIl IJ.0Jd. Bigle. The .urprt.1Dg denclenc:r In the.e collectlons was in titl.. by Theodor- Sturgeon. sturgeon 1. one of the neld'. _jor write:Eli. He baa been writ1Dg about as leag as Hobert He1Jllein. Critic Daaon ID1ght baa called sturpon -the aoet acca.pll.hed teohn1c1aD th1B neld baa pro 1 duce4, bar nobody, not ..... Bradburr.- Hi. newel "ore TbaD HDaD won the 19511- Intematicmal JU.taay Aw&1'l1, hi••hort .tory -Sl. Soulpture won the Hugo IUIIl Nebula ..a1'd.B. -",Ve:::n:.;:,.:, ~ ! was .CIII1nated trn: the Hugo ..&1'11, hi. newella -It All tlen Were Brothe:Ell, Would You Let 0IIe IIarr:r Your Sl.ter?" was a Nebula runner-up. Pour of the librarie. ~ed no titl.. by sturgeon. The u1n branch of the Ch1CB80 Public Library, wlth a collectlon of alaoet nn Dillion 1'olUlle., ODled aUy three of sturgeon'. books, the aoet r-oent of theee be1Dg the 1958 callectlea, ! Touch ~ Stre.,. The Bridgert. Libmry ~ed .ix title. by sturpon, thue had been r-oeln4 in done tions. 'l'h18 apparent neglect of the work of one of .cience nctlon'. _jrn: authors 1. perhape due to the fact that nr:r little .r h1B work 18 a't'&1lable in ha1'd. C098:El1. J'or years, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! baa been aftileble ~ea IQ:Ilght, In S-.roh of Wonder (ai ed., Chicago, Ad....nt' Publi.hers, 196'7), p. 115. , cmlr in paperbackI the cmlr war t. obta1D the book in bud ccwers 1. to purchase Duen 1D1s!tt'. lUltholes7 ! Scieace nctlcm. ArgOSl, which 1Il clllle. the full text af the nertel. The cmlr otMr sturgeCll .cieace fictlca tltl.. available in bard COYftB are tlw collectlCl1U1 SturgeCll I. All" ani !!1:! ani CUe ani !!! Dreaaer (a receat cellect1C1l not .mel! b7 Dr ef the 11brar1e.). Kurt Vennegut'. boob wen CMDM b7 all the 11brar1.