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Publisher’s Note This new edition of the Critical Survey of Science Each article discusses an individual book or series Fiction & Fantasy Literature is a three-volume set and often comments on other works by the same offering plot summaries and analyses of 842 of author. Individual articles open with basic reference the most popular and frequently taught science information in a ready-reference format: author’s fiction and fantasy books and series. Articles are name, birth and death dates, identification of the alphabetically arranged by titles and range from work as either science fiction or fantasy, subgenre, such childhood fantasy classics as Lewis Carroll’s type of work (such as drama, novel, novella, series, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and L. or story), time and location of plot, and date of first Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) publication. The main body of each essay contains to such pioneering science-fiction works as H. G. “The Story” which summarizes the work’s plot and Wells’s The War of the Worlds (1898) and modern identifies major characters, and “Analysis” which science-fiction and fantasy classics as Robert Hein- offers a critical interpretation of the title and iden- lein’s The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966) and J. R. tifies literary devices and themes used in the work. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (1954-1955). Readers will find several reference tools at the Among other prominent writers whose works end of Volume 3: are included are Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Herbert, John Crowley, Ellen Kushner, and • Annotated bibliography arranged by subject; C. S. Lewis. • Up-to-date lists of major science fiction and The front matter includes a broad survey of fantasy award winners; developments in the science fiction and fantasy • Timeline of works discussed; fields by scholar T. A. Shippey, editor of the 2002 • Annotated website list; edition, and an introduction by Paul Di Filippo, • Indexes: Author, Title, and Genre. editor of this revised edition. All essays are signed by their contributors. A list The content in these volumes combines materi- of these academicians, freelance writers, and inde- al updated from Salem Press’s 1996 Magill’s Guide pendent scholars appear with their affiliations at the to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature with brand beginning of Volume 1. Salem Press thanks the set’s new, recently published works by writers such as contributors and especially, Editor Paul Di Filippo, China Miéville, Howard V. Hendrix, and David whose biography appears at the end of Volume 3. Brin. xi SciFi_Fantasy_Vol_1_FM_ppi-l.indd 11 2/23/17 9:15 PM Vacuum Diagrams This is a collection of twenty-two short stories that have ship before suddenly taking control militari- been revised and arranged to make up a history of the ly. Although all space travel is prohibited, a few future, in which humans expand into interstellar space humans escape the solar system and even the gal- and confront the Xeelee, an alien civilization far superior axy by downloading their personalities into digi- and occasionally inimical tal form. Others work for the Squeem in various capacities. The Squeem steal Xeelee technology Author: Stephen Baxter (1957– ) whenever they can, although they avoid direct Genre: Science Fiction—future history confrontations with that race. Humans similarly Type of Work: Short story collection begin learning from their conquerors and eventu- Time of Plot: Future ally regain their independence. Location: Outer space The third era encompasses the subjugation of First Published: 1997 most of humanity by the alien Qax. During this period, it is discovered that the Xeelee are build- The Story ing an ambitious construct that might ultimate- Although there are few common characters ly allow them to leave this universe for another, among the stories in this collection, the individ- possibly destroying ours in the process. The Qax ual tales are arranged chronologically to present have certain species-specifi c problems that allow a comprehensive history of humanity into the far humans to regain their independence and return distant future. The narrative is broken up into to an interstellar culture. Contact is subsequently seven different eras. In the fi rst few, humanity has made with the Space Ghosts, a race that has radi- reversed the ecological damage to Earth and colo- cally reconstructed its own physical nature and is nized the solar system thanks to a series of worm- experimenting with alterations of the basic laws holes that make travel between the worlds a mat- of physics. ter of hours instead of years. These fi ve stories all The fourth era deals with an aggressive human set within the solar system, each involving the ini- culture that is spreading through the galaxy, dom- tial encounters with a inating cultures instead of being dominated by new form of life, arti- them. The Xeelee continue to remain aloof and fi cial or natural, on are technologically far superior; they react with Pluto, a moon of Nep- hostility at times when humans or other races try tune, and elsewhere to examine their lost or abandoned artifacts. The and the discovery that fi fth era involves war between the Xeelee and some unknown alien humans, who have grown to be the second most intelligence might be powerful civilization in the universe. The cohe- interfering with the siveness of humanity also begins to break down sun. with the proliferation of the race throughout The second era millions of worlds. In some cases, there are indi- takes place while cations of physical divergence as well as cultural. Earth is dominated by The last two sections reveal that the Xeelee are the Squeem, a hive- no longer particularly concerned with humanity, mind species that whom they have conquered and largely banished pretended friend- from interstellar travel, while they themselves 1230 SciFi_Fantasy_pp1145-1428.indd 1230 1/24/17 1:20 PM Vacuum Flowers migrate out of the universe through an enor- to smooth the transitions between stories. Only mous gateway they have created. Most surviving a few characters overlap from one episode to humans have reverted to a primitive style of life. the next, and they are usually present only in The epilogue provides an explanation for the a minor capacity, not surprising given the large activity of the Space Ghosts: they are attempting gaps of time that are common between one story to manipulate dark matter, so that a previously and the next. The stories were not written in the unsuspected form of life, which is draining the same order in which they are arrayed here, and normal stars, will be drawn to new ones that are some are only related to the Xeelee Sequence by artificially constructed and not surrounded by implication. inhabited planets. Baxter is one of the genre’s leading practi- tioners of “hard science fiction,” so his stories Analysis are filled with scientific extrapolations involving Vacuum Diagrams won the Philip K. Dick Award both physics and biology. Although some of the when it was first published. Three more conven- wonders he describes are wildly speculative, they tional novels are also included in this sequence, are all based on sound scientific principles and Timelike Infinity, Flux, and Ring, as well as the our present day understanding of the universe more recent Destiny’s Children series. The and how it works. In several cases, the speculation Xeelee stories are both optimistic about the is, in fact, the primary focus of the stories, and development of the human spirit and pessimistic the characters and their associated problems are about humanity’s ultimate role in the universe. intended to provide minimal narrative interest. In the earlier stories, humans have become so Most of the stories are relatively short and they conscious of the need to respect other forms rarely involve more than two characters. We rare- of life that they are willing to leave people who ly learn anything about the background of these have been stranded there to die on Pluto rather individuals, and human society as a whole is dealt than send a rescue ship that might upset the with in the abstract rather than concretely. The ecological balance of a newly discovered form of Squeem invasion, for example, takes place on life. Humanity appear to become less concerned the final page of one story and is effectively dis- with other species after being twice subjugated sipated by the first page of the next. Many of the to alien rule and eventually become empire stories lack a real climax, which is less important builders with power second only to that of the given their consolidation into a single, longer Xeelee. work. Baxter is at his best when he is inventing The frame story opens the sequence with new types of life or speculating about the conse- “Eve,” which informs the reader that all of the quences of some physical principle. The Xeelee episodes that follow are being conveyed to a sin- Sequence as a whole might best be compared to gle human by a quasi-omniscient alien, and there The Star Maker (1937) by Olaf Stapledon. are brief interludes to reinforce this premise and —Don D’Ammassa Vacuum Flowers A woman with an implanted personality travels through Locale: Earth and several space habitats and a chaotic milieu of space colonies, then confronts an colonies oppressive group intelligence on Earth First published: 1987 Author: Michael Swanwick (1950– ) The Story Genre: Science fiction—cyberpunk Eucrasia Walsh, an expert at “wetware”— altering Type of work: Novel people’s personalities—tries out a new personal- Time of work: Several centuries in the ity about to be marketed, Rebel Elizabeth Mud- future lark.

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