The reader leaves Jane Austen and the Di be particularly useful to a reading public dactic Novel wanting more of this kind of that relies for much of its material on trans thing and less of the literary sources. The lations from Anglo-American sources. exhaustive analysis of Grandison and Cecilia could surely have been sacrificed for a fuller The format is straightforward and func development of the final provocative but tional: authors are listed in alphabetical or frustratingly short chapter on Mansfield Park, der and short bio-bibliographical notes are Emma, and Persuasion. Fergus's contention provided for most. Prominent writers re that, having firmly established Austen's di ceive closer attention: An initial overview of rection by tracing her development through their oeuvres is followed by summaries of Pride and Prejudice, she need provide only a their most significant works, generally re brief analysis of the three novels that follow vealing insight and perspicaciousness. The is not borne out by the experience of read appendix lists important science fiction ing the chapter. Where it is convincing, as magazines and provides a glossary of tech in its treatment of the theme of judgement nical expressions, mostly English coinages, in Mansfield Park, the reader is left wanting a short bibliography, and an index of au more detail; where it appears to be skating thors and pseudonyms. on thin ice—as in its suggestion that Jane Austen excuses Mrs. Elton from moral The Science Fiction Führer lists some 811 judgement—the reader feels the need for authors from 27 countries. Over 50% are more evidence. U.S. writers, 16% are British, close to 9% are from the Federal Republic of Germany, Jan Fergus has a lot to say about Jane 4% from the German Democratic Republic, Austen, too much in fact for this short book. and 2% from pre-1945 Germany. The rest Her decision to emphasize Austen's literary of the world is represented by small per roots and the development of her art rather centages: the U.S.S.R. with 4.3%, France than her mature achievement was not, in with 3.4%, Italy and Austria with 1.5% each, my view, the best way of accommodating and numerous countries with a single entry. her material to the length available to her. There are no representatives from Africa, The book that results from this decision in one from Asia (Japan), two from South cludes too much that is trivial or only tan- America and four from Australia. Not only gentially illuminating, and too little of the do these percentages reflect the Anglo- close reading which produces almost all of American preponderance in the field of sci its original material. Readers of Jane Austen ence fiction, they also point to science fiction should certainly not ignore Jane Austen and as primarily a Western phenomenon that the Didactic Novel, but they may want to do may be closely linked to the rise of Western some judicious skimming. technology. That German writers constitute the third largest group (nearly 15% if one David Monaghan includes East-, West- and pre-1945 Ger many) does not indicate their relative im portance in the scheme of science fiction; it is rather to be attributed to the fact that the authors of Reclams Science Fiction Führer have a special interest in and concern for science HANS JOACHIM ALPERS, fiction developments in the Germanies. WERNER FUCHS, RONALD M. All significant writers are represented. HAHN, EDS. That includes such classical science fiction Reclams Science Fiction Führer authors as Edward Bellamy, Edgar Rice Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam jun., Burroughs, Karel Capek, Jack London, J. 1982. Pp. 504. H. Rosny, Jules Verne, and H. G. Wells. It further encompasses the group of writers, now well established, who first reached prominence between the 1920's and 1950's, Science fiction is enjoying considerable such as Isaac Asimov, Raymond Bradbury, popularity in the Federal Republic of Ger John W. Campbell Jr., Arthur C. Clarke, many where nearly 500 new science fiction Robert Heinlein, Eric Frank Russell, Clif titles are published annually. Reclams Science ford Simak, Olaf Stapledon, and John Wyn- Fiction Führer takes cognizance of that fact dham. And it comprises the host of authors by providing an overall perspective on sci who have made significant contributions to ence fiction, by tracing its roots, determin the genre since the 1960's, including Brian ing its trends and offering an evaluative Aldiss, J. G. Ballard, Gregory Benford, commentary. Such an encyclopedia should James Blish, Benjamin Bova, John Brun-
Brief Mentions 141 ner, Samuel Delaney, Philip K. Dick, Daniel mutation (John Wyndham). The sword and F. Galouye, Ursula Le Guin, Michael Moor sorcery tradition in space has come into ex cock, Frederik Pohl, Cordwainer Smith, istence (Fritz Leiber) and the element of Theodor Sturgeon, Jack Vance, Gene Wolfe, fantasy has gained considerable impor and Roger Zelazny. tance. In short, science fiction today is ca pable of exploring all facets of human While the authors of Reclams Science Fic concern since it is not bound to outer space tion Führer report equitably on past and and interstellar technology, but may well present works of science fiction, their spe concern itself with exploring spaces of the cial interest and sympathy concerns the new mind and the psyche, or with any of the wave writers who have done much to ex multifarious dilemmas facing mankind, not pand the scope of science fiction in the last unlike other forms of prose fiction. decades. To be sure, there are many themes shared by old and new science fiction: the The accounts provided of three early and exploration of new worlds, threats from ex significant practitioners of science fiction in traterrestrial life forms, space travel with its Germany might be of special interest to the concomitant dangers, time shifts and time German reading public. They are Paul travel, the legendary old scientist as savior, Scheerbart (1863-1915), Kurd Lasswitz interest in and elaboration of space gadg- (1848-1910), and Robert Kraft (1869-1916). etry (i.e., hard-core science fiction), etc. More Scheerbart, who founded an unsuccessful important similarities are shared when sci publishing house for fantastic literature in ence fiction is utilized as a critique of con 1892, is described as a writer of fantastic temporary society and a warning concerning tales with a philosophical bent as illustrated the future impact of present developments by his novel Lesabéndio (1913). Lasswitz ap as exemplified by Huxley's Brave New World proached the problems of a rapidly ad and Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. vancing technology in terms of a Kantian perspective. The work that best embodies his ideas is Auf zwei Planeten (1897; On Two Although such similarities reveal the Planets). The adventurer Robert Kraft, au common tradition and concerns of science thor of numerous tales of adventure, pub fiction, they also serve to highlight the lished an interesting post-doomsday novel change of emphasis in modern science fic in 1910, entided Die neue Erde (The New tion. Among contemporary writers there is Earth). frequent emphasis on ecological concerns (Alan Dean Foster); the death of Utopian Among contemporary German writers of hopes is repeatedly stressed (Thomas M. science fiction Carl Amery and Michael Ende Disch); multiple perspectives and realities are mentioned prominently. Among the are explored (Philip K. Dick, Brian Aldiss); French, similar note is taken of Gerard Klein alternate life-styles are depicted in future and Robert Merle. Stanislaw Lern, Poland's histories (Gordon R. Dickson); feminist con most prominent science fiction writer, is de cerns are given prominence (Ursula Le Guin, servedly treated at some length as are the Vonda N. Mclntyre, Joanna Russ, Alice Soviet writers Arkadij and Boris Strugackij Sheldon); the issues of pollution, misuse of and the Czech Josef Nesvadba. One may data, modern colonialism, genetic control, wonder, however, whether science fiction and the mismanagement of resources are writers from communist countries are given raised (John Brunner); the satirical tradi the kind of attention they deserve. While a tion is perpetuated (Frederic Brown, "school of science fiction" in the GDR is re Thomas M. Disch, John Sladek); common ferred to on several occasions, no elucida science fiction practices are satirized (Nel tion on that matter is provided and the East- son Bond, Barry Malzberg, John Sladek); German writers mentioned in this connec an antiwar stance is taken (David Garnett); tion are dealt with in cursory fashion. The space mythologies are created (Ursula Le prominent Soviet writer Aleksandr Beljaev Guin, Jack Vance); one can even speak of (1884-1942) is treated with equal negli social science fiction (C. M. Kornbluth) and gence. Although recognized as the "father of anthropological science fiction (William of the Soviet scientific literature of fantasy" Golding); the problems of overpopulation and described as the equal of H. G. Wells, and thought control are investigated (Fred- none of his works is individually discussed. erik Pohl); symbolic and archetypal signif icance is adduced (Algis Budrys). In addition, There are some additional misgivings. there are numerous attempts to depict the Since science fiction is never defined and world after a nuclear disaster in cata since the meaning of "fantasy" is not ex strophic novels; a corollary to that theme plained either, a degree of confusion seems has been the exploration of mutants and inevitable. For example, of Marcel Aymé it
142 The International Fiction Review, 10, No. 2 (1983) is said, "He belongs to fantasy rather than ters) and the liberation that results from to science fiction" (p. 25), while fantasy is their ludic treatment in the text—with im treated in most instances as a subgenre of plications for the creative artist's role in so science fiction. Such fuzziness leads to the ciety as well as for the generation of art anomolous inclusion of Lewis Carroll, E. T. works. A. Hoffmann, and Franz Kafka in the sphere of science fiction. However, the most not In Morrissette's 1975 article which un able criticism concerns an omission with se derlies many of the essays in this book, he rious practical consequences—this reference distinguishes between "situational genera work is without a tide index! Nevertheless, tors" and "linguistic generators." The con Reclams Science Fiction Führer succeeds ad cepts behind die terms, as Morrissette points mirably in providing an intelligent and in out, are closely related to those in the theory formed introduction to and survey of science and practice of the French critic and nov fiction past and present. elist Jean Ricardou. Particularly in his Pour une théorie du nouveau roman (Seuil, 1971, pp. Manfred W. Heiderich 92-93; see also pp. 119-23, 221-24), Ricar dou oudines two methods by which a word can generate another word. Using the French terms, the signifiant is the aspect of the word as sign, the signifier; the signifié is the semantic referent, the thing to which the word refers, the signified. In the process of translation, for example, Ricardou points out, it is a given word's signifié which gen erates a signifiant in the new language. In DAVID LEACH, ED. the complementary process, first oudined Generative Literature and Generative by Raymond Roussel and used today by Ri Art: New Essays cardou and others, a given word's signifiant Fredericton: York Press, 1983. generates a new signifiant to which it is re lated by sound (rhyme, homonymy) or by Pp. 47. $8.95. appearance (a re-arrangement of the same letters); the tangible result is the signifié of die newly produced signifiant. Ricardou's first A collection of essays that self-reflexively procedure, hinging as it does upon the given mirrors in its origins the generative process word's signifié, is referential, as is Morris that each article explores, Generative Liter sette's "situational generator." The second ature and Generative Art, edited by David procedure, in which the given word's signifié Leach, grew out of a colloquium on the topic plays no role in the production of the new at Wright State University in 1979. The im word, is non-referential; Morrissette's "lin petus for the colloquium was a studio art guistic generator" is its equivalent. class in which Leach introduced generative theory and techniques, using as his point of In applying Morrissette's categories to departure Bruce Morrissette's "Post-Mod contemporary visual arts, Diane Kirkpa- ern Generative Fiction: Novel and Film," trick transforms "linguistic" and "situa published in 1975 (Critical Inquiry, 2, No. 2, tional" to two methods of generation she 253-62). Following a preface and introduc discerns in her field: closed analytic struc tory essay by Leach on parallel methods of tures and open "organic systems." For the generation in literature and the visual arts, former category (related to non-referential the book contains articles by Diane Kirk- or "linguistic" generation)—the "closed an patrick on generation in the visual arts; by alytic structure which becomes a generator Bruce Morrissette on the theory and prac as each of its possible internal relationships tice of generative techniques and their im is explored and made visible" (p. 17)—she plications; and by Karlis Racevskis on offers Josef Albers's nested squares explor contemporary interpretations of the crea ing the ways juxtaposed colors affect one tive process. The final section is a "dialogue" another as probably the best-known ex by Alain Robbe-Grillet, translated by Ra ample, and also analyzes more recent work cevskis, on the concerns about which Robbe- by Frank Stella, Sol Le Witt, Dorothea Rock- Grillet was writing and speaking at the time: burne, Jennifer Bardett, and Doug Hue- the relationship between images and texts bler. For her second or "open" category and the generative capabilities of both (for (comparable to referential or "situational" the artist, the writer, and the perceiver), the generation), she describes a system that recuperation of contemporary stereotypes "creates one work or idea and uses that to (often visually portrayed, in signs and pos generate the next" (p. 17), or later "gen-
Brief Mentions 143