Clarke, Asimov, and Heinlein -Three Classic Science Fiction Writers of the Golden Age

Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein are three of the most prolific science fiction writers of the golden age of science fiction.

Arthur C Clarke lived from December 16, 1917 until March 19, 2008. He was a prolific writer and is known for many classic short stories and novels as well as a strong interest in technology, particularly communications technology, and space flight. He was British but spent most of his adult life living in Sri Lanka. 

For a quick, entertaining, and not terribly serious introduction to his work and appeal the TV Tropes wiki is a great start: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/ArthurCClarke

One of his most famous stories is called The Nine Billion Names of God.
http://downlode.org/Etext/nine_billion_names_of_god.html 

Robert A Heinlein is another classic science fiction writer. 

It's difficult to find his work online but one of his classic stories, The Menace from Earth is including in the online pdf of this classic magazine. http://www.luminist.org/archives/SF/FSF.htm  (August 1957 ) 

For a quick, entertaining, and not terribly serious introduction to his work and appeal the TV Tropes wiki is a great start: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/RobertAHeinlein

To many Libertarian types, Heinlein is seen as an important thinker and philosopher. The following quote is typical of his ideas and the beliefs of his characters, self reliant, independent, survivors. 

Isaac Asimov is well known for not just his science fiction but also his popular science articles and ablity to explain complex ideas smoothly and simple to the interested public.  

 For a quick, entertaining, and not terribly serious introduction to his work and appeal the TV Tropes wiki is a great start:http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/IsaacAsimov 

It can be difficult to find Asimov's fiction online but if you use this index you can find where it was first published. Often you can then find a copy of the original magazine shared online and read it there. : http://www.asimovonline.com/oldsite/short_fiction_guide.html

Golden Age of Science Fiction -Knight and Corwainer Smith

Please consider this a rough draft

Golden Age of Science Fiction 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_Science_Fiction 

Cordwainer Smith

http://www.cordwainer-smith.com/

Works under his real name: 

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/34034

https://biblio.wiki/wiki/The_Best_of_Cordwainer_Smith

https://biblio.wiki/wiki/Scanners_Live_In_Vain

http://fadedpage.com/books/20170826/html.php

Alpha Ralpha Boulevard p 154

Sci Fi Radio has several Cordwainer Smith stories.


https://archive.org/details/Sci-fiRadio

To Serve Man 

1950 

https://archive.org/stream/galaxymagazine-1950-11/Galaxy_1950_11#page/n91/mode/2up

Science Fiction 5B

Buck Rogers Radio show

http://www.openculture.com/2013/11/hear-vintage-episodes-of-buck-rogers-the-sci-fi-radio-show-that-first-aired-on-this-day-in-1932.html

Buck Rogers movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU5mdp4TXdM



Buck Rogers TV show



Flash Gordon TV show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5MD9cwpyqY&list=PL_8Ul4SR6bIdhgi1SCH-rnKDkk1uRTXv7

Pete Teaches Science Fiction --HP Lovecraft

Second, here's the material on HP Lovecraft. There's a lot here but I just want to expose you the variety and enthusiasm of HP Lovecraft fandom ) 

Biographical materials 

(Please try to ,look over or read The Atlantic article. It's well written and has some interesting and important points in there. )

http://www.hplovecraft.com/ 

http://www.hplovecraft.com/life/biograph.aspx

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/08/hp-lovecraft-125/401471/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft 

If you want some idea of his influence you may look at the very informative and amusing website, "TV Tropes.com" 

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/HPLovecraft 

Stories 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Short_stories_by_H._P._Lovecraft

http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/

Or there's a particualrly good collection of on-line HP Lovecraft writings at Project Gutenberg Australia. (Just scroll down to find him under the authors with the last name "L.") 

http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty-a-m.html#letterL

There's been an incredible amount of fan work devoted to HP Lovecraft and his creation, the Cthulhu Mythos.

Literally thousands of youtube videos. 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=HP+Lovecraft+

This one looks particularly good although I confess I have not had time to watch the whole thing yet. 

RPG 

http://geekandsundry.com/the-best-rpg-of-all-time-is-call-of-cthulhu/



 Films 

https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/07/the-six-best-adaptations-of-hp-lovecraft.html 

Silly stuff 

https://www.google.com/search?q=stuffed+cthulhu&newwindow=1&source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjXht7jzPfWAhUDOCYKHSXOAXIQ_AUICigB&biw=1280&bih=904

http://www.thelovecraftsman.com/2011/04/10-beloved-cartoon-characters.html

Even a Metallica song (thanks Liz!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1RTgznup5c

Pete Teaches Science Fiction -Reading assigments for Class #5 A

Greetings, I hope to polish this up and add color and explanation later.

Here's what I hope we will read for class #5


Buck Rogers in print.

Buck Rogers is one of the classic science fiction heroes. This is his first appearance and dates from 1928.

https://archive.org/details/Amazing_Stories_08-1928_Buck_Rogers_Armageddon_2419_AD_




HP Lovecraft is normally classified as a weird horror writer but I think a good argument could be made that often he could be classified as a science fiction writer. I think this story is one example. It's a bit long but it is a classic. It dates from 1931.

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/At_the_Mountains_of_Madness

More has been written about him in a later post.

(As an aside, I mentioned that I wrote my MA Thesis on the search for Peking Man, a colloquial term for some specimens of Homo Erecti found in China in 1927. Let me suggest, it's never a bad idea to check and verify when people make claims of lofty education, etc. Although I strongly believe most people are honest and good --if you lose your wallet it usually gets returned-- it only takes one dishonest or predatory person to complicate and change your life, so in that spirit:
https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/8399

This is my MA Thesis. There is no obligation whatsoever to read any of it. Really.



Damon Runyon

Since we are discussing pulp and magazine fiction of the 1930s and 1940s, I'd like to introduce you to Damon Runyon. Damon Runyon is not a science fiction writer and has absolutely no business being mentioned in this class. On the other hand, he's great. He's very, very funny and often considered one of the masters of the craft of short story writing.

So check him out. I have found his story "A Piece of Pie" and if you look at it, I think you will enjoy it.

http://www.unz.org/Pub/Colliers-1937aug21-00009

Here's a radio series from the time based on his stories. A Piece of Pie is story number 21.  

https://archive.org/details/DamonRunyonTheater

Here's a youtube presentation of the radio play. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mWjydUg2wA

Pete Teaches Science Fiction --Class #4

Next week in honor of the release of Blade Runner 2049, a sequel to Blade Runner which is based on the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K Dick, we'll skip ahead and talk about Philip K Dick. 

We plan to read "Beyond lies the wub" which is in the book.

If you prefer to read it online, it's easily available online.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28554/28554-h/28554-h.htm

It would also be nice if you read one other thing by him. On line stories are here. 

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:Philip_Kindred_Dick

a list of movies is here: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick_bibliography#Film_adaptations 

Please be aware that the movies tend to slide away from the philosphical aspects of the work and more into action but that's the nature of movies. 

There are a lot of good documentaries and biographical materials available on Philip K Dick. The challenge for this class was to find one that was short ehough so that it did not take up all our class time. 

Here's some more biographical material on Philip K Dick.

This is an interesting discussion of the film adaptations of Philip K Dick

However, this is the best documentary I have seen yet on Philirp K Dick. Unfortunately, it's an hour long so we won't be watching it in class, but I definitely recommend you take a look at it if you have the time. 

Philip K Dick is a very interesting and controversial writer. 


In class, I will very quickly share some thoughts on Philip K Dick that came from Stephen Miller, a science fiction writer. Miller and his wife, Sharon Lee, are very nice people who write a space opera series set in what they call "The Liaden Universe." Their website is here: http://korval.com/  Their work is very, very different from Philip K Dick's.  

In the above documentary, "Phiiip K Dick, A Day in the Afterlife," Thomas Disch is featured prominently. He is a science fiction writer who also wrote an interesting book on science fiction called The DREAMS OUR STUFF IS MADE OF: How Science Fiction Conquered the World. Although the book is far reaching and discusses many things, Philip K Dick is often discussed in it and in many contexts

https://www.amazon.com/DREAMS-OUR-STUFF-MADE-Conquered/dp/0684859785/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507927248&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=disch+stuff+our+dreams+are+made+of

Pete Teaches Science Fiction --Class #3

The Early Magazines  --

"The Pulps" 

This site provides an excellent introduction to the "pulp" magazines that were such an important part of early science fiction: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/15f12ccdc5ad3bc9

While there, do not hesitate to browse and explore the archives. Many of the early pulp magazines are on the web in different places.


This is the first issue of Astounding Stories (now called Analog), an important magazine in the history of science fiction.

You can find the full text of the magazine at Project Gutenberg:  http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41481

We will also continue our discussion of pulp stories and early magazine stories with Leslie F Stones "Conquest of Gola" --this is in the book but if you wish to see the actual magazine it came in (with editorials and other stories, as well as fascinating ads, you may look here: 

http://www.pulpmags.org/collections/pdf/won19310400.pdf

In fact, a collection of on-line copies of all of the issues of "Wonder Stories" magazine from 1931 are here: http://www.pulpmags.org/content/view/issues/wonder-stories.html 

If you'd like to know more about Leslie Stone, http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/stone_leslie_f

Finally, I'd be curious to get your take on the issue of Edgar Rice Burroughs and sexism or lack thereof. 

There are ten and a half books in ERB's "Barsoom" (Mars) series, easily his most popular series after Tarzan and his most popular SF series.

This is the fourth one and dates from 1916. In the first three books, John Carter, a master swordsman and civil war veteran comes to Mars (Barsoom) through mysterious means where he discovers that due to the low gravity he has super strength. Skipping ahead, he makes friends with the savage four armed green martians who soon capture him and then rescues Dejah Thoris, a proud Barsoomian princess from a nation called Helium. They get married and have a son named Carthoris (should you wonder, Tarzan and Jane got married and had a son name Korak). 

In this book, Carthoris, now an adult, meets Thuvia, a proud Martian princess who has the power to control the Martian lions called "Banths" and well  . . . problems happen and he sets out to rescue her.  

Just read as much as you want but please try to read at least the first scene of the book. (It starts much faster than the first three. I think in the first one, it takes a couple chapters before John Carter gets to Mars, chapters in which ERB carefully explains how he met John Carter and acquired the manuscript and in which John Carter explains how he wound up on Mars after going to Arizona where he was chased by Apaches into some mysterious ruins that transported him to the red planet.

Description of book with 1916 cover

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuvia,_Maid_of_Mars

A more modern depiction of Thuvia painted by Brian Justo.

Images of Thuvia

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&biw=1366&bih=662&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=thuvia+maid+of+mars&oq=thuvia+ma&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0j0i24k1l2.1271501.1273034.0.1275554.9.9.0.0.0.0.277.1865.0j5j4.9.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.9.1861...0i67k1.0.-y-Twq7ZE-8

The full text of the book is available online. 

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/72

Pete Teaches Science Fiction --Class #2

Early writers

Science Fiction Writers!	Science Fiction Writers?
Jules Verne 1828-1905  "Voyage Extroadinaire" / Extraordinary Voyages French adventure writer who enjoyed writing stories that include a technological wonder	Homer?? Odyssey? Illiad? Could Homer have believed cyclopses really existed? See L. Sprague De Camp's interesting non-fiction book, "Lands Beyond."
H.G. Wells 1866-1946 Socialist with pacifist leanings  Wrote science fiction which said something about society.  War of the Worlds imagery	Jonathan Swift Gulliver's Travels?? Political satire??
Edgar Rice Burroughs 1875-1950 American, the escapist, heroic branch of science fiction Art based on Edgar Rice Burroughs fiction

Frankenstein --Pete Teaches Science Fiction -Class #1

I recently had the chance to teach a non-credit class on science fiction at the local engineering school. Of course, I accepted. And, although we've only completed three weeks I am enjoying myself and so are the students, I think.

Class #1 was devoted to the question of "Can one define what science fiction is?" and "What is the first Science Fiction story?"

I don't claim it's a definitive answer, but I chose Mary Shelley's Frankinstein as my answer.

In fact, I completely admit I took this answer from Brian Aldiss's wonderful book, "Billion Year Spree."
https://www.amazon.com/Trillion-Year-Spree-History-Science/dp/0380704617/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507513805&sr=1-1&keywords=trillion+year+spree+the+history+of+science+fiction

A wonderful book well worth reading and in much need of an update.

So here's a bit on Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley.

The story of the writing of Frankenstein is fascinating but has also been documented many times before.

For instance see:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/frankenstein-published

or
http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-summer-storm-that-inspired-frankenstein-and-dracula


This entertaining and well done video includes much on that subject, although I prefer to stop the video at about the point roughly half way through where the SPOILERS  on this classic novel (much different from the films) start:

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (as well as Pollidori's much forgotten but highly influential novel, "The Vampyre.") were written on a particularly wild weekend by a group of decadent Bohemians including Lord Byron, the poet, and Mary's husband Shelley, another decadent, wild poet.

I'd heard there was a movie based on this weekend and the events that occurred. To my surprise, I learned there were two. interestingly, they were made only two weeks apart. "Haunted Summer" and "Gothic" --interestingly I stumbled across a bizarre looking film called "Liztomania" that was also produced by Ken Russel, producer of "Gothic."

Although "Liztomania," had nothing but nothing to do with anything related to the class, save for some bizarre science fiction imagery, I showed it to the students and they seemed to enjoy it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095280/


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091142/

Liztomania by Kurt Russel

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Franz+Liszt&oq=Franz+Liszt&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073298/

=============
Finally, for students who wished to find the text of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, it's on line in several places.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/84?msg=welcome_stranger

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6087