175:
That science fiction is a field of literature worth taking seriously, and that ordinary critical standards can be meaningfully applied to it: e.g., originality, sincerity, style, construction, logic, coherence, sanity, garden-variety grammar. That a bad book hurts science fiction more than ten bad
213:
chapters. Advent published a third, further expanded edition, nearly 100 pages longer than the second edition, in 1996. The third edition adds roughly 30,000 words of text and augments the bibliography and index; it incorporates six new chapters and expands Knight's discussion of longtime editor
212:
in hardcover in 1956. Advent reissued it in both hardcover and trade paperback in 1960. The second, expanded, edition was published by Advent in hardcover in 1967, with trade paperback reprints following in 1968 and 1974. The second edition was more than 120 pages longer and included six added
27:
264:'s subject is childhood and the buried child-in-man; his aim is to narrow the focus, not to widen it; to shrink all the big frightening things to the compass of the familiar: a spaceship to a tin can; a Fourth of July rocket to a brass kettle; a lion to a Teddy bear." (1st ed., p. 77)
663:
reviewed the book favorably, saying that Knight "applies his rules honestly and mercilessly", although he also noted that Knight's close focus on technical aspects of writing sometimes ignored an author's ability to "cast a spell . . . even if the carpentry and design is shoddy".
671:
declared that "Damon Knight sets an as yet unequalled standard" for sf criticism, and praised Knight both for "his exact appreciations of the well done" as well as "how influential was when summing up the subtle but suddenly obvious flaws in work that had seemed pretty good".
658:
described the original edition as "a comprehensive picture of the book publication of science fiction in the 1950s, valuable as a historical record, stimulating as a detailed analysis of faults and virtues, and delightful simply as good reading matter in its own right",
300:, is an acknowledged classic of fantasy, first published in 1921; much praised since then, several times reprinted, venerated by connoisseurs - all despite the fact that the book has no recognizable vestige of merit." (1st ed., p. 14)
168:. The essays were highly influential, and contributed to Knight's stature as the foremost critic of science fiction of his generation. The book also constitutes an informal record of the "Boom Years" of science fiction from 1950 to 1955.
676:
wrote that "Damon Knight is probably our field's first and best critic and . . . this book is the most important nonfiction ever published in the category".
164:
158:
827:
129:
847:
862:
283:"is full of good ideas, every other one of which is immediately dropped and kicked out of sight." (1st ed., p. 51)
852:
146:. Most of the material in the original version of the book was originally published between 1952 and 1955 in various
842:
190:, in which Knight "exposed the profound irrationality lying at the heart of much traditional science fiction".
857:
785:
180:
One essay in the book is "Cosmic
Jerrybuilder: A. E. van Vogt", a review of the 1945 magazine serialization of
244:"Why should anybody rip a bad work of art to shreds? Why, to find out how it is made." (1st ed., p. 14)
712:
770:
257:"is no giant; he is a pygmy who has learned to operate an overgrown typewriter." (1st ed., p. 50)
484:
The third edition, published 1996, interwove additional chapters, including personal reminiscences:
152:
310:"The only thing worse than a bad American novel is a bad British one." (1st ed., p. 71)
293:
214:
8:
693:
275:
186:
742:
660:
527:
359:
69:
673:
548:
380:
209:
124:
79:
511:
343:
280:
821:
804:
655:
581:
489:
398:
324:
297:
234:"Science fiction ... means what we point to when we say it." (1st ed., p. 1)
147:
66:
731:
594:
518:
411:
350:
288:
254:
181:
836:
572:
560:
417:
389:
197:
as "Best Book
Reviewer" based largely on the essays reprinted in this book.
668:
554:
542:
532:
374:
364:
261:
143:
40:
588:
576:
474:
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405:
393:
217:
194:
171:
In the opening chapter, Knight states his "credos", two of which are:
26:
108:
446:
The second edition (Advent, 1967) included the additional chapters:
755:
319:
Following is a list of chapters in the first edition (1956).
698:
The Road to
Science Fiction, Volume 4: From Here to Forever
713:"Damon Knight: Intellectual gadfly of science fiction"
469:"Symbolism" is chapter-long essay on the symbolism in
142:
is a collection of critical essays by
American writer
139:
In Search of Wonder: Essays on Modern
Science Fiction
16:1956 collection of critical essays by Damon Knight
834:
777:
25:
727:
725:
835:
783:
477:", first published in a 1967 issue of
828:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
710:
200:
722:
692:
220:released an ebook edition in 2013.
13:
14:
874:
815:
629:What Is Science Fiction, Anyway?
784:Budrys, Algis (December 1967).
796:
762:
747:
736:
711:Clute, John (April 17, 2002),
704:
686:
667:Reviewing the second edition,
1:
679:
193:In 1956 Knight was awarded a
650:
229:On defining science fiction:
7:
848:Books of literary criticism
314:
249:On science fiction writers:
10:
879:
863:American essay collections
771:Astounding Science Fiction
269:On science fiction novels:
768:"The Reference Library",
541:When I Was in Kneepants:
373:When I Was in Kneepants:
223:
208:was originally issued by
123:
115:
103:
95:
85:
75:
62:
54:
46:
36:
24:
853:Hugo Award-winning works
774:, March 1957, pp. 141-43
732:ISFDB publishing history
153:Infinity Science Fiction
802:"The Future in Books",
753:"Recommended Reading",
632:Writing Science Fiction
593:Overalls on Parnassus:
410:Overalls on Parnassus:
843:1956 non-fiction books
790:Galaxy Science Fiction
617:Pitfalls and Dead Ends
584:and the Silver Lexicon
431:Pitfalls and Dead Ends
401:and the Silver Lexicon
178:
858:Works by Damon Knight
826:title listing at the
808:, January 1969, p.144
758:, November 1956, p.99
626:Science and the World
517:Cosmic Jerrybuilder:
479:Science Fiction Forum
349:Cosmic Jerrybuilder:
173:
215:John W. Campbell Jr.
150:magazines including
20:In Search of Wonder
823:In Search of Wonder
792:. pp. 187–194.
623:Milford and Clarion
553:The Excluded Data:
305:On British writers:
206:In Search of Wonder
187:The World of Null-A
159:Original SF Stories
31:First edition cover
21:
786:"Galaxy Bookshelf"
700:. Scarecrow Press.
661:P. Schuyler Miller
587:The Jagged Blade:
528:Robert A. Heinlein
404:The Jagged Blade:
360:Robert A. Heinlein
201:Publishing history
70:Literary criticism
19:
674:Barry N. Malzberg
571:Genius to Order:
549:Theodore Sturgeon
538:More Chuckleheads
499:Myself When Young
488:Introduction, by
388:Genius to Order:
381:Theodore Sturgeon
370:More Chuckleheads
210:Advent:Publishers
135:
134:
130:978-0-911682-31-1
96:Publication place
870:
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734:
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690:
640:Acknowledgements
547:The Vorpal Pen:
523:Half-Bad Writers
473:'s short story "
379:The Vorpal Pen:
355:Half-Bad Writers
323:Introduction by
281:Richard Matheson
87:Publication date
29:
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18:
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805:Amazing Stories
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717:The Independent
709:
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691:
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656:Anthony Boucher
653:
490:Anthony Boucher
325:Anthony Boucher
317:
298:Homer Eon Flint
226:
203:
148:science fiction
104:Media type
88:
67:Science fiction
50:J. L. Patterson
32:
17:
12:
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5:
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816:External links
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346:and His Decade
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743:NESFA listing
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329:Author's Note
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239:On criticism:
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99:United States
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669:Algis Budrys
666:
654:
643:Bibliography
559:Microcosmic
555:Charles Fort
543:Ray Bradbury
508:Chuckleheads
505:The Classics
483:
478:
468:
445:
439:Bibliography
416:Microcosmic
375:Ray Bradbury
340:Chuckleheads
337:The Classics
318:
304:
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144:Damon Knight
138:
137:
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41:Damon Knight
694:Gunn, James
589:James Blish
568:Half Loaves
565:Anthologies
475:Common Time
471:James Blish
450:Half Loaves
406:James Blish
385:Anthologies
294:Austin Hall
276:I Am Legend
47:Illustrator
837:Categories
680:References
635:What Next?
599:Amphibians
535:and Empire
453:Amphibians
434:What next?
428:The Giants
367:and Empire
651:Reception
620:Symbolism
611:Decadents
602:New Stars
582:Kornbluth
561:Moskowitz
465:Symbolism
459:Decadents
422:New Stars
418:Moskowitz
399:Kornbluth
165:Future SF
76:Publisher
756:F&SF
512:Campbell
456:B-R-R-R!
344:Campbell
315:Contents
262:Bradbury
176:notices.
109:Hardback
55:Language
614:Britons
608:Br-r-r!
605:Curiosa
573:Kuttner
502:Critics
462:Britons
425:Curiosa
390:Kuttner
334:Critics
107:Print (
58:English
533:Asimov
365:Asimov
224:Quotes
162:, and
80:Advent
37:Author
646:Index
577:Moore
442:Index
394:Moore
292:, by
218:Orion
116:Pages
63:Genre
575:and
392:and
296:and
195:Hugo
125:ISBN
91:1956
279:by
184:'s
119:180
839::
788:.
724:^
715:,
481:.
156:,
286:"
260:"
111:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
