''Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers'' is a book by Curtis C. Smith published in October 1981 on
science fiction authors
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
in the 20th century. It is the third in the
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan in New York City. It is headquartered in the Equitable Building (New York City), Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishe ...
's ''Twentieth-Century Writers of the English Language'' series with the others being ''Twentieth-Century Crime and Mystery Writers'' and ''Twentieth-Century Children's Writers''.
Background
Curtis C. Smith (Associate Professor of Humanities at
University of Houston–Clear Lake
The University of Houston–Clear Lake (UHCL) is a public university in Pasadena, Texas, Pasadena and Houston in Texas, with branch campuses in Pearland, Texas, Pearland and Texas Medical Center. It is part of the University of Houston System, U ...
in
Clear Lake City
Clear Lake City is a master-planned community located in southeast Harris County, Texas, within the Galveston Bay Area, Bay Area of Greater Houston. It is the second-largest master-planned community in Houston – behind Kingwood, Houston ...
) worked on the book for more than three years assisted by 20 advisers and 146 contributors. All living authors were sent a questionnaire for biographical information and that information was cross-checked.
Content
In the first edition, there are 540 entries for
Anglo-American
Anglo-American can refer to:
* the Anglosphere (the Anglo-American world)
* Anglo-American, something of, from, or related to Anglo-America
** the Anglo-Americans demographic group in Anglo-America
* Anglo American plc
Anglo American plc is a ...
writers, 35 additional foreign language writers, and five "major fantasy writers."
Anglo-American writer entries contain a biographical sketch besides including the address of the author or sometimes their literary agent. The bibliographies lists SF books, other publications, and published bibliographies of the author.
Reception
''Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers'' was mainly received positively by critics but was critiqued for its bibliographical errors. Likewise, many gawked at its original $65 price. ''Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Review''s
Neil Barron reviewed ''Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers'' with "the bibliography which follows is relatively thorough."
''
Foundation''s
John Clute
John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part ...
critiqued it with "I for one feel a sense of complex emotional and intellectual betrayal on contemplating the book."
''
Locus''s Jeff Frane critiqued the errors as missing, miscategorized, or mistitled entries but reviewed it favorably with "In spite of its flaws, it's a useful volume, one worth gaining access to somehow."
''
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine edited by Sheila Williams and published by Dell Magazines, which is owned by Penny Press. It was launched as a quarterly by Davis Publications in 1977, after obtaining Isaac ...
''s
Baird Searles
William Baird Searles (1934–1993) was a science fiction author and critic. He was best known for his long-running review columns for the magazines ''Asimov's'' (reviewing books), '' Amazing'', and ''Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (reviewing films, ...
commented "In all, I judge it to be a source of much information even for the non-academic general reader" but disclaimed that he contributed three articles and was listed as an adviser.
References
External links
*{{isfdb title, id=103357, title=Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers
1981 non-fiction books
Books about writers
Science fiction studies