Modern Science Fiction

<p> James Gunn--one of the founding figures of science fiction scholarship and teaching--wrote in 1951 what is likely the first master's thesis on modern science fiction. Portions were in the short-lived pulp magazine <I>Dynamic</I> but it has otherwise remained unavailable.</p><p> Here in its first full publication the thesis explores many of the classic Golden Age stories of the 1940s and the critical perspective that informed Gunn's essential genre history <I>Alternate Worlds</I> and his anthology series <I>The Road to Science Fiction</I>.</p><p> The editor's introduction and commentary show the historical significance of Gunn's work and its relevance to today's science fiction studies.</p>