The Cambridge Companion To Science Fiction

If you were looking for just one book to read as an introduction to the range and variety of science fiction, this would be the one. As with all the Cambridge Companions, it brings together the very best critics and writers, including John Clute, Brian Stableford, Gwyneth Jones and Ken MacLeod, and they give a vivid and informative overview of the entire genre. There are chapters on the history of the genre, on critical approaches like feminism and postmodernism, and on sub-genres like hard sf, space opera, alternate histories and utopias. With a range of perspectives, this is a detailed, argumentative and unfailingly fascinating book. Really, even if you think you are an expert on science fiction, you're sure to learn something new from this book.   There are all sorts of Companions to science fiction that have come out over recent years. We've already noticed the Oxford Handbook, and the Routledge Companion also appears on this list. They all try and give a broad introduction to the genre for the average reader, and they all do something slightly different. The Cambridge Companion is probably the most accessible.