’Iseemedtogazeuponavastspace,thelimitsofwhichextendedfarbeyondmyvision...’Thisanthologygatherstogetherseventeengrippingtalesfromthenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturythatmakeupthefoundationsofsciencefiction.ItmovesfromMaryShelleytoH.G.Wells,fromEdgarAllanPoetoW.E.B.DuBois,andfromGeorgeEliottoJackLondon.Beforetheterm’sciencefiction’wasestablished,writerspursuedanewandstrangesubjectmatter,tobewrittenaboutinastartlinglynewway.Theselectedstoriesinthiscollectionreflectthemanydiversepathsthatledtowardssciencefiction,includingscientificGothic,dystopianfantasies,psychologicalhoaxes,feministparables,fictionsoftime-travel,adventurestories,uncannytales,andstoriesofalienencounters.Theanthologyunveilsthepoweroftheliteratureoftheperiodandexposesourfascinationwithscientificdiscoveryandtheallure(andthreat)oftheimaginedfuture.ThiseditionincludesanintroductionbyMichaelNewtonsettingoutthethemesofthetalesandexploringthedevelopmentofsciencefiction.Newtonexploreshowthestoriesengagewithanxietyaboutthelimitsoftherationalmind,thefactofEmpireandthediscoveriesofanthropology,theuneasyfigureofthescientist,therapiddevelopmentoftechnology,andthepresenceofthealienother.ABOUTTHESERIES:Forover100yearsOxfordWorld’sClassicshasmadeavailablethewidestrangeofliteraturefromaroundtheglobe.EachaffordablevolumereflectsOxford’scommitmenttoscholarship,providingthemostaccuratetextplusawealthofothervaluablefeatures,includingexpertintroductionsbyleadingauthorities,helpfulnotestoclarifythetext,up-to-datebibliographiesforfurtherstudy,andmuchmore.
