Astounding John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By Alec Nevala-Lee Dey Street Books
Paperback Release Date: July 30, 2019
You know, I went into this with a completely different mindset. When I saw this book in the lists for review, I truly thought it was an anthology of classic science fiction. Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction is actually a highly detailed exploration of the rise and evolution of modern science fiction as I knew it growing up. It has continued to evolve, but this book delves into the life of John W. Campbell and how he influenced not just what readers saw in print, but also, in many ways, what many authors were writing.
Debbie Harry‘s previously announced memoir, Face It, will be released in hardcover and for the Kindle on October 1, 2019 by Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
At this year’s BookExpo and BookCon conventions, held May 29-June 2 at NYC’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, the publisher was promoting the Blondie singer’s upcoming autobiography with huge promo posters displayed, as well as free buttons for convention attendees.
No one can deny the power of the Force as it permeates all aspects of American society (and other societies), including education and especially pop culture. It’s amazing how a silly little science fiction movie from the 1970s became a global phenomenon, spawning bunches of movies, television shows, books, and toys for billions of dollars. I remember sitting in a college mythology class reading Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With a Thousand Faces, and the professor said, “Luke Skywalker follows the cycle of the hero,” and I perked up. He really does. I, in turn, taught mythology to high school students and used Luke Skywalker (and Neo from Matrix). I’ve also discussed it right here on Geeks of Doom, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
And that is just a drop of what Cass R. Sunstein discusses in his soon-to-be-required-for-college text, The World According To Star Wars.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
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