Product Description

Selected by Choice as an Outstanding Academic Book of the Year. This innovative cultural critique offers valuable insights into science fiction, thus enlarging our understanding of critical theory.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #597458 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 228 pages

Review
"[An] important volume . . . [Freedman] writes intriguingly about affinities between science fiction and historical fiction and makes useful observations about parallels between science fiction and utopian fiction . . . His concluding speculations about the future of both critical theory and science fiction are judicious and restrained. A valuable addition to the slim collection of groundbreaking critical works on science fiction. " --Choice

"Full of sharp insights . . . an ambitious book . . . fans who . . . ponder about sf 's links with wider bodies of thought and conversation will find it extremely useful. "--Foundation: International Review of Science Fiction

Review
"Freedman's intelligent championing of Joanna Russ's The Two of Them -- surely the finest novel written in English in the present tense -- is worth the price of admission. And there are many other things of interest here." (Samuel R. Delany )

From the Publisher
6 x 9 trim. LC 99-048532

Customer Reviews

Critical Theory needs critical response
It's amazing that people can judge a book by reading excerpts on the net. Critical Theory and Science Fiction is not an easy read but CT never was or will be. You don't have to agree with the Marxist theories of Bloch and Adorno, Carl Freedman uses to make his various points, to appreciate his insights and the challenges he throws at the reader. That is what academics are supposed to do and not to wallow in old cliche's and easy answers. The "excursuses" (his term) into classic SF novels such as Stanislaw Lem's SOLARIS, Ursula Le Guin's THE DISPOSSESSED, Joanna Russ' THE TWO OF THEM, Samuel Delany's STARS IN MY POCKET LIKE GRAINS OF SANDS and the greatest SF writer, Philip K Dick's THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE are lessons every SF reader and writer should make their own. At least Freedman is raising the level of SF discourse beyond Star Trek Convensions or Star Wars hype.