Science Fiction and the Dismal Science: Essays on Economics in and of the Genre - Paperback

by Gary Westfahl (Editor), Gregory Benford (Editor), Howard V. Hendrix (Editor)

Despite the growing importance of economics in our lives, literary scholars have long been reluctant to consider economic issues as they examine key texts. This volume seeks to fill one of these conspicuous gaps in the critical literature by focusing on various connections between science fiction and economics, with some attention to related fields such as politics and government. Its seventeen contributors include five award-winning scholars, five science fiction writers, and a widely published economist.

Three topics are covered: what noted science fiction writers like Robert A. Heinlein, Frank Herbert, and Kim Stanley Robinson have had to say about our economic and political future; how the competitive and ever-changing publishing marketplace has affected the growth and development of science fiction from the nineteenth century to today; and how the scholars who examine science fiction have themselves been influenced by the economics of academia. Although the essays focus primarily on American science fiction, the traditions of Russian and Chinese science fiction are also examined. A comprehensive bibliography of works related to science fiction and economics will assist other readers and critics who are interested in this subject.

Author Biography

Gary Westfahl, a professor emeritus at the University of La Verne, California, has authored, edited, or co-edited 35 books about science fiction and fantasy, and has written hundreds of articles and reviews. In 2003, he received the Science Fiction Research Association's Pilgrim Award for his lifetime contributions to science fiction and fantasy scholarship. Gregory Benford is a professor of physics at the University of California, Irvine. He is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, was Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University, and in 1995 received the Lord Prize for contributions to science. He has published 32 novels, four volumes of nonfiction, and over 200 short stories and several hundred scientific papers in several fields. Howard V. Hendrix taught at the college level for 40 years. He has published six novels and four collections of stories; has authored, coauthored, or coedited seven works of nonfiction; and has written numerous articles, reviews, and editorials. He lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Jonathan Alexander is Chancellor's Professor of English and Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author, co-author, or editor of fifteen books. His work primarily focuses on written and digital production in the extra-curriculum, "fan texts," and genre fiction.