In this short clip, Isaac AsiÂmov disÂcussÂes the goldÂen age of sciÂence ficÂtion, which began in 1937 (and endÂed in 1950) when John W. CampÂbell Jr. took over as ediÂtor of the magÂaÂzine AstoundÂing SciÂence FicÂtion. PriÂor to Campbell’s ediÂtorÂship, most sci-fi stoÂries were pubÂlished in the “pulps,” and were in Asimov’s words “heavÂiÂly advenÂture-flaÂvored” because underÂpaid writÂers often wrote in sevÂerÂal genÂres in order to comÂpete in an overÂcrowdÂed marÂketÂplace for escapist stoÂries of romance, war, junÂgle and sea advenÂtures, and horÂror tales. Unlike most of the “pulp” writÂers, CampÂbell was a sciÂenÂtist who studÂied physics at MIT and Duke, not to menÂtion a proÂlifÂic writer of ficÂtion. (Many of Campbell’s novÂels and short stoÂries are availÂable in full-text as ePUB and PDF files here).
Campbell’s ascenÂsion was a waterÂshed moment for the genre since his “engiÂneerÂing attiÂtude” gave him a high regard for writÂers of sciÂence ficÂtion who underÂstood the sciÂence of the day and could porÂtray sciÂenÂtists authenÂtiÂcalÂly while still havÂing the freeÂdom to “extrapÂoÂlate wildÂly.” AstoundÂing pubÂlished some of the earÂliÂest stoÂries by AsiÂmov, Robert HeinÂlein (an earÂly stoÂry, pubÂlished under the name “Anson MacÂDonÂald” in 1941 is here), and L. Ron HubÂbard. The relaÂtionÂship between CampÂbell and HubÂbard is a fasÂciÂnatÂing stoÂry. CampÂbell pubÂlished a very earÂly verÂsion of what would become the foundÂing text of SciÂenÂtolÂogy in March 1950, and he claimed to be an earÂly supÂportÂer of Hubbard’s “sciÂence of diaÂnetÂics.”
CampÂbell is a comÂpliÂcatÂed figÂure. In addiÂtion to supÂportÂing Hubbard’s ideas, writer HarÂlan ElliÂson has claimed that CampÂbell was an adherÂent of pseuÂdoÂscience who would “believe anyÂthing,” and he apparÂentÂly held some very objecÂtionÂable racist and far right politÂiÂcal views which he chamÂpiÂoned in his ediÂtoÂriÂals and which made AsiÂmov uncomÂfortÂable, as AsiÂmov writes in his introÂducÂtion to the goldÂen age colÂlecÂtion AstoundÂing: John W. CampÂbell MemoÂrÂiÂal AntholÂoÂgy. NevÂerÂtheÂless, AsiÂmov acknowlÂedges CampÂbell as a “Father of SciÂence FicÂtion” who was indisÂpensÂable in bringÂing the genre out of the pulp era.
PowÂerÂful. SimÂply powÂerÂful. In NovemÂber, 1971, the Mariner 9 space orbiter was about to make hisÂtoÂry. It was rapidÂly approachÂing Mars, makÂing it the first spaceÂcraft to orbit anothÂer planÂet. There, it would proÂduce a globÂal mapÂping of the MarÂtÂian surÂface and capÂture “the first detailed views of the marÂtÂian volÂcaÂnoes, Valles MarinerÂis, the polar caps, and the satelÂlites PhoÂbos and Deimos.” This marked a major mileÂstone in the great era of space exploÂration. The exciteÂment leadÂing up to the moment was palÂpaÂble.
Just days before the Mariner 9 reached Mars, two of our greatÂest sci-fi writÂers, the dearÂly departÂed Ray BradÂbury and Arthur C. Clarke, shared the stage with two emiÂnent sciÂenÂtists, Carl Sagan and Bruce MurÂray, at a symÂpoÂsium held at CalÂtech. At one point, BradÂbury capÂtiÂvatÂed the audiÂence when he read his poem, “If Only We Had Taller Been,” and gave an almost spirÂiÂtuÂal inflecÂtion to the Mariner 9 misÂsion, remindÂing us of someÂthing that Neil deGrasse Tyson once said: the line sepÂaÂratÂing reliÂgious epiphany and feelÂings creÂatÂed by space exploÂration is awfulÂly, awfulÂly thin.
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We woke up today to learn about the sad passÂing of Ray BradÂbury. BradÂbury now joins Isaac AsiÂmov, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. HeinÂlein, and Philip K. Dick in the panÂtheon of sciÂence ficÂtion. It’s a place well deserved, seeÂing that he effecÂtiveÂly brought modÂern sciÂence ficÂtion into the litÂerÂary mainÂstream. His first short stoÂry, “HollerÂbochen’s DilemÂma,” appeared in 1938. And his last one, “Take Me Home,” was just pubÂlished this week in The New YorkÂer’s first speÂcial issue devotÂed to sciÂence ficÂtion. DurÂing the 74 years in between, BradÂbury pubÂlished eleven novÂels, includÂing the great FahrenÂheit 451, and countÂless short stoÂries. His books, now transÂlatÂed into 36 lanÂguages, have sold over eight milÂlion copies.
To help celÂeÂbrate his litÂerÂary legaÂcy, we want to revisÂit two moments when BradÂbury offered his perÂsonÂal thoughts on the art and purÂpose of writÂing. Above, we start you off with a 1970s clip where BradÂbury explains why litÂerÂaÂture serves more than an aesÂthetÂic purÂpose — it’s actuÂalÂly the safeÂty valve of civÂiÂlizaÂtion. (See our origÂiÂnal post here.) And below we bring you back to BradÂbury’s 2001 keynote address at Point Loma Nazarene University’s Writer’s SymÂpoÂsium By the Sea. There, he gives 12 essenÂtial pieces of writÂing advice to young writÂers. You can find a nice list of his tips in our origÂiÂnal post here. And, if you’re hunÂgerÂing for more, let us direct you to anothÂer clip recÂomÂmendÂed by one of our readÂers: a lengthy talk recordÂed in 2005 at the Los AngeÂles Times FesÂtiÂval of Books.
Now it’s time to see whether Isaac AsiÂmov, anothÂer sci-fi legÂend, posÂsessed the same powÂers of preÂscience. Above, we’re highÂlightÂing the secÂond part of an interÂview taped in 1989. It feaÂtures AsiÂmov and a younger Bill MoyÂers talkÂing about eduÂcaÂtion and sciÂenÂtifÂic progress, and it doesÂn’t take long for AsiÂmov to start describÂing the revÂoÂluÂtion in learnÂing we’re seeÂing unfold today. ImagÂine a world where comÂputÂers, interÂnet conÂnecÂtions and webÂsites let peoÂple learn when they want, wherÂevÂer they want, and how they want. SudÂdenÂly techÂnolÂoÂgy democÂraÂtizes eduÂcaÂtion and empowÂers peoÂple of all ages, and, before too long, “EveryÂone can have a teacher in the form of access to the gathÂered knowlÂedge of the human species.” That’s the world we’re comÂing into, espeÂcialÂly durÂing recent months, thanks to Google, openÂcourseÂware, new-fanÂgled MOOCs (MasÂsive Open Online CoursÂes), the Khan AcadÂeÂmy, and even sites like our own. (Have you seen our lists of 450 Free CoursÂes? 300 Free eBooks? 150 Free TextÂbooks? 400 Free Audio Books, etc?). Yes, 23 years ago, AsiÂmov pretÂty much knew exactÂly where we would be today, and then some.
If you ask Stephen King, he’ll tell you that H.P. LoveÂcraft was “the twenÂtiÂeth cenÂtuÂry’s greatÂest pracÂtiÂtionÂer of the clasÂsic horÂror tale.” And Joyce CarÂol Oates will readÂiÂly admit that LoveÂcraft had “an incalÂcuÂlaÂble influÂence on sucÂceedÂing genÂerÂaÂtions of writÂers of horÂror ficÂtion.” In these modÂern times, you can revisÂit LoveÂcraft’s clasÂsic horÂror tales by downÂloadÂing his works in text or audio. (See below.) Or, you can revisÂit his cosÂmic horÂror tales by pickÂing up The LoveÂcraft AntholÂoÂgy, a new graphÂic novÂel series that brings LoveÂcraft’s writÂings to “vivid and malevÂoÂlent life.” The video above gives you a preÂview of what the series has to offer. It feaÂtures an aniÂmaÂtion of “The Call of CthulÂhu,” LoveÂcraft’s famous pulp stoÂry from 1926.
Today we’re bringÂing you a roundup of some of the great SciÂence FicÂtion, FanÂtaÂsy and DystopiÂan clasÂsics availÂable on the web. And what betÂter way to get startÂed than with Aldous HuxÂley readÂing a draÂmaÂtized recordÂing of his 1932 novÂel, Brave New World. The readÂing aired on the CBS Radio WorkÂshop in 1956. You can lisÂten to Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
(FYI: You can downÂload HuxÂley’s origÂiÂnal work — as opposed to the draÂmaÂtized verÂsion — in audio by signÂing up for a Free TriÂal with Audible.com, and that applies to othÂer books menÂtioned here as well.)
LitÂtle known fact. Aldous HuxÂley once gave George Orwell French lessons at Eton. And, 17 years after the release of Brave New World, HuxÂley’s pupil pubÂlished 1984. The semÂiÂnal dystopiÂan work may be one of the most influÂenÂtial novÂels of the 20th cenÂtuÂry, and it’s almost cerÂtainÂly the most imporÂtant politÂiÂcal novÂel from that periÂod. You can find it availÂable on the web in three forÂmats: Free eText — Free Audio Book – Free Movie.
In 1910, J. SearÂle DawÂley wrote and directÂed FrankenÂstein. It took him three days to shoot the 12-minute film (when most films were actuÂalÂly shot in just one day). It marked the first time that Mary Shelley’s clasÂsic monÂster tale (text — audio) was ever adaptÂed to film. And, someÂwhat notably, Thomas EdiÂson had a hand (albeit it an indiÂrect one) in makÂing the film. The first FrankenÂstein film was shot at EdiÂson StuÂdios, the proÂducÂtion comÂpaÂny owned by the famous invenÂtor.
Stephen King and Joyce CarÂol Oates — they both pay homage to H.P. LoveÂcraft and his great tales. And you can too by spendÂing time with his colÂlectÂed works, availÂable in etext forÂmats here and audio forÂmats here (Free Mp3 Zip File – Free Stream).
Philip K. Dick pubÂlished 44 novÂels and 121 stoÂries durÂing his short lifeÂtime, solidÂiÂfyÂing his posiÂtion as one of AmerÂiÂca’s top sci-fi writÂers. If you’re not intiÂmateÂly familÂiar with his novÂels, then you almost cerÂtainÂly know major films based on Dick’s work – Blade RunÂner, Total Recall, A ScanÂner DarkÂly and MinorÂiÂty Report. To get you acquaintÂed with PKD’s writÂing, we have culled togethÂer 14 short stoÂries for your enjoyÂment.
Back in the late 1930s, Orson Welles launched The MerÂcury TheÂatre on the Air, a radio proÂgram dedÂiÂcatÂed to bringÂing draÂmatÂic, theÂatriÂcal proÂducÂtions to the AmerÂiÂcan airÂwaves. The show had a fairÂly short run, lastÂing from 1938 to 1941. But it made its mark. DurÂing these few years, The MerÂcury TheÂatre aired The War of the Worlds, an episode narÂratÂed by Welles that led many AmerÂiÂcans to believe their counÂtry was under MarÂtÂian attack. The legÂendary proÂducÂtion, perÂhaps the most famous ever aired on AmerÂiÂcan radio, was based on H.G. Wells’ earÂly sci-fi novÂel, and you can lisÂten to the broadÂcast right here.
Between 1951 and 1953, Isaac AsiÂmov pubÂlished three books that formed the now famous FounÂdaÂtion TrilÂoÂgy. Many conÂsidÂered it a masÂterÂwork in sciÂence ficÂtion, and that view became offiÂcial docÂtrine in 1966 when the trilÂoÂgy received a speÂcial Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series, notably beatÂing out Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. EvenÂtuÂalÂly, the BBC decidÂed to adapt Asimov’s trilÂoÂgy to the radio, draÂmaÂtizÂing the series in eight one-hour episodes that aired between May and June 1973. Thanks to The InterÂnet Archive you can downÂload the full proÂgram as a zip file, or stream it online:
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3| Part 3 |MP3| Part 4 |MP3| Part 5 |MP3| Part 6 |MP3| Part 7 |MP3| Part 8 |MP3|
Before the days of HarÂry PotÂter, genÂerÂaÂtions of young readÂers let their imagÂiÂnaÂtions take flight with The ChronÂiÂcles of NarÂnia, a series of sevÂen fanÂtaÂsy novÂels writÂten by C. S. Lewis. Like his friend J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis served on the EngÂlish facÂulÂty at Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty and took part in the Inklings, an Oxford litÂerÂary group dedÂiÂcatÂed to ficÂtion and fanÂtaÂsy. PubÂlished between 1950 and 1956, The ChronÂiÂcles of NarÂnia has sold over 100 milÂlion copies in 47 lanÂguages, delightÂing younger and oldÂer readÂers worldÂwide.
Now, with the apparÂent blessÂing of the C.S. Lewis estate, the sevÂen volÂume series is availÂable in a free audio forÂmat. There are 101 audio recordÂings in total, each averÂagÂing 30 minÂutes and read by ChrisÂsi Hart. DownÂload the comÂplete audio via the web or RSS Feed.
Neil Gaiman has emerged as one of today’s best fanÂtaÂsy writÂers. He has made comics respectable and pubÂlished novÂels, includÂing one that will be adaptÂed by HBO. A great deal of his outÂput, though, has been in the form of short stoÂries, some availÂable on the web in text forÂmat, othÂers in audio.
The Truth Is a Cave in the Black MounÂtains – Read Online
Between 1982 and 2000, Rudy RuckÂer wrote a series of four sci-fi novÂels that formed The Ware TetralÂoÂgy. The first two books in the series – SoftÂware and WetÂware – won the Philip K. Dick Award for best novÂel. And William GibÂson has called RuckÂer “a natÂurÂal-born AmerÂiÂcan street surÂreÂalÂist” or, more simÂply, one sui generÂis dude. And now the even betÂter part: RuckÂer (who hapÂpens to be the great-great-great-grandÂson of Hegel) has released The Ware TetralÂoÂgy under a CreÂative ComÂmons license, and you can downÂload the full text for free in PDF and RTF forÂmats. In total, the colÂlecÂtion runs 800+ pages.
In 2009, BrookÂlyn-based Web develÂopÂer Casey Pugh was lookÂing for a new way to explore the potenÂtial of crowd-sourcÂing when he hit upon an idea of galacÂtic proÂporÂtions. He took the origÂiÂnal 1977 Star Wars film (latÂer known as Episode IV: A New Hope in the chronoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly ordered six-part series) and chopped it into 15-secÂond pieces, invitÂing fans from around the world to choose a piece and re-creÂate it in whatÂevÂer mediÂum they liked: live-action, pupÂpetry, aniÂmaÂtion, you name it. Three years and one Emmy Award latÂer, Pugh and his team have put the best pieces togethÂer and (with the blessÂing of Star Wars creÂator George Lucas) released the finÂished film, Star Wars Uncut: The DirecÂtor’s Cut. It runs a fun two hours and five minÂutes. You can watch the comÂplete movie above and learn more on the offiÂcial webÂsite.
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If you’re not intiÂmateÂly familÂiar with his novÂels, then you assuredÂly know major films based on Dick’s work – Blade RunÂner, Total Recall, A ScanÂner DarkÂlyand MinorÂiÂty Report. Today, we bring you anothÂer way to get acquaintÂed with his writÂing. We’re preÂsentÂing a selecÂtion of DickÂ’s stoÂries availÂable for free on the web. Below we have culled togethÂer 11 short stoÂries from our colÂlecÂtions. Some of the stoÂries colÂlectÂed here have also found their way into the recentÂly-pubÂlished book, SelectÂed StoÂries by Philip K. Dick, which feaÂtures an introÂducÂtion by Jonathan Lethem.
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