Overview

""A big biography of John Campbell, the genius magazine editor who created a mass market for science fiction, couldn't be timelier. Alec Nevala-Lee's granular portrait of Campbell and the quirky superstars whose careers he launched in the 1940s and 1950s is a gift to science fiction fans everywhere."" -- Sylvia Nasar, New York Times bestselling author of A Beautiful Mind ""[Astounding] is a major work of popular culture scholarship that science fiction fans will devour."" -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) Astounding is the landmark account of the extraordinary partnership between four controversial writers--John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and L. Ron Hubbard--who set off a revolution in science fiction and forever changed our world. This remarkable cultural narrative centers on the figure of John W. Campbell, Jr., whom Asimov called ""the most powerful force in science fiction ever."" Campbell, who has never been the subject of a biography until now, was both a visionary author--he wrote the story that was later filmed as The Thing--and the editor of the groundbreaking magazine best known as Astounding Science Fiction, in which he discovered countless legendary writers and published classic works ranging from the I, Robot series to Dune. Over a period of more than thirty years, from the rise of the pulps to the debut of Star Trek, he dominated the genre, and his three closest collaborators reached unimaginable heights. Asimov became the most prolific author in American history; Heinlein emerged as the leading science fiction writer of his generation with the novels Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land; and Hubbard achieved lasting fame--and infamy--as the founder of the Church of Scientology. Drawing on unexplored archives, thousands of unpublished letters, and dozens of interviews, Alec Nevala-Lee offers a riveting portrait of this circle of authors, their work, and their tumultuous private lives. With unprecedented scope, drama, and detail, Astounding describes how fan culture was born in the depths of the Great Depression; follows these four friends and rivals through World War II and the dawn of the atomic era; and honors such exceptional women as Doña Campbell and Leslyn Heinlein, whose pivotal roles in the history of the genre have gone largely unacknowledged. For the first time, it reveals the startling extent of Campbell's influence on the ideas that evolved into Scientology, which prompted Asimov to observe: ""I knew Campbell and I knew Hubbard, and no movement can have two Messiahs."" It looks unsparingly at the tragic final act that estranged the others from Campbell, bringing the golden age of science fiction to a close, and it illuminates how their complicated legacy continues to shape the imaginations of millions and our vision of the future itself.

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9781538552063

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Reviews

"This is a fascinating, well-written, and deeply researched account of the golden age of science fiction. The lives of the writers are every bit as compelling as their best stories and Nevala-Lee brings them alive.-- ""Jon Atack, author of Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky: Hubbard, Dianetics and Scientology"" A big biography of John Campbell, the genius magazine editor who created a mass market for science fiction, couldn't be timelier. Alec Nevala-Lee's granular portrait of Campbell and the quirky superstars whose careers he launched in the 1940s and 1950s is a gift to science fiction fans everywhere.-- ""Sylvia Nasar, New York Times bestselling author of A Beautiful Mind"" A riveting read-a journey to another dimension, one that tells us a lot about creativity, human resilience, and even American exceptionalism. The book is a must read for lovers of science fiction, to be sure, but really for anyone interested in culture, and how it jumps, bounces, and changes.-- ""Cass R. Sunstein, New York Times bestselling author of The World According to Star Wars, and Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School"" Science fiction has been awaiting this history/biography for more than half a century....Here it is. This is the most important historical and critical work my field has ever seen. Alec Nevala-Lee's superb scholarship and insight have made the seemingly impossible a radiant and irreplaceable gift.-- ""Barry N. Malzberg, author of Beyond Apollo"" Alec Nevala-Lee has brilliantly recreated the era eighty years ago when a handful of dedicated writers and one extraordinary editor gave American science fiction its modern shape. It is a remarkable work of literary history.-- ""Robert Silverberg, Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America"" A laser-sharp study of science fiction's golden age, the product of a small circle of writers and their guiding editor...Nevala-Lee's warts-and-all look is a welcome contribution to the study of popular literature.-- ""Kirkus Reviews"" Astounding is a sharp and detailed history of some of the major players in one of the most significant periods in modern science fiction. Highly recommended!-- ""Greg Bear, author of Blood Music"" [Astounding] is a major work of popular culture scholarship that science fiction fans will devour.-- ""Publishers Weekly (starred review)"" The golden age of science fiction, spanning the years 1939 to 1950, gets an authoritative examination in this fascinating appraisal of its key players...A major work of popular culture scholarship that science fiction fans will devour. -- ""Publishers Weekly (starred review)"" Astounding has taught me things I didn't know; put in context things I did know; and corrected things I thought I knew. This is a wonderful, well-written book; a delight to read.-- ""David Drake, author of Hammer's Slammers"" A laser-sharp study of science fiction's golden age, the product of a small circle of writers and their guiding editor...A welcome contribution to the study of popular literature. -- ""Kirkus Reviews"" Alec Nevala-Lee has brilliantly recreated the era...A remarkable work of literary history. -- ""Robert Silverberg, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author"""

This is a fascinating, well-written, and deeply researched account of the golden age of science fiction. The lives of the writers are every bit as compelling as their best stories and Nevala-Lee brings them alive.-- Jon Atack, author of Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky: Hubbard, Dianetics and Scientology A big biography of John Campbell, the genius magazine editor who created a mass market for science fiction, couldn't be timelier. Alec Nevala-Lee's granular portrait of Campbell and the quirky superstars whose careers he launched in the 1940s and 1950s is a gift to science fiction fans everywhere.-- Sylvia Nasar, New York Times bestselling author of A Beautiful Mind A riveting read-a journey to another dimension, one that tells us a lot about creativity, human resilience, and even American exceptionalism. The book is a must read for lovers of science fiction, to be sure, but really for anyone interested in culture, and how it jumps, bounces, and changes.-- Cass R. Sunstein, New York Times bestselling author of The World According to Star Wars, and Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School Science fiction has been awaiting this history/biography for more than half a century....Here it is. This is the most important historical and critical work my field has ever seen. Alec Nevala-Lee's superb scholarship and insight have made the seemingly impossible a radiant and irreplaceable gift.-- Barry N. Malzberg, author of Beyond Apollo Alec Nevala-Lee has brilliantly recreated the era eighty years ago when a handful of dedicated writers and one extraordinary editor gave American science fiction its modern shape. It is a remarkable work of literary history.-- Robert Silverberg, Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America A laser-sharp study of science fiction's golden age, the product of a small circle of writers and their guiding editor...Nevala-Lee's warts-and-all look is a welcome contribution to the study of popular literature.-- Kirkus Reviews Alec Nevala-Lee has brilliantly recreated the era...A remarkable work of literary history. -- Robert Silverberg, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author A laser-sharp study of science fiction's golden age, the product of a small circle of writers and their guiding editor...A welcome contribution to the study of popular literature. -- Kirkus Reviews Astounding has taught me things I didn't know; put in context things I did know; and corrected things I thought I knew. This is a wonderful, well-written book; a delight to read.-- David Drake, author of Hammer's Slammers The golden age of science fiction, spanning the years 1939 to 1950, gets an authoritative examination in this fascinating appraisal of its key players...A major work of popular culture scholarship that science fiction fans will devour. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) [Astounding] is a major work of popular culture scholarship that science fiction fans will devour.-- Publishers Weekly (starred review) Astounding is a sharp and detailed history of some of the major players in one of the most significant periods in modern science fiction. Highly recommended!-- Greg Bear, author of Blood Music

Author Information

Alec Nevala-Lee was born in Castro Valley, California, and graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in classics. He is the author of three novels, including The Icon Thief, and his stories have been published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Lightspeed, and The Year's Best Science Fiction. His nonfiction has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Beast, Salon, Longreads, the Rumpus, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. He lives with his wife and daughter in Oak Park, Illinois. Sean Runnette, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, has also directed and produced more than two hundred audiobooks, including several Audie Award winners. He is a member of the American Repertory Theater company and has toured the United States and internationally with ART and Mabou Mines. His television and film appearances include Two If by Sea, Cop Land, Sex and the City, Law & Order, the award-winning film Easter, and numerous commercials.

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