#1: Verne/Wells/Gernsback/Burroughs/Doyle/Wylie/E. Smith/Zamyatin

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

Science Fiction Visionaries: #1

So, as our trek through fantasy began with some of the trope codifiers, I feel it's only natural to start with some of the earliest and most notable trendsetters of science fiction. In many ways, this particular set of authors pretty much invented the genre, although there are other debatable starting points. But for our situation, I think this will do. So, who wants to dig in?



JULES VERNE (1828-1905)

A visionary author of incredible literary esteem in French and European circles, though his Anglophone reputation has been marred by subpar translations and abridgement, Jules Verne holds the great distinction of being the second most-translated author in the world, situated between crime legend Agatha Christie and the venerable William Shakespeare. For over a century and a half, his Voyages Extraordinaires have thrilled audiences with their mix of exotic adventure and prescient scientific predictions in standout titles like Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in Eighty Days, and The Mysterious Island. The literary avant-garde and surrealist movements are among the most notable crowds influenced by his eternally fresh style.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Verne)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/verne_jules)
The North American Jules Verne Society (http://www.najvs.org/publications.shtml)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jules-Verne)
Zvi Har'El's Jules Verne Collection (http://jv.gilead.org.il/)
Tor.com – On This Day: Jules Verne (https://www.tor.com/2017/02/08/jules-vernes-love-of-adventure-took-us-from-the-center-of-the-earth-to-the-surface-of-the-moon/)
Tor.com – On the Origins of Modern Biology and the Fantastic, Part 1: Verne and Darwin (https://www.tor.com/2018/03/21/on-the-origins-of-modern-biology-and-the-fantastic-part-1-verne-and-darwin/)
Forbes.com – The Geology of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth (https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2019/02/08/the-geology-of-jules-vernes-journey-to-the-centre-of-the-earth/#30f54bba5197)



H. G. WELLS (1866-1946)

As well-known as Verne, Herbert George Wells was a futurist of his day, a forward-thinking social critic whose works foresaw many of the modern developments that we now take for granted, both the beneficial and the destructive. His early work remains his most long-lasting, consisting of such classics as The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, When the Sleeper Wakes, and The First Men in the Moon. Later works became more political and didactic, although standouts include The Food of the Gods, In the Days of the Comet, The War in the Air, Tono-Bungay, The History of Mr. Polly, and The Shape of Things to Come.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=wells_h_g)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/wells_h_g)
The H. G. Wells Society (http://hgwellssociety.com/)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/H-G-Wells)
Wells at the World's End – An H. G. Wells Blog (http://wellsattheworldsend.blogspot.com/)
Tor.com – On This Day: H. G. Wells (https://www.tor.com/2016/09/21/on-this-day-h-g-wells/)
Tor.com – H. G. Wells and the Dream of Astronomy (https://www.tor.com/2015/05/12/hg-wells-and-the-dream-of-astronomy/)
Tor.com – On the Origins of Modern Biology and the Fantastic, Part 2: Wells and Mendel (https://www.tor.com/2018/04/19/on-the-origins-of-modern-biology-and-the-fantastic-part-2-wells-and-mendel/)



HUGO GERNSBACK (1884-1967)

An immigrant from Luxembourg, Hugo Gernsback was a pioneer in the promotion of radio and other early wireless technology before turning to what he dubbed "scientifiction", the most notable of which would be his novel Ralph 124C 41+, an optimistic future history regarded as an important text in the development of science fiction literature, though marred by an inept clunkiness. His major contribution, however, was as a publisher, having founded the pulp magazine Amazing Stories in 1926, thereby providing a public forum from which science fiction could become a major literary movement; numerous other magazines would follow, though he would gain notoriety for less-than-honest business practices. In honor of his work, for better or worse, one of the major annual science fiction awards has been christened as the Hugo.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Gernsback)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/gernsback_hugo)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hugo-Gernsback)
Dan Dare – The Father of Science Fiction: Hugo Gernsback (http://www.dandare.info/info/gernsback.htm)
The Vintage News – Hugo Gernsback (https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/05/25/hugo-gernsback/)



EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS (1875-1950)

Edgar Rice Burroughs lived a life of numerous false starts before turning to writing at age 36, after which he would become one of the most successful storytellers of the early 20th century with his numerous novels of adventure set in exotic locations from the depths of Africa to the planet Mars. Among his most beloved works is the saga of John Carter of Mars, introduced in A Princess of Mars, in which the titular American Civil War veteran is transported to Mars (called "Barsoom" by its inhabitants), finds himself possessed of superhuman physicality brought on by the planet's alien atmosphere, and becomes enamored of a captive princess; other tales of note are At the Earth's Core, set in the underground world of Pellucidar, and The Land That Time Forgot, where British and German forces become stranded on a remote island teeming with prehistoric life. His greatest success is arguably the cultural icon of the jungle hero Tarzan, which, beginning with Tarzan of the Apes, would spawn a nearly unprecedented multimedia franchise, though the book would be retrospectively viewed as carrying racist undertones; a total of 23 further entries would follow, some published posthumously.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Rice_Burroughs)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=burroughs_edgar_rice)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/burroughs_edgar_rice)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-Rice-Burroughs)
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. (https://www.edgarriceburroughs.com/)
Tor.com – On the Origins of Modern Biology and the Fantastic, Part 4: Edgar Rice Burroughs and Theodosius Dobzhansky (https://www.tor.com/2018/06/14/on-the-origins-of-modern-biology-and-the-fantastic-part-4-edgar-rice-burroughs-and-theodosius-dobzhansky/)
Tor.com – Heredity, Environment, and a Few Dead Lions: Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes (https://www.tor.com/2016/04/07/heredity-environment-and-a-few-dead-lions-edgar-rice-burroughs-tarzan-of-the-apes/)
Tor.com – John Carter and the Origins of Science Fiction Adventure: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (https://www.tor.com/2019/05/23/john-carter-and-the-origins-of-science-fiction-adventure-a-princess-of-mars-by-edgar-rice-burroughs/)
Black Gate – Edgar Rice Burroughs's Mars, Part 1: A Princess of Mars (https://www.blackgate.com/2012/01/03/edgar-rice-burroughs's-mars-part-1-a-princess-of-mars/)



ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (1859-1930)

Originally a physician, Doyle is best known as the creator of the numerous short stories and novels featuring the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. However, he was also a prolific writer in other genres. His contributions to science fiction rest primarily on the stories featuring Professor George Edward Challenger, particularly the classic The Lost World, which was followed by two lesser-known sequels, The Poison Belt and The Land of Mist. Other works of speculative fiction include The Mystery of Cloomber and stories such as "Lot No. 249", "The Terror of Blue John Gap", and "The Horror of the Heights."

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Conan_Doyle)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=doyle_arthur_conan)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/doyle_arthur_conan)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arthur-Conan-Doyle)
The Official Arthur Conan Doyle Website (https://www.arthurconandoyle.com/)
Eight Miles Higher – "Our Eyes Have Seen Great Wonders": The Lost Worlds of Arthur Conan Doyle (https://andrewdarlington.blogspot.com/2014/11/arthur-conan-doyle-his-science-fiction.html)
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers in the Great War: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (https://fantastic-writers-and-the-great-war.com/the-writers/sir-arthur-conan-doyle/)
Tor.com – Dinosaurs in the Amazon: The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (https://www.tor.com/2018/03/15/dinosaurs-in-the-amazon-the-lost-world-by-arthur-conan-doyle/)



PHILIP WYLIE (1902-1971)

Philip Wylie is not very well known today, but his early work has been inferred to be highly influential in much of early pop culture. Gladiator, recounting the life of a genetically engineered superhuman, has been speculated to be partially responsible for the creation of Superman, and the central plot of The Savage Gentleman is noted for its close similarities to pulp hero Doc Savage; finally, When Worlds Collide, co-written with Edwin Balmer, was used as the basis for Alex Raymond's seminal comic strip Flash Gordon. Other works approached novel social and ethical mores, such as gender relations in the absence of either (The Disappearance), nuclear war and civil defense (Tomorrow! and Triumph), and ecological catastrophe (The End of the Dream).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Wylie)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/wylie_philip)
Science Fiction Studies – When World-Views Collide: Philip Wylie in the Twenty-First Century (https://www.depauw.edu/sfs/review_essays/feeley95.htm)
Fantastical Andrew Fox – Review of Gladiator (http://www.fantasticalandrewfox.com/book-reviews/gladiator-by-philip-wylie/)
Skulls in the Stars – Philip Wylie's Gladiator (https://skullsinthestars.com/2012/05/24/philip-wylies-gladiator-1930/)
Black Gate – The Unfulfilled Superhero: Philip Wylie's Gladiator (https://www.blackgate.com/2013/06/09/the-unfulfilled-superhero-philip-wylies-gladiator/)



E. E. SMITH (1890-1965)

Some authors come from the most unlikely of places. As such, it seems incredible that a food engineer specializing in doughnuts and pastry mixes would ever become a contributor to popular fiction. However, Edward Elmer Smith, nicknamed "Doc" by his fans, is regarded as the father of space opera, having penned such wildly imaginative works as the Skylark tetralogy, pitting a heroic scientist and his space drive against starships, alien civilizations, and a larger-than-life villain, and the Lensman series, in which galactic peace rests in the hands of an elite corps of psionic soldiers entrusted with quasi-magical talismans ("lenses"). Theses works would inspire countless following writers and set the stage for the development of DC Comics' Green Lantern Corps and the Star Wars franchise.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._E._Smith)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/smith_e_e)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/E-E-Smith)
TV Tropes (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/EEDocSmith)
Fantastic Worlds – The Seminal Status of "Doc" Smith's Lensman Series (https://fantasticworlds-jordan179.blogspot.com/2011/04/seminal-status-of-doc-smiths-lensman.html)



YEVGENY ZAMYATIN (1884-1937)

Yevgeny Zamyatin was an early Bolshevik and supporter of the Russian Communist Party, but after the October Revolution, being a writer himself, he became uneasy with their increasing totalitarian policies, including censorship. In response, from 1920 to 1921, he wrote We, one of the very first future dystopian novels of its kind, envisioning a united yet oppressive "One State" where individuality and emotion is eliminated under the justification of logic and reason, while a mathematician experiences love for the first time. The novel was the first work banned by the Soviet censorship board, so Zamyatin arranged for it to be smuggled into the West; while his subsequent Russian reputation deteriorated, his work provided a direct inspiration for Orwell, and he has since been recognized as one of the first Soviet dissidents.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Zamyatin)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/zamiatin_yevgeny)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yevgeny-Zamyatin)
Spartacus Educational – Yevgeny Zamyatin (https://spartacus-educational.com/RUSzamyatin.htm)
Mental Floss – We: The Novel That Inspired George Orwell's 1984 (http://mentalfloss.com/article/64492/we-novel-inspired-george-orwells-1984)
Mises Institute – Yevgeny Zamyatin: Libertarian Novelist (https://mises.org/library/yevgeny-zamyatin-libertarian-novelist)



And so it begins. I already have my next few entries planned out, so I'll try to get to them as soon as you can. I can only hope that this series is as enjoyable as my fantasy excursion. If you want to discuss these authors and their works, please leave a comment below, and for further talk, check out the forum topic here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,221.0.html#forum