For book collectors, vintage science fiction titles hold a special appeal. They're not just portals to different worlds — all fiction can do that — but time-traveling excursions into the past to see how the greatest visionaries of the day imagined the future.
Whether it is a leather-bound copy of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea from 1870, a well-thumbed paperback of Philip K. Dick’s 1968 dystopian nightmare Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, or a beautifully preserved copy of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation from 1951, vintage sci fi classics provide both glimpses of the future and windows on the past. The fact that authors like Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451), Frank Herbert (Dune), and Robert Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land) were also amazing writers is simply icing on the cake.
Interviews & Articles
Daniel H. Wilson on Robot Uprisings and Hollywood Sci-Fi Blockbusters

As a kid, I played with lots of robot toys, like Gobots and Transformers. Of course, robots are up there in the pantheon of pop cu… [more]
Rare Books: The Time Machine

One of my favorite "books as objects" is the first edition of H.G. Wells’ “The Time Machine: an Invention.” Published in 1895, it … [more]
To Catch A Thief: A Rare Book Expert on His Literary Obsessions

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t read books. In grade school, I devoured library books. I also loved comic books, and was whe… [more]
The Last Word on First Editions

Strictly speaking, a book’s edition refers to the setting of the text. So the first time you set the text and print a book with it… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
The Art of Penguin Science Fiction

James Pardey's ode to Penguin science fiction book covers may take a while to load, but the wait is worth it. He's … [read review or visit site]
Google Book Search

Want to do one quick search and pull up the mother lode of vintage books? Try Google Book Search, a database filled… [read review or visit site]
Bookscans.com

Bruce Black's gallery of paperback book covers from the 1940s and 50s. With help from numerous contributors, he's a… [read review or visit site]
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Recent News: Science Fiction Books
Source: Google News
Balticon: As fans beam down, Baltimore Science Fiction Society celebrates 50 ...
Baltimore Post-Examiner, May 24thHe saw me reading one of those double-sided Ace science fiction books and struck up a conversation. Jack told me about an entire world of science fiction fandom I didn't even “These were great sci-fi movies. There was only one movie I couldn't...Read more
Why do Science Fiction Authors (and readers) gravitate towards Dystopian ...
Lifeboat Foundation (blog), May 24thNo one could come up with a good reason on why they liked it better than the other, except that it “looked more sci-fi” I settled for the design on the right, though it was a very hard decision to make. I was throwing away one of the biggest draws to a...Read more
Updated: Vice's Motherboard Postpones Sci-Fi Film Contest
Variety, May 22ndMotherboard, Vice Media's tech-oriented website, has been forced to delay a competition soliciting sci-fi short stories — with winning yarn spun into a CGI short film — after it launched the promo this week before officially signing sponsorship deal...Read more
ACTION BURGER: Brooklyn's Finest Comic Book/Sci-Fi Restaurant
Unleash The Fanboy, May 22ndAt last year's NY Comic Con, a magical cosplay creature handed me a coupon for Action Burger, the only Sci-fi/Comic book themed restaurant in all the world. On a recent trip to Brooklyn, my tummy was in the mood for some delicious dork-burger so I...Read more
Geek's Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Drop – June 2013
Geek Magazine (blog), May 21stbeautiful land Geeks Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Drop – June 2013 What it's about: Takahiro O'Leary works for the Axon Corporation as a parallel timeline expert, using information about similar worlds to maximize the profits of his employer. When he...Read more
Iain Banks defends his science fiction novels in update to fans
Telegraph.co.uk, May 21stBanks wrote that his mainstream novels, which include his debut novel The Wasp Factory and his forthcoming book The Quarry, "always outsold" his science fiction novels "by a ratio of about three or four to one". (Banks authors his mainstream novels as...Read more
Science fiction – review roundup
The Guardian, May 8thThe Best of All Possible Worlds (Jo Fletcher Books, £20) is a planetary romance that tells the tragic story of the Sadiri people, a telepathic strain of humanity whose race was almost wiped out before the novel opens. Grace Delerua, a Terran...Read more
Geek's Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Drop - May 2013
Geek Magazine (blog), April 24thYou've got some epic and urban fantasy, but quite a bit of military science fiction alongside some collections of critically acclaimed authors. It looks to be a good blend of the fantastic to look forward to. Here's a handful of books for you to...Read more
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