Hugo and Locus Award FinalistAn Economist Best Book of the YearA Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Best Book of 2018“An amazing and engrossing history…Insightful, entertaining, and compulsively readable.” — George R. R. MartinAstounding 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 … 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Drawing on unexplored archives, thousands of unpublished letters, and dozens of interviews, Alec Nevala-Lee offers a riveting portrait of this circle of authors, their work, and their tumultuous private lives.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.
“Enthralling…A clarion call to enlarge American literary history.” — Washington Post
“Engrossing, well-researched… This sure-footed history addresses important issues, such as the lack of racial diversity and gender parity for much of the genre’s history.” — Wall Street Journal
“A gift to science fiction fans everywhere.” — Sylvia Nasar, New York Times bestselling author of A Beautiful Mind
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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.
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.
Superbly written biography about the founders of the science fiction genre. It won’t lead to any hero worship of these guys, though. Racism, sexism, and insane cults abound.
I recently finished reading this one and found it fascinating and well-done. Paints interesting and unflinching portraits of Campbell and the trio of authors who figured so prominently in the time span often referred to as science fiction’s “Golden Age.” Definitely worth reading.
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!
Excellent discussion of a critically important component of modern culture.
I gave it five stars despite occasionally unaware or myopic discussions about some key points. Although the author has credits as a science fiction writer he occasionally seems to be more of an outsider to the culture than you would expect.
Nevertheless, If you are interested in this period of science fiction this is a must read book despite the relatively minor flaws.
And given the profound impact of the magazine Astounding and of the people discussed in this book on today’s science fiction, if you’re interested in science-fiction at all you really should read this book.
Really in depth, behind the scenes story telling. You feel like you were there. So much information it will drown you. Very well written.
Very much for hard-core sci-fi fans, it’s the story of the amazing influence John W. Campbell had on the evolution of science fiction, and how his eccentric views helped support the unfortunate emergence of Scientology. It’s a story that brings in the careers and personalities of Asimov, Heinlein and Hubbard. Campbell actually believed that he and these writers were inventing science, not fiction. It’s as if Ellery Queen’s editors thought they were solving actual crimes. Very weird.
This gave an interesting and informative insight into the four leading forces of the Golden Age and after of Science Fiction. Any fan of the genre would learn something from this book.
This book details the history of Science fiction writing and authors in the early 20th century. Fascinating biographical accounts of the three most influential authors that started the genre and the Editor who actually made it all happen.
It’s not possible to read one of Nevala-Lee’s books or stories without learning something. Whatever the subject, his work is always well-researched, beautifully written, and entertaining. What more can a reader ask?
Good history of the leaders of the golden age. I read them in the 1960s.
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.
A gift to science fiction fans everywhere.
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.