Astounding Wonder: Imagining Science and Science Fiction in Interwar America

Abstract

The period between the world wars was a crucial one for the evolution of science fiction, and John Cheng's new study sets an impressive new standard with its detailed historical examination of the science fiction “pulps”—magazines named for the cheap quality of their paper. Cheng argues that the recurrence of key terms such as astounding or amazing—words that became woven into the titles of journals, reflected an ideological linkage between science, knowledge, and progress. One of his most valuable insights is to document how the pulp magazine became a “place for cultural expression, activity, and exchange,” extending its role beyond publishing fiction (p. 52). Known variously as “the readers' corner” or “the discussion department,” sections of these magazines offered readers a means of participating, often with authors themselves, in a broad ongoing debate about the nature of science fiction, the place of slang, and a host of other related topics (pp. 55, 223). Cheng rightly stresses the importance of the author and editor Hugo Gernsback, who championed the free and open discussion of science in his pages and also promoted amateur radio.