#11 – John W. Campbell and the Golden Age of Sci-Fi

S2E21: Donna Barba Higuera Interview A Reader's History of Science Fiction

In this episode, I interview Donna Barba Higuera, author of the Newbery winning sci-fi novel, The Last Cuentista (which I've previously recommended). Donna's book recommendation: Reclaim the Stars, edited by Zoraida Córdova Donna's website
  1. S2E21: Donna Barba Higuera Interview
  2. S2E20: Newbery Medal Winners
  3. S2E19: Multiverse Fiction
  4. S2E18: Catch-Up Episode #7: Sci-Fi Action Movies
  5. S2E17: Science Fiction in Video Games

John W. Campbell was the controversial longtime editor of Astounding Science Fiction who single-handedly directed the course of science fiction in the 1940s, a time that is not called the “golden age of sci-fi.” However, I argue the golden age continued through the 1950s as writers who got their start under Campbell began publishing on their own.

Book recommendation: Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement.

Robert Silverberg on the golden age.
The Internet Speculative Fiction Database’s “Most-Viewed Short Fiction.”
Cory Doctorow on Campbell.
My essay on “The Cold Equations.”

Other books mentioned:
The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle

Check out this episode!

About Alex R. Howe

I'm a full-time astrophysicist and a part-time science fiction writer.
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