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The “Golden Book” Age of SF

Nurturing subgenres and thematic expansion

(Romanian)

We have reached the period of the ’50s… From an “academic” point of view, this falls within what is called the “Golden Period,” with some “personal” clarifications (from the author).

This “Golden Age” of science fiction literature is generally considered the chronological interval of 1938—the early 1950s, an interval consecrated as such by historians and literary critics of the genre due to the explosion of creativity, innovation, and maturation of the genre.

But the phrase “Golden Age of Science Fiction” was popularized by critic and writer John W. Campbell, editor of Astounding Science Fiction magazine (the most influential publication of that period/era, which later became Analog Science Fiction and Fact), Campbell being a mentor and promoter of a more mature and scientific style of science fiction, imposing higher standards of scientific rigor, characterization and narrative construction (but along with Galaxy Science Fiction, which debuted in 1950, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, publications expanded the field of SF towards more experimental and satirical approaches).

The considerations on which this name was arrived at were represented by the “finding” that this era was marked by the maturation of SF narrative (abandoning the pulp style full of clichés and naive adventures), the deeper exploration of science, technology and their impact on society, as well as the focus on hard SF, where scientific laws are strictly respected.

But is that the case (as a first question)?

Apoi, majoritatea istoricilor plasează sfârșitul acestei Perioadei de Aur la începutul anilor 1950, „punctele de referință” fiind apariția revistelor precum Galaxy Science Fiction (1950), când SF-ul începe să devină „mai introspectiv, mai experimental și mai social-politic”, prefigurând „New Wave” (anii ’60), până ce, în 1965, apariția Dune (Frank Herbert) reprezintă punctul de cotitură spre o nouă etapă a SF-ului.

Then, most historians place the end of this Golden Age at the beginning of the 1950s, the “reference points” being the appearance of magazines such as Galaxy Science Fiction (1950), when SF began to become “more introspective, more experimental and more socio-political“, foreshadowing the “New Wave” (1960s), until, in 1965, the appearance of Dune (Frank Herbert) represents the turning point towards a new stage of SF.

But not an “individual turning point” but framed in an ensemble to evolve, which, from this period, will also have cinema and television series with a science fiction specific (recalling, for example, about 1969, the year of humanity’s moon landing, a moment relatively outside of fiction but which confirmed the previous thinkers, categorized as fiction writers, then “Fantasy”, then, with what would be the confirmations of science, it gradually became “Science Fiction”). But let’s get back to our analysis!

Yes, there would be some arguments represented by the emergence of genre-defining writers, such as Isaac Asimov (Foundation, I, Robot), Arthur C. Clarke (Childhood’s End, The Sentinel), Robert A. Heinlein (Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land), Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles – more lyrical, with soft SF influences), A. E. van Vogt, Lester del Rey, Clifford D. Simak, Poul Anderson, etc.

The major themes of the period were:

• Space colonization and the future of humanity (Farmer in the Sky – Heinlein).
• First contact with aliens (The Sentinel – Clarke, inspiration for 2001: A Space Odyssey).
• Robotics and artificial intelligence (I, Robot – Asimov, who formulates the famous Three Laws of Robotics).
• Galactic Empires and Alternate History (Foundation – Asimov).
• Exploring the human and philosophical dimensions of science.

But, as you will notice, the golden age of SF (1938—early 1950s) was “declared” as the era in which the genre matured, based on science and the exploration of the human future, or in which science fiction became more than entertainment, becoming a literature of ideas and possibilities. It was somewhat later, starting in the ’50s and only ending in the early ’70s.

And we will go through the arguments necessary for my statement together (coming to the second question).

Then, we forget something quite interesting… The period of the ’50s – ’60s is referred to as the “Death of Pulp”… And the “academic” arguments regarding this expression relate to the increase in the popularity of paperbacks and television (which will “attract” what would be the definite manifestation of the image via cinema and television series) which led to a decrease in interest in pulp magazines through what would be the “diversification offered by science fiction”.

However, perhaps for the last time, I will mention the “pulp magazines” because they have a kind of legacy of their own in the SF culture, influencing, first of all, the Golden Age of SF through the pulp-trained authors, who raised SF to a new level, contributing to its recognition as respectable literature, the pulp magazine period being essential for the development of the science fiction genre, transforming it from a simple magazine entertainment into a serious literature, with a profound impact, a transformation without which modern SF, as we know it today, would not have existed.

Then, why not, they were the source of inspiration for films and comics, such as “Flash Gordon“, “Star Wars” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” which are full of pulp influences.

However, even though it “died”, the pulp magazine remained a model for modern science fiction, transforming into online magazines, such as Clarkesworld or Lightspeed Magazine, as the clear spiritual heirs of the pulp era.

Returning to “closing the last question mark”, let’s not forget that we are only discussing the “Golden Age of Science Fiction Books” and, from my point of view, not the “Golden Age of Science Fiction” which, due to, for example, the appearance in 1959 of the first awards addressing both cinema and television series of the “Science Fiction” genre (the “image” as a whole)!

Because to discuss the whole of what the “Science Fiction” genre would be, I think it would be necessary to “cover” the image, which had the same “justifications” for the name in terms of the “book” only in the ’60s and ’70s…

Only then can we discuss some kind of final demarcation regarding this “Golden Age of Science Fiction”…

But, there is much to argue (in what follows), and, as a first step, let’s go through the novels of the ’50s!

Regarding the “science fiction book/novel”, the first argument is represented by the fact that, in those days, there was still no clear, for the most part, kind of “classification” break between the “Fantasy” and “Science Fiction” genres… Not to mention the “Science Fiction” subgenres that were still developing, they still “appeared” with the “label” of “defining the subgenre…”.

So, without delving into too many examples (since my effort is oriented quite strictly towards serialized “Science Fiction”, avoiding the possible error of omitting the sustained work, which brings the possible veracity of the narrative, that appears in “short stories”), in that period the “Fantasy” genre was represented by novels such as…

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (1950) is a classic work of children’s literature, marking the beginning of the “Chronicles of Narnia” series, one of the most influential works in fantasy literature. A novel that, like a bridge between fairy tale and epic fantasy, unlike previous fantasy works, which either had a strictly mythological tone (such as Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” or “The Hobbit“) or were addressed exclusively to children (such as J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan“), now combines the adventure of fairy tales with the complexity of epic fantasy, a bridge that precedes a style (accessible to both children and teenagers) that will become defining for Young Adult Fantasy literature.

The novel is a magical and adventurous story, that explores deep themes such as good and evil, courage and betrayal, and faith and sacrifice, Lewis creates a fantasy world (Narnia is a place of wonders, but also dangers, where the good and evil fight for supremacy), populated by mythical creatures and talking animals, which is accessible through a magic wardrobe (which serves as a gateway between the real world and the fantasy world of Narnia, facilitating the transition from one literary genre to another, emphasizing the SF-F “link”, the concept of a “magic gate” that connects the real world to a magical realm becoming a classic theme in fantasy literature, being later taken up in works such as “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by the same author, “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling or “Coraline” by Neil Gaiman).

The four main characters, the Pevensie children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy), are complex and well-defined characters, who face challenges and dangers, but also moments of joy and camaraderie, whereas Aslan, the great and wise lion, is a symbol of goodness and sacrifice, a clear moral vision, where good and evil are easily distinguishable, a perception typical of fantasy literature from the mid-20th century, before the genre became more ambiguous and complex (as happens in “Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin).

The novel contains numerous Christian symbols and themes (already characteristic of Lewis’s style, the novel is considered to have an allegorical dimension that generated both admiration and criticism, some considering the novel to be too didactic in transmitting the Christian message), such as Aslan’s sacrifice, which recalls the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (to save a character who betrayed and later resurrected, Edmund, the traitor, parallel to Judas, but also to the sinner who can be saved), in the fight with the White Witch, a symbol of evil and darkness, who dominates Narnia in an eternal, hopeless winter, being a powerful and evil antagonist, who fights against the forces of good, represented by Aslan and the Pevensie children.

So, the novel has inspired generations of writers and readers, been adapted into films several times, reaching an even larger audience, including what Lewis receives, although he initially thought of everything as an independent novel, its success led to the development of an entire seven-volume series, including the fact that this type of story has influenced many subsequent works, including “His Dark Materials” (Philip Pullman) and “Percy Jackson” (Rick Riordan).

A representation that is not only reflected in the “pure” manifestation of the “Fantasy” genre but also in “fusion” novels between “Fantasy” and “Science Fiction” between genres, such as…

The Dying Earth by Jack Vance (1950) is a seminal work of the fantasy genre (a masterpiece of speculative fiction), giving rise to an entire subgenre known as “Dying Earth”, represented by a collection of six interconnected stories (each featuring different characters and adventures, but all taking place in the same twilight world) that take us to a distant future, in which Earth is a strange and magical place, in the twilight of its existence.

Vance stands out for his elegant and sophisticated literary style, which combines elements of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, with a rich and imaginative language that creates through descriptive prose a fascinating world (in an extremely distant future), full of magic (magic is treated logically and systematically, and many spells are named and used like computer programs from an ancient world), lost technology and eccentric characters, in a dreamlike, melancholic, exotic, gloomy and decadent atmosphere and full of mystery. which outlines an Earth at the end of time, where the sun is about to go out (the planet being in irreversible decline, civilization, after reaching incredible heights in the past, is now in a decadent phase, with reminiscences of a glorious era gone by), and magic has replaced science, becoming a place of wonders and dangers, populated by bizarre creatures and eccentric characters.

The stories are populated by complex and memorable characters, such as the magician Turjan of Mazdian/Miir, who seeks the secrets of magic, trying to create artificial life, or Liane Simpatica/The Thief, a young adventurer who explores the dying Earth underestimating the power of a mysterious witch, or Mazirian, an ambitious and ruthless magician, caught in a deadly struggle, magic playing a central role in the stories, being presented as a mysterious and unpredictable force, which manifests itself in a world where the border between reality and illusion is blurred.

Vance’s work has influenced a multitude of fantasy writers, including George R.R. Martin, the creator of the “Song of Ice and Fire” series, who set new standards for the fantasy genre, demonstrating that it can be a sophisticated and complex literary genre, as well as authors such as Gene Wolfe (“Book of the New Sun“), Clark Ashton Smith (“Zothique“), M. John Harrison (“Viriconium“), William Hope Hodgson (“The Night Land“), Michael Moorcock and others.

Or, this logical approach would massively influence “RPGs” (Role Playing Games), such as “Dungeons & Dragons” (D&D), where the Vancian magic system (named after the author) became standard. The magic system described in the book is limited, with wizards memorizing several spells that they can only use once, after which they must learn them again, but this approach became fundamental in D&D, the most influential role-playing game, where the Vancian magic system is still used. Concepts from the novel also appear in games such as Baldur’s Gate, Planescape: Torment, and many others.

Not to mention the uncertain “cataloging” of many current publications, which present their efforts grouped under the name “SF-F” (“Science Fiction – Fantasy”), emphasizing, if only it were still the case, that we are discussing a fiction in which the narrative lines are often difficult to delimit between “Fantasy” and “Science Fiction”.

Especially due to a kind of fairly synchronous evolution of the genres targeted by my analysis (SF-F), in which the “Fantasy” genre followed a kind of synchronization with the “times” in which it manifested itself (and recorded, via written books), which will determine a kind of subsequent development of “science fiction” which cannot escape this consecutive evolution with the “times” (via scientific discoveries, attention, communicated to the public).

But let’s end this episode that addressed the manifestation of “Fantasy” (connected to “Fiction“) and, in the following, let’s analyze the “science fiction book” and what we “individualized” beforehand, like a teaser, as a subtitle (Nurturing subgenres and thematic expansion)!

Merticaru Dorin Nicolae

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