The first comprehensive critical history of SF for thirty years, this book traces the origin and development of science fiction from Ancient Greece, via its rebirth in the seventeenth century, up to the present day. Concentrating on literary SF and (in the later chapters) cinema and TV, it also discusses the myriad forms this genre takes in the contemporary world, including a chapter on graphic novels, SF pop music, visual art and ufology. The author is ideally placed to write it: both an academic literary critic and also an acclaimed creative writer of science fiction, with five novels and many short stories to his credit. Written in lively, accessible prose, this study is specifically designed to bridge the worlds of academic criticism and the SF fandom.

In every form of artistic expression there is passion, and a need to tell a story, convey an idea, or project an ideal. To be in a position to express these concepts and have the tools and foresight to communicate parallel to, or beyond one's vision, is the goal of every artist. It is in the drive of the artist where the vision receives a soul, and in the manipulation of materials where it acquires a body. Society is often measured by the level of sophistication captured in its artistic expression, and can serve as the scale from which its path is plotted. This quest to keep moving forward, not content to rest too long in the imagery and visions of those before, is what keeps the wheels of innovation and collective development spinning. It is a course that while fanning and extending outward like the branches of an immense tree always has roots referring back to its origin. The visions of worlds, tools, spaces, and methods of conveyance not yet known, are all part of the internal dialogue of the concept artist. It is this ability to step outside of one's present condition and provide a voice to the hypothetical future that places them in a distinct position; one where their understanding of technology, expression of art and method of communication result in the objects and environments that provide influence on modern societies' daily experience. In the end, art’s role is not to be amusing either for the artist or the audience…it’s to interpret life, in the past, the present — and the future.