James E. Gunn (1923–2020)
Autor de The Listeners
Sobre El Autor
Series
Obras de James E. Gunn
The Best of Astounding: Classic Short Novels from the Golden Age of Science Fiction (1992) 22 copias
The Listeners [short fiction] 6 copias
Asimov's Science Fiction: Vol. 45, No. 9 & 10 [September/October 2021] (2021) — Contribuidor — 6 copias
Feeding Time [short story] 4 copias
Kindergarten 4 copias
Academic Viewpoint by James Gunn 3 copias
The Old Folks [short fiction] 3 copias
The Misogynist 2 copias
Tsylana 2 copias
The North Wind 2 copias
The Giftie 2 copias
The End-of-the-World Ball 2 copias
Guilt 2 copias
Breaking Point [short story] 2 copias
Wherever you may be 2 copias
The Beautiful Brew 2 copias
A Monster Named Smith {short story} 2 copias
Progetto Stelle 2 copias
The Reluctant Witch 2 copias
Crisis: Annihilation 2 copias
Return From The Stars 1 copia
The Boy With Five Fingers 1 copia
In Our Stars 1 copia
Singular Days 1 copia
Reclaiming The Stars 1 copia
Quantum Theory 1 copia
Road to Science Fiction, The 1 copia
If I Forget Thee {novella} 1 copia
Patterns 1 copia
The Voices 1 copia
Consciousness: 4107's Story 1 copia
Weighty Matters: Tordor's Story 1 copia
Arriving at Terminal: Xi's Story 1 copia
The Ganymede Gambit: Jan's Story 1 copia
Against The Stars 1 copia
THE TARNISHED LADY 1 copia
The War of the Worlds 1 copia
This Fortress World 1 copia
(Halcón 52) Estación espacial 1 copia
La estación espacial 1 copia
Fury 1 copia
A Word For Freedom 1 copia
Ghost Fleet; Fondly 1 copia
The Slaves Of Venus 1 copia
Green Thumb 1 copia
"Teddy Bear" (in Breaking Point) 1 copia
Machine a bonheur -la #50 1 copia
The Immortals 1 copia
Survival Policy 1 copia
Witches Must Burn 1 copia
The Girls Who Were Really Built 1 copia
Everyday Is Christmas 1 copia
Skin Game 1 copia
The Stilled Patter 1 copia
Little Orphan Android 1 copia
The Last Word 1 copia
Trial By Fire 1 copia
The Sun Came Up Last Night! 1 copia
Elixir 1 copia
The Futurist 1 copia
Man of Parts 1 copia
The Gingerbread Man 1 copia
The Day the Magic Came Back 1 copia
The Lens of Time 1 copia
"On Style" (in Those Who Can) 1 copia
Open Warfare 1 copia
Witch Hunt 1 copia
Obras relacionadas
Mapping the World of Harry Potter: An Unauthorized Exploration of the Bestselling Fantasy Series of All Time (2005) — Contribuidor — 320 copias
Thunder and Roses: Volume IV: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon (1997) — Introducción, algunas ediciones — 191 copias
Gateways: A Feast of Great New Science Fiction Honoring Grand Master Frederik Pohl (2010) — Contribuidor — 95 copias
Nebula Awards 30: SFWA's Choices For The Best Science Fiction And Fantasy Of The Year (Nebula Awards Showcase) (1980) — Contribuidor — 86 copias
Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact: Vol. XCVII, No. 3 (March 1977) (1977) — Contribuidor — 28 copias
Asimov's Science Fiction: Vol. 41, No. 11 & 12 [November/December 2017] (2017) — Contribuidor — 20 copias
King Kong Is Back!: An Unauthorized Look at One Humongous Ape! (Smart Pop series) (2005) — Contribuidor — 18 copias
Asimov's Science Fiction: Vol. 41, No. 9 & 10 [September/October 2017] (2017) — Contribuidor — 17 copias
Asimov's Science Fiction: Vol. 42, No. 1 & 2 [January/February 2018] (1960) — Contribuidor — 11 copias
Analog Science Fiction and Fact: Vol. CXXXVI, No. 1 & 2 (January/February 2016) (2016) — Contribuidor — 8 copias
Asimov's Science Fiction: Vol. 43, No. 11 & 12 [November/December 2019] (2019) — Contribuidor — 5 copias
Asimov's Science Fiction: Vol. 44, No. 11 & 12 [November/December 2020] (2020) — Contribuidor — 3 copias
Space Science Fiction March 1953 — Contribuidor — 3 copias
Readings in Cosmology and Extragalactic Astronomy: Physics 361-01 Cosmology, Spring Semester 1995 (1995) — Contribuidor — 1 copia
Etiquetado
Conocimiento común
- Nombre legal
- Gunn, James Edwin
- Otros nombres
- James, Edwin
- Fecha de nacimiento
- 1923-07-12
- Fecha de fallecimiento
- 2020-12-23
- Género
- male
- Nacionalidad
- USA
- Lugar de nacimiento
- Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Lugares de residencia
- Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Educación
- University of Kansas (BS ∙ Journalism)
- Ocupaciones
- professor (English)
editor
novelist
short-story writer - Organizaciones
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (President)
Center for the Study of Science Fiction (Director)
United States Navy
University of Kansas (Director of Public Relations) - Premios y honores
- Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award (2007)
SFRA Pilgrim Award (1976)
Miembros
Reseñas
Listas
Premios
También Puede Gustarte
Autores relacionados
Estadísticas
- Obras
- 161
- También por
- 84
- Miembros
- 4,192
- Popularidad
- #6,000
- Valoración
- 3.9
- Reseñas
- 77
- ISBNs
- 222
- Idiomas
- 9
The story begins in the small town of Millville when a new company appears on the scene who, for a (huge) price, guarantee your happiness. Joshua Hunt’s initial scepticism gradually falters and, long dissatisfied with his life, he signs up for their services. What he finds himself increasingly drawn into is something called “hedonics”; but what is it exactly—a new form of psychotherapy, a new science or religion even? At its heart is a rigorous programme of self-discipline, using a combination of medical advances (if these really are “advances”) and an array of techniques for self-imposed mind-control. And Hedonics Inc. are ambitious: this is a whole ideology; and their aim, ultimately, is to create a new and perfect society. “That action is best which produces the greatest happiness of the greatest numbers.” And, “As long as we have these techniques available, nothing—no one—can make us unhappy. Like gods, we hold our own happiness in our own hands.” Mm, well maybe; but this is already sounding like Orwell, and the “perfect society” a dystopia.
A couple of extra things to say about this book. First, it’s divided into three parts, each set further into the future than the last, and was originally published (1954 and ̕55) as three novellas in various science-fiction magazines. Gunn claimed it wasn’t a classic “fix-up” though, that he wrote and sold them with this eventual single novel in mind.
And second, if you read it yourself be prepared for some pretty cringe-inducing 1950s stuff, such as this (talking about the colonisation of Venus): “It took Man four hundred years to conquer the relatively benign North American continent. In less than half that time he would change Venus’s alien, poisonous nature. Already he had tamed her, sweetened her breath, softened her hard bosom. Now he was making her fertile.” Gaah, I mean, where do you start? The way he saw himself, Western civilisation, colonisation, ourselves as a species, the environment, the planet and, of course, women all expressed in forty-five words! (But then, I have no doubt whatsoever that in another seven decades from now our descendants will be cringing, every bit as aghast, at our attitudes).
But if you can put up with that sort of thing, this is a really good read—some of the details in particular highly imaginative. I’m guessing it was mainly meant as a send-up of the Church of Scientology (“hedonics” a parody of scientology’s “dianetics”), which was brand-new back in the 1950s. I can’t help feeling, though, that Gunn must surely have also been influenced, as so many people were, by Orwell’s still-fresh nightmare which had been published only seven years earlier.… (más)