Science Fiction and the Two Cultures: Essays on Bridging the Gap Between the Sciences and the Humanities

Essays in this volume demonstrate how science fiction can serve as a bridge between the sciences and the humanities. The essays show how early writers like Dante and Mary Shelley revealed a gradual shift toward a genuine understanding of science; how H.G. Wells first showed the possibilities of combining scientific and humanistic perspectives; how writers influenced by Gernsback's ideas, like Isaac Asimov, illustrated the ways that literature could interact with science and assist in its progress; and how more recent writers offer critiques of science and its practitioners.

Gary Westfahl teaches at the University of California, Riverside. A prolific writer and editor, he earned the Science Fiction Research Association's Pilgrim Award for his lifetime contributions to science fiction and fantasy scholarship. He lives in Claremont, California. George Slusser is a professor of comparative Literature at University of California, Riverside in California. Donald E. Palumbo is a professor of English at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. He lives in Greenville. C.W. Sullivan III is also in the English department at East Carolina University.