Acknowledgments Introduction 1 A walk around the topic: Science fiction: its nature, faults & virtues/ Robert A. Heinlein Social science fiction/ Isaac Asimov What is science fiction?/ Damon Knight 2 History without tears: Pilgrim fathers: Lucian & all that/ Brian W. Aldiss Science fiction before Gernsback/ H. Bruce Franklin The situation today/ Kingsley Amis 3 Criticism, destructive & otherwise: On science fiction/ C.S. Lewis Alien monsters/ Joanna Russ Cathedrals in space/ William Atheling, Jr (James Blish) Contact/ Pierre Versins 4 SF & science: No copying allowed/ John W. Campbell Scientists in SF: a debate/ Philip R. Geffe, Milton A. Rothman, John W. Campbell, James V. McConnell 5 How to, in four tricky lessons: On the writing of speculative fiction/ Robert A. Heinlein How to build a planet/ Poul Anderson How to collaborate without getting your head shaved/ Keith Laumer Writing & selling science fiction/ Damon Knight 6 SF as prophecy: Chemical persuasion/ Aldous Huxley Pandora's box/ Robert A. Heinlein Gourmet dining in Outer space/ Alfred Bester Why so much syzygy?/ Theodore Sturgeon There's nothing like a good foundation/ Isaac Asimov Son of Dr Strangelove/ Arthur C. Clarke Journey with a little man/ Richard McKenna Notes