American Science Fiction: Four Classic Novels 1953-1956 by Gary K. Wolfe, ed.

Published by Library of America on September 27, 2012 

Having earned kudos from science fiction fans and mainstream critics for anthologizing Philip K. Dick's novels, Library of America has published a two volume anthology of science fiction novels from the 1950s, covering (arbitrarily, I think) the period 1953 to 1958. (It isn't clear to me why novels from 1950 to 1952 and from 1959 were excluded.) The two volumes collect nine novels. Gary Wolfe includes explanatory annotations at the end of each volume, but they will be of limited value to most readers -- this isn't Shakespeare, after all.

It's probably pointless to quarrel about whether other writers should have been recognized in an anthology of this nature. Reasonable arguments can be made for the inclusion of novels by Isaac Asimov and Clifford Simak, although both writers produced their best work before 1953 and after 1958. Philip K. Dick's strongest novels also appeared after the 1950s; besides, Library of America already anthologized his work. Ray Bradbury, on the other hand, published Fahrenheit 451 in 1953. Why it is not included is a mystery, unless Wolfe thought it was too well known to merit inclusion in an anthology that hopes to bring classic (but perhaps forgotten) works to the attention of a new audience.

In any event, I can't argue against the inclusion of any of the four novels that appear in the first volume (1953-1956). Three of the four are among my favorites of the 1950s and the other one has considerable merit.  Complete reviews of all four novels appear elsewhere on this blog; the brief reviews below are linked to those reviews.

The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth follows Mitchell Courtenay, an advertising executive who is placed in charge of a project to develop and exploit Venus, a task that requires the planet's colonization. Courtenay soon loses his privileged position and finds himself working with the laborers/consumers he has always treated as targets for his marketing campaigns. The novel lampoons politics, including the 1950s obsession with "Commies," as Courtenay is recruited by the "Consies" (activists for consumer's and worker's rights) he has always despised. The authors make deft use of humor to keep the story from becoming a heavy-handed polemic while making serious points about class divisions and the exploitation of the working poor. The Space Merchants is frequently surprising and always fun.

More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon is a deeply philosophical novel that examines the nature of humanity. The novel concerns an evolved entity called Homo Gestalt, a group of empowered individuals (one can control minds, one is telekinetic, two can teleport, and one has the mental capacity of a supercomputer). As individuals, they are all but helpless; acting together, they are the next step in human evolution. Sturgeon explores the ethical questions that arise when a unique, superior being must interact with the lesser beings who share its planet. The characters are strong, the story is moving, the prose is stirring, and the message is inspirational. More Than Human is the best novel in this volume and one of the best science fiction novels of the 1950s.

The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson tells the emotion-laden story of Scott Carey, a man who, through a freak (if not entirely believable) accident begins to shrink at the rate of one inch per week. While the story's action primarily involves Scott's efforts to avoid being eaten by a spider after he becomes trapped in his basement, the novel's strength lies in its psychological profile of a man who is losing everything he holds dear: his job, his family, his pride and self-respect. As he comes to feel more like a helpless child than a man, and then to feel like nothing at all, Scott must deal with the trauma of a vanishing life. Yet the story is ultimately about the triumph of the human spirit, a popular theme in 1950s science fiction, before postmodernism left readers drowning in gloom.

The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett is good but, I think, not of the same caliber as the other three. In this post-apocalyptic story, Len Colter rejects the religious life of his parents and community, a rural life based on suppression of scientific knowledge in which cities have been outlawed (the better to avoid another apocalypse). Len begins a journey toward enlightenment that eventually leads him to Bartorstown, a place that, prior to the war, sheltered scientists dedicated to a secret project and that now stands as a hidden repository of scientific inquiry. The Long Tomorrow delivers a cautionary message about the evils of intolerance and thought-control and the value of independent thinking. The story seems dated (although the message is not) and Len's journey is underwhelming. Brackett's prose, while capable, is less shining than Sturgeon's or Matheson's. Although The Long Tomorrow isn't one of my favorite novels, it is an interesting read and an important early example of post-apocalyptic fiction.

Keep watching the Tzer Island book blog for reviews of the novels that appear in the second volume, covering 1956-1958.

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