Saturday 22 September 2018

HABA

I unapologetically advertise James Blish on Poul Anderson Appreciation because of the strong affinities between the two authors. They are two of the four Campbell future historians, HABA:

Heinlein
Asimov
Blish
Anderson

Heinlein
The future history series and generation ship ideas;
twelve Scribner Juveniles;
controversy (Starship Troopers);
not time travel in general but certainly the circular causality paradox.

Asimov
Robotics - embedded in an implausible future history series.

Blish
Divergent future history series;
a theological trilogy.

Anderson
Several future history series;
every aspect of time travel (successor of Twain, Wells and de Camp);
twentieth century culminations of themes from Mary Shelley, HG Wells, Olaf Stapledon and Robert Heinlein.

(When I get tired of summarizing this literary history, I'll tell y'all.)

Recent Posts On James Blish Appreciation
Future Historical References
Another Summary
Communication
A Thematic Trilogy
Angels And Demons
Darkness And Optimism
Darkness And Optimism II
Recounting The Future
Unity
A Few Details
Scriptural Passages
Freedom In Two Haertel Overdrive Futures
Four Main Bodies Of Work
The Two Tetralogies
Interstellar Travel
Interstellar Communicators
Every Option
Judgment
Old And New
Arriving In The Future
1985
Continuous Creation
Gathering The Haertel Scholium
Facing A Wall
Sooner And Later
Fleeting And Wayward
Reversing The Effect?
Wise As Serpents And...
Haertel And Wald
Six Narratives 

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I agree on what you said about HABA. Unfortunately, when most SF fans and commentators think about what they regard as the most prominent authors nurtured by Campbell, they think only of Heinlein, Asimov, and Clarke. And usually ignore Blish and Anderson.

I no longer consider myself a fan of Asimov, but I would have stressed that the "pyschohistory" of his FOUNDATION stories is what he is best known for in science fiction. But his robot stories also come next!

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
Did Campbell nurture Clarke?
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I would say, yes, Clarke was nurtured by Campbell. His first professional SF sales, "Loophole" and "Rescue Party," pub. by Campbell in ASTOUNDING in 1946. Also, when I looked up Clarke in THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION, the article's discussion of Clarke's memoir ASTOUNDING DAYS (1989) made it plain Clarke remembered his association with Campbell affectionately.

Sean