The second edition of Eric S. Rabkin's study of the life and work of Arthur C. Clarke.

Academic attention to science fiction and fantasy began in 1958, when the Modern Language Association scheduled its first seminar on science fiction at its New York meeting. Over the years science fiction emerged as a popular subject that achieved critical attention and acceptance as an academic discipline. A Research Guide to Science Fiction Studies, originally published in 1977, is designed to provide the reader - whether they be scholar, teacher, librarian, or fan - with a comprehensive listing of the important research tools that have been published in the United States and England through 1976. The volume contains over 400 selected, annotated entries covering both general and specialized sources, including general surveys, histories, genre studies, author studies, bibliographies, and indices, which span the entire range of science fiction and fantasy scholarship.

Academic attention to science fiction and fantasy began in 1958, when the Modern Language Association scheduled its first seminar on science fiction at its New York meeting. Over the years science fiction emerged as a popular subject that achieved critical attention and acceptance as an academic discipline. A Research Guide to Science Fiction Studies, originally published in 1977, is designed to provide the reader - whether they be scholar, teacher, librarian, or fan - with a comprehensive listing of the important research tools that have been published in the United States and England through 1976. The volume contains over 400 selected, annotated entries covering both general and specialized sources, including general surveys, histories, genre studies, author studies, bibliographies, and indices, which span the entire range of science fiction and fantasy scholarship.

Based on over forty years of teaching writing and endorsed by numerous successful students, Real-World Writing provides a proven method of writing formal prose to the student, teacher, and professional. Its hard-headed approach provides concrete methods for reporting, convincing, and persuading. As vital interchange is critical in the global market, the importance of the written word is unavoidable. Real-World Writing examines the reasons why many students and professionals are not successful or competent writers. It encourages critical thinking by offering the responsibilities that any writing must meet as well as pinpointing the important areas of pre-writing, sense of audience, and proofreading. Further, this book includes tips for punctuation that are not included in most handbooks and a valuable shortcut for correcting student papers. Its numerous student testimonials attest to its continued success over the decades. May this book release your heart and mind into words

A vivid and descriptive novel in search of a feature-length, animated film, Fire and Fur might more properly be called "Smart Dragons, Dumb Choices." It is set in the pre-human Gobi desert and draws on Chinese mythology. Its major charac-ters are dragons and cats. Of course, the cats do speak (often caustically) since a few dragons are interesting enough (cats can still speak but no one is interesting enough to talk to anymore). Fire and Fur's plot concerns the dragons' terraforming the Gobi from sea to land (historically accurate) in a desire for power and amid excessive pride. In doing so, they release an ancient enemy and their bane, the Azghun Demons, that had driven them into the sea in the first place. The problem is that the dragons have grown lazy and dumb, and while they once had a cadre of sorcerers to call upon, they now only have one. The last sorcerer dragon, Ao Rue, is something of a misfit, and his efforts for dragonkind are, perhaps, either very generous or very foolish. He is aided in a major way in both his own troubles and his challenges by the blunt and clear-headed Mei-chou; she is the cats' first-of-the-first and their shaman (it appears). Further, and also central to "Talon and Claw" is a star-crossed, poignant love story as Ao Rue seeks a fulfillment he cannot have with a vain and young female dragon, Nu-kua.