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James Blish, in his incarnation as 'William Atheling, Jr' has written more than his share of the most incisive criticism of contemporary science fiction.
Following on form The Issue at Hand, this new volume of Atheling's critical writings skewers literary malefactors of many kinds, including some well-known authors whose great popularity is all the more puzzling because there seems to be so little reason for it.
Atheling does not stint on praise where it is due, but in other cases, the sins and errors of the filed are dispatched with his trademark rapier-like incisiveness.
James Blish
James Blish (1921–1975) was a novelist whose most popular works include Jack of Eagles and his Cities in Flight series, about people fleeing a declining Earth to seek new homes among the stars. He attended Rutgers University and received a bachelor of arts degree in microbiology before serving as a medical technician in World War II, and was an early member of the Futurians, a group of science fiction writers, fans, editors, and publishers. In 1959, Blish received the Hugo Award for his novel A Case of Conscience. He was also a prolific short fiction writer and a major contributor to the Star Trek saga, rewriting scripts into anthologies and producing original stories and screenplays.
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