This collection of 14 essays on science fiction, most of which originally appeared in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, explores critical standards; questions of genre, including film and the graphic novel (an evolution of the comic book); and images of the hero. Spinrad provides sketches of four major writers: Sturgeon, Vonnegut, Ballard, and Dick. He also discusses the economic, social, and literary forces that have shaped contemporary science fiction. ISBN 0-8093-1538-6: