Visions of the Future: The 1950s- Atoms and Stars

Science was mankind’s savior and his destroyer. The world lived in reach of the stars and under the shadow of the atom. The related competitions between Communism and Capitalism- the Cold War and the Space Race- demonstrate the dichotomy of the role of science and technology in the 1950s.

The ‘50s kick off what is often known as the atom age- a time of great optimism about the future atomic power could bring about. However, the new advances in nuclear technology also led to the amassment of atomic weapons on the parts of the United States and the Soviet Union that had the potential to end the world many times over.

Another common term for the era heralded by the 1950s is the Space Age. The discoveries of the industrial revolution and two world wars put the exploration of the final frontier into the realm of possibility at last. However, the competition to be the first to touch the heavens escalated into another Soviet-American conflict- The Space Race.

The technological advances in the 1950s that sparked so much fear, hope, and competition included the tests of the first hydrogen bombs, the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA, the polio vaccine, intercontinental television, the foundation of CERN, and NASA, and the creation of the first nuclear power plants.

As it was a time saturated with science and speculation, it only makes sense that science fiction flourished during the 1950s.

Science Fiction:

Literature-

Rising science fiction superstar Isaac Asimov had been publishing stories about robots and artificial intelligence since the beginning of the 1940s. Finally, in 1950, nine of these short stories were compiled into I, Robot, which continues to be one of his most popular works to this day. In the second story, “Runaround”, Asimov introduces the Three Laws of Robotics, which serve as the code of conduct programmed into every robot in his universe. These laws have gained wide acceptance in the sci-fi community, and are still referenced in both science fiction and pop culture to this day.

Another iconic anthology was released in 1950, this time by Ray Bradbury- The Martian Chronicles. It tells in vividly beautiful language of the future history of Earth’s interaction with the planet Mars.

In 1953, the first Hugo Award was given to Alfred Bester for his novel The Demolished Man. It is a science fiction police detective drama which speculates as to the nature of criminal justice in a world where telepathy exists.

That same year, Ray Bradbury published what has become perhaps his most influential work, Farenheit 451, the tale of a dystopian world where books are banned, and “firemen” burn any books that are found.

Also in 1953, Arthur C. Clarke published Childhood’s End, in which a peaceable alien race takes over planet earth by creating an apparent utopia, which leads to the downfall of the human race.

Another in the new wave of 1950s dystopian novels was Time Out of Joint, published by Philip K. Dick. It was a bizarre work of sci-fi that questioned the very nature of reality.

In 1959, Daniel Keyes published his short story “Flowers for Algernon” in the April edition of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. It concerned the moral and ethical issues of an experimental surgery on a mentally disabled man meant to increase his intelligence. Keyes went on to expand the story into a full-length novel in 1966.

Magazines-

The science fiction magazine industry boomed in the 1950s, with fifteen new magazines created in the year 1950 alone. One of these was Galaxy Science Fiction, and influential magazine which was considered to have an intellectual edge on all of its competitors.

Galaxy published the short story which Ray Bradbury later expanded into Farenheit 451, and the serialization of Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man.

Film-

The 1950s are considered by many to be the Golden Age of Science Fiction Film, and not without reason. Though there were many science fiction B-movies released in this decade, some of the most influential sci-fi films ever came from the minds of 1950s film-makers.

Destination Moon, released in 1950, holds the distinction of being one of the earliest non-horror sci-fi movies. Breaking the mold of Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man, Destination Moon is the story of the possible troubles and triumphs of America’s first lunar landing.

The Day the Earth Stood Still, from 1951, is a surprising departure from ordinary alien invasion stories, and has much to say to the post-war society it was made for.

In 1953, another popular adaption of H.G. Well’s classic The War of the Worlds was produced by George Pal and directed by Byron Haskin.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers was released in 1956. It was a well-made and powerful commentary on the restriction of individuality, which was a deep-rooted fear in a society fighting against communism.

Japanese film, Godzilla, which is seen by many today as the beginning of a corny B-movie franchise, carried very different connotations for the Japanese audience of 1954. It was a creative and thoughtful response to the creation of the atomic bomb, which had been field tested on two of Japan’s cities at the end of the Second World War.

Forbidden Planet, released in 1956, was a beautiful, technicolor space adventure based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It was an inspiration for many science fiction creators to come, including Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas.

Television-

The 1950s were the era of science fiction television anthologies. One of the earliest iconic anthologies was Science Fiction Theatre. It began in 1955, and was hosted by Truman Bradley. Science Fiction Theatre was an inspiration for later television anthologies such as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, and was even referenced in the Back to The Future franchise as Marty McFly’s father’s favorite television show.

The man of steel made his way onto the small screen in 1952 with the show Adventures of Superman. These weekly technicolor episodes starred George Reeves in the titular role of the quintessential American superhero.

Perhaps the best science fiction/fantasy/horror television show ever began airing in 1959. Hosted by its enigmatic creator Rod Serling, the Twilight Zone was a hard sell to studios, but a massive success. The weekly stories explored moral and metaphysical concepts in creative ways, and often ended in dark and surprising plot twists.

The Twilight Zone featured many actors who had already played, or would go on to play iconic roles in film and television, including Rod Taylor, William Shatner, Robert Redford, and George Takei. The concepts explored in The Twilight Zone have inspired and informed almost all of the science fiction that has been created since.

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Top-5 Tuesday- Pre-atomic Predictions

Though atomic power and the atomic bomb seem like very specific things for an author to be able to predict, they did not appear out of the blue. People have been speculating about the nature of atoms since before the time of Christ. Therefore, it makes sense that their power should have become the subject of discussion in science fiction before it became realized in actual science. The following five authors speculated and warned about what might lurk inside the fabric of matter.

1.The Crack of Doom by Robert Cromie (1895)-

Fifty years before the first atomic bomb was dropped in the Second World War, novelist Robert Cromie imagined a villain who developed a device able to unlock the atomic energy contained in matter for destructive purposes.

2. A Columbus of Space by Garrett P. Servis (1909)-

In his story about an adventure to the planet Venus, Servis imagines nuclear power employed in a less destructive manner- as the propulsion system for a space ship!

3. The Lord of Labor by George Griffith (1911)-

This novel, published after the author’s death, describes the technological terrors involved in a horrific future war. Griffith held to the idea that technology would someday become so powerful that it would make war too dangerous to engage in. Some of his predicted weapons included atomic missiles, and disintegrator rays.

4.  The World Set Free by H.G. Wells (1914)-

Definitely the most well-known and influential novel on this list, Well’s 1914 classic describes a horrific nuclear war, the likes of which, we still have not seen. As the experienced science fiction writer watched the progression of power sources, and weapons technology, he could only imagine how the atom could be utilized in the future.

5. “Deadline” by Cleve Cartmill (1944)-

After reading unclassified material on nuclear research being conducted at the time, Cartmill wrote a short story on the subject, and sold it to Amazing Science Fiction. While the plot is not considered to be groundbreaking or even all that substantial, the scientific details were convincing enough to warrant an FBI investigation into the author, Astounding Science Fiction’s editor, John W. Campbell, and several other notable sci-fi authors such as Asimov and Heinlein. Even when their fears of a leak of classified military secrets were allayed, they still asked Campbell to suspend publication of any nuclear-related stories until a later date.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

The 1940s- Heroes and Villains

Summary:

The 1940s were a decade dominated by World War II. This conflict, fueled by ambition, conquest, and desperation, rivaled, and even surpassed the Great War in its scope, causing the two wars to be renamed World War I and World War II. It was a time when human depravity was on display, and when human morality had a chance to triumph. Yet, there were many areas of murky grey when it came to the Second World War as well.

Many of the moral questions raised by World War II involved the new technologies which were being invented and utilized in battle. Radar,  ballistic missiles, computers, and jet aircraft were all employed in the war effort. Most notably, the atomic bomb was developed and used during the course of the war. The first, and to this date, the only, use of an atomic bomb in battle was when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki- effectively ending the war.

As human nature reared its ugly head, and issues of morality and technology presented themselves, science fiction came right alongside all of it- to make commentary on it, question it, and speculate about it.

Science Fiction:

As I have previously mentioned, there was an explosion of high-quality science fiction material from the end of the 1930s through the 1950s. This is explosion is known as the golden age, and the 1940s fall right at the center of it.

Literature-

In 1941, science fiction giant Isaac Asimov published his acclaimed short story “Nightfall”, which he later expanded into a full-length short story. It speculates on a world that is surrounded by six suns preparing to experience a very rare phenomenon known as “night”.  The same year, the notable author Theodore Sturgeon, who wrote many classics on his own, as well as adding to other science fiction projects later on, published Microcosmic God. This book tells the story of a man who creates a race of intelligent beings, and evolves them rapidly to invent highly advanced technology for his own gain.

Also in 1941, Robert A. Heinlein, another name revered throughout science fiction literature, published “Universe”, the first short story in his collection Orphans of the Sky. These stories concern what has come to be known as a generation ship- a ship on which a population of humans lives, reproduces, and dies until it can reach its faraway destination.

One of the first major science fiction anthologies, The Other Worlds: 25 Modern Stories of Mystery and Imagination, was edited and published by Phil Strong in 1941.

Around 1942, Isaac Asimov began work on the stories that would become one of his most famous accomplishments, the Foundation series. Foundation is about a future history in which the science of psychohistory allows those who study it to predict future events.

Christian theologian and expert wordsmith C.S. Lewis continued his Space Trilogy in 1944 with Perelandra. He speculates on what the temptation and fall of mankind may have looked like under different circumstances, and on another planet. He concluded the series in 1947 with That Hideous Strength.

The first academic analysis of science fiction as a genre was released by J.O. Bailey in 1947. It was called Pilgrims Through Space and Time.

George Orwell published his dystopian novel 1984 in the year 1949. The world he created was one of war, tight government surveillance, and individual thought. This novel has since taken its place in both literary and science fiction history.

Magazines-

The war impacted all areas of life, including the magazine publication industry. In 1941, a severe paper shortage in England forced editor John W. Campbell to shut down Unknown Magazine in order to preserve Astounding Science Fiction.

However, a new addition to the array of English science fiction magazines came in 1946 when New Worlds began publication. It would go on to become one of the most influential British sci-fi magazines.

Another important magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, released its first issue in 1949.

Film-

A fifteen chapter Batman serial was released in American theatres in 1943. It was Batman’s first on screen appearance. The caped crusader himself was played by Lewis Wilson. Douglas Croft played his sidekick Robin; and the villain, a Japanese agent named Dr. Daka was played by J. Carrol Naish. It ran for fifteen installments, and served as both entertainment, and war propaganda.

Superman also made his first live-action appearance in 1948 in a fifteen-part serial in which he was played by Kirk Alyn. This was not the first time Superman took to the screen, however, as an animated Superman serial was released from 1941-1942.

Comics-

The universe of comic book characters exploded with new additions in the 1940s. DC Comics characters The Flash, Green Lantern, and Robin were created in 1940, along with the superhero team up Justice Society of America. Captain Marvel was also introduced in this year. In 1941, two of the most iconic characters after Superman and Batman, Captain America and Wonder Woman, debuted in comics.

Television-

Television was just becoming a widespread phenomenon at the end of the 1940s, and science fiction was already on the cutting edge. Though the show is not widely remembered, Captain Video, beginning in 1949, holds the distinction of being the first American science fiction television show. It told the story of a hero protecting the world from galactic terrors alongside his teenage sidekick. While rather unassuming, Captain Video paved the way for some of the most memorable science fiction in the history of the genre.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Top-5 Tuesday- Most Influential Science Fiction Magazines

Early in the 20th century, as science fiction came into its own, magazines of science fiction stories began to be published. These magazines were important in defining science fiction as a distinct genre, and have brought some of the greatest authors and ideas of sci-fi to the general public. To this day, science fiction magazines continue to introduce both up-and-coming and respected writers, and define the genre as it moves forward.

So, here are five of the most influential science fiction magazines of the past century:

5. Amazing Stories  (1926-2005)-

This pulpy magazine was the first one to devote itself solely to science fiction. Founded by the publishing company of Hugo Gernsback, Amazing Stories lasted for over eighty years and helped shape the genre.  

4. New Worlds (1936-1966)-

One of the most important British sci-fi magazines, New Worlds was created in part by science fiction giant Arthur C. Clarke. It featured many of Clarke’s stories, as well as those of other important British sci-fi writers, such as Brian Aldiss.

3. Asimov’s Science Fiction (founded 1977)-

Since its inception in 1977, Asimov’s science fiction has introduced the works of many writers who went on to make science fiction history. A few notable contributors include Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. LeGuin, Harlan Ellison, Fredrick Pohl, and of course Mr. Asimov himself. Asimov’s science fiction is still in publication today.

2. Fantasy and Science Fiction (founded 1949)-

Spanning two genres and nearly seven decades, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science fiction is one of the most widely read magazines in the genre. It has published authors such as Stephen King, Daniel Keyes, and David Gerrold, and continues to publish high quality speculative fiction.

1. Analog Science Fiction and Fact (founded 1930)-

Analog Science Fiction and Fact holds the distinction of being the longest-running science fiction magazine. June of 2015 saw the publication of its 1000th issue. It has published such distinguished authors as Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Poul Anderson, and Orson Scott Card.

Are you a reader of science fiction magazines? What are your favorites? What else should I have included on this list. I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora