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Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy through 1945

Immigrants in the Golden Age
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Science fiction first emerged in the Industrial Age and continued to develop into its current form during the twentieth century. This book analyses the role Jewish writers played in the process of its creation and development. The author provides a comprehensive overview, bridging such seemingly disparate themes and figures as the ghetto legends of the golem and their influence on both Frankenstein and robots, the role of, Jewish authors and publishers in developing the first science fiction magazine in New York in the 1930s, and their later contributions to new and developing medial forms like comics film. Drawing on the historical context and the positions Jews held in the larger cultural environment, the author illustrates how themes and tropes in science fiction and fantasy relate back to the realities of Jewish life in the face of global anti-Semitism, the struggle to assimilate in America, and the hope that was inspired by the founding of Israel.
Valerie Estelle Frankel teaches at Mission College and San Jose City College.
Introduction Chapter 1: Roots of Fantasy: The Monsters of Jewish Folklore Chapter 2: Speculative Fiction in the New World Chapter 3: The Golden Age: American Science Fiction Begins Chapter 4: Stereotypes Proliferate: A Darkening Western Europe Chapter 5: Eastern Europe's Social Science Fiction Chapter 6: Kafka's Great Legacy Chapter 7: The Old-New Land: From Zionism to Israeli Literature Chapter 8: Fighting Hitler Onscreen: Marxes, Stooges, and More Chapter 9: More Golden Ages: Superman, Captain America, Dr. Seuss Conclusion Works Cited Index About the Author
I spent 40 years being married to a Lilith, so I have a special appreciation for Valerie Frankel's compilation of this, the first volume of her Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy series. As the contributor of a 20-page entry to the Encyclopedia Judaica (2nd Edition) on the same topic back in 1999, I thought I'd hit all the beats. Alas, not even close. Yids in space!? You have no idea. Scholars and fans rejoice, because this mammoth and indispensable undertaking will not soon be surpassed. -- Sheldon Teitelbaum, co-editor of Zion's Fiction: A Treasury of Israeli Speculative Literature
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