RABKIN, Eric S(tanley)

(1946-)

   US sf critic and professor of English Language and Literature, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Of the 18 books he has written or edited to 1991, 15 have a direct relevance to sf and fantasy. His critical books are: The Fantastic in Literature (1976), an academic study in genre definition (including sf), provocative but not always rigorous; Science Fiction: History, Science, Vision (1977) with Robert SCHOLES, a generalintroduction to the subject seemingly aimed at the novice, with strong opening and closing sections on the HISTORY OF SF and 10 representative novels, but less impressive intermediate chapters on media, sciences and themes; and Arthur C. Clarke (chap 1979; rev 1980). 2 anthologies ed ESR intended for educational use (SF IN THE CLASSROOM), collecting fantasy and sf stories showing the historical development of those genres, are Fantastic Worlds: Myths, Tales and Stories (anth 1979) and ScienceFiction: A Historical Anthology (anth 1983).ESR's other book publications are anthologies of critical essays: Bridges to Fantasy (anth 1982) ed with George Edgar SLUSSER and Scholes; The End of the World (anth 1983) ed withMartin H. GREENBERG and Joseph D. OLANDER; Co-Ordinates: Placing Science Fiction and Fantasy (anth 1983) ed with Slusser and Scholes; No Place Else: Explorations in Utopian and Dystopian Fiction (anth 1983) ed with Greenberg and Olander; Shadows of the Magic Lamp: Fantasy and Science Fiction in Film (anth 1985) ed with Slusser; Hard Science Fiction (anth 1986) ed with Slusser; Storm Warnings: Science Fiction Confronts the Future (anth 1987) ed with Slusser and Colin GREENLAND; Intersections: Fantasy and Science Fiction (anth 1987) ed with Slusser; Aliens: The Anthropology of Science Fiction (anth 1987) ed with Slusser; Mindscapes: The Geographies of Imagined Worlds (anth 1989) ed with Slusser. Further such anthologies, part of the now-formidable academic publishing industry related to sf, are projected.

   PN

   See also: ANTHROPOLOGY; CINEMA; CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL WORKS ABOUT SF.