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The Great Romance - Republication of a historical New Zealand Science
Fiction book
New Zealand, 1881. A small two volume novella entitled The Great Romance
was published under the pseudonym of The Inhabitant. Neglected until now, and
republished for the first time in its entirety this Spring by the University of Nebraska
Press, the work stands out as a remarkable example of early science fiction. Here,
apparently for the first time in the history of the genre, or even the history of science
itself, readers encounter descriptions of spacesuits, airlocks, shuttlecraft, space
fleets, friendly non humanoid aliens, and the human colonisation of space. The author also
raises the idea of faster than light travel pre Einstein, the possibility of humans
exploring planetary systems beyond our solar system, cross-species miscegenation, the
impact of weightlessness on the human condition (in particular muscle fatigue), and
telepathy. Behind these genre-defining elements is the story of John Hope, who, by
means of a sleeping elixir, awakes to a utopian community in a distant future a
"kingdom of thought" where the struggle for existence has been eliminated and
humanity operates under an unwritten law of civility and harmony, aided by telekinesis
that inerrantly reveals all wrong-doers. Since only two of the probably three volumes are
extant, the tale ends with a chilling cliffhanger.
In his introduction, Dominic Alessio the editor of the re-published edition, discusses
the cutting-edge aspects of this work and its significance in both the realm of science
fiction and the history and culture of its day. Dominic Alessio is Associate Professor of
History and Director of the Study Abroad Program at Richmond, The American International
University in London.
The Los Angeles Times has a review of the book
Here is an academic introduction and a sample chapter
To find out more about the book go to the University
of Nebraska Press, with an option to purchase a copy.
Also available for purchase here
via the United Kingdom. This site has a decent sized image of the book cover |
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Inkspillers
In our Useful Links section, we've added Inkspillers, an Australasian website devoted to
writers and resources for writers. Check
it out! |
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Next New Zealand National Science Fiction Convention is Conscription -
Queens Birthday, 2009
Go to their website for FULL details.
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Armageddon is coming!
For future Armaggedon events in Auckland, Wellington and occasionally Christchurch, go to
their website for full details of future events.. |
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We're compiling lists of works by New Zealanders in
the fields of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.
Do you know of any published books, short stories, novellas, movies,
TV shows, short films etc that have been produced this year?
Or do you know of fans doing artwork, writing
stories, creating fanzines, or other worthy creations?
Then let us know!
We want to put links or information up on this website so that these
works are known to as many people as possible.
Send your information to us at listings@sffanz.sf.org.nz |
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