Contents (view Concise Listing)

• 1 • Introduction (From Wells to Heinlein) • (1979) • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 17 • Science: The New Accelerator • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 20 • The New Accelerator • (1901) • short story by H. G. Wells
• 34 • The Literary Dissent • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 36 • The Machine Stops • (1909) • novelette by E. M. Forster
• 67 • Island in the Sky, or Romance Triumphant • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 70 • From The Chessmen of Mars • [Barsoom] • (1922) • short fiction by Edgar Rice Burroughs
• 90 • More Things Under Heaven and Earth • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 92 • The People of the Pit • (1918) • short story by A. Merritt
• 108 • The Call of the Fantastic • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 110 • The Red One • [The Red One • 1] • (1918) • novelette by Jack London
• 134 • The Horror Out of Providence • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 137 • Dagon • (1919) • short story by H. P. Lovecraft
• 143 • The Science-Fiction Magazine Begins It's Amazing Career • essay by James E. Gunn (variant of The Science-Fiction Magazine Begins Its Amazing Career) [as by James Gunn]
• 145 • The Tissue-Culture King • (1926) • novelette by Julian Huxley
• 167 • Pedestrian Words, Soaring Concepts • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 169 • The Revolt of the Pedestrians • (1928) • novelette by David H. Keller, M.D.
• 198 • The Philosopher of Time and Space • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 201 • From Last and First Men • [Last and First Men] • (1930) • short fiction by Olaf Stapledon
• 217 • Ford's in His Flivver • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 220 • From Brave New World • [Brave New World excerpts] • (1932) • short fiction by Aldous Huxley
• 236 • The Alien from Milwaukee • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 238 • A Martian Odyssey • [Tweel • 1] • (1934) • novelette by Stanley G. Weinbaum
• 264 • Who Went There? • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 267 • Twilight • [Twilight • 1] • (1966) • novelette by John W. Campbell, Jr. [as by John W. Campbell]
• 287 • The Idea Machine • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 290 • Proxima Centauri • (1935) • novella by Murray Leinster
• 339 • The World-Wrecker on Mars • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 342 • What's It Like Out There? • (1952) • novelette by Edmond Hamilton
• 364 • The Legion of Science Fiction • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 367 • With Folded Hands ... • [Humanoids] • (1947) • novelette by Jack Williamson
• 411 • Mission of Levity • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 414 • Hyperpilosity • (1938) • short story by L. Sprague de Camp (variant of Hyperpelosity)
• 426 • The Alchemists Gather • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 429 • The Faithful • (1938) • short story by Lester del Rey
• 438 • The Fairy Tales of Science • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 441 • Black Destroyer • [Space Beagle] • (1939) • novelette by A. E. van Vogt
• 472 • The Stars Appear • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 475 • Nightfall • (1941) • novelette by Isaac Asimov
• 509 • The Man Who Sold the Genre • essay by James E. Gunn [as by James Gunn]
• 512 • Requiem • [D. D. Harriman] • (1940) • short story by Robert A. Heinlein
• 530 • A Chronology of Science Fiction • (1979) • essay by uncredited