Mesmerists, Monsters, and Machines: Science Fiction and the Cultures of Science in the Nineteenth Century

A cultural history of science and science fiction

Using key canonical science fiction narratives, Mesmerists, Monsters, and Machines examines the intersection of the literary and scientific cultures of the nineteenth century. In this original and refreshing approach to the study of early science fiction, author Martin Willis maintains that science fiction was just as important in defining the culture of the nineteenth century as other critics maintain it was in shaping the…