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'Century of Science Fiction' exhibition slated for library gallery
3:51 p.m., June 23, 2006--“From Verne to Vonnegut: A Century of Science Fiction,” an exhibit that runs from Aug. 22-Dec. 15 in the Special Collections Exhibition Gallery in the Morris Library at UD, will showcase literary works and related materials by such notable sci-fi authors as Samuel Delany, Kurt Vonnegut and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Inspired by the popularity of the genre, the exhibit will highlight authors who have crossed generational boundaries and who have explored such universal themes as man's place in the world, the possibility of other worlds, relationships between men and women and the importance of religion, ecology and politics in society. The exhibit also will touch on censorship, an issue that is no stranger to science fiction. Exhibit curator Iris Snyder, associate librarian in the Special Collections Department, included works from the 1880s to the 1980s, with several works from the 1920s and '30s--the so-called “golden age” of science fiction. To give viewers a framework and sense of history, Snyder arranged the exhibit thematically by topics such as utopias/dystopias, feminist science fiction, gender issues and alternative histories. Artwork from book jackets and magazine covers will add a colorful and sometimes amusing element to the exhibition. Bug-eyed monsters, damsels in distress and homemade rocket ships were commonly found on covers from the 1930s and 1940s. Movie posters and ephemeral fantasy art also will brighten the gallery walls. The University of Delaware Library has more than 25,000 items in its science fiction collection, including the recently acquired extensive collection of Roland Bounds, a well-known Delaware collector. The Bounds Collection contains many vintage paperbacks (pre-1965) and pulp magazines (pre-1953), as well as hardcover trade fiction from the 1970s to the 1990s, including many first editions, plus a collection of science-fiction ephemera, movie memorabilia and reference materials. Special Collections also holds comprehensive collections of the works of Delany, Vonnegut and Burroughs. The collection pertaining to Delany, an African-American science-fiction writer, includes multiple editions of his novels, short stories and critical essays, as well as manuscripts of several of his works. The collection pertaining to Vonnegut, the American novelist and satirist, includes more than 80 editions of his work in English and translations, plus manuscripts and correspondence. Special Collections also holds more than 100 titles by Burroughs, an early 20th-Century science-fiction and fantasy writer. For library and exhibit hours, call (302) 831-BOOK or check [www.lib.udel.edu]. |
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