fantasy n. 2

a work (story, film, etc.) in the fantasy genre

SF Criticism

  • 1933 F. J. Ackerman Science Fiction Digest Feb. (#6) 21/1 (advt.) page image Forrest J. Ackerman

    I have sold practically all my extra fantasies by my SFD ad, and now have only a few stf tales, some new ones offered, to list: [...]

  • 1934 P. Enever Letter in Wonder Stories Feb. 793/2 page image

    Fantasy or pure science, let 'em all come. But don’t attempt to camouflage either way. Mr. Smith was at his best when he wrote the ‘Singing Flame’ stories, and they were undoubtedly fantasy. But if he had tried to suggest that the science contained therein materially added to the interest he would have been quite wrong. Read as fantasies, Mr. Smith’s stories are wonderful. Treat them as having a real scientific basis and they flop.

  • 1934 Brass Tacks in Astounding Stories Sept. 151/2 page image bibliography

    Smith wrote for us a series of twelve Skylark stories, besides other fantasies. His career with Astounding began when he wrote The Skylark of Valeron, a book which attracted the attention of many of the world’s foremost scientists.

  • 1939 M. Alger in Thrilling Wonder Stories Oct. 122/2

    Keep your eyes open for stories off the beaten track. Give us an occasional fantasy like H. P. Lovecraft’s ‘The Colour out of Space’ and ‘The Shadow out of Time’. (I realize that this is easy to say and hard to do as such works don’t grow on trees or pop up in every mail.)

  • 1947 Thrilling Wonder Stories Feb. 99/1

    CALL HIM DEMON was the best fantasy, and the best TWS yarn I've seen in months.

  • 1947 Startling Stories Jan. 98/1

    Since you like the galloping Kuttner fantasies, look for LANDS OF THE EARTHQUAKE in the issue after next!

  • 1953 S. Moskowitz Book Reviews in Science-Fiction + Aug. 27/3 Sam Moskowitz

    While readable, the collection is quite undistinguished, the brightest light being one of C. L. Moore’s early fantasies, ‘Scarlet Dream,’ which still engenders in the reviewer some of the color that gave C. L. Moore her early reputation.

  • 1953 L. S. de Camp Science Fiction Handbook 79 L. Sprague de Camp

    While some of his pieces are conventional science fiction, he had produced many enjoyable Dunsanian fantasies laid in the lost continents of Hyperborea and Atlantis, in the legendary medieval land of Malneant, in the future continent Zothique, and on the magic-haunted planet Xiccarph.

  • 1959 R. A. Heinlein Science Fiction in Science Fiction Novel 52 Robert A. Heinlein

    I think that science fiction, to be worthy of critical literary praise, should approximate the standards of these four novels and of the fantasies mentioned just above.

  • 1997 Marcon Zone 49/1

    Tom Smith is a filker of epic proportions, which he blames on all that Pepsi and pizza. He made his reputation as The World’s Fastest Filker here at MarCon—just ask Moonwolf—and he can crank out silly parodies, hilarious shtick, dark fantasies, poignant romances, and mind-shattering puns with equal ease.


Research requirements

antedating 1933

Earliest cite

Forrest J. Ackerman

Research History
Fred Galvin submitted a 1959 cite from Robert Heinlein in "The Science Fiction Novel".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1947 cite from editorial matter in Startling Stories.
Fred Galvin submitted two 1947 cites from letters in Thrilling Wonder Stories.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1953 cite from a review by Sam Moskowitz in Science-Fiction+.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1934 cite from a letter by Claude Haverstock in Astounding Stories.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1953 cite from L. Sprague de Camp's "Science Fiction Handbook".
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 1933 cite from Forrest J. Ackerman.

Last modified 2021-03-12 11:22:19
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.