{"product_id":"2940152887846","title":"The Issue at Hand","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor many years, hiding under a cloak of anonymity, the most penetrating critic of the field of magazine science fiction was known as \"William Atheling, Jr.\" It soon became a challenge to guess his real identity. And that was no easy game, for Atheling's dissection did not spare even his other ego, the noted science-fiction writer James Blish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHaving shed his protective covering, Mr. Blish has assembled many of the Atheling papers and edited them into the present book. While it covers principally the science-fiction magazines from 1952 to 1963, it is a timeless textbook for would-be writers of science fiction. Nor is its value limited to that genre; the rules of good writing are universal, and Atheling's critiques are not restricted to the peculiarities and special interests of science fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe essays take the aspiring authors and editors—the Heinleins and Campbells of tomorrow—by the hand and lead them painstakingly through the dense forests of \"said-bookism,\" the treacherous moors of \"repetitive phrasing,\" and other forbidden territories. And even an old hand or three will find cause to wonder and reflect, and perhaps even to re-evaluate professional skills too long taken for granted.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo subject is too sacred or taboo for Atheling's shredding typewriter; from sex to God, from religion to satirical poetry. No author, however fragile, is spared the bloody mark of his relentless lash; from Anderson to Heinlein to Zirul. . . and all stops in between. No editor or publisher, from Campbell to Columbia, is spared his—or its—due share of any responsibility.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut most important, The Issue at Hand is not just—or even primarily—a textbook for students of writing. It is a vastly entertaining collection in its own right, affording many hours of pleasant and informative reading and re-reading, urging the reader ahead with the wry comments, unexpected humor, and undeviating attention to standards that were the hallmarks of William Atheling, Jr.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdvent has also published More Issues at Hand, and The Tale that Wags the God, further collections of Atheling's critical essays.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ReAnimus Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47110841073904,"sku":"2940152887846","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940152887846_p0.jpg?v=1764025752","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940152887846","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}