The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of

"America is a nation of liars, and for that reason science fiction has a special claim to be our national literature, as the art form best adapted to telling the lies we like to hear and to pretend we believe."

This is how he starts this book. Obviously, he is not excluded from his own truism.

Anyone who feels truth does matter is either delusional or living in the wrong country.

I found myself arguing with some of his conclusions, and many of his examples when I did happen to agree with his assessments.

The last chapter, on the future directions of SF, was painfully bad since time has washed away his assumptions and visions. The truth being, again, stranger than he dreamed of. Which is very strange since he's supposed to be an accomplished lier, like all Americans.

If anything, I only wonder what he has to say about the intervening decades since the book's initial publication.

Other than that, the book is going on the sell pile. I'd only recommend it if you like the critical analysis wing of SF.