Amis' unashamedly conservative theory is that the golden age of sci-fi ended c.1960 when two things happened. 1) The sci-fi equivalent of modernism, when many writers adopted a self-conscious, avant garde style & 2) Sci-fi receiving serious critical attention from academia & the literary establishment, which led to writers writing for a literary elite, as opposed to their loyal sci-fi audience.

I don't agree absolutely with the theory, - not least because almost all of PK Dick's work came out in the 60s - but it is amusing ("this led to the introduction of pornography, oriental religions, pretentiousness & left wing politics"), thought provoking, & he has a point. I just disagree that the quality declined in the '60s, I would argue the horizons broadened.

And most importantly it is a first class anthology, including work by Pohl, Aldiss, Blish, Vonnegut, Ballard, AC Clarke, H Harrison, Asimov & Anderson. ( )