The Magic that Works: John W. Campbell and the American Response to Technology (Westfahl)

Westfahl, Gary. Rev. The Magic that Works: John W. Campbell and the American Response to Technology (1993) by Albert I. Berger. SFRA Review #207 (Sept./Oct. 1993): 29-31.

Berger, Albert. "The Magic that Works: John W. Campbell, Jr. and the American Response to Technology." Journal of Popular Culture 5 (Spring 1972): 867-943. [Adapted from M.A. thesis 1972]

Berger, Albert. The Magic that Works: John W. Campbell and the American Response to Technology. San Bernardino, CA: Borgo Press, 1993. [Expansion and revision of JPC article and M.A. thesis] (David Samuelson, "On Hard Science Fiction: A Bibliography," SFS #60 = 20.2 [July 1993]: 151.)

Complement to the review by Brian W. Aldiss. Praises Berger for investigating US governments investigations of Campbell during World War II: hitherto classified documents reveal the depths of Campbell's prescience and the government's paranoia. Disagrees with Aldiss in finding Berger's mixing biography and sociology unsuccessful, esp. since it turns Campbell into "an American avatar" of humanity's relationship with technology. (RFS, 27/04/95)

Slightly revised, RDE, 21May19