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Author Topic:   Space Craze (Margaret Weitekamp)
Robert Pearlman
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Posts: 51609
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 10-13-2022 11:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Space Craze: America's Enduring Fascination with Real and Imagined Spaceflight
by Margaret Weitekamp
A space historian's tour through astounding spaceflight history and the Smithsonian's collection of space and science fiction memorabilia.

Spanning from the 1929 debut of the futuristic Buck Rogers to present-day privatization of spaceflight, "Space Craze" celebrates America's endless enthusiasm for space exploration. Author Margaret Weitekamp, curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, writes with warmth and personal experience to guide readers through extraordinary spaceflight history while highlighting objects from the Smithsonian's spaceflight collection.

Featuring historical milestones in space exploration, films and TV shows, literature and comic strips, toys and games, and internet communities, Space Craze is a sci-fi lover's dream. The book investigates how spaceflight, both real and imagined, has served as the nexus where contemporary American concerns, such as race, gender, sexuality, freedom, and national identity, have been explored and redefined. Chronological chapters include:

  • Chapter 1: Buck Rogers, Ray Guns, and the Space Frontier
  • Chapter 2: Space Forts, Television, and the Cold War Mindset
  • Chapter 3: John Glenn, the Apollo Program, and Fluctuating Spaceflight Enthusiasm
  • Chapter 4: Star Trek, Star Wars, and Burgeoning Fandoms
  • Chapter 5: Generation X, the Space Shuttle, and Promoting Education
  • Chapter 6: Space Stations, Spaceflight Enthusiasm, and Online Fandom
  • Chapter 7: Streaming Services, Battling Billionaires, and Accelerated Change
From the almost 650 million viewers who tuned in to watch the first steps on the Moon, to the ardent Star Trek fandom that burgeoned into a cultural force, "Space Craze" taps into the country's enduring love affair with space.
  • Hardcover, 304 pages
  • Smithsonian Books (October 18, 2022)
  • ISBN-10: 1588347257
  • ISBN-13: ‎978-1588347251

FFrench
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Posts: 3291
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-06-2024 01:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for FFrench     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
My review of this book.
I’ll admit to an extreme bias in favor of this book from the moment I began reading it. Margaret Weitekamp is chair of the Space History department at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, and I’ve been a long-time follower of her work and reader of what she has published. This book is smartly and deftly written, as befits a museum professional at the top of their game...

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