I wanted to like this book. I really did. But it simply didn't have the rigorous engagement with the literature that I wanted it to have.

The Good
Higgins makes a poignant argument about a strand in Anglophone science fiction and its social impact. His reading is sharp and his point is well made.

The Bad
Because this book is centered around a pattern in science fiction as a genre, I would expect it to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the genre as a whole. The book is not about a specific text. And I'm truly not trying to criticize this book for not talking about texts that are out of its scope. The entire argument hinges on noting a kind of reverse colonization in post-WWII anglophone sci-fi writ large and yet, the book fails at engaging with an entire gamut of African descended futurisms and Asian descended futurisms in its analysis.

The Disappointing
Because of its ignorance of texts outside the white European centric cannon of sci-fi, it falls into the trap of the same problems its criticizing.

The Hopeful
Despite my critiques of this book, it does add important insight into the ongoing conversation regarding science fiction and imperial fantasy, I can only hope it will foster further conversations that will cover the gaps.

David M. Higgins presents an analysis of the stories that are so often found in the science fiction genre, exploring themes that resonate with lingering ideas and issues in our modern/postmodern world. Higgins shows why science fiction is such a powerful genre, and gives the reader much to consider through this critical approach.