Science fiction boasts a deceptively long history, extending as far back as the 19th century. This anthology pairs original essays that introduce short stories of vintage science fiction. Critical introductions written by international experts contextualize these stories from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inclusions range from legendary authors like Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe to lesser-known figures like E.P Mitchell, George Parsons Lathrop, and Franklin Ruth.

Recent critical and scholarly interest in John Keats has encouraged a resurgence of interest in his friend and mentor, the poet and journalist Leigh Hunt. This timely collection of essays by leading British and North America romanticists explores Hunt's life, writings and cultural significance over the full length of his career, arguing for the recognition of Hunt's importance to British intellectual and literary culture in the Romantic period.