The year 1952 was marked, in science fiction, by the following events.
Births and deaths
Births
Deaths
Literary releases
Serialized novels
First editions
- Les Animaux dénaturés by Vercors (in French), anthropologists find "missing links" in New Guinea, sparking a trial over their humanity after a scientist kills a hybrid offspring.
- Ballroom of the Skies by John D. MacDonald, leaders of an intergalactic empire are always chosen from among humans but must first be tested by extreme hardship.
- City by Clifford D. Simak, a collection of interconnected stories exploring humanity's future and its interactions with robots and aliens.
- The Crystal Horde by John Taine, silicon crystalline lifeforms threaten to overwhelm carbon life on Earth.
- The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov, involves intrigue and political maneuvering on a remote planet in a galactic empire.
- Double Jeopardy by Fletcher Pratt, tackles industrial espionage and a locked-room mystery, both linked to a revolutionary matter-duplication process.
- Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov, continues the saga of the Foundation as it confronts challenges from within and without the galaxy.
- The Long Loud Silence by Wilson Tucker, Corporal Gary survives a post-apocalyptic America, facing quarantine, cannibals, and military, ultimately reuniting with a fellow survivor.
- Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut, dystopian novel exploring the consequences of automation and its impact on society.
- Sentinels From Space by Eric Frank Russell, Captain David Raven must stop a mutant-led war for Mars and Venus's independence to keep humanity united for interstellar contact.
- The Sound of His Horn by Sarban, an alternate history where a Nazi officer hunts humans for sport in a dystopian future.
- The Starmen by Leigh Brackett, a space opera concerning the only race that is able to endure the rigors of interstellar travel.
- This Island Earth by Raymond F. Jones, a race of aliens recruiting "Peace Engineers" are actually using Earth as a pawn in an intergalactic war.
- The Weapon Makers (revised edition) by A. E. van Vogt, explores a future society where advanced weapons technology plays a crucial role in political power struggles.
Novellas
Short stories
Juveniles
- Five Against Venus by Philip Latham (juvenile), the Robinson family crash-lands on Venus, survives with a scientist's help, and discovers a valuable antibiotic from a nuisance mold.
- Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke (juvenile), follows a young boy's adventure aboard a space station and his encounters with space travel.
- Marooned on Mars by Lester del Rey (juvenile), survival and adventure on the Martian surface.
- Mists of Dawn by Chad Oliver (juvenile), Dr. Nye's space-time machine sends his nephew to 50,000 BC, where he must survive for two weeks with minimal supplies.
- Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet by Blake Savage (juvenile), Lt. Rip Foster must retrieve a valuable thorium asteroid while facing rival Space Force crew and enemy agents.
- Rocket Jockey by Lester del Rey (juvenile), a young man dreams of becoming a rocket pilot and exploring space.
- The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein (juvenile), follows the Stone family's spacefaring adventures.
- Son of the Stars by Raymond F. Jones (juvenile), a teenager discovers an alien survivor and works to protect him from the military while signaling for his rescue.
Movies
Awards
The main science-fiction awards known at the present time did not exist at this time.
See also
Notes