Asimov, himself, wrote three thick volumes of autobiography, and Heinlein was the subject of a huge, two-volume biography a few years ago, but only the most devoted fans were likely to slog through the mass of detail in those books. There have also been several books about Hubbard, mostly focusing on the controversies of Scientology rather than his earlier role in science fiction. But there has been far less work on Campbell, who Nevala-Lee argues is “one of the key cultural figures of the twentieth century.” Nevala-Lee has managed to distill the essence of their stories into a compelling tale of ambition, idealism and opportunism that should fascinate even those who have never read much science fiction at all.