1952 in science fiction

The year 1952 was marked, in science fiction, by the following events.

Births

 * Douglas Adams (d. 2001)
 * Robin Wayne Bailey
 * Kage Baker (d. 2010)
 * Steven Barnes
 * João Barreiros
 * Candas Dorsey
 * Debra Doyle (d. 2020)
 * Valerio Evangelisti (d. 2022)
 * Jane Fancher
 * Kathleen Ann Goonan (d. 2021)
 * Muhammed Zafar Iqbal
 * Gwyneth Jones
 * Sharon Lee
 * Brad Linaweaver (d. 2019)
 * Nathan Lowell
 * Susan R. Matthews
 * Patrick O'Leary
 * Marek Oramus
 * Tim Powers
 * Kim Stanley Robinson
 * Mary Rosenblum (d. 2018)
 * Al Sarrantonio
 * Dana Stabenow
 * Somtow Sucharitkul (also known as S. P. Somtow)
 * Yoshiki Tanaka
 * Tais Teng
 * Lisa Tuttle
 * Kathy Tyers
 * David Weber
 * David Zindell

Serialized novels

 * Big Planet by Jack Vance, Startling Stories (September), published in book form in 1957.
 * The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester, Galaxy Science Fiction (January–March), published in book form in 1953, when it won the Hugo Award for Best Novel.
 * Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth, published in book form as The Space Merchants in 1953.
 * Tramp Space Ship by Robert A. Heinlein, Boys' Life (September–December), expanded and published in book form as The Rolling Stones, also in 1952.

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

 * Cholwell's Chickens by Jack Vance, Thrilling Wonder Stories (August)

Short stories

 * "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury, Collier's (June 28, 1952)
 * "Surface Tension" by James Blish, Galaxy Science Fiction (August)

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.

Awards
The main science-fiction awards known at the present time did not exist at this time.