The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction [Paperback]

John Clute (Author), Peter Nicholls (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1995

Encompassing 4,360 entries that provide critical insight and biographical and bibliographical data, an updated edition of a popular science fiction reference features a carefully cross-referenced format.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Did your last con visit leave you feeling out of touch? Was the latest issue of Locus full of unfamiliar writers? Or are you looking for a definitive analysis of the role of eschatology in science fiction? Look no further. You can find all the help you need, and the answers to questions you didn't even know you wanted to ask, in John Clute and Peter Nicholls's invaluable reference work, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. In the introduction, Clute and Nicholls write, "We see this book as more than merely an encyclopedia of sf; it is a comprehensive history and analysis of the genre."

With over 4,360 entries and 1,300,000 words, this is a jam-packed sourcebook on science fiction authors, books, subgenres, movements, and history. You can live without it, but why would you want to? It's got riveting trivia on every page, hours of browsing enjoyment, and endless potential for playing spot-the-error, a game popular among science fiction writers and fans. Clute and Nicholls have put together an admirable, ever-improving encyclopedia that tries to encompass a genre that grows new pseudopods every year. This is a great resource for fans and writers. Those with a yen for a more visual approach might appreciate Clute's Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia, and fantasy readers and writers should definitely check out The Encyclopedia of Fantasy when the new edition is published early in 1999. --Therese Littleton

Review

...the most intelligent, wide-ranging, and richest reference work on science fiction ever assembled. To date it is the indispensable volume on the topic. -- Samuel R. Delany

Product Details

• Paperback: 1386 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (November 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031213486X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312134860
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #835,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Science Fiction & Fantasy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! Perfect for curious book browsers, December 9, 2000

By 

Jeph Gord - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Paperback)

This book may not include everything you ever wanted to know about science fiction, but it definitely comes closer than any other work in existence. Long-time fans will enjoy the extensive analytical and bibliographical material. Beginners looking for a useful introduction to the genre are sure to find it here.

It's impossible to completely describe the contents within the space of a short review. However, a summary should be enough to give a general impression. There are (alphabetically-sorted) articles on all different aspects of the genre, from the cinema to the written word.

To start off, there are biographies on every major science fiction writer from the 19th century-1993, and almost all of the minor ones. These biographies, although of varying quality, are almost all of considerable interest. As well as listing all of the writer's major contributions to the genre, they often include analyses of the author's writing styles, including discussions of specific works. Although readers may find themselves disagreeing with some of the contributors, it is nonetheless fascinating to read the opinions of other devotees.

Perhaps just as important, there are many articles on the various science fiction magazines and their editors. Such articles are vital to any comprehensive discussion of the genre; after all science fiction started out in the magazines, and many fine stories are still published there. These articles include detailed and interesting descriptions of the magazines' histories, including editors, major contributors, and high and low points of success.

In addition to written fiction, considerable attention is paid to science fiction movies. There is little information on actors, directors, or screenwriters, but plenty about the movies themselves. Most major science fiction films have their own individual entries, including information on plot, acting, production quality. The authors always make clear whether or not they like each movie; their recommendations have led me to many good rentals!

Finally, there are many articles on the genre itself. Much attention is given to the history of the genre, from it's embryonic period in the 19th century, to it's consolidation in the 1920s, to it's maturation in the '40s, right on up to the '90s. There is also a great deal of information on specific subjects and items of terminology, from "Aliens" to "Cyberpunk" to "Spindizzies".

I can pick this Encyclopedia up any time, and be sure of finding something interesting. It's a surefire winner for anyone interested in random fact-finding. All SF fans, even if they're not "browsing" types, should still keep this tome on hand. Any question concerning the genre is likely to have an answer somewhere between the front and back covers.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable reference for sf fans., August 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Paperback)

No serious science fiction fan should be without this book. Since this book is filled with analyses of authors' works, it is SPOILER LADEN. So if you use it for reading suggestions (as I do), you must learn to read around the plot summaries. Caveat lector

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the book with almost all the answers, July 20, 2000

By 

Robert James (Culver City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Paperback)

Science fiction has long needed this comprehensive encyclopedia. Although the biographical details are necessarily short, and some of the entries border on the hopelessly opinionated, the authors provide an invaluable listing of almost every single author and subject in the genre. Particularly wonderful are the bibliographies of the complete books of each author; finally, a reader can know if he's read all of his favorite writer. It's not the kind of book one reads from cover to cover, but playing encyclopedia tag is wonderful fun; pick a page, read an entry, and then follow the references to other subjects until you get hopelessly, wonderfully lost! An excellent gift for any readers who are never without a science fiction book in their hands (and for whom you're afraid to buy something they have already read).