The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
Extensively revised from the 1979 edition, this edition has been expanded from 2,800 to more than 4,300 entries. Approximately 2,900 of them are for authors. Included besides mainstream writers of science fiction, horror, and fantasy are such authors as H. P. Lovecraft and J. R. R. Tolkein, who have influenced the genre.There are 212 topical entries, includingRobots,Time Travel, andCyberpunk. A list of these topics is found in the introduction. Sixty-five scientific or sf jargon terms are defined. Science fiction in 27 different countries is covered in separate articles, which helps to balance the collection's strong U.S.-U.K. bias. This focus is probably inevitable given the anglophone domination of the field, but it has its drawbacks. The Japanese film industry, which "owned" the monster-movie market for years, is relegated to a few paragraphs in the articleJapan.Individual novels, even such seminal ones asStranger in a Strange LandandWar of the Worlds, do not get separate entries, but 544 motion pictures, 34 filmmakers, and 96 TV shows do. The movie known to monster-movie fans asGodzillais listed asGojira(a transliteration of its Japanese title), but there are adequate cross-references. Publishing houses (Arkham House), editors (Judy-Lynn del Rey), and critics (Kingsley Amis) have entries, as do comic book writers, artists, and publishers. Magazine and cover-art illustrators are also listed.The editors devote considerable space to sf fandom, with such entries asFanzinesandSemiprozines, magazines which have provided some authors with their start in the field. There are also articles on fan organizations, without addresses.The articleBibliographiesis a useful survey dating back to the 1940s when fans compiled some ground-breaking titles such as Raymond Bleiler'sThe Checklist of Fantastic Literature(1948). It also lists more academic studies, includingThe Reference Guide to Science Fiction,Fantasy and Horror(1992). The encyclopedia has no separate bibliographies, but entries cite titles of major works in the field with variant titles and dates of publication.An introductory section includes a list of contributors with initials--all entries are signed. Contributors express opinions, sometimes strong ones. Articles range in length from a few lines to several pages. The dictionary format and abundant cross-referencing allow the browser or librarian with a ready-reference question to plunge right in.More detailed author biobibliographies and criticism can be found in such sources asContemporary Authorsor some of the works cited in theBibliographiesarticle. But its coverage of so many related topics makesThe Encyclopedia of Science Fictiona recommended purchase for medium-sized to large public and academic libraries. High schools will want to consider it, too.