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The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
When the first edition of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction was published in 1979, it was immediately hailed as a classic work of reference. Frank Herbert described it as 'the most valuable science fiction source book ever written' and Isaac Asimov said 'It will become the Bible for all science fiction fans.'. This new edition has taken years to prepare and is much more than a simple updating. The world of science fiction in the 1990s is much more complex than it was back in the late 1970s. The advent of game worlds, shared worlds, graphic novels, film and tv spin-offs, technothrillers, survivalist fiction, of horror novels and fantasy novels with of centres has necessitated a radical revision, and this has allowed the inclusion of related subjects, such as magic realism. Accordingly, the book has expanded dramatically in order to cope with the complexities and changes. It now contains well over 4,300 entries - a staggering 1,500 more than the original - and, at 1.2 million words, it is over half a million words longer than the first edition. This is the indispensable reference work not only for every reader who loves, uses and wishes to know more about science fiction, but for every reader of imaginative fiction at the end of this century.
1386 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 1995
23 people are currently reading
1012 people want to read
About the author
John Clute
58 books42 followersJohn Frederick Clute (1940- ) is a Canadian born author and critic who has lived in Britain since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part of science fiction's history."
Clute's articles on speculative fiction have appeared in various publications since the 1970s. He is a co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (with Peter Nicholls) and of The Encyclopedia of Fantasy (with John Grant), as well as The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction, all of which won Hugo Awards for Best Non-Fiction. Clute is also author of the critical essay collections Strokes, Look at the Evidence, and Scores. His 1999 novel Appleseed, a space opera, was noted for its "combination of ideational fecundity and combustible language" and was selected as a New York Times Notable Book for 2002. In 2006, Clute published the essay collection The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror.
Clute's articles on speculative fiction have appeared in various publications since the 1970s. He is a co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (with Peter Nicholls) and of The Encyclopedia of Fantasy (with John Grant), as well as The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction, all of which won Hugo Awards for Best Non-Fiction. Clute is also author of the critical essay collections Strokes, Look at the Evidence, and Scores. His 1999 novel Appleseed, a space opera, was noted for its "combination of ideational fecundity and combustible language" and was selected as a New York Times Notable Book for 2002. In 2006, Clute published the essay collection The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 29, 2019
This comprehensive encyclopedia is my foundation in loving science fiction. There were days in my life just reading the content of this amazing reference and getting lost in thousands of entries. Entries with various topics that beyond my wildest imagination.
This book is my cheat sheet, my ammunition in bluffing when discussing science fiction topics with my friends. There, I reveal my secret weapon.
My first "read" was the CD-ROM version of 1995. I lost the CD years ago. Thankfully, for 21st ce. internet users, there is http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/
This book is my cheat sheet, my ammunition in bluffing when discussing science fiction topics with my friends. There, I reveal my secret weapon.
My first "read" was the CD-ROM version of 1995. I lost the CD years ago. Thankfully, for 21st ce. internet users, there is http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/
May 14, 2011
How could I have forgotten this mighty work? John Clute appears to have read every sf short story, novelette, novella and novel, and then judiciously summarised each and every writer's work with honesty and compassion, and diamond bright glints of wit too. This great fat book is wonderful for reading about stuff you just know you'll never get round to because you keep reading stuff about the stuff instead of the stuff itself. It's a book geek thing. Some people don't read books and some people don't read books about books. The first lot are idiots but the second lot are probably a whole lot more sensible than me.
partially-read
April 16, 2025In just the past month or so, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction has added an invasion of Canada article. That's one way to make a political statement, I suppose.
SFE is a great resource that I consult regularly as a collector and reader of older science fiction. In particular, its treatment of fixups, omnibuses, variant titles, abridgings, revisions, expansions, and even the rare "mutilations" in author bibliographies is invaluable. I own copies of both Michael Bishop's Funeral for the Eyes of Fire and his Eyes of Fire, which are two completely different versions of the same story, and the second one is sometimes also titled Funeral for the Eyes of Fire. It can get a little confusing. In fact, while I was writing this, I found out that he published The City and the Cygnets in 2019, which expands his 1979 Catacomb Years with seven new stories. You're not going to find this information anywhere more accessibly. The Internet Science Fiction Database probably also has it, but the ISFDB's sheer volume of information makes it unwieldy.
It's an extremely expansive encyclopedia, attempting to catalogue every author, editor, publisher, movie, TV show, game, band, and more, that have anything to do with science fiction. An admirably impossible effort, and it's expanding constantly. In particular, the coverage for authors in English seems nearly complete. If someone writing in English has published something that could arguably be called science fiction, I would never bet against SFE having an article on them. There have been only a handful of times I've searched up truly, truly obscure writers and found them not to have an entry.
Unlike movies and other such group efforts, individual books don't get entries, but discussion in author entries. Even extremely prolific authors don't get every single novel discussed (let alone short stories). I don't know which author actually has the longest entry, but Jules Verne is up there, and gets "only" about 8000 words in the main text. Isaac Asimov is half of that, and they go all the way down to ultra-obscure figures like John Furnill who warrant only a single sentence. Every such entry I've read is pithy and dense, at the very least. They're certainly worth a read if you're curious what an author is "about", their place in history, and for points of exploration into their oeuvre.
The entertainment highlight of the encyclopedia is the "themes" section. These range from histories of commonplace technologies like antigravity, to story concepts like precursor civilizations and generation ships, to more abstract essays dealing with things like anti-intellectualism or "Ruins and Futurity", to broader narratological concepts like the equipoisal blending of different genres, slingshot endings and the megatext
And it's free.
SFE is a great resource that I consult regularly as a collector and reader of older science fiction. In particular, its treatment of fixups, omnibuses, variant titles, abridgings, revisions, expansions, and even the rare "mutilations" in author bibliographies is invaluable. I own copies of both Michael Bishop's Funeral for the Eyes of Fire and his Eyes of Fire, which are two completely different versions of the same story, and the second one is sometimes also titled Funeral for the Eyes of Fire. It can get a little confusing. In fact, while I was writing this, I found out that he published The City and the Cygnets in 2019, which expands his 1979 Catacomb Years with seven new stories. You're not going to find this information anywhere more accessibly. The Internet Science Fiction Database probably also has it, but the ISFDB's sheer volume of information makes it unwieldy.
It's an extremely expansive encyclopedia, attempting to catalogue every author, editor, publisher, movie, TV show, game, band, and more, that have anything to do with science fiction. An admirably impossible effort, and it's expanding constantly. In particular, the coverage for authors in English seems nearly complete. If someone writing in English has published something that could arguably be called science fiction, I would never bet against SFE having an article on them. There have been only a handful of times I've searched up truly, truly obscure writers and found them not to have an entry.
Unlike movies and other such group efforts, individual books don't get entries, but discussion in author entries. Even extremely prolific authors don't get every single novel discussed (let alone short stories). I don't know which author actually has the longest entry, but Jules Verne is up there, and gets "only" about 8000 words in the main text. Isaac Asimov is half of that, and they go all the way down to ultra-obscure figures like John Furnill who warrant only a single sentence. Every such entry I've read is pithy and dense, at the very least. They're certainly worth a read if you're curious what an author is "about", their place in history, and for points of exploration into their oeuvre.
The entertainment highlight of the encyclopedia is the "themes" section. These range from histories of commonplace technologies like antigravity, to story concepts like precursor civilizations and generation ships, to more abstract essays dealing with things like anti-intellectualism or "Ruins and Futurity", to broader narratological concepts like the equipoisal blending of different genres, slingshot endings and the megatext
And it's free.
May 23, 2016
Highly recommended to anyone who needs a solid encyclopedia the covers SF from the beginning. Despite its age it contains a wealth of books and authors who you will never have heard off, this is a solid reliable book that can never age. A book so full that each page is equal to four in a normal book totaling a staggering 5480 pages!
This is an important book for readers, add it now!
This is an important book for readers, add it now!
January 21, 2010
This is not a book to be read, but it is an invaluable source of information on science fiction. Books, authors, movies, magazines,--all are covered.
Of the course the Sf field is now so vast, one book cannot cover every singe author or book. For example Robert Heinlein gets only two pages, and you could write a book on him alone. So the authors concentrate on as many authors as they can, with great sucess.
But it is an excellend reference book if you are a die hard fan of SF, as I am. The cross-reference in excellent, and the articles well written. A large staff of Sf teacher s and acamdemics have contributed, as well as a few sf authors---Thomas Disch; Brian Aldiss and Neil Gaiman, among others.
An extra this enecycloped has is articles on themes such as "Lost Words" or "Politics and Sf" and "Children's Sf". Then, the theme is briefly discussed, with a listing of some representative authors.
Printed, in the 1993, at over 1400 pages, I have found in an invaluable source of information. The only real lack, of course, is anything in the last 15 years is not covered. I have heard a new revised edition is planned.
But for now, if you really, really like to know ABOUT science fiction as well as read it, this is the BEST of the several Sf enecyclopedia's I own. I would regard this book as a MUST for serious collectors and/or bookstore owners. A bit on the expensive side, but well worth it.
(I hope the new edition is in 2 volumes though--it's huge! John Clute, I hope you are reading this!)
Of the course the Sf field is now so vast, one book cannot cover every singe author or book. For example Robert Heinlein gets only two pages, and you could write a book on him alone. So the authors concentrate on as many authors as they can, with great sucess.
But it is an excellend reference book if you are a die hard fan of SF, as I am. The cross-reference in excellent, and the articles well written. A large staff of Sf teacher s and acamdemics have contributed, as well as a few sf authors---Thomas Disch; Brian Aldiss and Neil Gaiman, among others.
An extra this enecycloped has is articles on themes such as "Lost Words" or "Politics and Sf" and "Children's Sf". Then, the theme is briefly discussed, with a listing of some representative authors.
Printed, in the 1993, at over 1400 pages, I have found in an invaluable source of information. The only real lack, of course, is anything in the last 15 years is not covered. I have heard a new revised edition is planned.
But for now, if you really, really like to know ABOUT science fiction as well as read it, this is the BEST of the several Sf enecyclopedia's I own. I would regard this book as a MUST for serious collectors and/or bookstore owners. A bit on the expensive side, but well worth it.
(I hope the new edition is in 2 volumes though--it's huge! John Clute, I hope you are reading this!)
April 7, 2020
I picked this up in a used bookstore a dozen years ago when really getting into the scfi genre and discovering all of its masters. It was an indispensable mammoth of a reference book before the age of Wikipedia. It has since gone online. http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/
August 21, 2014
Indispensable bit of heavyweight reference. To mark it as 'read' is somewhat misleading since it's not that sort of book, but on many occasions I have started looking something up and then been distracted by another entry and found myself getting quite carried away with cross-references and the lives and works of obscure authors.
November 25, 2016
One book I never finish reading. These days, it's mostly the constantly expanding online edition.
And, as time goes, it loses none of its charm. None at all. Clute's quest for the most precisest word does not cease to amaze me ....
And, as time goes, it loses none of its charm. None at all. Clute's quest for the most precisest word does not cease to amaze me ....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2014
Despite now being a bit "dated", The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by Clute and Nicholls, published in hardback in 1993 (which the library has) and reprinted with updates and an addendum in paperback in 1995 (which the library does NOT have), is an absolutely essential part of any science fiction fan's reference collection. This exhaustively researched volume contains biographies and bibliographies for every known author of science fiction literature through the early 1990s. Each author's entry features a biographical blurb, followed by a critical look at that author's most important or noteworthy stories or novels. If the author wrote books set in a series, there is a specific examination of that series. If the author's work are prominent within a SF subgenre, there are suggestions for additional topics to look under in the encyclopedia. But wait, there's more! You will also find detailed examinations of SF categories (cyberpunk, robots, artificial intelligence, big dumb objects), looks at famed science fiction artists, and entries on hundreds of classic and contemporary science fiction movies and television series. The 1993/95 edition is the 2nd Edition (the first was in 1979), and the editors have stated that all future editions of this Encyclopedia are intended to be on the Internet, once they are finalized. This volume is in the Reference Collection on the second floor at the Bennett Martin Public library downtown. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the companion volume from the same editors, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. Clute has also edited Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia, a handsomely-illustrated but noticeably less-exhaustive book, available in our circulating collection.] Originally reviewed for my local libraries' website: http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts...
August 18, 2014
This is a reference book, so is there any sense to saying 'it's been read'. HOWEVER, this is the definitive reference volume for fen and non casual readers of SF. Calling it good is a little like saying OED is a good dictionary. I know many students who take issue with it's arraingment of entries, because the entries are author dependent; tberefore, if you cannot remember if James Tiptree or U.K. LeGuin wrote "The Left Hand of Darkness" then you might think this book sucks. Others take issue with the volumes basic baises, consultants on the content side are Roz Kaveney, John Clute, Michael Moorcock, David Hartwell and the ilk; so there are some biases. However, if the content consultants were Peter Hamilton, Orson Scott Card, Terry Goodkind, J. Pournelle, Larry Niven, John Ringo, are you seriously proposing their biases would not be visible.
June 15, 2013
A prodigious and fairly comprehensive attempt to catalog and describe everything that can be considered science fiction in all its various forms, categorized by the author's choices, along with his contributors. As other reviews have said, it is not a book to be read, but rather something to be sampled if an entry catches your fancy, and certainly a very rewarding text for serious fans of the genre. Many an hour were spent perusing this massive tome, and no real regrets beyond the thought that perhaps I should be reading the source materials being described!
June 30, 2012
Well, I can't say that I've "read" it, per se'... it's an encyclopedia. But, I have read large portions of it and have pored over it for many a happy hour. John Clute has done an amazing job coming up with a reference that is truly "encyclopedic." Anyone who is truly serious about the genre of Science Fiction ought to have it on their shelf.
July 13, 2019
1995 edition, purchased in the late 90s, and referred to a million times since...
First off, I'd like to tell you a bit about what you WON'T find in this hefty volume filled with small print: you won't find pictures - no photos, no illustrations, no book covers, no maps. You won't find entries on specific science fiction characters - no page for Valentine Michael Smith - or aliens: look under Hal Clement and Larry Niven if you want anything at all on the Mesklinites and Puppeteers. And you won't find anything about what's been happening over the past decade, or more, in the field, as the book was last updated in the 1990s.
What you WILL get though is the best reference work covering the major authors, books, films, countries with science fiction writing traditions, comics, magazines, and themes and concepts in the field. The authors have said that neither it nor its equally indispensible "Fantasy" companion will be updated in print again -- they will be online only. That's a shame for paper-lovers like me; I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent in the company of this, paging back and forth between entries. Sure, clicking through a website is easier in some ways, but thus far that hasn't materialized. Virtually every writer and novel that I've ever heard of that could be considered part of the genre is in here; the authors seem to have missed nothing. Founding names in the field like Wells, Verne, Stapledon and Heinlein not surprisingly receive several page entries apiece, but it's rare to find any figure at all - at least any writing in English, I think the coverage outside of the language is a bit sparser - who doesn't get a fairly thorough bibliographic listing at the least.
One complaint that several reviewers of the Fantasy volume have made is the authors' usage of "made-up" terms like "polder" or "edifice" (not artificial words, but new in their application to the genre). I have no problem with this issue, as typically they've come up with language where none really existed before - they're filling a void - but if this is an issue for you, rest assured that it's less prevalent in this volume, perhaps because the terminology in the genre has been set down more systematically by academics and writers who have gone before.
You can probably get both this and its fantasy partner quite cheap now, and I would highly recommend them if you have any interest in the byways of the fields. One thing I really like is that neither book discriminates against the more "literary" figures (William S. Burroughs or Italo Calvino for example) who sometimes are given short shrift in genre-geeky references. The writing is generally serious, and I like the fact that "objectivity" isn't always the highest goal; no matter how popular a book or author may be, Clute and Nicholls are not afraid to cut them down to size, though never maliciously. And on the other hand they always seem to find something nice to say about even more marginal figures in the fiel. They are in short enthusiastic supporters of the genre as a whole, and I can't think of many writers who have done half as well at grasping the enormity of this gigantic and wonderful field of literature.
First off, I'd like to tell you a bit about what you WON'T find in this hefty volume filled with small print: you won't find pictures - no photos, no illustrations, no book covers, no maps. You won't find entries on specific science fiction characters - no page for Valentine Michael Smith - or aliens: look under Hal Clement and Larry Niven if you want anything at all on the Mesklinites and Puppeteers. And you won't find anything about what's been happening over the past decade, or more, in the field, as the book was last updated in the 1990s.
What you WILL get though is the best reference work covering the major authors, books, films, countries with science fiction writing traditions, comics, magazines, and themes and concepts in the field. The authors have said that neither it nor its equally indispensible "Fantasy" companion will be updated in print again -- they will be online only. That's a shame for paper-lovers like me; I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent in the company of this, paging back and forth between entries. Sure, clicking through a website is easier in some ways, but thus far that hasn't materialized. Virtually every writer and novel that I've ever heard of that could be considered part of the genre is in here; the authors seem to have missed nothing. Founding names in the field like Wells, Verne, Stapledon and Heinlein not surprisingly receive several page entries apiece, but it's rare to find any figure at all - at least any writing in English, I think the coverage outside of the language is a bit sparser - who doesn't get a fairly thorough bibliographic listing at the least.
One complaint that several reviewers of the Fantasy volume have made is the authors' usage of "made-up" terms like "polder" or "edifice" (not artificial words, but new in their application to the genre). I have no problem with this issue, as typically they've come up with language where none really existed before - they're filling a void - but if this is an issue for you, rest assured that it's less prevalent in this volume, perhaps because the terminology in the genre has been set down more systematically by academics and writers who have gone before.
You can probably get both this and its fantasy partner quite cheap now, and I would highly recommend them if you have any interest in the byways of the fields. One thing I really like is that neither book discriminates against the more "literary" figures (William S. Burroughs or Italo Calvino for example) who sometimes are given short shrift in genre-geeky references. The writing is generally serious, and I like the fact that "objectivity" isn't always the highest goal; no matter how popular a book or author may be, Clute and Nicholls are not afraid to cut them down to size, though never maliciously. And on the other hand they always seem to find something nice to say about even more marginal figures in the fiel. They are in short enthusiastic supporters of the genre as a whole, and I can't think of many writers who have done half as well at grasping the enormity of this gigantic and wonderful field of literature.
August 2, 2022
Before Clute's and Grant's follow-up to this volume, their "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION" set newer and higher standards in both bibliographical research (with both books and science fiction
film) and affordability of such material to the English-speaking reading public worldwide. If you can't begin to read or watch sci-fi literature, movies, or television because of a lack of referential "starting points," then by all means, borrow or buy this book.
You'll be overjoyed (if not initially overwhelmed) that you did.
film) and affordability of such material to the English-speaking reading public worldwide. If you can't begin to read or watch sci-fi literature, movies, or television because of a lack of referential "starting points," then by all means, borrow or buy this book.
You'll be overjoyed (if not initially overwhelmed) that you did.
January 26, 2026
I’ve the 1995 1st American Ed. published by DK, which I bought used & has probably been sitting around on my shelves for a couple of decades. I finally picked it up and opened it up.
I bought a slow cooker and it sat unbox and unused for about a year. Now, I use it constantly. In fact, it’s probably, along with the microwave and my Malaysian chopping knife, one of the most used item on my kitchen.
So, I reckon I’ll just leave it on my coffee table and see what happens.
I bought a slow cooker and it sat unbox and unused for about a year. Now, I use it constantly. In fact, it’s probably, along with the microwave and my Malaysian chopping knife, one of the most used item on my kitchen.
So, I reckon I’ll just leave it on my coffee table and see what happens.
November 10, 2020
Full of details regarding book, TV, and film versions of science fiction spanning its earliest depiction to recent times (my hardcover copy reached the 1990's). A rich treasure for the science fiction fan. PMoscarella/Machinia.ca
September 11, 2022
A great resource that can help one find good science fiction.
Want to read
April 25, 2016Clute, J. (1995). The encyclopedia of science fiction. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.
Citation: Tiffany Morgan
Type of Reference: Encyclopedia
Call Number: Ref 031
Content/Scope: This encyclopedia encompasses 4,360 entries that provide critical insight into science fiction. It will appeal mostly to those interested in science fiction.
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: This reference work has won several literary awards and has other editions available.
Arrangement/Presentation: It is a paperback edition of the may interests of science fiction and is presented in a cross referenced format.
Accessibility/Diversity: This book would appeal to both male and females, especially those who enjoy science fiction gaming.
Relation: It will relate to the high population of students who show high interest in science fiction materials.
Cost: $127.00
Professional 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
Retrieved from:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312...
Citation: Tiffany Morgan
Type of Reference: Encyclopedia
Call Number: Ref 031
Content/Scope: This encyclopedia encompasses 4,360 entries that provide critical insight into science fiction. It will appeal mostly to those interested in science fiction.
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: This reference work has won several literary awards and has other editions available.
Arrangement/Presentation: It is a paperback edition of the may interests of science fiction and is presented in a cross referenced format.
Accessibility/Diversity: This book would appeal to both male and females, especially those who enjoy science fiction gaming.
Relation: It will relate to the high population of students who show high interest in science fiction materials.
Cost: $127.00
Professional 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
Retrieved from:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312...
May 2, 2008
A very good guide to science fiction, and very useful as a reference book. But it tends to have an elitist and overly critical attitude towards popular science fiction, especially in regards to film and TV. Its film criticism isn't very good, it tends to praise the quality of the idea over the quality of the execution and presentation.
August 9, 2016
I've found this to be a good guide to exploring the written science fiction that I haven't read yet. It contains summaries of numerous authors and books, noting their significance, influences, and so on, and simply opening it up to a random page and browsing through the entries has been a good way of finding interesting new reads to get from the library.
October 30, 2012
For those who want to know details about Science Fiction, this is a must read. This book gives details about various stages of Science Fiction and popular authors along their works. This also gives details of movies of Science Fiction. For those who want to learn about Science Fiction, I strongly recommend this book.
January 23, 2014
This was a new thing for me - reading an entire encyclopedia. It seemed like a herculean task, indeed. But once I got started, I found it quite satisfying to read the entries. I learned about old and new writers in the genre, and about the kinds of books that fit into this rather exciting field of writing. I read this mostly to help fall asleep at night and found that it was keeping me awake.
October 8, 2007
There is a difference between the hardback and paperback editions. The paperbacks have the update with new data, typographical errors, factual corrections, and miscellanea. That update actually makes the paperback the better and more useful reference.
October 8, 2007
There is a difference between the hardback and paperback editions. The paperbacks have the update with new data, typographical errors, factual corrections, and miscellanea. That update actually makes the paperback the better and more useful reference.
October 13, 2016
Still consult the online version regularly, and I have quite a fondness for John Clute's approach to the genre and his overwrought prose, although I often think he places science fiction in a role in society it has never really had in its current nerdy form.
July 12, 2008
This volume and the Fantasy companion have been invaluable in introducing me to a number of otherwise missed authors.
April 6, 2020
See review for The Encyclopedia of Fantasy.
Want to read
November 13, 2011Stephen Recommended earlier version of this book by Peter Nicholls in his Forenote of King's book Danse Macabre. This version is co-authored by John Clute.
December 2, 2012
Superbly written. The prose reminds me of the translated work of Borges.
April 20, 2013
If you consider yourself a true science fiction fan you must have this book. I have not read it cover to cover, but it is an invaluable reference.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews