As previously reported by a press release and in Locus, the Science Fiction Encyclopedia (online) now has a Substack, in which John Clute and David Langford, well-known fans, authors and publishers, will be sharing various bits and insights into the workings of this phenomenal project.
Why do I say phenomenal? Certainly the fact that I have an entry has something to do with it.
Actually, the SFE has been a go-to research source for me for decades. I even used to page through Donald Tuck’s three volume ency at my local library back in the day.
Yes, there have been “Science Fiction Encyclopedias” published almost since the dawn of time – Donald Tuck’s – mostly biographies – Gary Westfahl’s – The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy and Science Fiction Literature Through History: An Encyclopedia; The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by Brian Ash, Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia by Brian Stableford, with even earlier checklists (The Checklist of Fantastic Literature, Blieler) being produced by fans and often excerpted or discussed in fanzines.
But the SFE, now in its fourth edition and free from the shackles of commercial publishing (actually, Granada, Doubleday, Orbit, St. Martin’s Press and Gollancz are to be thanked for their support over the years), is both a project and thing unto itself. With over 20,000 entries – written and endlessly nitpicked and reviewed by John Clute, David Langford (Ansible) and Graham Sleight it is the most comprehensive such work of its kind in the field.
And now it’s independent, online presence promises to offer it a perpetual existence. Which is a GOOD thing.
You may not be all that into “Science Fiction Research”, but the moment that you need to do some is the moment that you will realize just how valuable and important the SFE4 is. In anticipation of that need, why not subscribe to the Substack and help support this wonderful, fantastic, Amazing! resource?
John Clute (see the Science Fiction Encyclopedia to learn all about him!) and James Machell – Outreach Editor for Utopia Science Fiction magazine and contest Chair for the SFPA (be nice to him, you never know!) – will be the go-to contributors to SFE’s Substack.
Check it out – it is truly a great resource, which you can confirm by visiting their entry for Amazing Stories
Steve Davidson is the publisher of Amazing Stories.
Steve has been a passionate fan of science fiction since the mid-60s, before he even knew what it was called.
