The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

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Cover of the second edition

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction is a reference work on science fiction.

The first edition, edited by Peter Nicholls with John Clute and Brian Stableford appeared in 1979. It was retitled The Science Fiction Encyclopedia in the US.

A greatly expanded second edition, jointly edited by Nicholls and Clute, did not appear until 1993. The paperback edition included an addendum, and the CD-ROM version, styled variously as The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Grolier Science Fiction, contained text updates through 1995, hundreds of book covers and author photos, and author video clips taken from the TVOntario series Prisoners of Gravity.

Currently, all print and CD-ROM editions are out of print. It has been announced that future editions wil be available exclusively online (the third edition is expected in 2007). The companion volume is The Encyclopedia of Fantasy.

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction consists of several different categories:

Author entries, including entries on writers who have written about science fiction or whose ideas fed into the genre
Theme entries, on subjects often encountered in science fiction, e.g. telepathy or robots, but also entries about science fiction itself (like the history of science fiction)
Terminology entries, similar to theme entries, explaining common words used in science fiction (e.g. ion drive) as well as terms used to describe science fiction (e.g. heroic fantasy)
Science fiction in various countries, entries that describe science fiction in the non-English speaking world
Films. While the focus of the encyclopedia lies with written science fiction, the more important science fiction films have been included as well; over 500 films are mentioned in the 1992 hardcover edition
Television. As with films, only the most important TV series of science fiction interest have been including, leading to roughly 100 entries.
Magazines. This includes the science fiction magazines, but also those pulp magazines that regularly featured sf content and academic magazines about science fiction.
Fanzines. The more important science fiction fanzines are listed.
Comics. Entries here not only consist of various science fiction comics, but also of some publishers, writers and artists of interest.
Illustrators. These entries only contain artists whose work is most closely associated with the science fiction genre, mostly book or magazine illustrators.
Book publishers. All the important then existing and historical science fiction publishers have their own entries. There are also several theme entries about publishing.
Original anthologies. The most important and influential original anthology series are given their own entries.
Awards. The most important science fiction awards have their own entries and there is also a more general entry on them.
Miscellaneous. Some 30 entries that didn't fit elsewhere, including on science fiction organisations, collections, publishing formats and even some character entries.