SF Reference Books

Posted by Galen Strickland
August 8, 2000, with later edits & additions

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Here are a few books that have a lot of great information about the SF and Fantasy genres. Anyone truly interested in learning as much as possible about the literature would do well to seek out these reference sources. The first title is now online only, although I'm sure used copies of the two previous editions are available. Unfortunately, all but one of the others are out of print, so I've moved it up to the #2 position. Just click that link then you can do your own searches from there for used copies of the other titles. Other options are to check on ebay, or try BookFinder.com.

1. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction edited by John Clute and Peter Nicholls, probably the most comprehensive collection of information on the genre that has ever been published. I have both previous print editions, but the third edition is online only. Peter Nicholls passed away in 2018, but David Langford and Graham Sleight have been added as editors. It is still being updated at this time.

2. The Dictionary of Science Fiction Places edited by Brian Stableford

3. Billion Year Spree by Brian W. Aldiss. A revised version in collaboration with David Wingrove was later published as Trillion Year Spree.

4. The Road to SF (4 volumes), and Alternate Worlds: The Illustrated History of Science Fiction by James E. Gunn

5. The Way the Future Was by Frederik Pohl

6. New Maps of Hell by Kingsley Amis

7. The Futurians by Damon Knight [EDIT: Now available from ReAnimusPress]

8. Astounding Days by Arthur C. Clarke

9. Age of Wonders by David G. Hartwell

10. Science Fiction of the 20th Century: An Illustrated History by Frank M. Robinson

If anyone else has other SF reference books to recommend I would be interested in hearing about them.

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