''The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' is an illustrated collection of bibliographic essays on the history and subject matter of

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

. It was edited by

Brian Ash Brian Ash (born September 29, 1974 in Bronx, New York) is an American producer and screenwriter. Brian Ash is a writer and co-executive producer of Black Dynamite: The Animated Series on Adult Swim and the author of the graphic novel, Blac ...

and published in 1977 by

Pan Books Pan Books is a publishing imprint that first became active in the 1940s and is now part of the British-based Macmillan Publishers, owned by the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group of Germany. Pan Books began as an independent publisher, es ...

in the UK and Harmony/Crown Books in the US.

Summary

The book starts with a parallel chronology of significant events in the fields of science fiction stories,

magazines A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combination ...

, novels, movies/TV/radio, and

fandom A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...

, from 1805 to 1976. The book's thematic sections contain introductions by science fiction authors, and extensive bibliographies of science fiction works featuring each theme. It includes extended essays on science fiction, called "Deep Probes". The chapters are numbered in the style of a

technical manual Technical communication is used to convey scientific, engineering, or other technical information. Individuals in a variety of contexts and with varied professional credentials engage in technical communication. Some individuals are designated as ...

. Illustrations are primarily book and magazine covers, and interior illustrations from magazines, including a number of illustrations by

Virgil Finlay Virgil Finlay (July 23, 1914 – January 18, 1971) was an American pulp fantasy, science fiction and horror illustrator. He has been called "part of the pulp magazine history ... one of the foremost contributors of original and imagi ...

, among others. The anthologist and editor Mike Ashley is credited in the book as “Principal Research Consultant.”

Reception

The book received positive reviews within the field of children's literature, including the American Library Association. Reviews from the field of science fiction were less enthusiastic:Clute and Nicholls 1995, p. 55.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Ash, Brian. ''The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction''. Brian Ash, ed. Harmony Books, 1977. . * Clute, John and Peter Nicholls. ''

''. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1995. . * Katz, Bill and Ruth A. Fraley. ''Reference Services for Children and Young Adults''. New York: The Haworth Press, Inc., 1983. . * Mullen, R.D
''Science Fiction Studies #15, Vol. 5, Part 2, July 1978
'. Greencastle, IN: DePauw University, 1978.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, The 1977 non-fiction books 20th-century encyclopedias American encyclopedias British encyclopedias Encyclopedias of literature Science fiction books Science fiction studies Pan Books books Harmony Books books

Summary

Reception

See also

References

External links