Wikipedia:WikiProject Science Fiction/References
A list of SF references along with their availability on the Internet Archive's Open Library, the Wikipedia Library and other sources. (Note: Wikipedia Library links below are freely accessible; no publisher-specific approval needed). Some sources may also be available through Z-library.
A similar list for fantasy is at WP:FANTASYREFS.
Literature[edit]
"In the early 1970s anybody interested in the history and criticism of sf could have found very little to read on the subject. Now there is far too much to cope with, and the difficulty is in locating what might be available and interesting."
Companions[edit]
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn | Available at the Wikipedia Library |
| 2005 | Wiley-Blackwell's A Companion to Science Fiction by David Seed | Available at the Internet Archive and also at the Wikipedia Library |
| 2009 | The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction by Mark Bould, Andrew M. Butler, Adam Roberts, Sherryl Vint | Available at the Internet Archive and also at the Wikipedia Library |
| 2014 | The Oxford Handbook of Science Fiction by Rob Latham | Available at the Wikipedia Library |
| 2015 | The Cambridge Companion to American Science Fiction by Gerry Canavan and Eric Carl Link | Available at the Wikipedia Library |
Encyclopedias[edit]
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy, volumes 1–3 by Donald H. Tuck | Covers up to 1968. Quotable for opinions on stories and books. As a bibliographical resource it has been largely superseded by later works, but there is still some data here not available anywhere else. Find vol. 1 in libraries (WorldCat catalog). Vol. 2 and vol. 3 available at the Internet Archive |
| 1977 | The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by Brian Ash | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1978 | Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by Robert Holdstock | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1979 – present |
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by Peter Nicholls, John Clute, David Langford | Officially available online: http://sf-encyclopedia.com/ |
| 1996 | The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Science Fiction: The Definitive Illustrated Guide by David Pringle | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2001 | The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by George Mann | Preview at Google Books |
| 2005 | The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Gary Westfahl | Available: vol. 1 , vol. 2 , vol. 3 at the Internet Archive |
| 2005 | Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Library Movements) by Don D'Ammassa | Preview at Google Books |
| 2006 | Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia by Brian Stableford | Preview at Google Books |
| 2021 | Science Fiction Literature Through History: An Encyclopedia by Gary Westfahl | Preview at Google Books |
Histories[edit]
SF in general[edit]
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Seekers of Tomorrow: Masters of Modern Science Fiction by Sam Moskowitz† | Biographical sketches of important SF figures, both genre and pre-genre. Contains some errors, but can still be useful. Available at the Internet Archive |
| Explorers of the Infinite: Shapers of Science Fiction by Sam Moskowitz† | Biographical sketches of important SF figures, both genre and pre-genre. Contains some errors, but can still be useful. Available at the Internet Archive | |
| 1975 | Alternate Worlds: The Illustrated History of Science Fiction by James Gunn | Preview at Google Books |
| 1976 | A Pictorial History of Science Fiction by David Kyle | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
| 1977 | The Futurians: The Story of the Science Fiction "Family" of the 30's That Produced Today's Top SF Writers and Editors by Damon Knight | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1979 | The World of Science Fiction, 1926-1976: The History of a Subculture by Lester Del Rey | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1986 | Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction by Brian Aldiss | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1999– 2006 |
Pioneers in Wonder: Conversations with Science Fiction Founders by Eric Leif Davin | Interviews with early figures in SF, such as Eshbach, Moskowitz, Lasser, and Hornig. Available at the Internet Archive |
| Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965 by Eric Leif Davin | About women in SF, 1926-65. Available at the Internet Archive | |
| 2006 | The History of Science Fiction by Adam Roberts | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2015 | The Cambridge History of Science Fiction by Gerry Canavan and Eric Carl Link | Available at the Wikipedia Library |
| 2018 | Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction by Alec Nevala-Lee |
Preview at Google Books |
SF magazines[edit]
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Under The Moons of Mars: A History and Anthology of "The Scientific Romance" in the Munsey Magazines, 1912-1920 by Sam Moskowitz |
Contains a 140-page history of pre-Amazing magazines in the back; focuses on SF before it became a genre. Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1974–78 | The History of the Science Fiction Magazine, Parts 1 – 4 by Mike Ashley | Part 1 available at the Internet Archive Snippet views of part 2, part 3, part 4 at Google Books |
| 1977 | The Creation of Tomorrow: Fifty Years of Magazine Science Fiction by Paul Allen Carter | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1985 | Science Fiction, Fantasy & Weird Fiction Magazines by Mike Ashley and Marshall Tymn | Snippet view at Google Books |
| 1990–98 | Science-Fiction: The Early Years by Everett Franklin Bleiler | Available at the Internet Archive |
| Science Fiction: The Gernsback Years by Everett Franklin Bleiler | Preview at Google Books | |
| 2000–22 | The Time Machines: The Story of the Science-Fiction Pulp Magazines from the Beginning to 1950 by Mike Ashley | Available at the Wikipedia Library |
| Transformations: The Story of the Science Fiction Magazines from 1950 to 1970 by Mike Ashley | Available at the Wikipedia Library | |
| Gateways to Forever: The Story of the Science-Fiction Magazines from 1970 to 1980 by Mike Ashley | Available at the Wikipedia Library | |
| Science Fiction Rebels: The Story of the Science-Fiction Magazines from 1981 to 1990 by Mike Ashley | Available at the Wikipedia Library | |
| The Rise of the Cyberzines: The Story of the Science-Fiction Magazines from 1991 to 2020 by Mike Ashley | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) | |
| 2004 | The Gernsback Days by Mike Ashley and Robert A. W. Lowndes | Preview at Google Books |
| 2006 | The Age of the Storytellers: British Popular Fiction Magazines, 1880-1950 by Mike Ashley | Focuses on SF before it became a genre. Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
General references[edit]
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Inquiry Into Science Fiction by Basil Davenport | Academic scholarship about SF. Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1964–70 | The Issue at Hand: Studies in Contemporary Magazine Science Fiction by James Blish | Opinions on old classic stories (+ old not-so-classic stories). Available at the Internet Archive |
| More Issues at Hand: Critical Studies in Contemporary Science Fiction by James Blish | Opinions on old classic stories (+ old not-so-classic stories). Available at the Internet Archive | |
| 1967 | In Search of Wonder: Essays on Modern Science Fiction by Damon Knight | Opinions on old classic stories (+ old not-so-classic stories). Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1975 | New Maps of Hell: A Survey of Science Fiction by Kingsley Amis | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1977 | The Jewel-Hinged Jaw: Notes on the Language of Science Fiction by Samuel R. Delany | Preview at Google Books |
| 1979 | The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin | Preview at Google Books |
| 1979 | Metamorphoses of Science Fiction by Darko Suvin | Academic scholarship about SF. Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
| 1979–83 | Survey of Science Fiction Literature, volumes 1–5 by Frank N. Magill | Assessments of famous books. Vol. 3 available at the Internet Archive Snippet views of vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 4, vol. 5 at Google Books |
| Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature, volumes 1–5 by Frank N. Magill | Vol. 1 available at the Internet Archive Snippet views of vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4, vol. 5 at Google Books | |
| 1981 | The Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 8: Twentieth-Century American Science-Fiction Writers, parts 1–2 by David Covart and Thomas L. Wymer | Find part 1 in libraries (WorldCat catalog) Part 2 at the Internet Archive |
| 1983 | The Science in Science Fiction by Peter Nicholls | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1994 | Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century by Edward James | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1996–2017 | 1st ed. (1996) Magill's Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature edited by T. A. Shippey, vol. 1–4 |
Plot summaries and analyses of "hundreds of famous and well-regarded works of science fiction and fantasy". Covers a total of 791 books/series. Vol. 1 (A–D) , vol. 3 (L–S) and vol.4 (S–Z) available at the Internet Archive |
| 2nd ed. (2002) Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature edited by Fiona Kelleghan, vol. 1–2 |
Adds 8 new essays. Covers a total of 180 books/series. Not clear if all prior edition entries are present or if some were removed. Vol. 1 (A–M) available at the Internet Archive | |
| 3rd ed. (2017) Critical Survey of Science Fiction & Fantasy Literature edited by Paul Di Filippo, vol. 1–3 |
Adds 50 new books/series + revisions of older entries. Covers a total of 842 books. Not clear if all prior edition entries are present or if some were removed. Can be accessed through Wikipedia Library ([1]). Table of Contents | |
| 1998 | The Mechanics of Wonder: The Creation of the Idea of Science Fiction by Gary Westfahl | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1999 | Science Fiction Writers: Critical Studies of the Major Authors from the Early Nineteenth Century to the Present Day by Richard Bleiler |
Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1999 | The Dictionary of Science Fiction Places by Brian Stableford | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2000 | Critical Theory and Science Fiction by Carl Freedman | Preview at Google Books |
| 2000 | Science Fiction: The New Critical Idiom by Adam Roberts | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2007 | Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction by Jeff Prucher | Available at the Internet Archive and also at the Wikipedia Library |
| 2011 | Science Fiction: A Very Short Introduction by David Seed | Preview at Google Books |
| 2014 | Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction in Literature by M. Keith Booker | "The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries including significant people; themes; critical issues; and the most significant genres that have formed science fiction literature". Available through Wikipedia Library. |
| 2018 | An Informal History of the Hugos by Jo Walton | Collects Tor.com essays available online. Preview at Google Books |
| 2020 | Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction by Jesse Sheidlower | Offshoot of the above Oxford dictionary, available online: https://sfdictionary.com/ |
Themes and subgenres[edit]
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Hard Science Fiction by George Edgar Slusser and Eric S. Rabkin | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1989 | Feminism and Science Fiction by Sarah LeFanu | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1990 | Uranian Worlds: A Guide to Alternative Sexuality in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror by Eric Garber | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1994 | Aliens and Others: Science Fiction, Feminism, and Postmodernism by Jenny Wolmark | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1997 | Political Science Fiction by Donald M Hassler and Eric Wilcox | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2006 | Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century by Justine Larbalestier | Available at the Internet Archive |
Author biographies[edit]
Early SF
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | H. G. Wells: Desperately Mortal by David C. Smith | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2000 | Mary Shelley by Miranda Seymour | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2002 | Jules Verne: The Definitive Biography by William Butcher | Available at the Internet Archive |
Pulp era
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Man from Mars: Ray Palmer's Amazing Pulp Journey by Fred Nadis | Preview at Google Books |
| 2017 | Leo Margulies: Giant of the Pulps by Philip Sherman | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
Golden Age
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Way the Future Was: A Memoir by Frederick Pohl | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
| 1979–94 | In Memory Yet Green: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1920–1954 by Isaac Asimov | Available at the Internet Archive |
| In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954-1978 by Isaac Asimov | Available at the Internet Archive | |
| I. Asimov: A Memoir by Isaac Asimov | Available at the Internet Archive | |
| 1986 | Leigh Brackett: American Writer by John L. Carr | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
| 1988 | Frank Herbert by William F. Touponce | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1992 | Arthur C. Clarke: The Authorized Biography by Neil McAleer | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2006 | The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury by Sam Weller | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2009 | C.M. Kornbluth: The Life and Works of a Science Fiction Visionary by Mark Rich | Preview at Google Books |
| 2014 | Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century, volumes 1–2 by William H. Pattinson | Vol. 1 preview at Google Books Vol. 2 available at the Internet Archive |
| 2015 | Anthony Boucher: A Biobibliography by Jeffrey Marks | Preview at Google Books |
| 2019 | Hidden Wyndham: Life, Love, Letters by Amy Binns | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
New Wave
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Hell's Cartographers by Brian Aldiss and Harry Harrison | Autobiographical essays by Robert Silverberg, Damon Knight, Frederick Pohl, Harry Harrison (writer), Brian Aldiss, Alfred Bester. Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1979–88 | Heavenly Breakfast: An Essay on the Winter of Love by Samuel R. Delany | Available at the Internet Archive |
| The Motion of Light in Water by Samuel R. Delany | Available at the Internet Archive | |
| 1981 | Ursula K. Le Guin by Barbara Bucknall | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1989 | Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick by Lawrence Sutin | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2002 | Better to Have Loved: The Life of Judith Merril by Judith Merril and Emily Pohl-Weary | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2002 | Harlan Ellison: The Edge of Forever by Ellen Weil and Gary K. Wolfe | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2006 | James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon by Julie Phillips | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2007 | Anne McCaffrey: A Life with Dragons by Robin Roberts | Available at the Internet Archive |
| 2016 | Octavia E. Butler by Gerry Canavan | Preview at Google Books |
| 2019 | Joanna Russ by Gwyneth Jones | Preview at Google Books |
Post-1980
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | William Gibson by Gary Westfahl | Preview at Google Books |
| 2015 | Lois McMaster Bujold by Edward James | Preview at Google Books |
| 2017 | Iain M. Banks by Paul Kincaid | Preview at Google Books |
Note: For pre-1960 writers, the social circles were small enough that you can go to Fred Pohl's The Way the Future Was for information about Kornbluth, and to Rich's bio of Kornbluth for information about Lowndes, and so on.
Finding reviews[edit]
- Some websites to look at are Locus, Tor.com, Strange Horizons.
- The ISFDB lists reviews from magazines such as F&SF. These are sometimes available on WP:TWL or archive.org; if not, try WP:RX.
- Google Scholar and WP:TWL can point you to reviews in journals such as Extrapolation, Foundation, Science Fiction Studies, and Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts.
- Check in the books linked above, in particular In Search of Wonder, The Issue at Hand and More Issues at Hand for reviews of old short stories, and Magill's Guide and Survey for older novels.
Bibliographies[edit]
- Galactic Central is a reliable source for bibliographic data and includes the Contento indexes.
- The ISFDB is not a reliable source to cite in FAs, per some FAC review discussions, though it's a great place to find information that can be verified elsewhere.
Art[edit]
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Science Fiction Art by Brian Aldiss | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
| 1975 | Alternate Worlds: The Illustrated History of Science Fiction by James Gunn | Preview at Google Books |
| 1976 | A Pictorial History of Science Fiction by David Kyle | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
| 1977 | Great Balls of Fire! A History of Sex in Science Fiction Illustration by Harry Harrison | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
| 1997 | Infinite Worlds: The Fantastic Visions of Science Fiction Art by Vincent DiFate | Find in libraries (WorldCat catalog) |
Film and television[edit]
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Liverpool Companion to World Science Fiction Film by Sonja Fritzsche | Available at the Wikipedia Library |
| 2014 | The Oxford Handbook of Science Fiction by Rob Latham | Available at the Wikipedia Library |
Fannish references[edit]
The professional and fannish science fiction and fantasy communities create some unique types of references that can be considered for citation purposes. General descriptions are provided here, with a list of some specific publications that are known to be reliable listed below that. Note that the categories of publication below include a full range of quality in execution; any publication must be considered on its own merits before being used in a citation.
Fanzines[edit]
Some say that science fiction fandom as it exists today was created in the letter columns of pulp magazines. Fans who first exchanged ideas that way went on to establish fanzines and Amateur press associations for trading such zines amongst each other. There continues a strong tradition of fan writing, fan editing, and fan illustration, recognized by the Hugo Awards for Best Fan Writer, Best Fanzine, and Best Fan Artist, as well as the Nova Awards for the same categories, specific to British and Irish sf fanzines.
Some fanzines are personal publications that are similar to blogs and do not generally make reliable, verifiable references. Other fanzines have a well-established publication history and are managed with an editorial model comparable to that of a professional magazine or academic journal. These non-profit publications can include articles and letters by professional writers and both pro and amateur historians in the field. They can be rich sources for well-researched articles about people, places, events, organizations, literary works, art, film and tv.
eFanzines.com is probably the largest online archive of fanzines, but there are other fanzine websites, and also many collectors and some libraries and universities with physical collections.
Convention publications[edit]
Science Fiction conventions that are large enough to have a Publications department usually produce an annual publication, called a Souvenir Book, Program Book or Program. These books will include biographical profiles of the convention's Guests of Honor and may also contain bibliographies and interviews. Sometimes the biography is provided by the guest or their publisher; this is marketing material such as might appear on a personal or publisher website and should be treated accordingly. Often, however, convention publication editors solicit biographical essays from professional friends and associates of the guests. If a biographical article has the byline of a well-established fanwriter, editor, or professional author, it is a verifiable reference comparable to a guest introduction in a published volume of someone's collected work. Similarly an interview published in a convention program book is as verifiable as one in a fanzine, magazine, or professional website, as long as the name of the interviewer, the program book Editor or the head of Publications is given somewhere in the printed publication.
SF Fanhistorical reference texts[edit]
Over the years several fan writers have established themselves as dedicated fan historians, documenting the history of the genre. Texts from this fannish activity that make useful references include the following:
| Year | Work | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | The Immortal Storm: A History of Science Fiction Fandom by Sam Moskowitz. Hyperion Press, 1998 (original edition The Atlanta Science Fiction Organization Press, Atlanta, Georgia 1954) |
Available at the Internet Archive |
| 1969 | All Our Yesterdays by Harry Warner, Jr. Advent, 1969; NESFA Press, 2004 | Snippet view at Google Books |
| 1977 | A Wealth of Fable by Harry Warner, Jr. Fanhistorica Press, SCIFI Press | |
| 1994 | Science Fiction Fandom edited by Joe Sanders. Greenwood Press | Snippet view at Google Books |
| 2016 | THEN: Science Fiction Fandom in the UK: 1930-1980 by Robert Hansen | Preview at Google Books |