On April 27, 2016 Drew University Library will hold a Conversation on Collecting: Science Fiction & Popular Magazines centering around the David Johnson Science Fiction Collection. Join us at 4pm in the Pilling Room to hear from Claire Du Laney CLA ’14, who has been processing the Johnson collection, and Neil Clarke, publisher of Clarkesworld science fiction magazine.
Brave New Words: the Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction
Does SF terminology make you feel like you’ve taken a jump gate to an alternate future? Make some eyetracks over this on your viewscreen to get some oldspeak Terran explanations. Also check out fan fiction, cyberpunk, science fantasy…
http://tinyurl.com/drew-oxford-sf
Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction
This 5th edition (2004) of a classic reference can only scratch the surface, but such gleams from that scratch! First is a ‘succinct but detailed critical history of science fiction’ which is excellent background reading. This is followed by annotated bibliographies of both primary sources (the fiction itself) and secondary sources (literary writing about science fiction). The best introduction to the field.
Reference PN 3433.8 .A52
Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Literature
Bradbury or Bradley? E.E. Smith or Cordwainer? In addition to giving snippet profiles of SF authors, this 2004 reference defines genres and terms such as Steampunk, Chimerical Fiction, Evolutionary Fantasy, Interplanetary Romance, and Multiverse.
Reference PN 3433.4 .S73
The Story of the Science Fiction Magazines
This 3-book series by Mike Ashley is available through Ebrary, allowing readers to trace the development of the magazines featured in the Johnson Collection.
Time Machines… Beginning to 1950 http://tinyurl.com/drew-ashley-1
Transformations…1950 to 1970 http://tinyurl.com/drew-ashley-2
Gateways to Forever… 1970 to 1980 http://tinyurl.com/drew-ashley-gateways
Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia
Billing itself as “an encyclopedia of the connections between science and fiction” detailing a subset of literary/science connections, from Dystopia and Clone to Poetry and Parapsychology, Cybernetics to Exobiology to Social Darwinism. Certain influential writers in science & in science fiction are also profiled.
Reference Q123 .S735