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Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia
Rumor has it that critic John Clute, in the aftermath of the success of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, was given carte blanche to develop an illustrated reference. This lavish volume, studded with graphics and nuggets of information, is the pleasing result. Science Fiction : The Illustrated Encyclopedia showcases the prophecy and pageantry of science fiction. It weaves together world history with literary history and technical developments with SF trends, providing a cultural context to the Zeitgeist of the genre. Words truly cannot do justice to the visual delights of this colorful tome: time lines, charts, author biographies and bibliographies complete with photos and signatures, illustrated analyses of SF traditions, magazine covers, classic book covers, film and television snapshots, and historical photos. Use it as a reference, read it through, or pick it up and enjoy it in bits. Science Fiction : The Illustrated Encyclopedia will arouse curiosity, joy, and pride in the hearts of SF lovers. --Bonnie Bouman
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
6 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
John Clute
58 books41 followersJohn Frederick Clute (1940- ) is a Canadian born author and critic who has lived in Britain since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part of science fiction's history."
Clute's articles on speculative fiction have appeared in various publications since the 1970s. He is a co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (with Peter Nicholls) and of The Encyclopedia of Fantasy (with John Grant), as well as The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction, all of which won Hugo Awards for Best Non-Fiction. Clute is also author of the critical essay collections Strokes, Look at the Evidence, and Scores. His 1999 novel Appleseed, a space opera, was noted for its "combination of ideational fecundity and combustible language" and was selected as a New York Times Notable Book for 2002. In 2006, Clute published the essay collection The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror.
Clute's articles on speculative fiction have appeared in various publications since the 1970s. He is a co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (with Peter Nicholls) and of The Encyclopedia of Fantasy (with John Grant), as well as The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction, all of which won Hugo Awards for Best Non-Fiction. Clute is also author of the critical essay collections Strokes, Look at the Evidence, and Scores. His 1999 novel Appleseed, a space opera, was noted for its "combination of ideational fecundity and combustible language" and was selected as a New York Times Notable Book for 2002. In 2006, Clute published the essay collection The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 14, 2011
I did not buy any of the magazines, so I was spared the garish aliens on the covers who staggered about with their glamorous earth girls in their tentacles as if looking for an A & E department but not being able to read the street signs. Nor did I attend any of the science fiction fan conventions, so I was spared any confrontations with the frightening Damon Knight, or grim James Blish or alarming Michael Bishop. Not to mention my fellow fans, who indeed invented the concept of the ubergeek. I always got my sf from end of the year best-of anthologies, and even now I'm on a mission to get them all read. I'm still catching up with the 1980s, that's only 25 years behind the times. Not too bad!
SF is the exact sociological equivalent of rock and roll. Both were the despised entertainment of pimpled adolescents, who were perceived to be wasting their pocket money and corrupting their morals therewith. They were told to do something better with their time, such as applying more cream to their affected areas. But both forms - rock and roll in the late 50s and sf in the late 70s - squished, squeezed, insinuated, thrust, bustled, hustled and subverted their way into the mainstream, and now are the default forms in their respective areas. Is there any big hit kid's or family-entertainment movie since Star Wars which hasn't been either sf in its pure form (ET, I Robot) or fantasy (sf's older beardier brother)? And yet, with what contumely was sf routinely assailed before it bought the factory. Here's Gardner Dozois writing in 1994 :
"When I first became professionally involved in the field in the early 60s, very few sf novels were allowed to be longer than 50,000 words...almost nobody could make a living from writing sf, few bookstores carried more than a smattering of sf titles (most carried no titles at all); sf was academically a taboo topic, and admitting that you read it was often enough to get you ostracized from Decent Society - you might even be openly berated and publicly humiliated for reading sf, by total strangers..."
Well, the early rock and rollers and sf fans have had their revenge, but much of it's been cold comfort, since the stuff that everybody and his alien-in-law laps up is kind of like the SF they were writing in the 1940s - crude, is probably the word I'm groping for.
In fact there was a revolution WITHIN the revolution, because in the 80s sf again became crowded off the shelves by the three or four or five volume fantasy series, those rewrites of a fax of a xerox of an email of a recovered memory of a hasty reading of Lord Dunsany and Professor Tolkien and T H White (and still it goes on).
This book is an sf pornocopia, with beautiful repros of all of those juicy first editions you never found (Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich - urghhh, Engine Summer - eeeeeehhhhhh, The Sheep Look Up - brilliant). And John Clute is the all time best sf friend you never had, erudite and charming, with a fine turn of phrase:
"John Brunner published his first novel before most of his contemporaries had been on their first date"
"If a little fame goes a long way then William Gibson's is due to hit Andromeda"
"It is preposterous that Philip Dick is dead"
It's also preposterous for me to think I'll ever get through all the good stuff described and illustrated so lovingly in this jolly book, but I'll try. Who knows, in the future they may invent a machine that slows down time when you're reading....
SF is the exact sociological equivalent of rock and roll. Both were the despised entertainment of pimpled adolescents, who were perceived to be wasting their pocket money and corrupting their morals therewith. They were told to do something better with their time, such as applying more cream to their affected areas. But both forms - rock and roll in the late 50s and sf in the late 70s - squished, squeezed, insinuated, thrust, bustled, hustled and subverted their way into the mainstream, and now are the default forms in their respective areas. Is there any big hit kid's or family-entertainment movie since Star Wars which hasn't been either sf in its pure form (ET, I Robot) or fantasy (sf's older beardier brother)? And yet, with what contumely was sf routinely assailed before it bought the factory. Here's Gardner Dozois writing in 1994 :
"When I first became professionally involved in the field in the early 60s, very few sf novels were allowed to be longer than 50,000 words...almost nobody could make a living from writing sf, few bookstores carried more than a smattering of sf titles (most carried no titles at all); sf was academically a taboo topic, and admitting that you read it was often enough to get you ostracized from Decent Society - you might even be openly berated and publicly humiliated for reading sf, by total strangers..."
Well, the early rock and rollers and sf fans have had their revenge, but much of it's been cold comfort, since the stuff that everybody and his alien-in-law laps up is kind of like the SF they were writing in the 1940s - crude, is probably the word I'm groping for.
In fact there was a revolution WITHIN the revolution, because in the 80s sf again became crowded off the shelves by the three or four or five volume fantasy series, those rewrites of a fax of a xerox of an email of a recovered memory of a hasty reading of Lord Dunsany and Professor Tolkien and T H White (and still it goes on).
This book is an sf pornocopia, with beautiful repros of all of those juicy first editions you never found (Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich - urghhh, Engine Summer - eeeeeehhhhhh, The Sheep Look Up - brilliant). And John Clute is the all time best sf friend you never had, erudite and charming, with a fine turn of phrase:
"John Brunner published his first novel before most of his contemporaries had been on their first date"
"If a little fame goes a long way then William Gibson's is due to hit Andromeda"
"It is preposterous that Philip Dick is dead"
It's also preposterous for me to think I'll ever get through all the good stuff described and illustrated so lovingly in this jolly book, but I'll try. Who knows, in the future they may invent a machine that slows down time when you're reading....
July 31, 2020
Bastante bien, la verdad. Creo que resume muy bien hasta los años noventa cuál es el estado de la ciencia ficción tanto literaria como audiovisual. Lo más interesante, sin duda, son las fichas de los escritores que son bastante amenas de leer y están todos los que tienen que estar. Una lectura muy agradable y distendida.
de-no-lectura
May 5, 2019Se trata de una segunda edición ampliada de una enciclopedia publicada en 1978.
Como la mayor parte de los libros de la editorial Dorling Kindersley, es un libro notablemente visual, con artículos a doble página (de forma que toda la información del artículo se encuentra a la vista en el momento de la lectura), con un gran párrafo introductorio a 12 puntos y cuerpo de texto a 9.
Además de estos artículos principales cuenta con varias líneas del tiempo, también a doble página, que contextualizan autores y obras con los principales acontecimientos de cada año desde 1900. Incluye también reseñas de las principales obras y numerosas biografías que ocupan desde un cuarto de página para autores menores hasta dobles páginas para autores de la talla de Asimov o Heinlein.
Como notas negativas hay que indicar que los autores y las obras están agrupádos en décadas, de forma que es inevitable tener que recurrir al índice final para localizar la información necesaria. Sin duda habría sido más práctico agrupar autores, revistas u obras en bloques compactos y ordenarlos alfabéticamente.
[+] Reseña completa de "Ciencia ficción: Enciclopedia ilustrada" en Alt+64 wiki: http://alt64.org/wiki/index.php?title...
Como la mayor parte de los libros de la editorial Dorling Kindersley, es un libro notablemente visual, con artículos a doble página (de forma que toda la información del artículo se encuentra a la vista en el momento de la lectura), con un gran párrafo introductorio a 12 puntos y cuerpo de texto a 9.
Además de estos artículos principales cuenta con varias líneas del tiempo, también a doble página, que contextualizan autores y obras con los principales acontecimientos de cada año desde 1900. Incluye también reseñas de las principales obras y numerosas biografías que ocupan desde un cuarto de página para autores menores hasta dobles páginas para autores de la talla de Asimov o Heinlein.
Como notas negativas hay que indicar que los autores y las obras están agrupádos en décadas, de forma que es inevitable tener que recurrir al índice final para localizar la información necesaria. Sin duda habría sido más práctico agrupar autores, revistas u obras en bloques compactos y ordenarlos alfabéticamente.
[+] Reseña completa de "Ciencia ficción: Enciclopedia ilustrada" en Alt+64 wiki: http://alt64.org/wiki/index.php?title...
August 25, 2025
During the late 90s I lived in Auckland and was very depressed. Suicidally depressed. I also went through a month or two of pure paranoia that seemed to coincide, not un-coincidentally, with me reading Philip K. Dick. This was the time when I had moved out of my school phase of reading Herbert, Clarke, Asimov, Greg Bear, and Orson Scott Card, and in my first phase of adult work-life, had started exploring deeper into the expanded universe of Science Fiction that brought me into the galaxies of Damon Knight, Philip Jose Farmer, William Tenn, Poul Anderson, Frederick Pohl, etc. etc...
One day, I needed new shoes. I went shopping for new shoes. Shoe shopping wasn't fun. It was making me depressed. Unhappy about my indecisiveness towards choosing a shoe to spend my money on, I bought a big square illustrated book about the history of Science Fiction instead. And that did make me happy. Very happy.
And I still have that book. And I still love that book. Thank you John Clute for putting this big beautiful work of art together. From the first printed works, through the Terminator franchise through almost every author up to the 90s, covering even manga and the illustrated arts, this book is a must-have guide for SF lovers.
One day, I needed new shoes. I went shopping for new shoes. Shoe shopping wasn't fun. It was making me depressed. Unhappy about my indecisiveness towards choosing a shoe to spend my money on, I bought a big square illustrated book about the history of Science Fiction instead. And that did make me happy. Very happy.
And I still have that book. And I still love that book. Thank you John Clute for putting this big beautiful work of art together. From the first printed works, through the Terminator franchise through almost every author up to the 90s, covering even manga and the illustrated arts, this book is a must-have guide for SF lovers.
June 15, 2007
At the moment, I'm piecing together a library research class for a sci fi literature class. John Clute's name came up in a discussion with the professor about what resources to include. Clute has authored a number of reference works, but this stands out as my favorite. It's fully illustrated with nicely laid out calendars of events for each period of the history of sci fi in culture in its various media: books, magazines, t.v., film, and radio. While its not the most in-depth resource, it makes for a fun yet still educational read. An excellent source for background information while getting fascinating glimpses of the culture through photographs, art reproductions, and film stills. Usually when you're talking about history, the newest and latest book isn't always the best or most necessary. However, I'd still like to see a book of this caliber, edited by a person or persons of Clute's reputation, published with the last 10 to 12 years added to it!
September 26, 2013
This is a great book for someone who has started reading science fiction books or watching science fiction movies to get a background on the genre.
At only 312 pages long it is truly just a snapshot.
It has some great eye candy in the inclusion of some older science fiction books and magazines that you will probably never run into.
It highlights what the author considers the main science fiction authors of their times with a short history of their books.
Movies are covered as well as illustrators , only a few, as well as foreign and Japanese science fiction.
A nice read with lots of great illustrations covering the period from 1818 to 1995.
Reccomended as part of your reference library or just like I said as a great introduction to the Science Fiction genre
At only 312 pages long it is truly just a snapshot.
It has some great eye candy in the inclusion of some older science fiction books and magazines that you will probably never run into.
It highlights what the author considers the main science fiction authors of their times with a short history of their books.
Movies are covered as well as illustrators , only a few, as well as foreign and Japanese science fiction.
A nice read with lots of great illustrations covering the period from 1818 to 1995.
Reccomended as part of your reference library or just like I said as a great introduction to the Science Fiction genre
January 21, 2019
This is a must have for any sci-fi buff or collector. While it doesn't go TOO far into details of each era, it has wonderful information about the entire timeline that can lead to further research. I love it.
August 30, 2014
Magnificant!
รวบรวมได้อย่างยอดเยี่ยม โดยเฉพาะ Timeline และ Major Writer.
ทำให้รู้ถึงประวัติศาสตร์โดยย่อของไซไฟ นักเขียนและงานที่น่าสนใจ
อีกทั้งรูปประกอบมากมายทำให้น่าอ่าน
รวบรวมได้อย่างยอดเยี่ยม โดยเฉพาะ Timeline และ Major Writer.
ทำให้รู้ถึงประวัติศาสตร์โดยย่อของไซไฟ นักเขียนและงานที่น่าสนใจ
อีกทั้งรูปประกอบมากมายทำให้น่าอ่าน
August 30, 2020
Full of factual error after factual error
July 9, 2017
It sat on my shelf, with a bookmark about 5 pages in, for a decade or two, without me even thinking of picking it up again. Started looking at it again recently, and went thru the whole thing. Some fun info and interpretations on the history of the genre, but not super-impressive (and at 20+ years after being published, somewhat out of date). Not anything I'd be likely to want to read or reference a second time.
September 7, 2021
Excellent!
March 14, 2024
My entry into Science Fiction as an humanities study used this book.
December 17, 2024
This is a Big, Bright, Bold, Beautiful Book that deserves the same amount of review stars as there are in The Milky Way!
January 19, 2015
This is an excellent, well-organized and detailed overview of science fiction media -- particularly focused on 20th century SF magazines, books and films -- by a dedicated chronicler of the genre. Clute's appraisals of SF's best & most popular writers are measured and fair; and if his critique of SF film seems harsh, it is, in almost all cases, certainly justified. Twenty years after its publication this volume screams for an update, but there is still a lot that is worthy, informative & fascinating to be gleaned from this terrific book.
April 22, 2014
A very in depth look at the history Science Fiction, from the early works like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and HG Wells all the way through, decade by decade, until 1995. Featuring bios and bibliographies of important authors, although I'm mystified why Leigh Brackett isn't featured in the bios section, plus the book takes a look at film and television as well. If you like your Science Fiction, then I would recommend picking this up.
July 4, 2009
See the Goodreads description to get the idea. This book is essential to anyone who wants the whole SF shebang. Loaded with the coolest artwork, I read this whole thing from cover to cover. It turned me on to all the best authors. This book answers all the SF questions, especially, "Where do I start?" and the never-ending "Now what do I read next?"
August 4, 2011
Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia is a lovely coffee table book about the history of the genre, although Clute’s mild hypocrisy might rub some readers the wrong way. Still, it’s lovely and downright charming in its datedness—imagine a world where Doctor Who was cancelled and never came back! Oh, it’s too horrible to even bear!
May 18, 2020
Beautiful, liberally illustrated, reference to science fiction by noted critic in field. Seminal authors quickly biographied and critiqued, citing major works. Quick genre history and survey of representative films. Book dated, from when it was published; still attractive reference. Learn more about authors and books you want to read.
Read
November 16, 2010weaves together world history with literary history and technical developments with SF trends, providing a cultural context to the Zeitgeist of the genre. Words truly cannot do justice to the visual delights of this colorful tome: time lines, charts...
June 7, 2015
not only best sellers books and authors but also films zines till the end of the 80th with very nice pictures So it is a good book for those who want to know more of the "golden" age of sf Myself, i want something more about the new generation of writers
April 30, 2008
If you don't know where to start, or want to do some exploring with authors that matter, then this will be a valuable resource for you. Most of my MUST READ list was found here.
November 4, 2008
Very good section on sci-fi authors and titles. It's 1995, though, so a little outdated, nothing current.
Read
February 23, 2013A simply fantastic book. Period.
January 4, 2015
La leí en su versión en castellano. Junto con la guia de la CF de Miguel Barceló fueron las luces que iban iluminando el camino del género.
July 24, 2016
Okish book with a good summary section on authors.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews