British Science Fiction

This chronology outlines British science fiction from 1479-1990, highlighting the important biographical and publishing events in the field of science fiction literature and fandom, as well as in other media. The chronology includes biographical information on more than 700 authors, listings of more than 2,000 works, including anthologies, criticism and essays, publishing and fandom milestones, first publications, and awards. The works are fully cross-referenced and indexed, with introductory definitions of the field and descriptive headnotes for five periods: The Descent of Scientific Romance, 1478-1894; The Wellsian Synthesis, 1895-1936; British Science Fiction, 1937-1961; New Wave S(peculative) F(iction), 1962-1978; and The British Fantastic, 1979-1990.This book is an outgrowth of and is complementary to Ruddick's critical work, Ultimate Island. Together the two works define the scope and the nature of British science fiction--an enormous field that is not, until recently, examined separately from American science fiction in spite of considerable differences.

.,."highly recommended for large academic libraries and students of science fiction."-Wilson Library Bulletin, ?...highly recommended for large academic libraries and students of science fiction.?-Wilson Library Bulletin, ?Ruddick's chronology is an effort to provide an outline of the most important biographical and publishing events in the area of British science fiction from 1478 (the year of the birth of Sir Thomas More, the author of Utopia) through 1990. After 1913, figures and works are included from "other" media-film, radio, television.) The compiler divides the time period into five segments reflecting factors unique to British SF: "Scientific Romance," the "Wellsian Synthesis," the rise of British SF (dominated by John Wyndham), the "New Wave," and finally what the compiler calls the "British Fantastic," heavily influenced by American SF ... This would be a welcome addition to the reference section for those academic and research libraries supporting a program in Science fiction studies or in popular culture.?-Choice, ?This comprehensive and detailed chronology should become a standard reference work in the field." ARBA "A handy guide if the information you're interested in falls within his parameters."?-Science Fiction Chronicle, ..."highly recommended for large academic libraries and students of science fiction."-Wilson Library Bulletin

NICHOLAS RUDDICK is Associate Professor of English at the University of Regina in Canada. He is the editor of State of the Fantastic, a collection of essays (Greenwood, 1992), and the author of Ultimate Island (Greenwood, 1992).