This study confronts current influential theories that science fiction is either an American phenomenon or an international one. The study rejects the idea that British science fiction is distinguishable only by its pessimistic outlook--while also rejecting the idea that other designations, such as scientific romance or speculative fiction, better fit the British product. Instead, the study traces the evolution of British science fiction, showing how H. G. Wells synthesized various strains in English literature, and how later writers, conscious of this Wellsian tradition, built upon...

This collection of twenty essays originally presented at the Eleventh International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts contains five parts: on fantasists and their work, contemporary fantastic theory and practice, studies in the British and European fantastic, studies in American fantasy and science fiction, and sex and techno-horror in fantastic literature and film.

What all the essays here have in common is that their authors are all aware of the tremendous latent power, for good and ill, of the fantastic text. We are given timely reminders of the dangers, as well as the appeal,...

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...