Using the SF Encyclopedia

? Is there any way to fine-tune searches?
Yes: there are some notes about this here. This page also lists known problems with the
search engine, mostly involving less common accented
characters.
? Where can I find the Introduction?
There are multiple introductions (including one from the 1979
first edition) in what, in a book, would be the front pages. Click
About us at top right for links to the most
important sections, or start with the main
introduction. This has links to all the other introductory
pages.
? Where are abbreviations like "coll" and "vt"
explained?
See the Checklist
of Abbreviations entry, and further detail on book descriptions
in the relevant section of Editorial
Practices.
? What should I do if I find an error?
Please let us know via our email contact form. All feedback is
read by at least one editor, though we may be too busy for a prompt
reply.
? How should I cite an entry referred to in my essay or
dissertation?
See Advice to Students. The blue
Incoming/Citations button at the head of each
entry leads to a page providing suggested citation data in two
common formats.
Content
? Why is there no entry for the great Robert
Jordan?
Because he was exclusively an author of fantasy, and this is an
encyclopedia of science fiction. Jordan received an entry in The Encyclopedia of
Fantasy, a companion volume to the 1993 SFE, and
would be covered at greater length in any new edition of that
encyclopedia. However, we have inherited some entries for older
fantasy authors like Tolkien -- see here for more about this --
and we normally list most if not all fantasies published by
included sf authors.
? My favorite author/film/TV programme doesn't have an
entry. (Or: there is an entry, but it doesn't seem to have been
updated since the 1993 edition.)
This was an early problem owing to our October 2011 launch as a
"beta" text still under construction. We have worked hard ever
since to fill the gaps, though some still remain.
? Why did you launch in beta form without finishing the
first round of updates?
Because that's the way our publishers wanted it. We were flattered
to have the SFE launch regarded as an essential part of
Gollancz's 50th-anniversary celebrations in Autumn 2011.
? How dare you express opinions and commit original
research? Wikipedia would never allow that.
Though we admire it as an indispensable online resource, we are not
Wikipedia. Since 1979 the SFE has had a tradition of
publishing critical judgments and original research.
? Why are there so few Wikipedia links?
Excellent question. To do justice to Wikipedia and link to it from
every entry that's also well represented in Wikipedia would be a
huge undertaking, and we're having to give priority to essential
updates and additions. When time permits we hope to add Wiki links,
beginning with the relevant episode lists for all our television
entries. Volunteers for this work will be welcomed.
? Who wrote the entry about ...?
Entries are signed with initials: JC for John Clute, DRL for David
Langford and PN for Peter Nicholls, to name the most prolific of
the chief editors. Other contributor initials can be looked up on
the Contributors page. Much
easier, though, is to click the blue
Incoming/Citations button at the head of the entry
(one of the site
improvements added in August 2012), which produces not only a
list of incoming links but shows the full name(s) of the entry
author(s) and the word count for the entry.
? What does it mean when a name appears {LIKE
THIS}?
The curly brackets mark an intended link that hasn't yet been
activated, usually because the named entry has yet to be written,
or exists only as a cross-reference entry pointing to other
entries. If you find a curly-bracketed link to a full entry that
does exist, that's a mistake: please tell us.
Miscellaneous
? Please can you give me contact details for Author
X?
This is outside our scope. The SF Encyclopedia is a
reference work, not an introduction service. If the author doesn't
have a website giving contact information (see
links at the end of the relevant entry and try
Google if we don't give a link), the best approach is through their
most recent publisher (see the entry's Checklist). If the author
has died, no contact is given and you have a serious business
proposition for the author's estate, try the
SFWA Estates page.
? I want to reprint this story or book -- can you
confirm that it's in the public domain?
Again, this is outside our scope. Our Rights and Copyright
Queries page has some notes and links which may be helpful.
The Future
? When will there be another hardback edition of the
SF Encyclopedia?
We regret that a new book version has become vanishingly unlikely.
At 1.3 million words, the second book edition of 1993 was regarded
as pushing at the limits of marketability for a specialist
reference work -- indeed we're still finding and often restoring
good material from the first edition that was cut from the second
to make room for all the new authors, books and films. Now that the
text is well over four times as long as in 1993, a print edition is
no longer commercially viable. The Encyclopedia
Britannica, though not restricted to a specialist sf market,
has met the same problem and its 2010 printed version was the
last.
? Are you planning to charge for the SFE at
some future date?
So long as our current relationship with Gollancz lasts, access to
the encyclopedia will always be free. If you'd like to help out, donations are very welcome and can
always be put to good use.
Last updated April
2018