Review of the book 'The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'

Pan Books.  London, 1.977.  Edited by Brian Ash, with contributions by Brian Aldiss, Poul
Anderson, Isaac Asimov, J. G. Ballard, Ken Bulmer, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip José Farmer, Harry Harrison, Fritz Leiber, Larry Niven, Frederik Pohl, Lester del Rey, Keith Roberts, Josephine Saxton, Robert Sheckley, A. E. van Vogt, James White, Jack Williamson, Edmund Cooper, Damon Knight, L. Sprague de Camp and George Turner.  352 pages, with plenty of illustrations, many of them in colour.  Despite the inexplicable cover illustration by Tim White displaying a big 'A-Z' label, this is not an alphabetic encyclopedia but a thematic one - the only 'a-z' lists inside are a ten-pages index and a two-pages check-list that show the pages in which the terms are referred to.   Besides this, the contents of the encyclopedia include an introductory briefing and four sections which are reviewed below.

01. PROGRAM.  A 58-page review of the history of science fiction from 1.805 to 1.976, showing the milestones on magazines, stories, books, films, television, radio and fandom.

02. THEMATICS.  The encyclopedias most important section, amounting 180 pages, most of the book.  It is divided into nineteen subjects, each one introduced by one outstanding writer from the genre.  The sections are 'Spacecraft and Star Drives', 'Exploration and Colonies', 'Biologies and Environments', 'Warfare and Weaponry', 'Galactic Empires', 'Future and Alternative Histories', 'Utopias and Nightmares', 'Cataclysms and Dooms', 'Lost and Parallels Worlds', 'Time and Nth Dimensions', 'Technologies and Artefacts', 'Cities and Cultures', 'Robots and Androids', 'Computers and Cybernetics', 'Mutants and Symbiotes', 'Telepathy, Psionics and ESP', 'Sex and Taboos', 'Religion and Myths' and 'Inner Space'.  Each subject is analysed on a sharp style, including an extensive exploration of the sf works related to it.  The section comes out to be very complete, tough some absences can be pointed out - the Dune series not being mentioned in the subject 'Biologies and environments', nor in 'Galactic Empires' and 'Telepathy, Psionics and ESP' is quite a disappointing miss.

03. DEEP PROBES.  This is a 24-page section including six essays about science fiction.  Brian Ash reviews briefly the history of mankind from the year 1800, highlighting the role that science fiction played foreshadowing the future that the science progress was leading the world into, and sometimes inspiring technological advances.  Edmund Cooper reviews the social role of science fiction anticipating the social consequences of the progress and sometimes warning against some undesirable possibilities.  George Turner focus the literary side in two steps:  in the first one he defends the genre against the most recurrent criticisms, pointing out that characteristics that are frequently considered as flaws are actually due to literary needs; in the second one he proposes the absorption of science fiction by general fiction as an objective which is desirable, and achievable by raising science fictions literary standards - something odd as long as at the same time Turner despises the entire genre as minor literature, with the only exception of 'Utopia', a book from 1516.  Damon Knight describes science fiction as escape fiction distinguished by the thrill of wonder, and also considers 'the problem of creating a real literature of science fiction'.  L. Sprague de Camp makes a smart analysis about the myth of the barbarian hero or 'noble savage', pointing out that it is an idealisation without basis, actually due to the readers' willingness to escape from social restraints.  Brian Ash closes the section with a recapitulation.

04. FANDOM AND MEDIA.  A 72-page section dedicated to science-fiction-related activities other than literature, divided into nine subjects:  'Fandom', 'Science Fiction Art', 'Science Fiction in the Cinema', 'Science Fiction on Television', 'Science Fiction Magazines', 'Books and Anthologies', 'Juveniles, Comics and Strips', 'Commentators and Courses' and 'Fringe Cults'.  Each subjects gets thoroughly examined, except for 'Cinema' and 'Television' which would need a considerable greater amount of pages.

My final evaluation on this encyclopedia is as follows.  First, it is limited to English-written (or English-spoken for the audiovisuals) science-fiction -non-English works are mostly ignored, mentioned rarely and only if an English translation exists.  Second, it is mainly dedicated to literature -illustration and comics draw a barely sufficient attention, and cinema and television draw less than that.  Third, it is a brilliant work.  It is extensive, sharp and deep.  Hence, this encyclopedia is an excellent work on English-written science fiction literature.