SF Encyclopedia Home Page
Thursday 12 March 2026
Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Fourth Edition. Some sample entries appear below. Click here for the Introduction; here for what we mean by Science Fiction; here for the masthead; here for some Statistics; here for the Acknowledgments; here for the FAQ; here for advice on citations. Find entries via the search box above (more details here) or browse the menu categories in the grey bar at the top of this page.
Site updated on 9 March 2026
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Bennett, Arthur
(1862-1931) UK author, father of Alfred Gordon Bennett. His A Dream of an Englishman (1893) describes in inadequately fictionalized terms the history of the world in the twentieth century; Space Flight is mooted. The Dream of a Warringtonian (1900), self-published in Warrington, UK, describes a similar period as it applies to Warrington. [JC]
Topping, Keith
(1963- ) UK author, journalist and broadcaster whose fiction output of sf interest consists of ties to the Doctor Who universe, beginning with Doctor Who: The Devil Goblins from Neptune (1997) with Martin Day. His nonfiction, besides collaborations with Day and Paul Cornell, includes the ...
Reintgen, Scott
(? - ) US author of stories for younger children and of Young Adult sf and fantasy fiction series. The first of these, the Nyxia Triad sequence beginning with Nyxia (2017), traces the consequences for a group of teenagers who have been recruited by an interstellar corporation ominously called Babel to journey for a year on a Space-Operatic ...
Olša, Jaroslav, Jr
(1964- ) Czech and Czechoslovak diplomat whose posts include those of Ambassador to Zimbabwe (2000-2006), South Korea (2008-2014) and the Philippines (2014-2018); Consul General in Los Angeles (2020-current); author of books on history, art and literature of Asia and Africa; also sf editor, translator and bibliographer. Olša started the major Czechoslovak fanzine Ikarie XB (1986-1989), which turned into the first ...
Fan Language
Sf enthusiasts, in common with other groups, have evolved their own terminology and usage. This language comprises words and phrases used in the writing of sf itself and also the more arcane and whimsical jargon of Fandom and Fanzines. / Most sf readers are familiar with the shorthand of their literature, and words like Spaceship, Robot, ...
Langford, David
(1953- ) UK author, critic, editor, publisher and sf fan, in the latter capacity recipient of 21 Hugo awards for fan writing – some of the best of his several hundred pieces are assembled as Let's Hear It for the Deaf Man (coll 1992 chap US; much exp vt The Silence of the Langford 1996; exp 2015 ebook) as Dave Langford, edited by Ben Yalow – plus five Best Fanzine Hugos ...