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Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Fourth Edition. Some sample entries appear below. Click here for the Introduction; here for the masthead; here for 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.
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Orgill, Douglas
(1922-1984) UK author, mostly of thrillers, from the early 1960s; of sf interest are his two novels with John R Gribbin, whom see for descriptions: Sixth Winter (1979) and Brother Esau (1982). [JC]
UFOs
A common item of Terminology, both inside and outside sf: UFO is an acronym for Unidentified Flying Object. In the first edition of this encyclopedia in 1979, the subject of ufology was discussed under the heading "Flying Saucers". The change of title reflects the fact that ufology itself has changed over subsequent decades, and may now be thought of almost as three separate disciplines or interpretations of the phenomenon, one of which (the extraterrestrial ...
Kino's Journey
Japanese animated tv series (2003). Original title Kino no Tabi – The Beautiful World; vt Kino's Journey – The Beautiful World. A.C.G.T. Based on the Light Novels written by Keiichi Sigsawa and illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. Directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura. Written by Sadayuki Murai. Voice cast includes Ryuji Aigase, Kazuhiko Inoue and Ai Maeda. Thirteen 21-minute episodes and one twelve-minute ...
Dark Star
Film (1974). Jack H Harris Enterprises. Directed by John Carpenter. Written by Carpenter, O'Bannon. Cast includes Brian Narelle, Dan O'Bannon, Dre Pahich and Joe Saunders. 83 minutes. Colour. / This cult success, Carpenter's debut, was originally a 45-minute film shot on 16mm by students at the University of Southern California for $6000, but producer Jack H Harris provided cash for new footage and for transfer to 35mm film stock. Dark Star ...
Cole, Robert W
(1869-1937) UK photographer (having changed his mind after studying law at Balliol, Oxford, with a view to becoming a barrister) and author who was active during the first decade of the twentieth century. His first and best novel, The Struggle for Empire: A Story of the Year 2236 (1900), takes the Future War story to its logical, grim conclusion. The Anglo-Saxon Federation – ostensibly a Utopia with ...
Nicholls, Peter
(1939-2018) Australian editor and author, primarily a critic and historian of sf through his creation and editing of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction [see below]; resident in the UK 1970-1988, in Australia from 1988; worked as an academic in English literature (1962-1968, 1971-1977), scripted television documentaries, was a Harkness Fellow in Film-making (1968-1970) in the USA, worked as a publisher's editor (1982-1983), often broadcast film and book reviews on BBC Radio from 1974 and ...