SF Encyclopedia Home Page
Wednesday 9 July 2025
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 7 July 2025
Sponsor of the day: Andy Richards of Cold Tonnage Books
Spaceway
US Digest-size magazine, in two series. The first series had eight issues December 1953 to June 1955, and the second series, four issues, January 1969 to May/June 1970, published by William L Crawford's Fantasy Publishing Company Inc in Los Angeles; the subtitle "Stories of the Future" was changed to "Science Fiction" from December 1954. The title was taken from the UK film ...
Dean, Howard
(1948- ) Zimbabwean expert in labour law and author who studied sociology at the University College of London (Rhodesia) [now University of Zimbabwe] and marketing and sales at London School of Commerce and Industry. He worked as training adviser to the Rhodesia and then Zimbabwe National Police Commissioners (1977-1984) and the consultant director for the Institute of Personnel Management in Harare (1986-2000). Co-wrote and published books on public speaking, aspects of ...
Russell, William Moy
(1925-2006) UK biologist and author who began publishing work of genre interest with "The Three Brothers" in the London Observer for December 1954, but who concentrated on his scientific career after that point. His The Barber of Aldebaran (1995) is a spoof Space Opera in the first part of which the representative of Robotics Inc is called in to the planet Aldebaran, whose Robots have begun to malfunction; he then ...
Johns, W E
(1893-1968) UK air pilot, in active service with the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force throughout World War One until shot down and captured on 16 September 1918, and later author, who began producing boys' action adventures in 1930. His normal byline was Captain W E Johns (a rank he did not in reality attain, having risen no higher than Flying Officer). His total output exceeded 200 volumes, his popularity exceeding any other twentieth-century British ...
Whiteley, Elizabeth
(? -? ) UK author of The Devil's Throne (1903), whose protagonists, transfixed by a lamia, invade the realm of the Devil, which is behind the Moon, travelling there in an aircraft-like Spaceship; in the vicinity of the Throne, they meet the dead souls of some famous humans. [JC]
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 ...