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Monday 20 April 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 14 April 2026
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Watson, Ian
(1943-2026) UK teacher and author who lectured in English in Tanzania (1965-1967) and Tokyo (1967-1970) before beginning to publish sf with "Roof Garden Under Saturn" for New Worlds in 1969; he then taught Future Studies for six years at Birmingham Polytechnic, taking there one of the first academic courses in sf in the UK; he became a full-time writer in 1976, publishing around 200 short stories since 1969 at a gradually increasing tempo and with visibly ...
Circle, The
Film (2017). Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Likely Story, Playtone. Directed by James Ponsoldt. Written by James Ponsoldt and Dave Eggers, based on Eggers' The Circle (2013). Cast includes Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Ellar Coltrane, Patton Oswalt, Glenne Headly and Bill Paxton. 110 minutes. Colour. / Directionless call centre employee Mae (Watson) secures an interview at the social media company The Circle through the ...
Carter, Carmen
(1954- ) US author who has been primarily associated with Star Trek, writing one solo tie for Star Trek itself, Dreams of the Raven (1987), and three for Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Children of Hamelin (1988), with Michael Jan Friedman, Peter David and Robert Greenberger, ...
McClellan, Brian
(1986- ) US author who began publishing work of genre interest with "Duck Hunt" in Leading Edge for April 2007, and who has focused almost exclusively on broad-gauge fantasy, primarily the Powder Mage sequence beginning with Promise of Blood (2013) [full-length titles only are given in Checklist]. He is of sf interest for War Cry (2018 chap), part Military SF and part, ...
Barzak, Christopher
(1975- ) US author and teacher of creative writing who began to publish work of genre interest with "A Mad Tea Party" in Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet for Winter 1999; the story is collected in his Before and Afterlives (coll 2013), which won a Shirley Jackson Award as best collection. He has written Horror tales as part of the "Ratbastards" ...
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 ...