INTERNET RESOURCES Science fiction and fantasy A guide to resources on the Web by Wendi Arant and Hal W. Hall iven the popular nature of science fiction Getting started and fantasy (SFF), there are millions of The sites listed here are arguably the most com­ Gsites on the Internet dedicated to specific cre­ prehensive and most authoritative available on ators, genres, movements, history, scholarship, the Web. Locus magazine and SF Site are both and fandom surrounding fiction, films, games, content rich with useful information and have and television. The plethora of Web pages is indispensable links to other useful sites that problematic for the user, which makes having have been evaluated and kept up-to-date. a guide useful. • Locus Online. This is perhaps the best Science fiction has evolved from its genre first place to check when looking for science or pulp beginnings to an overlapping mixture fiction and fantasy information on the Web. of books, magazines, motion pictures, televi­ While focusing on textual incarnations of SFF, sion, comics, conventions, and gaming. Each it does cover other media sporadically, such as subset has its own communication infrastruc­ cinema, television, gaming, and comics. This ture on the Web and in the world. This listing valuable re­ focuses primarily on the print subset of sci­ source is fairly ence fiction, with a nod to movies, television, up-to-date and other media. In addition, science fiction (keeping in and fantasy can arguably include such subgenre sync with the monthly publication of the print as horror, supernatural, and weird fiction, version), and includes review sites, publishing which we have tried to characterize through and entertainment news, and convention in­ inclusion of some sites in these areas. formation, as well as access to a good compila­ Selection of sites in this listing was based tion of contemporary author Web sites with on usefulness (as in omnibus sites) and on au­ the Locus Online: Authors, Artists, Editors thority (the accuracy of the material and the Page. Locus also includes fairly comprehensive expertise of the source). An effort has been access to scholarly resources with the Locus made to include sources that are available with­ Index to Science Fiction, which includes a out a subscription and with unrestricted ac­ number of valuable reference sources such as cess. About the authors Wendi Arant is humanities bibliographer at the Texas A&M University Libraries, e-mail: [email protected]; Hal W. Hall is a recognized science fiction scholar and bibliographer, author of several genre fiction studies, and curator of science fiction at the Cushing Library at Texas A & M University e-mail: [email protected] 652 / C&RL News ■ October 2002 Fiction (1984 to 2002); the Index to Science Fic­ from more than 100 mainstream, literary, and tion Anthologies and Collections, Science Fiction, science fiction sources, mainly in English. There Fantasy, & WeirdF iction Magazine Checklist, Mys­ are currently more than 50,000 items included, tery Short Fiction: 1990-2000, and the listing dating from 1878 to present. A ccess: http:// of Locus Awards. A ccess: http://www. library.tamu.edu/cushing/sffrd/. locusmag.com. • SF Site: The Best in Science Fiction Scie nce Fiction and Fantasy and Fantasy. Updated on a monthly basis, Research Database this site is a good source of current informa­ tion and news on books and other SFF media, featuring reviews and interviews of contem­ • Science Fiction Resource Guide. porary authors, readings lists and links to fan From SF-Lovers, this is one of the more use­ sites, newsgroups, and zines. The “Science ful and long-term resources on the Web. It con­ Fact” section provides links to institutions and tains links to archives and mailing lists, science government research sites concerned with tech­ fiction artists, authors, awards, bibliographies nology and science discoveries, which would and bookstores, conventions and comics, fic­ be of interest to fans and scholars and no doubt tion and movie resources, reviews and criti­ of great practical use to creators of science cism, role-playing and other SF-related gam­ fiction. Particularly noteworthy are the authors ing, television, and program guides. It also pro­ page for links to author-specific Web sites and vides one of the more complete list of links to the Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase fandom sites. Access: http://www.sflovers.org/ (ISFDB), which provides bibliographic con­ SFRG/. trol of more than 100,000 titles (with an ad­ • Ultimate Science Fiction Web Guide. mitted emphasis on text creations) searchable This fan-based site offers a wide variety of by name, title, year, or series. The ISFDB is a links, including thematic topics, motion pic­ good starting point to get an overview of an tures, conventions, information on SF in vari­ author’s work, but should be supplemented by ous countries, and others. It is valuable for the other sources. Access: http://www.sfsite.com/. uniQue material presented, but despite a high rating from Google, the site is not well orga­ nized or kept current. A ccess: http:// www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/SF- Index.html. Reference sources and megasites S F THE ULTIM ATE SCIENCE • Science Fiction and Fantasy-Related FICTION W EB GUIDE Sites. From the Schenectady County Public Library, this megasite lists numerous useful re­ Professional associations sources, including newsgroups and electronic Professional associations affiliated with science lists archives, topic and genre bibliographies, fiction tend to provide valuable information author and association sites, convention and from both an academic and professional per­ fan Webs, magazines and newsletters, study spective. Given the plethora of SFF sites on guides, and research sources. While obviously the Web and the lack of authority control, us­ veiy selective, the Web pages listed all appear ing an association Web site as a starting point to be active and based on the either usefulness for research or finding SFF resources is an ideal of the information or on the reliability of the solution. source. Access: http://www.scpl.org/sfsites.html. • Horror Writers Association. While • Science Fiction and Fantasy Re­ this site is focused on horror fiction and has a search Database. This site is the electronic restricted Members Only section, there is a lot incarnation of Hal W. Hall’s “Science Fiction of information available to the public at-large; and Fantasy Research Index” (including all author Web sites, award information (with a three volumes plus updates). It covers all as­ lot of focus on the Stoker Award), book lists, pects of science fiction, fantasy, horror, super­ readings lists, writings tips, and a fairly de­ natural, and weird fiction, including criticism, tailed and lengthy listing of links to horror- commentary, reviews, and some fan material related sites are included. A gallery of horror C&RL News ■ October 2002 / 653 art, both affiliated with textual creations and tent, but it takes a more scholarly approach to those standing alone, figures prominently science fiction, offering calls for papers, confer­ alongside photos, conventions, and other events. ence information, links to the SFRA Review and A ccess: http://www.horror.org/. publishing guidelines, and news items of import. • The Heinlein Society. Author-specific A ccess: http://www.sfra.org/. sites can be of great benefit, especially when looking for lesser-known works or pseudonyms Topical and genre listings affiliated with a specific author, research col­ Topical and genre listings are all over the Web, lections, correspondence, experts, or affilia­ offering highly specific topical material (from tions. The Heinlein Society is a prime example both fan and scholarly perspectives). The fol­ of one of the many author sites on the Web, lowing examples only hint at the breadth of uniQue in that its emphasis as an educational the material available. charity. A ccess: http://www.heinleinsociety.org/ • Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, indexflash.html. and Utopia. An extensive and fairly current • International Association of the Fan­ site that has sections on “Bibliographies and tastic in the Arts. This site focuses on mem- Reviews," “Research, Criticism and Teaching,” ber-exclusive information and has conference and and other resources concerning the “Feminist journal information. While the content is fairly SF Community.” Some topics included are sparse, it does contain a listing of links “of Amazon societies, feminist dystopias, sex war, interest to teachers and scholars of the fantas­ feminist cyberpunk, and alternative HerStory. tic” and bibliographic information on items A ccess: http://www.feministsf.org/. appearing in the Journal o f the Fantastic in the Arts. Access: http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/iafa/ iafa.home.html. • New England Science Fiction Asso­ ciation (NESFA). While admittedly region­ ally based, the NESFA site contains some use­ ful information that is not just association- • Gary Westfahl’s Biographical Ency­ specific in the form of reading lists, reviews, clopedia of Science Fiction Film. Affiliated links to articles and fanzines, calendar of with Interzone and housed on the SF Site, this is events, and links to other associations, clubs, an interesting online encyclopedia development. and publishers. An affiliation with the NESFA It is essentially a filmography, providing brief per­ Press also provides up-to-date catalogs, pub­ sonal information, such as years of birth (and lishing news, forthcoming books, and writing death), nationality and principal avocation (actor, advice. A c c e s s :http://www.nesfa.org/. director, producer, writer, special effects artist, • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers composer, other), and complete lists of all films of America. This is another site with some in­ and television programs relevant to science fic­ formation restricted to members only, but it does tion. A ccess: http://www.sfsite.com/interzone/ include a wealth of infonnation available to any­ gary/intro.htm. one. The focus is admittedly to the benefit of • Genre Evolution Project.