Selected Web Resources for Science
Fiction
SF Site: The Homepage for Science Fiction and Fantasy
This well-respected and recommended science fiction site, which is updated
twice a month, is an excellent source for news on books, book reviews,
interviews of contemporary authors, current information, reading lists and links
to fan sites, and newsgroups. The site is designed for those who want to keep
current with the publishing and news developments in the genre; it is accessible
to librarian or reader. It also maintains a comprehensive list of links to
author and fan tribute sites, SF conventions, SF TV and movies, magazines and
e-zines, writer resources, publishers and small press sites and many other SF
resources. The SF site is composed of many pieces, but it is organized in a
clear manner, with easy navigation tools and a searching
capability.
Locus Magazine Online
Widely recognized as one of the first and best places to begin a general science fiction search, this site is the online companion to "Locus: The Magazine of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Fields". This resource, highly respected and utilized in the fields of science fiction and fantasy, keeps up to date by publishing in sync with its monthly print version. It is designed for those in the field of science fiction or fantasy, but it readily accessible to any reader or fan. This site includes Headline News (including a weekly update of bestsellers within the genre on general lists); samples from the current edition of Locus Magazine; Blinks, a daily list of links to online resources of interest; weekly listings of notable new books and magazines; reviews of books and movies; links to helpful resources; and author information. Users can also access the Locus Index to Science Fiction, a handy reference tool, from this web site. The site is clear and well organized, with easy-to-use navigation buttons available on every page.
Science Fiction Resource Guide
http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/SF-Index.html
This site, winner of numerous prominent web awards, contains an extensive collection of links to SF resources on the Net. Subject areas include archives and resource guides, authors, art and artists, bibliographies, movies, television, bookstores, book reviews, role-playing games, zines, writer resources, fannish homepages and more. This site covers a wide range of topics, but it cannot be all-inclusive. It should be used as a starting point for science fiction searches. This resource is aimed at any person interested in the genre of science fiction, from professionals to interested readers; the site's author, currently Chaz Boston Baden, makes a point of maintaining an interesting and readable resource. The site was created and is maintained by a non-profit group, Science Fiction Lovers, who are fans and experts within the genre. The site also relies on feedback and submissions by fans.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database
http://lib-oldweb.tamu.edu/cushing/sffrd/
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database provides indexing to articles, books, news reports, obituaries, motion picture reviews and other material about science fiction and fantasy. History, criticism, commentary, fan writings and some reviews are all included, although book reviews are not. This is an on-line, searchable compilation and extension of Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index 1878-1985, Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index 1985-1991, and Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index 1992-1995, including material located since publication of the last printed volume. It is maintained by Hal W. Hall, the respected editor of the aforementioned print volumes. This is a highly authoritative source that is very clearly organized. There is an introduction for new users, detailed and clear instruction for searching, a thesaurus to facilitate searching as well as basic and advanced search tools. An excellent indexing resource for librarians, but also readily accessible to ordinary users.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) is a professional association representing the writers in these genres. Because the main goal of this web site is to provide resources and networking opportunities to its members, parts of this web site are only accessible to members. There are publicly accessible portions of the site as well, with the purpose of providing information about these writers to the general public. On the publicly accessible portions of the site, users can access resources exploring issues such as piracy, the craft of writing, ergonomics for writers, etc. as well as information about current news, individual authors and new titles. There are links to web resources and reviews of books and other materials available as well. This site is maintained by SWFA, a respected association, and it is both clearly organized and easy to navigate. There is a bias here because the site is designed specifically for the benefit of authors, but valuable information (such as author readings, etc.) can still be gleaned from the site.
Science Fiction Weekly
This web site, marketed as the newspaper of the SF genre, is maintained by the SciFi Channel (though this is not immediately clear from the site). Published on a weekly basis, it provides information on science fiction works, including books, comics, music, games, movies, television, and web resources. It also offers news stories each week and weekly interviews with authors. The site is designed for those with an interest in keeping current with the science fiction genre, and it is readily accessible to any interested reader. Note that there is an inherent bias to the site based on its ties to the SciFi channel (advertisements can be found on this page).
Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy and Utopia
http://www.feministsf.org/femsf/
Though science fiction has been traditionally perceived as a male domain, it also offers unparalleled opportunities for feminists to explore societal configurations other than the patriarchal societies we all know and love. This non-profit, volunteer run website is organized and designed around the goal of presenting feminist literature within science fiction, and fantasy genres as well as providing new forums for discussion of this subgenre. The site is organized by the following categories, which appear as navigation buttons at the top of every page: Home, Checklist (all the authors covered on the site in alphabetical list), Anthologies, Lists, Writers, Criticism, Community and Listservs. The site also includes features such as "Bibliographies and Reviews", Research, Criticism and Teaching", and resources for the feminist SF community. A search capability is also available on this web site. The author of the website, though never listed by name, is both an avid feminist and a fan of science fiction/ fantasy. The web site was developed in 1994 and last updated in March of 2004.
Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Works
http://greatsfandf.com/index.shtml
There are three pages to read as an introduction upon arriving at this website: Introduction, Welcome and Apologia. They are interesting pages that explain the author's purpose, his bias and the organization of the site. These pages also provide an introduction to the science fiction and fantasy genres. At the bottom of each page is a menu to navigate the site, which is organized into the following categories: Introductory materials, Authors, Books, About Buying Books, Miscellaneous Topics and Information. The best feature of this web site is the search capability. You can search to find an author, a topic or a title. There are also useful bibliographies such as "For Younger Readers", "Overlooked Gems", and "Light-hearted Science Fiction". Some of the language on this site is lofty and it is clearly intended for elite readers of literature. It is accessible to all types of readers, however most sf readers will be affronted by the language and style used.