The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

George Mann has divided the book into sensible and logical areas, including the history and origins of SF and examples of the genre on the big screen and in print. His comprehensive breakdown manages to include all the major authors who have made their mark in SF with no obvious names missing and it’s good to see British authors being recognised, even if this is at the expense of such genre big guns as George RR Martin and Robin Hobb, who are surprisingly passed over. (Even Amazon.co.uk’s own David Langford gets a mention.) Each entry is accompanied by a short biography, a mention of their most famous and important works and a bibliography. The film section also boasts some excellent choices with plenty of classic black and white movies featured alongside modern masterpieces such as Aliens.

Mann’s thoughtful and concise commentary is lean and to the point, providing plenty of well thought out analysis without giving too much away. The index and appendix is excellent, as is the up-to-date listing of awards and Web sites–even t he most devoted fan is sure to find something new.

If your budget or bookshelf won’t stretch to one of the bulkier encyclopaedias, this is certainly one of the best guide s you could get your hands on. –Jonathan Weir