Science Fiction

[iggyus]

I have a school project regarding Science Fiction. My job is to research the entire genre. My question is if you could recommend some kind of book that describes science fiction genre such as its history, notable writes, rules etc. I am not looking for sci fi books, but for book that deal with the genre itself. Thanks in advance

 

[PunchClockVillain]

I'd go to Wikipedia and check the references, I usually get some good hits off of that.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

I'd go to Wikipedia and check the references, I usually get some good hits off of that.

i'm going with this, wikipedia will have a bunch of reference links for it

tho most of it started in the 1800s with people like HG Wells

 

[Last of the Chinchillas]

The only one that comes to mind is one that Orson Scott Card wrote about writing science fiction and fantasy. In fact, I think that's what it was called: "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy."

 

[Agema]

I know there's an Eng. Lit. lecturer and SF author called Adam Roberts who has written a book called "The History of Science Fiction". This is a proper academic work, so it will be pretty hardcore. It will also be expensive - if you can find a library that stocks it or will order it you'd do better that way.

Other than that, go onto to Amazon and use a search term like "history science fiction". It should come up with at least a few books.

 

[Jaythulhu]

Check out your local library. If they don't have anything, head to your local bookstore. They'll have a big list of history books, and on almost any topic available.

 

[thiosk]

I recomend writing the report in the style of battlestar galactica fanfic.

"Issac Asimov was the greatest fighterpilot in the battle star. He was really fun guy and all the other pilots laughed at his robot stories. So starbuck killed him because robots are not as good as foundations, before realizing that he too was a cylon."

 

[TIMESWORDSMAN]

The book you are searching for does not exist.

 

[Superior Mind]

Sci-Fi is too big a topic to make a project on. You could always use it as an opportunity to rip L. Ron Hubbard and his league of god-damn awful Sci Fi books to shreads. How this guy managed to start a religion I'll never know.

 

[thiosk]

Sci-Fi is too big a topic to make a project on. You could always use it as an opportunity to rip L. Ron Hubbard and his league of god-damn awful Sci Fi books to shreads. How this guy managed to start a religion I'll never know.

As I understand it, it was based on a bet between him and a fellow author, a competition to see who could start the biggest religion.

Needless to say, L Ron won.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

There are usually books like this in the literary theory section of your library/bookshop. (Ask someone, there should be a section like this.)

The whole genre? Really? Science Fiction is a huge a branching topic. Even most books concerned with sci fi only look at a certain genre. Steam punk is technically sci fi, as is cyber punk, time travel fiction, space fiction, any sort of advanced technology fiction, robots, aliens, cyborgs, androids, a lot of modern zombie stories incorporate elements of sci fi. You're looking at one of the most diverse and wide ranging individual genres in literature.

 

[Superior Mind]

Sci-Fi is too big a topic to make a project on. You could always use it as an opportunity to rip L. Ron Hubbard and his league of god-damn awful Sci Fi books to shreads. How this guy managed to start a religion I'll never know.

As I understand it, it was based on a bet between him and a fellow author, a competition to see who could start the biggest religion.

Needless to say, L Ron won.

I wouldn't be surprised if that's how it went down. From what I've read it has something to do with a quack form of psychology, (completely discredited by people who aren't braindead,) that Hubbard invented.

 

[Kollega]

Two words: TV Tropes. They categorize tropes (well,duh) and staple elements of all genres,including science fiction. A word of warning,though: TV Tropes Will Ruin Your Life! It's very easy to get stuck on that wiki.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

You could try a science fiction magazine like Asimov's for writing about the genre.

The Orion masterwork SF series is a good selection of notable authors and works.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

Research the entire genre?. What?. That would take a lifetime to do properly, there just is too much content to sift through.

You have your classical/hard science fiction novels like those from H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Sir Arthur C. Clarke and such. Then you have the soft science fiction genre, Space opera, Science fantasy and several other sub-genres thrown in the mix. If you are researching the genre then all these will count as research material.

The best place to start checking up on all these works is either Wikipedia or a book called the The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction edited by Peter Nicholls. It contains a whole load of works ranging from films, television, comics, magazines, terminology etc..tec.. It might be helpful to you for your work.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

The best place to start checking up on all these works is either Wikipedia or a book called the The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction edited by Peter Nicholls. It contains a whole load of works ranging from films, television, comics, magazines, terminology etc..tec.. It might be helpful to you for your work.

I'll write my own time saving encyclopaedia for the OP.

Television: See films.

Films: See comics.

Comics: See Sci-Fi.

Sci-Fi: Comic book genre, not science fiction.

 

[Sven und EIN HUND]

You could start with Frankenstein. That was the first ever piece of literature with elements of sci-fi.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

The best place to start checking up on all these works is either Wikipedia or a book called the The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction edited by Peter Nicholls. It contains a whole load of works ranging from films, television, comics, magazines, terminology etc..tec.. It might be helpful to you for your work.

I'll write my own time saving encyclopaedia for the OP.

Television: See films.

Films: See comics.

Comics: See Sci-Fi.

Sci-Fi: Comic book genre, not science fiction.

Your perspicacity deserves mention but pray tell, how is that supposed to work?.

 

[londelen]

Don't forget that the spice must flow.

 

[FallenJellyDoughnut]

The only one that comes to mind is one that Orson Scott Card wrote about writing science fiction and fantasy. In fact, I think that's what it was called: "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy."

Amazing! How did he think of such a perfect name for it?