|
This is a list of some of the most exceptional sources for researching information on editions and printing states in the Fantasy and Science Fiction field. This list is not intended to be exhaustive however it does include many of the significant works about the genre. Owning only a couple of these references will vastly aid you in building your collection.
A good descriptive bibliography will consist of the detailed physical description of the book or magazine, including page numbers, typeface, paper used and elements of the bindings themselves. The fully detailed bibliography is one of the crucial tools a collector needs to accurately identify the various editions of a book or magazine and can act as a guide on how to build a successful collection.
Books
Bleiler, Everett F & Bleiler, Richard J. Science-Fiction: The Gernsback Years
1998 Kent State University Press. ISBN: 0873386043
This book presents a critical study and bibliography of nearly all the Science Fiction printed in the genre magazines -- Amazing, Astounding; and Wonder, along with offshoots and minor magazines -- from 1926 through 1936.
Blieler, Everett F. The Checklist of Fantastic Literature
1972 Fax Collector’s Editions
Essential reference work for early Science Fiction through 1947
Clute, John & Grant, John. The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
1996 Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0312158971
From School Library Journal: A comprehensive resource about Fantasy literature and media. Similar in format to The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (see below), it presents a thorough catalog of authors, awards, movies, TV shows, fantastic themes, historical individuals, and articles on the literature of various nations.
Clute, John & Nichols, Peter. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
1993 St. Martins. ISBN-13: 9780312096182
Paperback updated 1995. ISBN-13: 9780312134860
An indispensable reference book on Science Fiction that contains over 4,300 entries and 1.2 million words. For every reader who loves, uses and wishes to know more about Science Fiction, this is one of the first and most important references you should own. It includes publication dates and title changes only with no other first edition ID information.
Currey Lloyd W. Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of Their First Editions
1979, G. K. Hall.
Covers roughly 215 important authors thru December 1977, reference citations thru June 1979. Although perhaps the most important, thorough and accurate guide to identification of first editions, it if far from complete and does contain errors. It is, however, truly indispensable as far as it goes.
Currey Lloyd W. Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of Their First Editions
Searchable CD-ROM
Revised and corrected electronic version of the print edition. Descriptive bibliography providing comprehensive and accurate checklists of all book fiction by major authors within the Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror genres from the late nineteenth-century through the1970s.
Locke, George. A Spectrum of Fantasy
1980 Ferret Fantasy, London
Locke is one of Britain's major dealers in classic Supernatural Fiction and Science Fiction, and this is his discursive and highly readable bibliography of his own collection. Provides descriptive bibliography for many obscure books, information that is simply nowhere else to be found. Volume 2, published in 1994 covers 1980 to 1993.
Pringle, David Pringle &Collins, David Collins. St. James Guide to Fantasy Writers
1996 St. James Press, Detroit
An alphabetical compendium of major fantasy writers. Entries consist of a brief biography, a complete list of published works, and comments from living authors and a critical essay.
Pringle, David & Etchison, Dennis. St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost & Gothic Writers
1998 St. James Press, Detroit
An alphabetical compendium of 450 of the most outstanding authors of horror, ghost, and gothic stories. Entries consist of biographical information, a complete list of published works, and comments from living authors and a critical essay.
Reginald, Robert and Burgess, M. R. Cumulative Paperback Index, 1939-1959: A Comprehensive Bibliographic Guide to 14,000 Mass-Market Paperback Books of 33 Publishers Under 69 Imprints
1973 Gale Research Co.
Literary bibliography.
Reprinted: Rockville, MD, Borgo Press/Wildside Press, 2006
Reginald, Robert. Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature: A Checklist 1700 - 1974
Gale Research. ISBN-13: 9780810310513
The most comprehensive printed listing of its kind, attempts to identify all First Editions thru 1974. Contains date, publisher, page count, hardback/paperback information. Indices include lists by title, series, award, Ace and Belmont doubles.
Tuck, Donald. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy
1974 Advent. ISBN-13: 9780911682205
A three volume encyclopedia current thru 1968. The bulk of vol. 1 & 2 consist of short author biographies with extensive book bibliographies which include many authors and descriptive items not found in the more recent Currey such as cover prices, page counts, later and foreign editions.
Wells III, Stuart W. The Science Fiction and Heroic Fantasy Author Index
1978 Purple Unicorn Books ISBN 093199800X
Attempts to list a compilation of every Science Fiction and Heroic Fantasy title published in America from 1945 to 1977. Lists each edition in order of appearance along with date, publisher, publisher’s code number and alternate titles. Appendices include Numbered and Multi-author series and Award Winners to 1977.
Magazines
Day, Donald. Index to the Science Fiction Magazines 1926 – 1950
1952 Perri
All major SF magazines but no Horror such as Weird Tales. By author and title with pseudonyms, but no index.
Jaffery, Sheldon and Cook, Fred. The Collector's Index to Weird Tales
1985 Bowling Green State University Popular Press. ISBN: 0879722843
This book lists all of the stories and poetry printed in Weird Tales ordered by issue, author and poet through Summer 1983. It also lists works in Oriental Stories and Magic Carpet Magazines.
Strauss, Erwin. Index to the Science Fiction Magazines 1951-1965
1966 MIT Science Fiction Society
Author, Title and Issue indexes with a check list of magazines indexed.
Tymn, Marshall B. and Mike Ashley. Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines
1985 Greenwood Press
A comprehensive critical description of over 600 main stream magazines, associated magazine-like anthologies, academic periodicals, major fanzines and non-English language magazines. Includes bibliographies of source information and primary library holdings; a concise publication history with the dates of title changes, size and format changes, volume data, publisher changes, editorial changes, and issue price. Includes index to several hundred major cover artists, and a chronology of magazines started by year.
Price Guides
Price guides are rarely useful as they tend to go out of date very quickly. However, a very good price guide can contain valuable bibliographic data that will outlive the usefulness of the book as a guide to value.
Jaffery, Sheldon. The Arkham House Companion: Fifty years of Arkham House
1989 Starmont House, Paperback ISBN: 1557420041
A bibliographical history and collector's price guide to Arkham House/Mycroft & Moran
Howlett-West, Stephanie Inter-Galactic Price Guide 2nd Edition. Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
All data from 1996 thru February 1997
A compilation of 65 catalogs from 28 different dealers, spiral bound with laminated covers and includes a detailed introduction. There are multiple listings for many titles. Entries are coded for condition, signed, inscribed, limited, etc.
Other References
Barron, Neil. Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction 4th edition
1995, R. K. Bowker
Contains no 1st edition or price information. Revised and updated edition has concise summaries and evaluations of some 2,100 works of fiction and over 800 works of non fiction published from the genre's beginnings to 1994. Includes listings of films based on SF novels and short stories, guide to books on video and audio tape, public and private research libraries, SF magazines, comics, and art.
|
