INTRODUCTION
Hello. This is
author Gary Westfahl's official website, featuring his venerable (and recently
rechristened) Biographical Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film, 1901-2016;
numerous other samples of his published and unpublished writings, as
categorized below; and links to additional online articles and reviews.
What's New
Encyclopedia Entries
• Wil Wheaton
• Barbara Bain (revised)
Eaton Volumes
• George Slusser Conference
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Biographical Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film 1901–2016
Each entry
begins with the subject's name, given name and years of birth/death, a brief
identification, and a link to the individual's complete film credits. As
existing entries are updated, and new entries added on key figures, the intent
of the revised edition is to eventually provide a comprehensive survey of all
of the important people who contributed to science fiction film during the
referenced time period.
Introduction to Revised Edition •
All Entries
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Unknown Menaces to Civilization
These rants
appear in their own section because, along with the film encyclopedia, they are
the only features of this site that regularly inspire reader responses (usually
negative, but I have become accustomed to that). Come learn about the seemingly
innocuous aspects of contemporary life that are really appalling problems!
Soccer •
Marching Bands •
The Nutcracker Suite •
Girl Scout Cookies
Meetings •
Apple Pie •
Parades •
Job Interviews
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Books about Science Fiction Films
Two of my books
focus exclusively on science fiction films: The Spacesuit Film: A History,
1918-1969 (2012), from McFarland Publishers, and A Sense-of-Wonderful
Century: Explorations of Science Fiction and Fantasy Films (2012). from
Borgo Press/Wildside Press. This section includes pages of information about
each book, and early versions of one essay later incorporated into The
Spacesuit Film (on the television series Men into Space), and four
essays later incorporated into A Sense-of-Wonderful Century.
The Spacesuit Film •
A Sense-of-Wonderful Century
Space Films Before 1950 •
What Is an Animated Movie?
2001: A Space Odyssey •
St. Elsewhere
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An Alien Abroad
This book
contains all thirty-eight of the bimonthly columns I wrote for the British
science fiction magazine Interzone (one in collaboration with David
Pringle) as well as one new column written especially for this volume. Here are
pages with information about the book; the three columns that I previously
posted to this website; and a link to a version of the final column written for
the magazine, misplaced during the transition to a new publisher, that was
later revised and published at Locus Online.
An Alien Abroad •
The Sky Is Appalling •
A Modem Utopia
Big Dumb Opticals •
Surprising Sci-Fi Soul Brothers
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A Day in a Working Life
My only book to
date that does not involve science fiction is a three-volume compilation of 315
original essays about common professions in twenty-one eras ranging from
prehistoric times to the twenty-first century, accompanied by sidebars with
interesting observations and relevant historical documents. Here are a page
with information about the book and one sample entry, with accompanying
sidebars and documents, on eighteenth-century "Novelists."
A Day in a Working Life •
Novelists
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William Gibson/Arthur C. Clarke
I have now contributed two books to the University of Illinois Press's Modern
Masters of Science Fiction series: William Gibson (2013) and the
forthcoming Arthur C. Clarke. Here are pages with information about these
books and a comprehensive Gibson bibliography.
William Gibson •
Gibson Bibliography
Arthur C. Clarke
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Eaton Volumes
I long served as one coordinator of the Eaton Conferences on Science Fiction and
Fantasy Literature, and as one editor of Eaton and Eaton-related volumes. Here
are a history of the conferences, an unpublished essay about the Eaton
Collection, Eaton links, and information about three special projects related
to Eaton: a published book of Frank McConnell's Eaton Conference essays; a
forthcoming collection of the best essays from the first 25 Eaton Conferences;
and an upcoming conference dedicated to the career of the late George Slusser,
founder and long-time coordinator of the Eaton Conferences.
Eaton Conference History •
Inside the Eaton Collection
Eaton Links •
Frank McConnell Book •
Best of Eaton
George Slusser Conference
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Science Fiction Quotations
This is probably my best-known work, a
Hugo Award-nominated compilation of 2928 quotations from science fiction and
fantasy. Here are some information about the book and, with permission from
Yale University Press, one sample chapter containing 28 quotations about
"The Future," along with a list of unverified quotations I could not
include and downloadable files of a radio interview about the book.
Science Fiction Quotations •
Quoted Authors •
Popular Topics
The Future •
Unverified Quotations •
Radio Interview
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The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy
My largest science fiction project,
this three-volume encyclopedia features 400 essays about major themes in
science fiction and fantasy, and 200 essays on classic works of science fiction
and fantasy. Here are some information about the book and, with permission from
Greenwood Press, one of the thematic entries I contributed to the book, on
"Heroes."
Greenwood Encyclopedia •
Heroes
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Other Books
To provide a complete picture of my
career, here are pages of information about seven other books that I have
published, including two books about space stations in science fiction and an
unpublished article about my space station research.
Cosmic Engineers •
The Mechanics of Wonder •
Hugo Gernsback
Science Fiction, Children's Literature, and Popular Culture
Islands in the Sky •
The Other Side of the Sky •
The Endless Frontier
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Articles
For many years, I focused primarily on
writing articles. Below are "Arguing with Idiots," the first essay on
science fiction that I ever wrote, way back in 1987 and never published; two essays
that appeared in scholarly journals, "Superladies in Waiting" and
"Who Governs Science Fiction?"; eight articles published in The
Internet Review of Science Fiction; and some unpublished musings on "Technocracy
and Plutocracy," writer H. G. Wells, and artist Chris Foss.
Arguing with Idiots •
Superladies in Waiting •
Who Governs Science Fiction?
What Science Fiction Leaves Out of the Future, Part 1 •
Part 2 •
Part 3 •
Part 4
How to Make Big Money •
Earth Abides •
J.G. Ballard •
Men into Space
Technocracy and Plutocracy •
H.G. Wells •
Chris Foss
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Reviews
I have reviewed dozens of books and
films, in print and online. To represent this work, here are a published review
of the science fiction anthology Full Spectrum 4, four unpublished book reviews,
and a parody review of a non-existent book.
Full Spectrum 4 •
Hugo Gernsback
The Norton Book of Science Fiction •
Nemesis
Writings of Passage •
Realm of the Enchanted Unicorn
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Reference Material
I cannot post entries written for
reference books as "work for hire," but here are several unpublished
items: ten entries rejected by the editors of The Encyclopedia of Fantasy,
one rejected by the editors of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, and
two entries written for a reference book that I withdrew from consideration
upon realizing that that they did not match the editor's guidelines.
Batman •
Captain Marvel •
Definitions of Science Fiction •
Field of Dreams
The Incredible Hulk •
Interactive Fantasy •
Mario Brothers •
Ali Mirdrekvandi
Ronald McDonald •
"SF" •
Series Fiction •
Superman •
Wonder Woman
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Interviews
In print, on the radio, and in private
correspondence, I have been interviewed several times about science fiction and
related matters, and this section offers five examples.
Radio Interview (Quotations) •
Time Travel Inverview
Homo aspergerus Interview •
Robots Interview
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Miscellany
I have interests other than science
fiction and fantasy, though I rarely write about them. But here are four random
items: a discussion of "illegal immigration"; a review of a
self-improvement book; a memoir about my year on a basketball team; and the
toast I delivered at my daughter's 2007 wedding reception.
America's Second Marshall Plan •
A Review of The Little Book of Coaching
My Life as a Court Jester •
My Wedding Toast
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Biography and Links
No, I'm not quite ready to write my
autobiography, but you can find some more information about me by consulting
the Westfahl entries in Wikipedia, which I did not write, and two reference
entries that I did write—for the online Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and
my own film encyclopedia. There is also a complete list of links to my other publications
now available online, recently double-checked for dead links.
Westfahl at Wikipedia •
Westfahl in the SFE
Westfahl Entry •
Westfahl Links
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