Links and Resources
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Science Fiction Websites and Other Resources
Writers seeking to improve their craft in the genres used to have only a few choices, as many university programs did not appreciate speculative fiction - or, in some cases, even consider it a valid form of literature. In response, professional writers created private workshops to help writers develop. Thankfully, spec-fic's days of living in the ghetto are past, but the intensive, non-degree workshops are still a healthy concern. Here are a few of the best, plus some links to markets for your work.
- Author Information Center, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) resource center - go here first!
- Alpha, the SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers.
- Black holes, a fantastic "Critters" page that details response times for the various book and magazine publishers.
- Brian Dana Akers' Learn to Write Web page, with many links to writing resources.
- Clarion Writers' Workshop at UC-San Diego, perhaps the world's best-known speculative-fiction writing workshop. Six weeks of immersion.
- Clarion West Writers Workshop in Seattle, Washington, also six weeks.
- Critters, a well-known online workshop with lots of great information for writers.
- Kij Johnson's novel-length speculative fiction writing workshops - two-week programs.
- McKitterick and Johnson's SF lit courses and writing workshops
- McKitterick's Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop Resources - lots of great stuff for SF writers
- Film Script Writing - lots of great materials for film-script writers, including a free ebook.
- The Market List, a great resource for finding markets for your genre work.
- Odyssey, a fantasy-writing workshop.
- Open Call: SF, Fantasy, & Pulp Markets, on Facebook. Lots of websites help you can find regular magazine submission information, but this Facebook group is useful in that you'll see indie presses, one-shot anthologies, and so forth listed in time to submit new and appropriate work by the deadlines.
- Ralan.com, an excellent SF/F/H writing market site.
- Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, SFWA's official Web site.
- Submission Grinder, a fantastically useful (and free) resource for writers looking for markets:
"The Grinder is a submission tracker and market database for writers of fiction (non-fiction and poetry coming soon!). Use our extensive and powerful search engine to find a home for your work. With new features being added periodically we hope to provide a permanent and stable home for your submission tracking." - SFWA's qualifying market list. Sales to these qualify you for SFWA membership.
- Viable Paradise is a one-week residential workshop in writing and selling commercial science fiction and fantasy.
Critiquing other people's work and getting yours critiqued in a workshop is valuable and allows you to see how well the various elements of your story work, and it shows you what kinds of things work well in others' stories, as well. But critiquing requires a special touch; check out James Gunn's essay on "How to Be a Good Critiquer and Still Remain Friends." I recommend it highly.
Whether or not you can make it to a formal writing workshop, we recommend that you read some books on the craft of writing. Here is a list of some great SF-writing books.
- The 10% Solution [Amazon|Powell's], by Ken Rand.
- Writing to the Point [Amazon|Powell's], by Algis Budrys.
- Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You [Amazon|Powell's], by Ray Bradbury.
- Characters & Viewpoint [Amazon|Powell's], by Orson Scott Card.
- How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy [Amazon|Powell's], by Orson Scott Card.
- Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Jeffrey A. Carver (opens his course outline page, free online).
- World Building [Amazon|Powell's], by Stephen Gillett.
- The Science of Science-Fiction Writing [Amazon|Powell's], by James Gunn.
- On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft [Amazon|Powell's] , by Stephen King.
- Beginnings, Middles & Ends [Amazon|Powell's], by Nancy Kress.
- Booklife [Amazon|Powell's], by Jeff VanderMeer.
- Writing and Selling Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], by a variety of fine authors and editors, published by SFWA.
Looking for ideas or science & tech references? Here are some great sources:
- Ray Kurzweil's website has his book, The Age of Spiritual Machines, available on KurzweilAI.net here (scroll down to see the chapters).
- The newsletters from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
- Bad Astronomy, perhaps the best astronomy blog.
- CRACKED.com article, "6 Scientific Discoveries that Laugh in the Face of Physics."
- Drexler's website has most of the content from his book, Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology, available as a free download from KurzweilAI.net.
- The Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence newsletter concisely covers relevant major science and technology breakthroughs in a daily or weekly e-mail (you can also read it online).
- National Geographic online.
- Popular Science article, "The Ideas And Breakthroughs That Will Shape The World In 2015."
- The Science Channel's "Science's Greatest Discoveries: The Big 100"
- Science Daily, "Your source for the latest research news."
- Scientific American online.
- Space Elevators (Wikipedia article with tons of links to sources); also see the How Stuff Works article on "How Space Elevators Work."
- Spaceflight Now, up-to-date news about spaceflight.
- A great tech timeline.
- A Tough Guide to the Rapture of the Nerds (Charles Stross' glossary on posthumanism).
- Berkeley's Understanding Evolution website.
- Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at the University of California - Davis
- Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University
- Masters in Fantasy at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland, UK
- "Science Fiction and Technoculture Studies" program at the University of California - Riverside
- School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech
Science fiction scholarship and teaching go hand-in-hand. In that spirit, this section (and this page in general) includes a wide assortment of links to websites that will help you find the information you need in order to confidently teach the subject.
- A Basic Science Fiction Library, which I've grown from 100 books to many times that over the last few decades. Librarians and teachers should start here when looking for important SF. Updated regularly, and includes links to online booksellers.
- Audio interviews with science-fiction authors. A great way to hear interviews with your favorite authors, and a great resource for researchers.
- Broad Universe, an international organization with the goal of promoting SF/F/H written by women.
- The Center for Ray Bradbury Studies contains research copies of Bradbury's seven decades of correspondence as well as typescripts, galleys, and page proofs for most of Bradbury's major works, much of which has been compiled into a database.
- Ad Astra-Hosted Courses
- Cyrano de Bergerac, The Other World - this new translation by Donald Webb is intended to make Cyrano's novel Internet-accessible to the general public in modern English.
- Extrapolation, an important scholarly journal, housed at the University of Texas at Brownsville. Founded in 1959, it was the first journal to publish academic work about SF.
- Femspec is a feminist journal dedicated to interdisciplinary SF scholarship, housed at Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University.
- Foundation is the publication of the Science Fiction Foundation, founded in 1972.
- The Heinlein Society places Heinlein's books in libraries, awards scholarships and grants to worthy young people, assists in disseminating translations, promotes scholarly research and overall discussion of his works, and much more. If you're a Heinlein fan or scholar or plan to teach Heinlein, check out their site!
- LabLit.com - "The culture of science in fiction & fact." Great stuff!
- The NASA Quest website provides" interactive explorations designed to engage students in authentic scientific and engineering processes. The solutions relate to issues encountered daily by NASA personnel." A particularly fun SFnal exercise is Design a Martian - neat NASA site for kids and teachers.
- The New York Review of Science Fiction.
- Science Fiction Research Association's website contains much useful information for teaching SF.
- Science Fiction Studies, founded in 1973, is housed at DePauw University. One of the major scholarly journals in the field; their website has a great resource page with many links to scholarly works on the Web.
- Science News for Kids.
- Science Fiction Reading List for Kids.
- The Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database is an online index to more than 60,000 historical and critical articles, books, news reports, obituaries, motion picture reviews, and other material about science fiction, fantasy and horror. Compiled by Hal W. Hall.
- The Speculative Literature Foundation's mission is "To promote literary quality in speculative fiction, by encouraging promising new writers, assisting established writers, facilitating the work of quality magazines and small presses in the genre, and developing a greater public appreciation of speculative fiction."
- Tangent Online, reviews of short and long SF.
- Themes in science fiction, part of the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, by John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls, and Graham Sleight. They have published the entire book online - check it out!
- The Theodore Sturgeon Page contains a great deal of information about Theodore Sturgeon, including publications, reminiscences by friends and colleagues, a bio, photographs, and more.
Fan, professional, and scholarly organizations the world around give many awards for speculative fiction each year. Here are a few of the top awards in the field.
- Andre Norton Award for young adult fiction.
- Arthur C. Clarke Award - the UK's top prize for speculative fiction.
- Bram Stoker Awards - given by the Horror Writers' Association.
- Hugo Award - many categories; selected by WorldCon attendees.
- James Tiptree, Jr. Award for science fiction that explores gender.
- John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best SF novel of the year.
- Locus Awards - many categories; selected by Locus magazine readers.
- Nebula Awards - many categories; selected by SFWA members.
- Philip K. Dick Award for the distinguished original science fiction published in paperback.
- Science Fiction Research Association awards for SF scholarship.
- Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best short SF of the year.
In addition to print, much speculative fiction is published on the Web - perhaps the majority. The number of original anthologies is also growing quickly; these are published by most large and small presses, with some small presses dedicated only to unique anthologies. Here's an abbreviated list of professional SF magazines with an online presence, plus links to sources with even more.
- Abyss & Apex.
- AE (submission guidelines)
- Albedo One, Ireland's only SF magazine.
- Amazing Stories - "The world's first science fiction magazine returns as a social magazine for fans."
- Analog Science Fiction and Fact (submission guidelines).
- Astounding's heir. Hard SF, essays, and more.
- Apex (starting with June 2008 issue) (submission guidelines)
- Asimovs Science Fiction (submission guidelines)
- Beneath Ceaseless Skies (submission guidelines)
- Bull Spec (submission guidelines)
- Cemetery Dance (submission guidelines)
- Clarkesworld Magazine (submission guidelines)
- Cricket (submission guidelines)
- Daily Science Fiction (submission guidelines)
- EscapePod (submission guidelines)
- Flash Fiction Online (submission guidelines)
- Grantville Gazette (starting with May 2007 issue) (submission guidelines)
- The Infinite Matrix. Fiction, essays, and editorials - good stuff!
- Interzone. Long-lived British SF magazine.
- James Gunn's Ad Astra Magazine - co-founded by McKitterick and now run by alums of his workshop.
- Lightspeed Magazine (submission guidelines)
- The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (submission guidelines). One of the cornerstone genre magazines that's been around since 1949.
- Nature (submission guidelines)
- Odyssey
- Orson Scott Cards InterGalactic Medicine Show (submission guidelines)
- Redstone Science Fiction (submission guidelines)
- Sci Fiction. Ceased publishing new fiction; however, the archives are still available.
- The Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation the e-version of the Concatenation publication distributed at the UK national SF convention and European SF convention.
- StarShipSofa, "The Audio Science Fiction Magazine," published as a series of podcasts.
- Strange Horizons (submission guidelines) Fiction, poetry, reviews, and much more.
- Subterranean Magazine
- Tor.com (submission guidelines). The website of Tor Books includes a fine online magazine and pays top rates.
- Writers of the Future anthology (rules)
Speculative fiction has been a field for serious study since the 1950s - earlier for some, still not recognized by others. Here are a few that live online; others, such as Extrapolation, still only exist in print.
- Anima Solaris, a Japanese science fiction magazine.
- Best SF, a website that "aims to assist those seeking the best in short Science Fiction, in both printed form and on the web." Has a big "Best SF Gateway" that links to the best SF available online, plus lots of short-SF reviews.
- The Internet Review of Science Fiction: the first serious online SF journal remains one of the best. Founded in 2004.
- Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, founded in 1989, this is the interdisciplinary publication of the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts.
- Extrapolation, an important scholarly journal, housed at the University of Texas at Brownsville. Founded in 1959, it was the first journal to publish academic work about SF.
- Foundation: the international review of science fiction, published by the Science Fiction Foundation.
- Locus Online, website of Locus magazine. SF news, reviews, and resources.
- The New York Review of Science Fiction, published by Dragon Press since 1988. Covers SF as a whole but draws its name from being housed in New York City and sponsoring local SF events.
- SYFY, website of the cable television channel dedicated to SF.
- SFRA Review, founded in 1970, is the publication of the Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA), the oldest professional SF scholarly organization. Published out of the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
- SFWA Bulletin, published by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), the worldwide professional organization for speculative-fiction writers, editors, and others in the field.
- SFRevu, a monthly fan/webzine which features reviews of books, films, and other media, interviews with top authors and notable newcomers, and columns with the latest releases in books, DVDs, comics, and upcoming films. SFRevu covers SF/F from around the world.
- SF Site, self-described "home page for science fiction and fantasy." SF news, reviews, and resources.
- Speculative Fiction Review is a publisher and bookseller hoping to promote new SF authors by offering free and low-cost downloads. Includes reviews and a discussion forum.
- Tangent Online, the first and only short SF review magazine, now with long reviews, as well.
- Vector, the critical journal of the British Science Fiction Association.
By no means is this an exhaustive list of science fiction anthologies or scholarly books. However, it provides a good slice of what's available. The books listed below should be on any serious SF scholar's shelves.
- Aldiss, Brian; and Hargrove, David. Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], 1986. Originally published as Billion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Atheneum Books, 1973. An essential work that traces the history of SF from Mary Shelley through the New Wave.
- Aldiss, Brian; and Harrison, Harry. Hell's Cartographers [Amazon|Powell's], Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1975. Six engaging and illuminating essays by major authors from the Golden Age and New Wave periods of science fiction: Aldiss, Alfred Bester, Harry Harrison, Damon Knight, Frederik Pohl, and Robert Silverberg.
- Amis, Kingsley. New Maps of Hell [Amazon|Powell's], Harcourt, Brace, and Company, 1960. British mainstream literary writer Kingsley Amis' history and examination of the SF field helped the literary world accept the serious study of SF.
- Bould, Mark; Butler, Andrew M.; Roberts, Adam; and Vint, Sherryl. The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Routledge, 2009. A comprehensive overview of the history and study of science fiction, covering major authors, movements, and texts, providing the critical and scholarly background for further work in the field.
- Clute, John; and Nicholls, Peter, eds. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Orbit, 1999. A vast and comprehensive work covering 4,300 entries, including 2,900 authors. The authors have posted all of the content - which is regularly updated - online here. Bookmark it and return often.
- Greenland, Colin. The Entropy Exhibition: Michael Moorcock and the British "New Wave" in Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1983. Examines the New Wave movement through the lens of Moorcock's tenure at New Worlds.
- Gunn, James; Barr, Marlene; and and Candelaria, Matthew. Reading Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Anthology of essay by scholars and fiction authors that introduces the history, concepts, and contexts necessary to understand and teach SF.
- Gunn, James. The Road to Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Scarecrow Press, 2002-2003. Gunn's 6-volume series provide a clear history of SF from Gilgamesh through current-day in context of chronologically organized anthologies, called "as definitive an SF anthology as one can obtain" by Publishers Weekly. The introductions to each volume - and each story - are alone worth the read.
- Gunn, James. Inside Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's] (2nd edition), Scarecrow Press, 2006. Through two dozen short essays, Gunn shares what it was like growing up with SF from its roots through modern work; what it is and how it evolved; how to read, write, and teach SF; and more.
- Gunn, James; and Candelaria, Matthew. Speculations on Speculation: Theories of Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Scarecrow Press, 2005. A superb collection of more than two dozen essays by major SF scholars, defining and exploring the genre.
- Fowler, Karen Joy; Murphy, Pat; Notkin, Debbie; and Smith, Jeffrey D. The James Tiptree Award Anthology [Amazon|Powell's], Tachyon Publications, 2004-2008. This annual anthology collects the gender-oriented stories short-listed for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award.
- Hartwell, David. Age of Wonders: Exploring the World of Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Tor Books, 1996. One of the field's most prominent editors reveals the inner workings of SF subculture (fandom), spawned during the Golden Age of SF.
- Hartwell, David. The Ascent of Wonder [Amazon|Powell's], Orb Books, 1997. Hartwell's definitive work on Hard SF.
- Hartwell, David. The Science Fiction Century [Amazon|Powell's], Tor Books, 1997. An anthology that traces movements in science fiction, starting in the 1890s.
- Kelly, James Patrick; and Kessel, John. Feeling Very Strange: The Slipstream Anthology [Amazon|Powell's], Tachyon Publications, 2006. The editors define Slipstream as, "literature of cognitive dissonance and of strangeness triumphant," and this definitive anthology presents a number of fantastic examples.
- Kelly, James Patrick; and Kessel, John. Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology [Amazon|Powell's], Tachyon Publications, 2007. Great anthology on the "geek fiction" that developed after the cyberpunk movement.
- Kincaid, Paul. What It Is We Do When We Read Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Beccon Publications, 2008. Kincaid's collected articles about science fiction, organized into a useful cognitive organization. Table of contents page here, with some articles available online.
- Knight, Damon. In Search of Wonder: Essays on Modern Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Advent Publications, 1967. Knight, one of the first SF scholars and critics, presents a number of insightful and often incisive essays about SF.
- Le Guin, Ursula. Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's]. One of the genre's most important authors is also an important commentator on the field. This book collects many of her talks, introductions, reviews, and articles, including the must-read "Science Fiction and Mrs. Brown."
- Moskowitz, Sam. Explorers of the Infinite [Amazon|Powell's] and Seekers of Tomorrow [Amazon|Powell's], Hyperion Press, 1974. Two wonderful collections of author profiles by one of the genre's leading editors and critics who specialized on science fiction's pulp origins.
- Panshin, Alexei and Cory. The World Beyond the Hill: Science Fiction and the Quest for Transcendence [Amazon|Powell's], Tarcher, 1989. A comprehensive and unique history of SF that discusses how the genre reaches into the mythic imagination and shapes society.
- Pohl, Frederik. The Way the Future Was: A Memoir [Amazon|Powell's], Del Rey, 1978. A moving, insightful, and revelatory look at the cultural history of SF. Pohl was working on an updated version of this work, published serially as a blog at The Way the Future Blogs (excerpted in the May/June 2010 WLT print magazine), which earned him a Hugo Award.
- Scholes, Robert; and Rabkin, Eric S. Science Fiction: History-Science-Vision [Amazon|Powell's], Oxford University Press, 1977. An influential work that examines the history of SF and science.
- Sterling, Bruce. Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology [Amazon|Powell's], Ace Books/Berkley, 1988.
- Suvin, Darko. Defined by a Hollow: Essays on Utopia, Science Fiction, and Political Epistemology - A Darko Suvin Reader [Amazon|Powell's], Oxford: Peter Lang, 2009. Darko Suvin's most-recent work, where he goes into depth about "possible worlds" of utopian narration. Important Russian SF scholar.
- Suvin, Darko. Metamorphoses of Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Yale University Press, 1979. Explores Suvin's notion of cognitive estrangement, utopia in SF, alternative history, and much more.
- Vandermeer, Ann and Jeff. The New Weird [Amazon|Powell's], Tachyon, 2008. The definitive anthology of the New Weird.
- Vandermeer, Ann and Jeff. Steampunk [Amazon|Powell's], Tachyon, 2008. Fantastic anthology of Steampunk stories.
- Watson, Ian; and Waites, Ian. The Mammoth Book of Alternate Histories [Amazon|Powell's], Running Press, 2010.
- Wollheim, Donald A. The Universe Makers [Amazon|Powell's], Ballantine Books, 1971. This collection traces the history of SF from Verne and Wells through the Golden Age, examining SF's themes and outlining the consensus future-history as envisioned by Asimov and Heinlein, among others.
- Wright, Peter. Teaching Science Fiction [Amazon|Powell's], Palgrave MacMillan, 2010. A fine introduction to teaching SF, including history, critical approaches, and theory.
Speculative-fiction fans have, since the early days (see First Fandom), gotten together to share thoughts and opinions about what's going on in the genre - often quite passionately. Naturally, the internet has facilitated this conversation in powerful ways. Here is just a sampling of popular fan-related sites.
- Ansible is David Langford's popular and long-running British fanzine, published since 1979.
- Audio interviews with science-fiction authors. A great way to hear interviews with your favorite authors, and a great resource for researchers.
- The Fandom Directory, a great source for all things SF-fannish.
- i09 is an SFnal multimedia extravaganza!
- Kansas City Science Fiction & Fantasy Society (aka "KaCSFFS"), the KC-area's biggest fan club.
- LabLit.com - "The culture of science in fiction & fact." Great stuff!
- Lawrence Science Fiction Club. Hosted by yours truly! Very active Facebook group, with a live-meeting component offline.
- The Russian Science Fiction & Fantasy Web site, the largest and the most rapidly growing Russian SF-related Web site on the Internet.
- Science Fiction Research Association, SFRA's Web site.
- Science Fiction Writers of America, SFWA's Web site.
- SFSignal has reviews, interviews, podcasts, discussions, and more!
- The Speculative Literature Foundation, which "promotes literary quality in speculative fiction by encouraging promising new writers, assisting established writers, facilitating the work of quality magazines and small presses in the genre, and developing a greater public appreciation of speculative fiction."
- Wikipedia is the original open-source online encyclopedia about everything, and of course they have a thorough entry on SF.
Most speculative-fiction authors blog at least occasionally, so there's no way to list them all here. However, the blogs listed below are destinations for thousands - or, in some cases, tens of thousands - of regular readers, full of interesting content by fine authors who serve their readers every single day.
- Mike Brotherton.
- Craphound, by Cory Doctorow.
- Neil Gaiman's Journal.
- Justine Larbelestier.
- Whatever, by John Scalzi.
- SFWA's blog.
- Charlie's Diary, by Charles Stross.
And here are some of the most-well-known SF blogs, very much worth following:
Here is a small sampling of some of the most popular spec-fic artists; click the links to see some gorgeous galleries.
Right now, somewhere in the world, SF professionals, scholars, and fans are gathering for a "con," an event celebrating the genre. Many are small or informal (regional conventions, local cons, media cons, "filk" cons, "relaxicons," and more), but major events take place somewhere every month. Many invite well-known writer, editor, artist, and fan guests of honor, plus entertaining toastmasters or emcees. Programming usually includes panels, presentations, and readings, plus art exhibits, booksellers, and much more. Larger, fan-oriented conventions usually include "filking" (fan music), gaming, author and actor signings, film screenings, a wide diversity of room parties, costuming and masquerades, dances, and much more. To truly understand the appeal of a con, you have to attend one. Here is a small selection of literary-focused cons; more to come! Click the links to visit the events' websites.
- SF Site convention listing.
- 1st Global Conference Artificial Intelligence: Exploring Critical Issues was in October 20-22, 2003, Vienna, Austria; this link details the project.
- Campbell Conference & Awards. Lawrence, KS. Annual conference hosted by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas. Includes scholarly discussions, readings, and the award ceremony for John Campbell Memorial Award (best SF novel) and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award (best short SF).
- ConQuesT. Memorial Day weekend each year in Kansas City, MO.
- Eaton Conference. Riverside, CA. Annual scholarly conference hosted by the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Utopian Literature at the University of California, Riverside. Includes awards.
- FantasyCon. Nottingham, UK. Annual con hosted by the British Fantasy Society. Includes British Fantasy Awards (best spec-fic in all categories).
- International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts. Orlando, FL. Annual conference hosted by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts, a scholarly organization "devoted to the study of the fantastic (broadly defined) as it appears in literature, film, and the other arts." Includes awards ceremony for Crawford Award (outstanding new spec-fic writer), Dell Magazines Award (undergraduate spec-fic), and other scholarly awards.
- Nebula Awards Weekend. (Moves around the world each year). Annual conference hosted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America; moves around the world. Includes panels, the SFWA business meeting, and awards ceremony for the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award (lifetime achievement), Andre Norton Award (best YA spec-fic), Bradbury Award (best dramatic presentation), Solstice Award (significance to the field), plus honors for senior writers as Authors Emeriti.
- Norwescon. SeaTac, WA. Annual convention serving the Pacific Northwest. Major, fan-oriented event that includes all aspects of a con from costuming through literary awards; hosts the award ceremony for the Philip K. Dick Award (best paperback SF).
- Readercon. Burlington, MA. Annual conference devoted to "'imaginative literature,' literary science fiction, fantasy, horror, and the unclassifiable works often called 'slipstream.'" Includes award ceremony for the Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award (for a neglected author), the Rhysling Awards (SF poetry), and the Shirley Jackson Awards (for dark fantasy and psychological suspense).
- Science Fiction Research Association Conference. (Moves around the world each year). Annual conference hosted by the Science Fiction Research Association, dedicated to sharing research on spec-fic literature and film. Includes paper presentations, panels, and teacher "short courses," plus the awards ceremony for the Pilgrim Award (honors lifetime contributions to spec-fic scholarship), Thomas D. Clareson Award (outstanding service activities in SF), Student Paper Award, and Mary Kay Bray Award (best scholarly work in SFRA Review).
- Spectrum Fantastic Art Live Show, Kansas City, MO.
- Utopiales Festival International Science Fiction Festival, Nantes, France, November 4-7, 2004, marked the beginning of the Jules Verne death Centennial year's celebrations.
- WisCon. Madison, WI. Annual feminist science fiction convention. Includes award ceremony for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award (for spec-fic that "expands or explores our understanding of gender").
- World Fantasy Convention. (moves around the world each year). The largest annual fantasy-oriented con, World Fantasy has a strong professional and academic focus on the literature. Includes award ceremony for the World Fantasy Awards (best fantasy in all categories).
- World Horror Convention. (moves around the world each year). Annual convention hosted by the Horror Writers of America. Includes awards ceremony for Bram Stoker Awards (best horror in all categories).
- World Science Fiction Convention. (moves around the world each year). Perhaps the largest yearly event in the SF calendar, Worldcon attracts readers, writers, artists, and everyone else from around the world to gather for a weekend of panels and readings, business and conversation. Includes award ceremony for the Hugo Awards (best SF in all categories) plus John Campbell Award (best new spec-fic author).
- The Fandom Directory, a great source for all things SF-fannish.
- Jeffrey A. Carver's SF links page, which includes SF resources and information about his novels.
- GiveBooks.us offers a means for you to ship your SF books to our troops in Iraq at no cost. Check it out!
- Google's extensive list of science fiction sites.
- Ik Wil Het Startpagina: Science Fiction, a portal site in Holland with a thorough collection of SF links [Note: The site is in Dutch, but the links are self-explanatory].
- John Campbell's Solar System: This site contains Campbell's full description of the Solar System, starting in the June 1936 issue of Astounding Stories. Fascinating reading.
- The Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, KaCSFFS, is involved in many scholarly and fan activities. The organization runs Kansas City's oldest science fiction convention, ConQuesT, which is held on Memorial Day weekend in Kansas City.
- KU's EGARC multimedia service center has a huge SF film collection - if you're KU student, staff, or faculty, you need to check it out (literally!).
- Radebaugh: The Future We Were Promised, a funky and cool SFnal artshow, retro-1950s futurism.
- The Russian Science Fiction & Fantasy website, the largest and the most rapidly growing Russian SF-related Web site on the Internet.
- Spaceflight NOW, "The leading source for online space news." SpaceShipOne won the X Prize and anyone (willing to mortgage their home) will soon be able to fly into space. Keep track of things here.
- The Speculative Literature Foundation, which "promotes literary quality in speculative fiction by encouraging promising new writers, assisting established writers, facilitating the work of quality magazines and small presses in the genre, and developing a greater public appreciation of speculative fiction."
- The Science Fiction Experience, in Seattle, is an interactive, media-rich experience that combines SFnal artifacts and information in an immersive museum. Recommended! Now houses the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
- Technovelgy.com "-where science meets fiction." A searchable database of science fiction inventions. Fascinating and thought-provoking stuff!
- University of Michigan Fantasy and Science Fiction Pages.
- Yahoo's extensive list of science fiction sites.
- Wikipedia is the original open-source online encyclopedia about everything. Is it missing an entry? Add it! Did you find something wrong with an entry? Fix it!