|
-
News
- Features
- Events
Calendar
- Editorials
- Monthly
Zine
- Offworld
Report
- Our Daily
RSS Feed
- Movie/TV
Reviews
> Recent movies
> Movies by year
> Movies by title
- Book
Reviews
> Recent books
> Books by year
> Books by title
- Home
- Worlds
- Biography
- Bibliography
- Appearances
- Reviews
- Blog
- Community
- Press
- Links
Become
an Advertiser
- Web
Site Directory
- Search
the Net
- StephenHunt.net
- WoodenRocket.com
- Check
your E-mail
- Non Sci-Fi
News
|
Essential SF: A Concise Guide by Jonathan Cowie and Tony Chester
01/08/2005 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Porcupine Press. 268 page paperback. Price: £ 8.90 (UK). ISBN: 0-9549149-0-2. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out websites: www.porcupine.demon.co.uk and www.concatenation.org
In many respects, this might seem an odd book. With a limited number of pages and a desire to show the basics of SF in literature, films and TV, the way writers Cowie and Chester chose was to use material that won major awards like the Hugo and Locus Awards with the belief that this should include all the best material. The odd contradiction is there isn't a complete listing of these awards at the end of the book. Considering this is the basis for their selection this is a rather odd omission. One could also wonder why this wasn't used as part of the title although I suspect certain parties might have objected. Likewise, saying a particular book or author winning the prize doesn't really cover why they won it that year either. Like the Oscars, an author win for a particular year can often be seen as correcting an omission from other years.
Although this book is more for a browser than someone to read from cover to cover, there is also far too much duplication between writers and their book listings. The same can be applied to sequels. Such a book is more a balancing act to put everything in and when someone like John Varley 4 Hugos is practically a footnote and some things that are more fantasy orientated are included, one has to wonder about the original premise selection.
As with all these kinds of books, there has to be an observation for mistakes. Granted nothing is ever perfect but with these, they really should have known better. I mean, Peter Falk was never in 'Forbidden Planet'!! The original 'Outer Limits' TV series was an hour long not half an hour. 'Vintage Season' was written by C.L. Moore alone as her husband, Henry Knutter, wasn't involved in this one. Where the film 'Soylent Green' is concerned, no reference was made to what the product actually was which was the whole point of the film. Not many mistakes granted, but it will probably incense some readers to look for others. I have to point out such things largely cos if you're buying a book to put you in the picture on SF subjects then the last thing you need is for mistakes that will be compounded if people read and think you've got everything right and haven't. No doubt future editions of this book might correct such errors.
Editorially, I might have been more inclined to cross-reference to authors more when they and their books are listed separately to give me some more space and avoid repetition though.
For the younger SF fans, this will probably fill in some gaps in their knowledge before they seek out weightier tomes, just don't take everything as absolute.
GF Willmetts
|
|
