Michael Burgess and Lisa R. Bartle of California State University, San Bernardino have prepared a highly usable and well‐documented update to their 1992 edition of Reference Guide to Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. I recommend it as a purchase for all libraries with large or medium‐sized collections in those genres or with researchers studying popular culture. Using the resources of the extensive J. Lloyd Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature at the University of California, Riverside Library and other collections, the editors have compiled a list of over 750 annotated entries on reference books, Web sites, and other sources. Altogether there are 150 more entries than in the earlier edition. Reference tools included cover a wide array of science fiction, fantasy, and horror literary works, authors, films, television series, magazines and “fanzines,” and even artwork. Burgess and Bartle examine both sources published by larger presses and many privately published monographs or booklets. Given the large number of international professional and amateur publications in these areas, it is a daunting task to assemble such a compendium and make it a manageable overview of what resources are available in print or in library collections. Thus there are a few blank entries in their bibliography (these give a citation to the work along with a “not seen” note) and there are a small number of omissions that this reviewer has noted, mostly of works focusing on early writers and non‐English sources. Yet the breadth and overall depth of the coverage in this annotated subject listing is impressive and it is as close to comprehensive as possible for a volume of its nature. What further distinguishes this bibliography is the care and the candor the two compilers use in writing their annotations. Burgess and Bartle discuss the value of the reference works to librarians, readers, or researchers and point out their strengths as well as their weaknesses such as poor research, faulty documentation or fact checking, or inadequate indexing or pagination. They hold all sources, even those intended for a mass market, non‐academic audience, up to the same rigorous standards and thereby allow readers to select ones that are the most appropriate for their reference needs.
Each of the 32 divisions of the guide begins with a scope note outlining the types of reference works included and explaining the organizing principles behind any subdivision (by author, national literature, or some other pertinent category). Certain sections such as the author bibliographies and author cylopedias and dictionaries are quite lengthy, but others contain only a handful of entries. The types of reference publications surveyed include general and specific encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, atlases, gazetteers, directories, catalogues, chronologies and magazine and anthology indexes. The addition of selected Web sites and online sources to print guides is one of the most significant changes from the first to the second editions. Future guides might explore more of the wealth of general and specific sites on those genres that have proliferated in recent years, but the ephemeral nature of online sources in these fields would pose some obstacles. The editors’ commitment to proper indexing in reference works they review carries over to their own guide, for they provide 42 pages of indexes enabling readers to look up entries by author or artist discussed, title of reference work, or subject. The core periodicals and core collections lists for libraries of various types and sizes found at the end of the volume is a noteworthy aid to selectors who might otherwise be overwhelmed with the sheer number of reference books – good, bad or indifferent – currently available on the market.
Given the widespread interest today in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror shared by so many readers with varied backgrounds, it is a pleasant surprise to find a reference work on those genres that takes its subject matter seriously but is still readable and even entertaining. The tone throughout is appropriate for those seeking informative critiques of scholarly texts on popular culture as well as for those simply looking for a quick introduction to their favourite author’s work. Burgess and Bartle have clearly done their homework in tracking down books published in the decade since their first edition appeared and have obviously kept abreast of new fan‐oriented publications and the academic literature on the various genres. I sincerely hope that they will continue to scour the bookshelves and cyberspace to find new titles to review in future editions of this highly useful reference guide.
