THE WORD FOR THE BLOG IS SCIENTIFICTION

miércoles, 13 de enero de 2016

Sci-Fi Chronicles: A Visual History of the Galaxy's Greatest Science Fiction, by Guy Haley (ed.)



(You can also read this review in Spanish/También puedes leer esta reseña en español)

Disclaimer: Please, note that English is not my first language. I apologize in advance because I know there could be some mistakes in the text below. I’m trying to improve it, thanks.


I consider that the publication of Sci-Fi Chronicles: A Visual History of the Galaxy’s Greatest Science Fiction is very good news for both the fans and those who wish to know the genre. Twenty years ago The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction by John Clute was a great landmark as today could be this guide.


Let’s start the review: The prologue by the writer Stephen Baxter is a masterful preamble about the genre that we love. After this, an equally excellent introduction by the editor Guy Haley, more focused on the explanation about the purpose of this guide. I find very interesting the definition by the latter: in summary Mr Haley says that the science fiction is a part of the fictional genres, which as a distinctive feature has a materialistic and rational basis (unlike, for example, the fantasy whose basis is the magical thought). I understand that this definition encompasses a wider content than the usual meaning about science and technology.