NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/rec/arts/sf/misc/3612

Text File | 1993-01-01 | 5.9 KB | 127 lines

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Path: sparky!uunet!think.com!enterpoop.mit.edu!world!jwenn
From: [e-mail] (John C Wenn)
Subject: Re: SF Story Index
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 02:15:51 GMT
Lines: 115

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
> I have an old "Science Fiction Story Index 1950-1968" by Frederick
> Siemon, published by the American Library Association.  This guide has
> been very useful.  What I would like to know is there any other index
> "out there" that I could purchase to suplement or compliement this
> work.  Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

Reproduced below is part of an article written by Jerry Boyajian
(jayembee) [SF bibliographer to the net.  "Bibliography is my
business"] to rec.arts.sf-lovers in December 1987.  The recommendations
he makes are right on.  I'll mention any new material after the
excerpt.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

> One thing to note is that I didn't even mention how to find short stories.
> That is a completely different ballgame, that I'll leave to others (Jerry?).

You're right, it *is* a completely different ballgame. A basic reference
library for short fiction would include the following:

Day, Donald B. INDEX TO THE SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINES 1926-1950 (1952,
    revised edition 1982 by G.K. Hall). The revised edition corrected
    a number of typographical errors, but introduced a whole host of
    new ones. I believe this (the revised edition) is out of print.

Metcalf, Norm. INDEX OF SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINES 1951-1965. Follows
    Day's lead. Long out of print.

Strauss, Erwin S. THE MITSFS INDEX TO THE SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINES
    1951-1965. Covers the same range as Metcalf, but not as well (or
    as readable), in my opinion. This may still be available from
    N.E.S.F.A., who took over distribution of it many years ago.

N.E.S.F.A.  THE N.E.S.F.A. INDEX TO THE SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINES
    (AND ORIGINAL ANTHOLOGIES), multiple volumes: 1966-1970, 1971-1972,
    1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977-1978, 1979-1980, 1981, 1982, 1983.
    Follows in the tradition of Strauss. Most, if not all, are still
    available from N.E.S.F.A.

Boyajian, Jerry & Kenneth R. Johnson. INDEX TO THE SCIENCE FICTION
    MAGAZINES, annual volumes: 1977 through 1984. Yep, that's me (it's
    why I'm supposedly going to be listed in the Reginald update).
    Still available from me. Also, there are two volumes of INDEX
    TO THE SEMI-PROFESSIONAL FANTASY MAGAZINES (1982 and 1983) that
    cover the small press magazines such as WHISPERS, WEIRDBOOK,
    FANTASY TALES, etc.

Contento, William, INDEX TO SCIENCE FICTION ANTHOLOGIES AND COLLECTIONS.
    What it says. Covers up to mid-1977. A superior reference work,
    unfortunately (I believe) out of print. It's major flaw is that it
    does not cover horror. On the other hand, his supplement, covering
    1977-1983, still available through Locus Press, *does* include
    horror, as well as picking up sf, fantasy, and horror books missing
    from the first volume.

Brown, Charles N. & William Contento, SCIENCE FICTION IN PRINT: 1985
    and SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY, & HORROR: 1986. Definitely worthy
    reference book, very comprehensive. Indexes of all of the short
    fiction from sf magazines, anthologies, and collections, as well
    as a bibliography of genre books. The latter is basically a
    concatention of the "Books Received" listings from LOCUS. As such,
    it's incomplete in that it only lists what the publishers send
    LOCUS. Still, it's the most comprehensive reference you're likely
    to come across. Both available from Locus Press. Contento and
    Brown are working on volumes for 1987 and 1984.

Parnell, Frank (with Mike Ashley). MONTHLY TERRORS: AN INDEX TO THE
    WEIRD FANTASY MAGAZINES PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT
    BRITAIN. What it says. This is valuable for its coverage of the
    small press magazines, most of which were ignored by previous
    magazines indexes.


--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA)

UUCP:   ...!{decwrl|decuac}!akov68.dec.com!boyajian

ARPA:   [e-mail]

<"Bibliography is my business">

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This is John Wenn again.

Since this was written, the major new references have been the
continuation of the Brown & Contento books.  They now have volumes for
1984 - 1991 (that's 8 different volumes).  But there are several new
reference books on the horizon.

The most interesting is a massive index to the SF, Fantasy and Horror
magazines by William Contento, Ken Johnson & Steve Miller.  A letter
mentioning this was published in _Locus_ July, 1991.  According to the
letter, they have information on nearly 10,000 issues, representing
over 600 English-language titles published in seven countries between
1890 and 1988.  In private correspondence, as of October 1992 was in
the final stages of proof reading, and should be turned in to the
publisher (Garland) by now.  It will be in three volumes: Author List
of stories, Title List of stories, and Issue-by-Issue List. Each volume
should be 500-600 pages long.  It should be published 6 - 12 months
after it is turned into the publisher.

William Contento is also working with Mike Ashley on _The Supernatural
Index_, an index to supernatural, fantasy and horror anthologies.  It
supplements Contento's _Index to Science Fiction Anthologies and
Collections_.  over 2000 books are indexed, and it should be turned
over to the publisher in Summer 1993.  William Contento is also working
on a revised, expanded and combined volume of his __Index to Science
Fiction Anthologies and Collections_, but that is several years away.

/John

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