SF and Fantasy REVIEWS,
listed alphabetically by author:

A B C  D E  F * G H I J K L M N O * P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
*Volumes 1, 2, and 3 are now available as downloadable e-books and trade paperbacks at www.lulu.com.

Feedback: See comments by Spider Robinson and Barry Malzberg
Also, please contact me if you find any factual errors and I will endeavor to update the site ASAP. Hope you enjoy.

Ranking criteria:
 
* Warning: A total dud! May cause mental anguish and cerebral inflammation. This is a tale we wish, for whatever reason, we had never read.
** An “average” story, containing few original and interesting elements. This story would be unlikely to motivate a reader to seek additional works by this author. Since it’s science fiction, it can’t be all bad—it just isn’t all that good. Not recommended.
**1/2 A story that is worth reading, contains some good, interesting and/or original elements, but may not merit re-reading and may have problems which distract or irritate. The writing is pleasing enough to encourage a reader to seek out additional works by the same author, but not quite worthy of being recommended to friends.
*** A very good, memorable story which warrants re-reading at least once. In this category are the solid “keepers”—stories you might have read years ago and would recommend to family members and acquaintances with little hesitation—or might pick up to read again on a rainy day.
***1/2 An excellent-to-outstanding original fictional work which warrants multiple readings. If you have a “favorite” list, these books and stories are unquestionably on it. Highly recommended.
**** A superior story that evoked a profound emotional response the first time you read it, and continues to provide deep enjoyment on later re-readings. A work you would choose to pick up if a doctor revealed you only had one year to live. A treasure.

CONTRIBUTING REVIEWERS:

Art work courtesy of Astounding Science Fiction from the August 1950 issue of that magazine, illustrated by Miller

Forrest J. Ackerman, Gregory Benford, Alfred Bester, Michael Bishop, James Blish, Henry Bott, Anthony Boucher, Charles N. Brown, Algis Budrys, Orson Scott Card, John Clute, Sidney Coleman, Groff Conklin, S. E. Cotts, Avram Davidson, L. Sprague de Camp, Richard Delap, Charles de Lint, Lester Del Rey, Sonya Dorman, Tom Easton, Janice M. Eisen, Harlan Ellison, Moshe Feder, Paul Di Filippo, Leslie Flood, Robert Frazier, Floyd C. Gale, Richard E. Geis, Villiers Gerson, Ron Goulart, Peter Heck, John Kessel, Robert K. J. Killheffer, Murray King, Damon Knight, Fritz Leiber, Anthony R. Lewis, Robert W. Lowndes, Barry Malzberg, Judith Merril, P. Schuyler Miller, Thomas F. Monteleone, Christopher Priest, Mark Reinsberg, Spider Robinson, Joanna Russ, Hans Stefan Santesson, Darrell Schweitzer, Baird Searles, Robert Silverberg, George O. Smith, Norman Spinrad, Tom Staicar, Paul Walker, Michelle West, Ted White, Gahan Wilson, Edward Wood, Weaver Wright, George Zebrowski, and others.

An example below of a typical entry, this one for author Edgar Allen Poe, including:

1) a brief summary of biographical data and literary achievements, including a list of critically-acclaimed short science fictional works, 2) selected quotes, 3) alphabetical listing of the author’s novels and story collections, 4) reviews and rankings (bold font) by the editor, 5) excerpted reviews of other critics, including the editor’s estimates of the latter’s ratings—it should be point out that these are not the reviewers’ ratings, but this editor’s estimates of their ratings based on a reading of the entirety of the reviews—and 6) reviews of short fictional works.