The Dictionary Of Science Fiction Places by Brian Stableford (book review).
I bought this book, ‘The Dictionary of Science Fiction Places’ by Brian Stableford, and forgot all about it for a while. After going through my self-bought books, I realized that now would be a good time to read it from cover to cover. OK, it’s a reference book, but a SF placename book in fiction, not film or TV, also means I might come across stories I’ve missed over the years and already be noting more than a few that look interesting. SF writer Brian Stableford (1948-2024) died in February this year, so it seems appropriate to read now.
It’s all properly indexed with authors and entries, so you’ll be able to reference any SF in the book, provided it’s covered up to the turn of the century. I believe Stableford has comprehensively covered all the major authors he has read. In the introduction, Stableford refers to any planets that bear a resemblance to Earth as ‘Earth-clones’, highlighting any significant differences between them and our environment. He then concentrates on the story elements and habitat, although he occasionally includes plot elements that go beyond character names.
The references after each entry are mainly to other authors’ entries with similar attributes. That isn’t really a bother because I’m reading the book straight through. I did cross-check toward the end, primarily to see if they referred back to the entry I was looking at, but they didn’t.
I’m going to pick out unusual anomalies rather than write too much about individual entries. I mean, there are two entries for Altair, from Edmund Cooper and Ben Bova, but they didn’t choose the fourth planet because that would have been a forbidden planet.
It was a shock to see ‘Babylon 5’ there, but it’s not the TV series but a 1984 book called ‘Mallworld’ by Somtow Sucharitkul. I hope Jim Cameron realizes he wasn’t the first person to have a fictional planet called Pandora, as Frank Herbert did in the late 1970s.
What concerns me is the information that Stableford omitted. While Stableford covers Larry Niven’s ‘Ringworld’, he also included a delightful selection of named planets in the ‘Known Space’ reality. Having a book of SF realities could have made it easier to identify the highlights to visit or be cautious of. Despite covering the author’s other books, I was surprised to find none of the planets used in CJ Cherryh’s ‘Chanur’ books included.
One issue with these types of books is their potential for inclusivity, and their exclusion often stems from time constraints, inability to find them, or lack of reading time.
I was considering whether it would be beneficial to use the entries as a guessing game, where you could divide into groups and try to solve the puzzles. The thing is, in a few places, I’d forgotten some of the details that would have identified them.
Perhaps the most beneficial use of this book for me has been identifying planets or societies that have piqued my interest, prompting me to seek out the original novels. Stableford gave enough information, and I’m developing a pile of books to read. Some of the books are difficult to obtain due to their limited availability and high cost, but I’m delighted to be able to review some of them, knowing that you should be able to obtain them yourself. They aren’t all doortop sizes.
This book is useful for potential authors because it highlights world-building efforts. Granted, it stops around 1999, but it means you have plenty to choose from. There are very few books of this type out there, and this is the first of its kind. Although I suspect you’ll use it as a reference book rather than reading it straight through like I do, if you can get a copy, it deserves a place on your shelf.
GF Willmetts
September 2024
(pub: Firestone/Simon & Schuster, 1999. 384 page illustrated indexed large softcover. Price: varies. ISBN: 0-684-84958-5)
