SciFan is an
onlineONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
databaseA database is an integrated collection of logically related records or files consolidated into a common pool that provides data for one or more multiple uses....
for fans of
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
and
fantasyFantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting. Many works within the genre take place on fictional planes or planets where magic is common...
books.
The site provides detailed
bibliographiesBibliography , as a practice, is the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology...
, linking books together into series' where appropriate and, in turn, grouping series by universe. Books are also grouped together into themes such as "18th Century", "Alternate History" and "Mathematic Fantasy." A useful provision is access to lists of new and upcoming books, selectable by month of publication.
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SciFan is an
onlineONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
databaseA database is an integrated collection of logically related records or files consolidated into a common pool that provides data for one or more multiple uses....
for fans of
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
and
fantasyFantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting. Many works within the genre take place on fictional planes or planets where magic is common...
books.
The site provides detailed
bibliographiesBibliography , as a practice, is the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology...
, linking books together into series' where appropriate and, in turn, grouping series by universe. Books are also grouped together into themes such as "18th Century", "Alternate History" and "Mathematic Fantasy." A useful provision is access to lists of new and upcoming books, selectable by month of publication. There is also a search facility: entering a word or phrase searches within author names, book titles, series and universes.
With more than 65,000 books, 18,000 writers, and 8,000 series (as of 2008) and ongoing updates, it is one of the main databases in its field along with the Internet Speculative Fiction Database .
It was launched in 1999 by James Wallace Harris and Olivier Travers. In 2001 Harris decided to devote his time to writing, and Travers was joined by his wife Sophie Bellais as co-maintainer. They make up the maintenance team since then.