NICHOLLS, Peter (Douglas)

(1939-)

   Australian writer and editor, critic and historian of sf, resident in the UK 1970-88, co-editor of this volume. He became first Administrator of the SCIENCE FICTION FOUNDATION 1971-7, and edited itsjournal FOUNDATION: THE REVIEW OF SCIENCE FICTION 1974-8, part of this work being republished as Foundation Numbers 1-8: March 1972-March 1975 (anth 1978). PN ed Science Fiction at Large (anth 1976; vt Explorations ofthe Marvellous 1978), collecting essays written for a 1975 sf symposium by Philip K. DICK, Thomas M. DISCH, Alan GARNER, Ursula K. LE GUIN, himselfand others. His major work, of which he was General Editor and John CLUTE Associate Editor, has been The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1979); vtThe Science Fiction Encyclopedia US; rev 1993 with Clute and PN co-editors), for which he won the first Non-Fiction HUGO (1980), also winning a PILGRIM AWARD in that year for services to sf scholarship. The Science in Science Fiction (1983), ed PN and written with David LANGFORDand Brian M. STABLEFORD, is a study of sf's scientific content. Fantastic Cinema (1984; vt The World of Fantastic Films 1984 US), PN's first solobook, is a critical history of sf, horror and fantasy films; it was shortlisted for the British Film Institute Award for Best Film Book. PN has also worked as an academic in English literature (1962-8, 1971-7), scripted tv documentaries, been Harkness Fellow in Film-making (1968-70) in the USA, worked as a publisher's editor (1982-3), often broadcast film and book reviews on BBC Radio from 1974 and published much sf criticism - generally waspish but unsnobbish - in newspapers and magazines.

   PN

   See also: BIBLIOGRAPHIES; CINEMA; COLLECTIONS; CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL WORKS ABOUT SF; DEFINITIONS OF SF; PROTO SCIENCE FICTION; SF IN THE CLASSROOM; SENSE OF WONDER.