Science fiction gives us different perspectives on our lives and the world, and allows us to escape from the present. For these reasons, the genre has attracted a huge and devoted audience worldwide. Dealing with the history of science fiction from its earliest beginnings to its latest developments, The Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction is a visual reference book on this subject. It shows how the future has been envisioned by science fiction writers and illustrators throughout the decades, and the influences that shaped their visions. It also traces the history of science fiction against the background of its times, through decade-by-decade time charts that cover books, magazines, films and historical events. Each chart is followed by a visual exploration of the major concerns of that decade.