Type of site | Online database |
---|---|
Owner | Al von Ruff |
Created by | Al von Ruff and Ahasuerus |
URL | www |
Commercial | No |
Registration | None to view |
Launched | 1995 |
Current status | 1,531,160 story titles from 183,021 authors[1] |
The Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) is a database of bibliographic information on genres considered speculative fiction, including science fiction and related genres such as fantasy fiction and horror fiction.[2][3] The ISFDB is a volunteer effort, with both the database and wiki being open for editing and user contributions. The ISFDB database and code are available under Creative Commons licensing[4] and there is support within both Wikipedia and ISFDB for interlinking.[5] The data are reused by other organizations, such as Freebase, under the creative commons license.[6]
Purpose[]
The ISFDB database indexes authors, novels, short stories, publishers, awards, and magazines. Additionally, it supports author pseudonyms, series, awards, and cover art plus interior illustration credits which is combined into integrated author, artist, and publisher bibliographies. An ongoing effort is verification of publication contents and secondary bibliographic sources against the database with the goals being data accuracy and to improve the coverage of speculative fiction to 100%. The current database statistics are available online.[1] ISFDB was the winner of the 2005 Wooden Rocket Award in the Best Directory Site category.[7]
While the ISFDB is primarily a bibliographic research database it also contains biographic data for books, authors, series, and publishers that do not have an article on Wikipedia, particularly those unlikely to have such an article because they do not meet Wikipedia's notability standards.
In 1998, Cory Doctorow wrote in Science Fiction Age: "The best all-round guide to things science-fictional remains the Internet Speculative Fiction Database".[3] In April 2009, Zenkat wrote on Freebase "...it is widely considered one of the most authoritative sources about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror literature available on the Internet."[6]
As of May 2009[update], Quantcast estimates that the ISFDB is visited by over 32,000 people monthly.[8]
As a real-world example of a non-trivial database, the schema and MySQL files from the ISFDB have been used in a number of tutorials. ISFDB schema and data were used throughout Chapter 9 of the book Rails For Java Developers.[9] It was also used in a series of tutorials by Lucid Imagination on Solr, an enterprise search platform.[10]
History[]
Several speculative fiction author bibliographies were posted to the USENET newsgroup rec.arts.sf.written from 1984 to 1994 by Jerry Boyajian, Gregory J. E. Rawlins and John Wenn. A more or less standard bibliographic format was developed for these postings.[11] Many of these bibliographies can still be found at The Linköping Science Fiction Archive.[12] In 1993, a searchable database of awards information was developed by Al von Ruff.[11] In 1994, John R. R. Leavitt created the Speculative Fiction Clearing House (SFCH). In late 1994, he asked for help in displaying awards information, and von Ruff offered his database tools. Leavitt declined, because he wanted code that could interact with other aspects of the site. In 1995, Al von Ruff and "Ahasuerus" (a prolific contributor to rec.arts.sf.written) started to construct the ISFDB, based on experience with the SFCH and the bibliographic format finalized by John Wenn. The ISFDB went live in September 1995, and a URL was published in January 1996.[11][13]
The ISFDB was first located at an ISP in Champaign Illinois, but it suffered from constrained resources in disk space and database support, which limited its growth.[11] In October 1997 the ISFDB moved to SF Site, a major SF portal and review site.[3][11] Due to the rising costs of remaining with SF Site, the ISFDB moved to its own domain in December 2002. The site was quickly shut down by the hosting ISP due to high resource usage.[11][14]
In March 2003, after having been offline since January, the ISFDB began to be hosted by The Cushing Library Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection and Institute for Scientific Computation at Texas A&M University.[11][15][16] In 2007, after resource allocation problems with Texas A&M, the ISFDB became independently hosted on a hired server at the URL listed above.
The ISFDB was originally edited by a limited number of people, principally Al von Ruff and "Ahasuerus".[17] However, in 2006 editing was opened to the general public on an Open Content basis. Changed content must be approved by one of a limited number of moderators, in an attempt to protect the accuracy of the content.[18]
Both the source code and content of the ISFDB are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.[4] This was done on 27 February 2005.[11][19]
See also[]
- Uchronia: The Alternate History List
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ISFDB Statistics". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Link Sites". SF Site. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Internet Column from Science Fiction Age". Science Fiction Age. September 1998. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
The best all-round guide to things science-fictional remains the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ 4.0 4.1 "General disclaimer". ISFDB Wiki. ISFDB. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ See Template:isfdb name, Template:isfdb title, and Template:isfdb series. See also the "Wikipedia link" field when editing title or author data at the ISFDB. Documentation at "Help:Screen:EditTitle". ISFDB Help.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Zenkat (2012-05-19). "The Freebase Blog » Blog Archive » Our latest mass data load: science fiction books". Archived from the original on 2012-05-19. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
...it is widely considered one of the most authoritative sources about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror literature available on the Internet.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "2005 winners: Wooden Rocket Awards". SF Crowsnest. Archived from the original on 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
14 Best Directory Site. Directories, online databases or search engines with a worthy SFF section. Winner: Internet Speculative Fiction Database www.isfdb.org.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Site Statistics". Quantcast. Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ Halloway, Stuart Dabbs; Gehtland, Justin (2007). Rails For Java Developers. ISBN 978-0-9776166-9-5. http://ericdean.com/music/vc/railsforjava.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- ↑ "Solr Powered ISFDB – Part #1". Archived from the original on 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 "Internet Speculative Fiction Database". onpedia. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "The Linköping Science Fiction & Fantasy Archive". Retrieved 2009-07-23.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "What's New". ISFDB. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Literary treasure needs new home". Boing Boing. January 25, 2003. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "ISFDB finds new home at Texas A&M". SFWA News. Science Fiction Writers of America. April 5, 2003. Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ Cory Doctorow (March 25, 2003). "ISFDB rises from the grave". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Major Contributors". ISFDB. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ Gandalara (December 23, 2006). "Changes to the ISFDB". Science Fiction Brewed Fresh Daily. Other*Worlds*Cafe. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "What's New – 27 Feb 2005". ISFDB What's New. ISFDB. 27 February 2005. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
{{cite web}}
:
External links[]
- Official website
- Template:SourceForge
- Template:Openhub
- Sources of Bibliographic Information (isfdb.org)
Fantasy fiction | ||
---|---|---|
History • Literature • Magic • Sources | ||
Subgenres | Bangsian • Comic • Contemporary • Dark (Grimdark) • Dying Earth • Fairytale • Fantastique • Fantasy of manners • Folklore Mythology (based) • Gaslamp • Gothic • Hard • Heroic • High • (list) • Historical • Juvenile • Lost world • Low • Magical girl • Medieval • Mythic • Romantic • Shenmo • Sword and sorcery • Urban • Weird fiction | |
Media | Film and television | Anime • Films • Television programs |
Literature | Authors • Ballantine Adult Fantasy series • Comics (list) • The Encyclopedia of Fantasy • Fantasy Masterworks • Internet Speculative Fiction Database • List of novels (A–H) • (I–R) • (S–Z) • Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library • Publishers | |
Magazines | Fantastic • Locus • The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction • Science Fantasy • Unknown • Weird Tales | |
Fandom | Art • Filk music • Harry Potter fandom • Inklings • Mythopoeic Society • Religion • Tolkien fandom • Works inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien • World Fantasy Convention | |
Awards | Balrog • British Fantasy • Crawford • Dragon • Gandalf • Gemmell • Hugo • International Fantasy • Japan Fantasy • Locus • Mythopoeic • Nebula • Tähtifantasia • World Fantasy | |
Tropes | Creatures | Angels • Demons • Dragons • Elementals • Familiars • Faeries • Jinn • Lycanthropes • Old Ones • Sirens • Spirits • Undead • Unicorns • Yōkai |
Characters | Barbarian • Caveman • Damsel in distress • Dark Lord • Heroes • Fairy godmother • Magicians • Occult detective (list) • Witches | |
Magic system | Elements (Dark / Light • Moon) • Animism • Demonology • Evocation • Incantation • Necromancy • Shapeshifting • Technomancy • Witchcraft | |
Fantasy races | Dwarves • Elves • Treants • Giants • Gnomes • Goblins • Gremlins • Halflings • Hobgoblins • Kobolds • Ogres • Oni • Orcs • Trolls | |
Places and events | Quests • Worlds (list) • Lost city • Hollow Earth • Astral plane • Enchanted forest | |
Related | Allegory • Dungeons & Dragons • Epic poetry • Fable • Fairy tale • Fantastic • Horror fiction (Ghost stories) • Human–animal hybrid • LGBT themes in speculative fiction • Magic realism • Mecha • Mythology • Science fantasy • Science fiction • Superhero fiction • Supernatural fiction |
Science fiction | ||
---|---|---|
Outline | Authors • Definitions (Hard • Soft) • History • Timeline • The Golden Age • New Wave • Anthropological | |
Subgenres | Punk derivatives (Biopunk • Cyberpunk • Dieselpunk • Steampunk) • Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic • Christian • Climate fiction • Comedy (Sitcoms) • Dying Earth • Feminist • Gothic • Libertarian • Military • Mundane • Parallel Worlds • Planetary romance • Scientific romance • Social • Space opera • Space Western • Sword and planet | |
Culture | Fandom | Conventions • Fandom • Fanzines • Internet Speculative Fiction Database • Libraries and museums • Science Fiction Museum • Studies • Women in SF • Worldcon |
Region | Australian • Bengali • Brazilian • Canadian • Chilean • Chinese • Croatian • Czech • Estonian • French • Hungarian • Japanese • Norwegian • Polish • Romanian • Russian • Serbian • Spanish | |
Awards | Multimedia | Aurora • Chandler • Dragon • Hugo • Seiun • Spectrum |
Cinematic | Jules Verne • Saturn | |
Literary/ Art/Audio |
Astounding • Aurealis • BSFA • Campbell Memorial • Clarke • Crook • Deutscher • Dick • Ditmar • Endeavor • FantLab • Galaxy • Gaughan • Geffen • Golden Duck • Grand Master • Grand Prix • Harland • Heinlein • Ignotus • Illustrators of the Future • Kitschies • Lambda • Laßwitz • Locus • Nautilus • Nebula • Norton • Parsec • Prometheus • Rhysling • SFERA • Sidewise • Skylark • Sturgeon • Sunburst • Tähtivaeltaja • TBD • Tiptree • Tour-Apollo • Translation • Urania • Vogel • Writers of the Future • Zajdel | |
Media | Literature | Comics • Magazines • Novels • Publishers • Short stories |
Stage | Opera • Theatre | |
Film | Film history • Films • India | |
Television | TV shows • Australasian • British • Canadian • European • Japanese Anime • Japanese Live-action • U.S. | |
Themes | Applied | Astroengineering • AI takeover • Artificial intelligence • Megastructure (Space stations and habitats) • Mind uploading • Nanotechnology • Organ transplantation • Prosthetics • Robots • Self-replicating machines • Simulated consciousness • Simulated reality • Space warfare • Terraforming • Technomancy |
Formal | Fermi paradox • Grandfather paradox • Time travel | |
Life | Biological warfare • Evolution • Extraterrestrials (List) • Genetic engineering • Gender • Group mind • Parasites • Sex and sexuality • Symbiosis | |
Physical | Faster-than-light (Heim theory • Hyperspace • Jump drive • Warp drive • Einstein–Rosen bridge) • Earth • The multiverse • Parallel universes • Planets • Stars and planetary systems | |
Social | Ancient astronauts • Alien invasion • Alien language • Black • Cyborgs • Evil corporation • Feminist • First contact • Frankenstein complex • Galactic empire • LGBT • Libertarian • Message from space • Political ideas • Religious ideas • Sci horror • Transhumanism • Uplifting • World government • Xenoarchaeology | |
Related topics |
Alternate history • Afrofuturism • Fantasy • Fictional technology • Future • Future history • Horror • Magic realism • Mecha • Rubber science • Science and technology studies • Science fantasy • Speculative fiction • Spy-Fi • Superhero • Supernatural • Weird • Techno-thriller • Technology and society • Utopian and dystopian fiction |
Horror fiction | ||
---|---|---|
Media | Comics • Films (list) • Internet Speculative Fiction Database • Magazines • Television programs • Video Games • Grand Guignol | |
Subgenres | Body • Bollywood (film) • Cannibal (film) • Chinese (film) • Comedy (list • Black comedy (sometimes) • Zombie comedy) • Cosmic • Dark fantasy (Dark romanticism • Grimdark) • Eco (film) • Ero guro • Erotic • Found footage (film) • German underground (film) • Ghost • Giallo • Gothic (American • Romance (film) • Southern • Southern Ontario • Space • Suburban • Tasmanian • Urban) • Japanese • Korean (film) • Lovecraftian • Monsters (Jiangshi • Kaiju (film) • Vampire • Werewolf) • Natural (film) • Occult detective • Organ transplantation • Psychological • Religious (film) • Satanic (film) • Sci-fi (film) • Slasher (film) • Splatter/gore (film) • Splatterpunk • Survival • Weird fiction • Weird menace • Weird West • Zombie apocalypse | |
Related genres | Black comedy • Fantasy • Fantastique • Mystery • Speculative • Supernatural • Thriller • Science fiction | |
Other articles | B movie • Writers • Conventions • LGBT • Macabre • Pulp • Exploitation • Old One in fiction |