Fantasy Classification System

An 8 1/2" x 11" 52-page booklet written by Alastair Cameron and published in 500 numbered copies by the Canadian Science Fiction Association in 1952 which does a credible job of providing a classification scheme for all of sf ("fantasy" at that time still having a more encompassing meaning than "science fiction").

This sort of work was the culmination of many previous attempts -- the booklet acknowledges Jack Speer, A. Langley Searles, E. F. Bleiler, Robert J. Smith and Chester D. Cuthbert. {Need list of other classification systems.}

The idea was to create a hierarchy of concepts using something like the Dewey Decimal System, so 64. was "Weapons" and 64.2 was "Disintegrators". 33 was "religious practices" and 33.4 was "Strange and secret cults". Etc. A story would be classified by the numbers of whatever motifs it presented. So, a Conan story where Conan got a hold of a disintegrator and blasted away at an evil nest of soul-devouring cultists would be classed as both 33.4 and 64.2 (and others besides.)

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Publication

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