Science Fiction Book Club
The Science Fiction Book Club (SFBC) was a UK book club started by Sidgewick & Jackson in 1953, the same year as the American Science Fiction Book Club although Ted Carnell's comment below implies the UK version was first.
Conceived by Herbert Jackson, the SFBC issued its first book in January 1953 and in one form or another carried on until the end of 1982. The first title was George R. Stewart's Earth Abides, and the last Anne McCaffrey's The Worlds of Anne McCaffrey. The club issued approximately 324 books in total.
Ted Carnell welcomed its creation in an editorial in New Worlds #20 (March 1953):
In the book field 1953 heralds in an outstanding world event in Sidgwick & Jackson's SCIENCE FICTION BOOK CLUB. This is an unprecedented step in the science-fiction field. As with the International Fantasy Award idea, Great Britain is one step ahead of the Americans again – to keep us there the Book Club needs the support of every enthusiast in the country. Naturally it will be to your ultimate advantage.
The selection panel included Carnell and Arthur C. Clarke, and from around 1956 Jackson himself who also edited the club newsletter, Science Fiction News.
Greg Pickersgill's website (link below) includes detailed history of the UK SFBC including lists of published titles, cover scans, and copies of the newsletter.
Links
- The UK SFBC at gostak.org.uk.
