This chronology outlines British science fiction from 1479-1990, highlighting the important biographical and publishing events in the field of science fiction literature and fandom, as well as in other media. The chronology includes biographical information on more than 700 authors, listings of more than 2,000 works, including anthologies, criticism and essays, publishing and fandom milestones, first publications, and awards. The works are fully cross-referenced and indexed, with introductory definitions of the field and descriptive headnotes for five periods: The Descent of Scientific Romance, 1478-1894; The Wellsian Synthesis, 1895-1936; British Science Fiction, 1937-1961; New Wave S(peculative) F(iction), 1962-1978; and The British Fantastic, 1979-1990.

This book is an outgrowth of and is complementary to Ruddick's critical work, Ultimate Island. Together the two works define the scope and the nature of British science fiction--an enormous field that is not, until recently, examined separately from American science fiction in spite of considerable differences.