This book combines the reading public's interest in science fiction with the always popular biography genre. The book contains one hundred concise chapters, each containing a brief biography of one of the most influential figures in the development of modern science fiction as well as a timetable detailing the highlights of the person's life and career. Included are important editors such as John Campbell Jr and Hugo Gernsback; filmmakers such as Gener Roddenberry and Stanley Kubrick; and most importantly, acclaimed writers ranging from historical figures Jules Verne, Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, and H G Wells to modern masters Arthur Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein.