Search

• Read more about Eaton Collection of Science Fiction & Fantasy

More News May 22, 2017

Renowned science fiction artist Michael Whelan came to speak at the UCR Library on the evening of May 18, 2017.

“An Evening with Michael Whelan” was co-sponsored by the Riverside Art Museum (RAM), and ran from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm in Special Collections & University Archives. Whelan lectured to a standing-room only crowd about his career, his creative inspiration, and more.

Special Collections had also prepared a display of noteworthy books from the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy that feature Whelan’s cover art, which is still available for viewing on the fourth floor of Rivera Library.

The Jay Kay and Doris Klein Librarian for Science Fiction JJ Jacobson said that she was spoiled for choice. “I got 555 results one way, and 568 another,” Jacobson said of her catalog search results.

Jacobson said that she could have approached the display design from a number of different methods, but in the end, she decided to highlight Eaton Collection books by authors that many consider to be the “Grand Masters” of Science Fiction and Fantasy, including Ray Bradbury, Poul Anderson, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Andre Norton, and Samuel Delany.

As the most honored artist in Science Fiction, Whelan has won an unprecedented 15 Hugo Awards (which is the equivalent of an Academy Award in the science fiction art world), three World Fantasy Awards, and 13 Chesleys from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. The readers of Locus Magazine (for SF insiders) have named him “Best Professional Artist” 30 times in their annual poll, most recently in 2014. The Spectrum Annual of the Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art named Whelan a Grand Master in 2004.

Other noteworthy awards include a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators, a Vargas Award, a Grumbacher Gold Medal, and the Solstice Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America.

The Riverside Art Museum had an exhibition of Whelan's artwork titled “Beyond Science Fiction: The Alternative Realism of Michael Whelan” on display until May 25, 2017.

To learn more about the artist, please visit: michaelwhelan.com.

More News January 25, 2019

Class of 2017 alumna and author Jaymee Goh has achieved a feat that many writers hope to accomplish at the pinnacle of their careers – and she’s done it within one year of receiving her PhD from UC Riverside.

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018 (The Best American Series) featured her short story, “The Last Cheng Beng Gift,” in its anthology.

The tale begins on tomb-sweeping day, a traditional Chinese festival that occurs each spring, and focuses on a strained relationship between an Asian mother and daughter. While the traditions and nuances of Goh’s story might hold greater cultural significance for Asian readers, the relatable theme of being the disappointing child to a persnickety “tiger mom” transcends ethnicity.

Goh came to UC Riverside to pursue her doctoral research thanks in part to the enthusiasm of UCR’s Comparative Literature and Languages department faculty. To gauge their interest, she emailed the recruitment director about her proposed research topic -- post-colonialism in steampunk (a genre of science fiction characterized by design and/or fashion that blends historical elements with anachronistic technology). “I got back emails from four different professors saying, ‘Yes, we would be totally interested in this research! Come apply!’” Goh explained.

A Malaysian citizen who lived in Canada while working toward her master’s degree, when Goh first visited the campus, she was not impressed by Riverside’s public transit system. She was, however, wowed by UCR’s resources for mental health and wellness.

“I have depression, and I wanted to see what the department culture was,” Goh said. “The chair was like, ‘Oh yeah, we’ve got a great counseling center! I can walk you over there at the break if you want.’”

The Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy also influenced Goh’s decision to attend UCR. While disappointed that she couldn’t browse through the closed Special Collections stacks, she accessed and relied on many of the collection’s resources while working on her dissertation on steampunk and whiteness. Her research is what she calls “a critical examination of whiteness and white supremacy’s effects on racial relations,” and her dissertation, Shades of Sepia: Examining Eurocentrism and Whiteness in Relation to Multiculturalism in Steampunk Iconography, Fandom, and Culture Industry, is available to the UCR community on ProQuest.

Other factors that attracted Goh to UC Riverside included professors Sherryl Vint in the English department, and Nalo Hopkinson in the Creative Writing program, both founders of the Speculative Fiction Cultures / Science Fiction & Technology Studies program.

“When I first started writing my own fiction, I kind of used Nalo Hopkinson as a model for creating narratives that centered experiences and worldviews that are usually marginalized in science fiction,” Goh said. “She was one of the first people that I talked to when I got here, and I was really excited to meet her.”

Goh’s first forays into writing science fiction and participating in the steampunk subculture started her thinking about multiculturalism in the steampunk genre. “I don’t see many people of color in steampunk, and that’s a problem,” she said. This led to her academic research on racial representation in science fiction.

To address this on the creative front, in 2015 she co-edited an anthology, The Sea is Ours: Tales from Steampunk Southeast Asia, the first of its kind. “I wanted to talk about a steampunk that was very deeply rooted in Southeast Asian cultures, to try to reimagine worlds that either had not been colonized, or were technologically developed enough to push back against colonialism,” Goh explained. The anthology was co-edited by Singaporean writer Joyce Chng and published by Rosarium Publishing.

“Jaymee’s anthology was a revelation to me. Seeing how she had staked new ground for steampunk inspired me to ask such an early-career author to make the Eaton Collection the home for her papers,” said JJ Jacobson, the Jay Kay and Doris Klein Librarian for Science Fiction. “I knew that here was someone who was going to have a fascinating and multifaceted career in the speculative fiction world, and that we wanted to document it.”

Goh hopes that her writing might inspire more people of color, both established authors and aspiring writers, to use steampunk to explore different visions of their own identities. She added, “Because of assimilationist politics, a lot of us don’t feel safe expressing our own identities, particularly in costume play – because our cultures are not a costume and they’re already being treated as such. Part of why we fear that is because we have seen the ways that our cultures have been commodified. So I would like to see more people being comfortable rewriting their own history, the way that so many white authors feel comfortable rewriting British history, and inserting their own characters into it and not being too worried about it.”

Jaymee Goh is currently living in Berkeley, California, where she works as an editor for Tachyon Publications.

More News June 28, 2022

WisCon is a feminist science fiction & fantasy convention held annually in Madison, Wisconsin. 

This year's conference took place in late May with Andrew Lippert, Special Collections Processing Archivist, Sandy Enriquez, Special Collections Public Services Outreach/Community Engagement Librarian, and Dr. Phoenix Alexander, our soon-to-be Jay Kay and Doris Klein Science Fiction Librarian, in attendance. Learn more about the conference from Andrew and Sandy in our WisCon Q&A. 

How did it feel to go to an in-person conference again?

Sandy: It was both exciting, and a little bit nerve-wracking! But part of the reason I felt comfortable attending WisCon was that they took extensive precautions and implemented many best practices to keep folks safe. All the conference-goers I encountered respected the protocols (including a mask mandate) and I felt very comfortable. Having those safety measures in place meant that I could fully enjoy all the benefits of in-person conferences.

Andrew: It was wonderful to attend a conference in-person again. There are definite upsides to being able to get conference content from the comfort of one’s own home, but you miss all of the little conversations and encounters that happen outside of the sessions. It’s also fun to wander around a town you’ve never been to for a couple of days.

What were some of the highlights from WisCon?

Sandy: One of my favorite moments was listening to readings from the new speculative fiction anthology, "Trouble the Waters: Tales from the Deep Blue" edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Pan Morigan, and Troy L. Wiggins. One of the stories centered on the care and shepherding of space whales, which was so magical and whimsical to imagine! 

Andrew: WisCon was a fantastic event and there were a lot of great elements. First and foremost, the panels and the conversations that they inspired were truly superb. This might have been the most intellectually stimulating and inspiring conference/convention I have been to. There is a lot of really important work going on in these spaces.

How does WisCon’s mission align with the goals you have for your work here at the UCR Library?

Sandy: WisCon is a community-led, feminist science fiction and fantasy convention. They aim to make their events as inclusive, safe, and welcoming as possible for people from all walks of life. Their mission to promote inclusivity and uplift underrepresented voices in science fiction aligns strongly with my goals for public services, outreach, and community engagement at UCR Library. Part of my job is to help people find and utilize our collections, and I especially strive to reach communities who have been traditionally excluded from, or misrepresented in, the historical record. I aim to increase access and knowledge of the collections through innovative and collaborative outreach, as well as highlighting underrepresented stories whenever possible. For example, I have recently taught several workshops centering Chicano student activism at UCR, in collaboration with graduate student instructors, and with Chicano Student Programs. While science fiction is only one aspect of our collecting focus, I think we can learn a lot from this field (and feminism in general) about how to partner with communities and practice more equitable outreach, teaching, and research.

Andrew: The primary way that my work with the Eaton Collection aligns with WisCon is in efforts to diversify the genre of speculative fiction. WisCon started out as the feminist science fiction con in the late 1970s, and it still has a lot of those feminist roots with its current incarnation. However, I saw an organization that has evolved to be radically inclusive of all peoples, with a very strong emphasis on the LGBTQ+ community. There were also themes of decolonization and anti-capitalism that popped up from session to session that also work their way into how I think about building a speculative fiction collection.

Was there anything interesting or noteworthy you learned at the conference?

Sandy: Absolutely! Marie Vibbert gave a fantastic presentation about her research on labor in science fiction novels. She analyzed the jobs and classes of main characters across almost two hundred science fiction novels to create her dataset. She found that, contrary to popular belief, science fiction protagonists were more likely to be upper/middle class than working class. She also found that male authors were more likely to write male characters than other genders.

Andrew: The most notable learning opportunity for me — as a cis, white, male — was to be immersed into a queer space. This is not something that I encounter very often in my day-to-day life and I appreciate opportunities like this that center and value the voices and points of view of people that are not often afforded that opportunity. To me, the incredibly engaging discussions only reinforce the value and importance of inclusion and diversity and the degree to which more diverse points of view only serve to enrich the conversation.

Does the Eaton Collection include many feminist works?

Sandy: The Eaton Collection does include many works by feminist authors and works that explore feminist themes, but given how quickly the field is evolving, there is still a lot of work to be done. For example, we have feminist science fiction classics such as 'The Female Man' by Joanna Russ or 'The Left Hand of Darkness' by Ursula K. Le Guin, along with more contemporary examples of feminist science fiction such as the graphic novel 'Bitch Planet' by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine de Landro. We are actively working to diversify our holdings by identifying and acquiring new works, including those that may incorporate feminist themes but are not explicitly labeled as such (one that comes to mind is the fantastic anthology 'Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction' edited by Joshua Whitehead).

Andrew: Yes! We have many novels by feminist authors (for example: Octavia Butler, Joanna Russ, and many more). There is also a lot of feminist work done in the comics and graphic novel space (such as: Bitch Planet or Maiden, Mother, and Crone). We have quite a lot of secondary, academic literature on feminism and science fiction. In the manuscript collections, we have the papers of feminist author Jody Scott. Former UCR professor Nalo Hopkinson has also been donating her papers to the Eaton Collection. There is so much material in the collection, far more than can be listed succinctly!

Do you plan on going back next year?

Sandy: I would love to! I'm not sure yet where next year will take me, but it would be fantastic to return.

Andrew: I would love to! It’s hard to plan that far out, but I hope to make it back to WisCon in the near future.

For more information on WisCon, visit wiscon.net or follow WisCon on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

More News December 19, 2024

The free Virtual Eaton Symposium is taking place over Zoom on January 8, 2025. 

Coordinated by Dr. Phoenix Alexander, the Jay Kay and Doris Klein Librarian for Science Fiction and Fantasy, in collaboration with colleagues from Special Collections & University Archives, this year’s event offers a fresh perspective on a long-standing tradition.

First established in 1979, the Eaton Conference was created to complement the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy, the largest publicly accessible speculative fiction archive in the world. Over the years, the conference has brought together scholars from across the country to present research and explore themes within science fiction.

“This is a tradition that has gone on for many, many years,” Phoenix explains. “After a few years’ hiatus—I believe the last one was in 2013—we’re really excited to present an online Eaton Symposium.”

While past Eaton Conferences focused primarily on academic presentations, the 2025 Symposium takes a more expansive approach. “My idea with this symposium was to bring in the wider community,” says Phoenix. “Not just scholars and academics, but fans, authors, editors—people who are at the forefront of the industry now and the creators who are crafting the classics of the future.”

The event will feature panel discussions, keynote speakers, and conversations that reflect on the rich history of the Eaton Collection while exploring the present and future of science fiction publishing.

By bridging the gap between academia and the broader speculative fiction community, the Eaton Symposium continues its legacy of celebrating the impact of science fiction and fantasy.

Registration is free! Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with some of the brightest minds and most creative voices in the field.

The Symposium is the prelude to an in-person conference, featuring panels from established and emerging scholars, which will be held at the University of California, Riverside from April 4-5, 2025. Stay tuned for more details on the in-person conference and register today for the Virtual Symposium. 

More News October 07, 2016

UCR Library has made the Frontier Life database available on a trial basis until December 15, 2016.

Frontier Life contains digital documents including letters, diaries, maps, newspaper articles, and other primary sources. These would be excellent resources for students, faculty, and researchers of history, women’s studies, gender and sexuality studies, and more.

The Library’s Electronic Resources and Journals Committee will track database usage and gather user feedback during the trial to determine whether a subscription to Frontier Life would be a worthwhile investment to support research, teaching, and study here at UC Riverside.

“We have America History, 1493-1945 and American West,” explained Carla Arbagey, E-Resources Librarian. “Frontier Life would be a nice complement to have, along with those two databases.”

Nine campuses in the University of California system are currently testing Frontier Life.

Use this link to access the Frontier Life database. Please send any comments, suggestions, or other feedback to carla.arbagey@ucr.edu.

• Read more about Notable New Resources

More News August 23, 2021

The UCR Library has recently acquired access to three magazine archives, which will expand UCR Library users’ access to important historical and cultural content covering a wide range of topics.

The three magazines are:

Ebony (1945-2014)

Originally published by John H. Johnson beginning in November 1945, Ebony has served as an influential African-American magazine promoting stories important to the black community and focusing on the achievements of African-American leaders. This archive includes more than 800 issues covering African-American culture, business, civil rights, entertainment, fashion, history, and politics.

Life (1936-2000)

The Life magazine archive presents an extensive collection of the famed photojournalism magazine, spanning its very first issue in November 1936 through December 2000 in a comprehensive cover-to-cover format. Published by Time Inc., the magazine has featured story-telling through documentary photographs and informative captions. Each issue visually and powerfully depicted national and international events and topical stories, providing intimate views of real people and their real-life situations.

Time (1923-2000)

The Time magazine archive includes more than 4,000 issues of the prominent news magazine, dating back to its first issue in March 1923 through December 2000. This weekly magazine contains reports of national and international current events, politics, sports, and entertainment. Capturing the relevant news for a given week, the magazine remains an important resource for researchers studying just about any aspect of Twentieth Century history and life.

The Ebony, Life, and Time magazine archives are available on the EBSCOhost platform and may be searched simultaneously with the UCR Library’s other popular EBSCOhost databases, such as Academic Search Complete. Articles and cover pages are fully indexed and advertisements are individually identified, ensuring researchers and readers can quickly and accurately locate the information they seek.

For more information, contact Carla Arbagey, Arts & Humanities Collection Strategist Librarian at carlar@ucr.edu.

More News December 17, 2019

Special Collections & University Archives employees are constantly working to process recently acquired collections and make those materials ready for use by students, faculty, and researchers.

Each quarter, we will provide a list of the UCR Library's newly processed archival and primary source collections. Check out this list to see if there are any items that fit your research area, or share with a friend!

Below you'll find brief descriptions and links to the finding aids or collection guides for each new collection. To use any of these materials, simply click the "Request Items" button at the top to submit a request, and log in with our Special Collections Request System. For more on conducting research in Special Collections, see this page.

SCUA will be open to the public during winter quarter 2020 on weekdays from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Check here for closures or other changes to our regular hours.

For questions, email specialcollections@ucr.edu.

Newly Processed Collections - Winter 2020​

Poul and Karen Anderson papers (MS 040)

This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of science fiction and fantasy authors Poul and Karen Anderson. These materials document the writing and publishing process and their involvement with the science fiction community and other organizations such as the Society for Creative Anachronism and Sherlockiana groups. Items in the collection include correspondence, manuscript drafts, notes, diaries, personal records, artwork, memorabilia and ephemera from various conventions and events.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8sn0gm2/

 

Lillian Bonham papers (MS 012)

Lillian Bonham was an artist and the second wife of bohemian actor, poet, and social critic Sadakichi Hartmann. Bonham’s papers primarily include her personal diaries, starting as a teenager in rural New Jersey through her adult life with Hartmann in Colorado and southern California, as well as correspondence and art. These materials are a wonderful snapshot into everyday life at the end of the 19^th century and a glimpse into the bohemian culture of the early 20^th century.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8z03g6t/

 

African Student Programs (UA 388)

This collection contains press clippings, fliers, and other material documenting the African American student experience at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and the subsequent role of UCR African Student Programs.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c87d2w0b/

 

Native American Student Programs (UA 011)

This collection contains fliers, pamphlets, and other material regarding Native American Student Programs (NASP) at the University of California, Riverside which serves students of Native American descent and heritage. Primarily contains information about NASP related events.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0b69r91j/

 

Associated Students of UCR records (UA 354)

This collection contains documents, publications and other material on the Associated Students of the University of California at Riverside (ASUCR), an undergraduate student government body. The bulk of the collection consists of information on amendments to the ASUCR Election Code and the constitution and bylaws of ASUCR

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c80z78p3/

 

Jan Erickson collection of oral history interviews (UA 144)

 This collection includes typed transcripts, audiocassettes, and videocassettes from an oral history project conducted betweeen 1992 and 2002 by Jan Erickson, former Administrative Assistant to Chancellor Raymond L. Orbach. The interviews include facts and historical details pertaining to key individuals associated with the campus in an aim to depict the evolution of the University of California, Riverside.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8qv3nb4/

 

Alumni and former students collection (UA 332)

This collection contains articles, a business card, and other material on alumni and former students of the University of California, Riverside. Mostly contains information on Commander John Kirk Ferguson, USN (Ret.).

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c81z49s1/

 

Terry Carr collection on Science Fiction Fandom (MS 359)

This collection contains fliers, correspondence, fanzines, newspaper clippings, ballots, materials related to the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA, and other material on Science Fiction fandom collected by Terry Carr.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8mk6k8v/

 

Jaymee Goh papers (MS 427)

The collection contains drafts, notes and other materials related to works of science fiction and fantasy written by author Jaymee Goh, including drafts from her works created at the 2016 Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Workshop.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8sn0gdc/

 

Science Fiction Poetry Association Records (MS 307)

This collection contains publications, ballots, and other material from the Science Fiction Poetry Association. Includes issues of Star*Line and the Rhysling Anthology.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt15803548/

 

Charles W. McLaughlin photographs (MS 125)

This collection contains the negatives of Charles W. McLaughlin's photographic work documenting the Inland Empire of Southern California (San Bernardino and Riverside counties). The photographs span more than a sixty year period showing the region's development from a rural/agricultural area to a more urban one. Most of the subject matter is landscapes, architecture, and people within the San Bernardino mountains, but areas and landmarks outside of the Inland Empire are included as well. The collection covers material from about 1850 to 1984.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt8d5nf563/

• Read more about Barbara Hambly Papers