Usually futuristic, science fiction speculates about alternative ways of life made possible by technological change.

The Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation is the
seasonal review of science fact and science fiction. Formerly the (1987-1997)
annual (paper) magazine distributed at the British national SF convention and European SF
convention. Today its three principal internet editions come out in the northern hemisphere's
academic year: spring, summer and autumn.

SF² Concatenation

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Site introduction

'What's New' list

Posting schedule

Introductory Editorial

SF & Science News sections' index

Full 'Futures' stories list (one-page PDFs)

Science Fiction Film box office top ten & tips for home rental

Convention & film diary 2024/5

SF convention reviews

SF articles archive

Science / non-fic' article archive

European science fiction article archive

External links

Science Fiction book reviews archive (author alphabetical)

Non-fiction reviews archive (author alphabetical)

Archive of our (fun) annual choices as to Best SF of the Year

Last word - Gaia (SF & science whimsy)

Privacy (cookies etc.) policy

Old site home page

Essential SF Guide

Contacting us

As of July 2023 we have ceased using our @SF2Concat Twitter account. Our posting schedule is regular, and only a few followed us on Twitter (less 1% of our typical monthly unique visitors). We do though have an RSS feed.

Sponsor links

Festival of Fantastic Films the convention for vintage fantasy, SF and horror films

North Heath SF

Cross-disciplinary undergraduate text Climate Change Biology & Human Ecology for biology, geography, social science, geology and environmental courses with climate change modules

Note: While we do check sponsor link sites in a number of ways at the time of accepting sponsorship, we cannot be held responsible for their content.

Yes, our home page colour this season is blue now that we have the northern hemisphere winter. Brrr. It is a little chilly.

Site news: A few of us were at this year's SF Worldcon in Glasgow.
(Huge thanks for publisher hospitality for some of our team by Gollancz,
Orbit and Tor. ☺)

Our site's page count has now topped 3,000.

HELP SF Convention reporters wanted

We are seeking to expand our convention reports of national SF conventions beyond Britain. If you would like to contribute a report then feel free to contact office [at] concatenation [dot] org for a one-page con-reporter's guide.

January 2025 news

Our thoughts are with those who have lost their homes and nearly all their belongings to the wildfires in Califorinia, USA. This is a tragedy for anyone and it also appears a number of SF fans have been affected. Let's hope all are safe. Stuff is just stuff; lives aren't!

The Sci-Fi London film fest is back for 2025! Last year, due to Cineworld closing the community cinema venue, the event was truncated to a single day event of shorts. This year it is back to a four day event at a new venue just north of central London. It will be held 19th - 22nd June, 2025, at the Picturehouse Cinema, Finsbury Park, London. Finsbury Park has a rail and underground/metro station just around the corner from the venue (which, if you are visiting and want an extra day of central London tourism, makes for a good base, less expensive than central London accommodation). There are plenty of hotels near-by such as the Farringdon Travel Lodge.

2000AD is launching its official podcast 15th January. Just search '2000AD Thrill-Cast' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the major podcast apps.

New up...

We have our 'spring'* season edition. As usual, this includes an extensive, seasonal full news page, with its Film News; Television News; Publishing News; General Science News and Forthcoming SF Books from major British Isles SF imprints for the season, among much else. There is a lot to unpack here with many links to YouTube trailers and other videos, so take time to make a mug of tea, settle down at your PC or with a laptop or pad, and dive on in.
* 'Spring' season here being the northern hemisphere, academic year spring.

Separately, we have a couple of stand-alone articles and convention reports. Plus there is the usual tranche of stand-alone book reviews. Something for every SF enthusiast and/or science bod.

☺

For details of / links to the new content, scroll down to beneath 'Most recently added' below.

Forthcoming

Mid-March 2025 we will have the first of our four, one-page PDF, short SF stories from the science journal Nature. These science fiction shorts are weekly and behind a pay-wall. So if you do not subscribe to Nature you will not be able to see them. However SF² Concatenation has an arrangement with Nature to get the respective authors' permissions to re-post what we consider to be among the best four of the past year.

What's not to like?

☺

Most recently added

v35(1) 2025.1.15 -- New Columns & Articles for the Spring 2025

Newscast for the Spring 2025. This includes within it many key sections. See also the master newscast link index that connects to all its SF/F genre and science news sub-sections. In the mix are its Film News; Television News; Publishing News; General Science News and Forthcoming SF Books from major British Isles SF imprints for the season, among much else.
(This edition's Facebook alert here)
Best Science Fiction of 2024: books and films � SF² Concatenation team
Each Christmas, the team puts forward their suggestions as to the best SF of the year and we list the most suggested. � It is just a bit of fun but scroll down and you'll see, with past years' performance, that it has form.
What makes a Hugo-worthy novel? - The Worldcon survey � Rebecca Montgomery
Those that attended the 2024 Glasgow Worldcon were asked what determines their Hugo nominations.
Detecting warp drives � Jonathan Cowie
Do we have the technology to detect a starship's warp drive and how far away would it work?
Eurocon 2024 - Rotterdam, Netherlands � Leadie Flowers
Around 600 attended the five programme streamed Erasmuscon Eurocon.
Glasgow � The 2024 SF Virtual Worldcon � Mark Yon
6% of the Worldcon attended online. What did they get for their registration fee? (Not the con publications.)
Sci-Fi London Film Fest 2024 � Jonathan Cowie
The 2024 Fest nearly never happened... But it did!
2024 SF Film Top Ten Chart and Other Worthies
(All past annual film charts are archive indexed here)
SF Convention Listing & Film Diary with links to con sites and film trailers
The list of the major, fan run, national and international level, SF cons and British Isles general release film diary.
Ten years ago exactly. One from the archives:
Eurocon 2014 � Dublin, Ireland (2nd review) - Peter Tyers
Interesting programme and lots of friendly people.
Twenty years ago exactly. One from the archives:
Eurocon 2004 - Bulgaria � Jim Walker
The first Eurocon to be opened by a Head of State... and there was an astronaut in the mix too.

v35(1) 2025.1.15 -- Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Reviews

v35(1) 2025.9.15 -- Non-Fiction SF & Science Fact Book Reviews

v34(7) 2024.12.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series

Fear of the Dark (1-page PDF short story) - Stephen Battersby
When the nature of dark matter was discovered, it came with a problem...!
The index to all of the Concatenation selection of Nature 'Futures' stories.
The guidelines for prospective 'Futures' SF short stories authors.

v34(6) 2024.11.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series

The Nana Inheritance (1-page PDF short story) - Amanda Helms
The deathbed of your beloved grandmother isn�t really the place where you should decide who inherits her brain, but that�s what we did...

v34(5) 2024.9.15 -- New Columns & Articles for the Autumn 2024

Newscast for the Autumn 2024. This includes within it many key sections. See also the master newscast link index that connects to all its SF/F genre and science news sub-sections. (Facebook alert for this autumnal edition here. Spread the love.)
How common are exo-Earths with water? � Jonathan Cowie
Is the lack of watery, inner rocky planets an early Fermi filter? New science sheds possible light.
Contabile ³₄: Triple Time � Peter Tyers
Britain's 34th Annual UK Filk Music Convention reviewed.
Levitation � The 2024 British Eastercon � Arthur Chappell
Britain's national convention reviewed.
Glasgow � The 2024 SF Worldcon � Tim Atkinson
What's it like to attend a Worldcon for the first time?
From engineer and SF fan to astronomy � Mark Paice
Taking up astronomy as a hobby.
Ten years ago exactly. One from the archives:
My 25 years of Eurocons & ESFS � Roberto Quaglia
After a decade as the European SF Society's Vice-Chair, Roberto reflects on a quarter of a century of Eurocons.
Twenty years ago exactly. One from the archives:
Robert Sheckley interviewed
The SF author and Grandmaster reveals his influences, format preferences, idea sources and comments on working collaboratively.
Thirty years ago exactly. One from the archives:
More than Human: Colin Greenland, Charles Stross, Norman Spinrad & Tony Chester
A panel discussion from the British Mexicon 5 convention in 1994.

v34(3) 2024.9.15 -- Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Reviews

Full 'What's New' list

SF2 Concatenation

Site news: A few of us were at this year's SF Worldcon in Glasgow. (Huge thanks for publisher hospitality for some of our team by Gollancz, Orbit and Tor. ☺)