Synopsis: 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 W. Campbell, Jr. and Hugo Gernsback, filmmakers such as Gene Roddenberry and Stanley Kubrick, and acclaimed writers ranging from historical figures Jules Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, and H.G. Wells to modern masters Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Robert A. Heinlein.