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Often letting their imaginations run riot, it was the Greeks along with a handful of Chinese, Indian and Arab writers (think One Thousand and One Nights) who first began spinning tales about talking trees and serpents, flying mechanical robots (and other inventions), featuring pioneering protagonists who traveled freely back and forth in time and space.

Fast forward to the Renaissance - and a revolution in scientific thought - to find Thomas More's Utopia, Francis Bacon's The New Atlantis, or even the prototypical "mad scientist" in Shakespeare's The Tempest (a plot that was later adapted for the iconic 50's sci-fi movie, Forbidden Planet.)

It was during the 19th century, of course, when science fiction writing really came into its own as an explosion of Industrial Revolution-age science fiction writing gave rise to world famous works such as those by H.G. Wells and Jules Verne - leaving others like Mary Shelly ("Frankenstein") and Robert Louis Stevenson ("Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde") to explore the darker side of a future that spelled either doom or redemption for a race of people who were still, by and large, only human.

Today, the computer is THE invention of the Information Age that has resulted in similar dark and haunting tales of personal identities being exposed, expunged, or crunched into so many bits and bytes for "security" purposes or the "protection" of the race.

In turn, modern science fiction also takes up where Wells and Verne left off - by continuing to awe audiences with glimpses into fantastic worlds of space exploration or advanced technology (in a world still populated by living, breathing humans) - that offers hopeful optimism for appreciative readers and movie fans around the world.

More about science fiction writing around the Web:

Around the Web, check out the final frontier for discovering more information on science fiction history along with contemporary book reviews, sci-fi conventions, and the meaning and symbolism behind the fantastic worlds created by wildly imaginative science fiction authors and short story writers ....

AlternaTime - Links to timelines and chronologies including the history of science fiction, a Star Wars chronology, X-Files timeline, a Godzilla chronology, and lots more.

History of science fiction - Wikipedia - The grand sweep, beginning with ancient science fiction history to the Industrial Revolution, with related illustrations and resources.

SF Crowsnets.com - U.K.-based web directory/search engine and magazine for all things science fiction, plus news, reviews, feature articles, resources.

The SFSite - Contemporary science fiction books reviewed and skewed with surgical precision featuring best reads, author lists, and a recommended titles for younger readers.

Transparancy - Excellently written, thought-provoking essays on the news media, perception, and symbolism with a special look at post-apocalyptic fiction and science fiction.

U-M Fantasy and Science Fiction Website - The University of Michigan's extensive resource offering complete online texts of classic science fiction, illustrated symbolism glossary, related links.

Course Materials for the Study of Science Fiction - Great background and history to the classics of science fiction including H G Wells' War of the Worlds, and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.

SF Canada - Writers' community site offering news, book reviews, featured sites, online fiction from members, and an extensive section of links to science fiction and fantasy magazines, conventions, organizations and lots more.

Russian Science Fiction & Fantasy - Links to author pages including images, bio's and bibliographies, plus book reviews, interviews, and selected links. In English.