Question 1

Which author wrote "Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus" which is largely considered as the first true science fiction novel?

Accepted Answer

Mary Shelley - Mary Shelley published her novel at the tender age of 21, a towering achievement for any author but all the more remarkable for a female of the age.

Question 2

Jules Verne wrote a number of popular works, but "From the Earth to the Moon" was immortalized on film by which French film maker?

Accepted Answer

Georges Méliès - In 1902, Méliès created one of the most iconic silent films of all time based on Verne's novel.

Question 3

E. E. "Doc" Smith was one of the first authors to write what is now called "space opera".  His two best known series were "the Skylark series" and which other?

Accepted Answer

the Lensman series - Doc Smith was one of the pioneers of the American science fiction industry, respected by many who became stars of the field in their own right.

Question 4

Orson Wells' radio show, "Mercury Theater Playhouse", performed what came to be called "the panic broadcast" on October 30, 1938.  It was based on "The War of the Worlds".  Who wrote the original?

Accepted Answer

HG Wells - Wells has been called "the Shakespeare of science fiction", also writing "The Time Machine" and "The Invisible Man" among many others.

Question 5

"The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" was what might be called "pharmacological science fiction".  Who wrote it?

Accepted Answer

Robert Louis Stevenson - The same author that wrote "Treasure Island" and "Kidnapped" gave us the ultimate multiple personality story.

Question 6

Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the Tarzan novels, but he made a major contribution to science fiction with what group of novels?

Accepted Answer

John Carter of Mars series - Also called the "tales of Barsoom", these stories were the beginning a new sub-genre of literature: Young Adult books.

Question 7

Almost a century ago, "Amazing Stories" became the first regular publication dedicated to sci-fi stories.  Who was the editor/publisher?

Accepted Answer

Hugo Gernsback - Gernsback is still considered one of the great influences in science fiction's popularity, even more than 50 years after his passing.

Question 8

Some say that the "Golden Age of Science Fiction" was the late 1930s to late 1940s.  Why?

Accepted Answer

Sci-fi became more widely popular - Yep, it's simply the number of readers that took off during this time period, leading to the success of authors such as Asimov and Heinlein.

Question 9

In 1920, Czech author Karel Čapek published "R.U.R."  What was important about this book?

Accepted Answer

It coined the term "robot" - Not only did Čapek give us "robot", but he was actually nominated for 7 Nobel prizes, though he never won.

Question 10

In 1932, Aldous Huxley published what is considered by some to be one of the top novels of the 20th Century.  What was it's title?

Accepted Answer

Brave New World - Brave New World ranked as #5 on Modern Library's 100 Best Novels in English of the 20th century.  Not bad when you have Hemingway and Steinbeck in that group.

Question 11

John W Campbell was editor of Astounding Stories, but using a pseudonym he wrote one highest-rated sci-fi stories ever, later adapted as John Carpenter's "The Thing".  What was the story title?

Accepted Answer

Who Goes There? - "Who Goes There?" is almost always included on lists of best sci-fi stories since it's original printing.

Question 12

In 1941, Isaac Asimov published a short story that was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as the best sci-fi story written before 1965 (when the Nebula Awards began).  What was it named?

Accepted Answer

Nightfall - Asimov is almost always held up as one of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time, partly because of this story.

Question 13

The next year, Asimov began the first stories of what became what is often considered the greatest sci-fi series ever.  What series is this?

Accepted Answer

the Foundation series - The Foundation series eventually consisted of 7 novels published from the first in 1942 to the last in 1993... 51 years in the making.

Question 14

About the same time Asimov was making a name in sci-fi, Robert Heinlein began writing his famous series that he wrote until his death in 1988.  What was it?

Accepted Answer

the Future History series - His Future History series includes over 24 short stories and (depending on who is counting) up to 6 novels that spanned Heinlein's entire life as an author.

Question 15

In 1949, Eric Arthur Blair published the incredibly influential "1984" under his famous pen name.  What is that pseudonym?

Accepted Answer

George Orwell - Few readers know that the famous Orwell was not the name the author was born with.

Question 16

In 1950, Asimov again made a major contribution to science fiction by publishing a novel which included which now-famous concept?

Accepted Answer

the Three Laws of Robotics - "I, Robot" by Asimov formulated these rules that have been used and debated consistently since they first appeared.

Question 17

Speaking of important concepts, which author made the statement that "any technology that is advanced enough is indistinguishable from magic"?

Accepted Answer

Arthur C Clarke - Clarke formulated his 3 Laws published as an article "Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination" in 1962, the Third Law concerning technology & magic being the most famous.

Question 18

"The Martian Chronicles" was the first notable success of which famous American author of science fiction?

Accepted Answer

Ray Bradbury - Bradbury has many notable sci-fi classics to his credit including "The Illustrated Man" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes".

Question 19

The next success for Bradbury was the hugely-popular dystopian novel "Fahrenheit 451".  What is the title a supposed reference to?

Accepted Answer

The temperature paper burns - "Fahrenheit 451" is one of the great anti-censorship novels of all time, probably in response to both Nazi book burning and the McCarthy "Red Scare" hearings.

Question 20

The tremendously influential "Stranger in a Strange Land" was published in 1961 and challenged many accepted moral norms of the time.  Who wrote it?

Accepted Answer

Robert Heinlein - The novel is considered by many as Heinlein's most important work in it predicting (or potentially leading to) many of the sexual & social ideas adopted by the anti-Vietnam/Flower Power movement.

Question 21

1962 was huge for sci-fi: "A Clockwork Orange", "A Wrinkle in Time", and Philip K Dick publishes which important alternate history novel?

Accepted Answer

The Man in the High Castle

Question 22

The 1965 winner of the first Nebula Award for a Science Fiction Novel was "Dune", one of the best-selling novels of the genre ever.  Who wrote it?

Accepted Answer

Frank Herbert - "Dune" and the other novels in the series are often at the top of science fiction "best of" lists every year since its original printing.

Question 23

Philip K Dick published "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" in 1968.  Fourteen years later, it was turned into a movie under what title?

Accepted Answer

Blade Runner - "Blade Runner" wasn't a box office success in Hollywood terms (it made just enough to cover costs), but it is still considered one of the most visually outstanding movies ever.

Question 24

The same year as "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", Stanley Kubrick released "2001: a Space Odyssey".  Who wrote the book it was based on?

Accepted Answer

Arthur C Clarke - The original story was titled "The Sentinel" and was expanded into a novel the same year the movie came out.  Readers of the book tended to love the movie while those unfamiliar with it tended to be more reserved.

Question 25

"Ringworld" was another huge stepping stone in mass-market sci-fi.  Who is the author?

Accepted Answer

Larry Niven - Niven is known as a "hard" sci-fi author... one who tries to use accurate science in their work.  "Ringworld" won every major sci-fi award the year it was published and is considered a classic.

Question 26

1977 was a major year for sci-fi in cinema... "Star Wars" was one major release.  What was the second?

Accepted Answer

Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Lucas and Spielberg had a good year... the first of lot of good years that built two empires.

Question 27

"Hitchhker's Guide to the Galaxy" has been a fan favorite for so long, but who's the author?

Accepted Answer

Douglas Adams - Douglas Adams spun this parody gem into 4 more novels, a television series and a 2005 movie.

Question 28

Females in sci-fi are often overlooked, but one broke onto the NYT Best Sellers list and was the first female to win a Hugo and Nebula award with her "Dragonriders of Pern" series.  Who was she?

Accepted Answer

Anne McCaffrey - McCaffrey was also a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the third woman in history so named.

Question 29

Another female author who did well in the mid-1980s was the author of "The Handmaid's Tale".  Who is she?

Accepted Answer

Margaret Atwood - Atwood won the very first Arthur C Clarke Award in 1987 even though she considers her novel "speculative fiction", not science fiction.

Question 30

One author managed the unprecedented feat of winning both Hugo and Nebula Awards 2 consecutive years for "Ender's Game" and "Speaker for the Dead".  Who is he?

Accepted Answer

Orson Scott Card - The Ender's franchise has grown into 16 novels, 13 short stories, 47 comic book issues, an audioplay and a feature film.

Question 31

Who was the author of "This Immortal", "Lord of Light" and the "Chronicles of Amber" series who won 3 Nebula and 6 Hugo Awards during his life?

Accepted Answer

Roger Zelazny - Zelazny even had a species of micro-shrimp named for him.  Why?  For reeeeeealy trivial answers, I guess.

Question 32

This author wrote the "Earthsea" trilogy, "Left Hand of Darkness", "The Dispossessed" and many other successful novels and collections of short stories.  Who was she?

Accepted Answer

Ursula K Le Guin - Le Guin was named "Living Legend" in 2000 by the Library of Congress.  I didn't even know that was a thing.

Question 33

Sci-Fi Grand Master Joe Haldeman had his first great success with which novel?

Accepted Answer

The Forever War - Haldeman was a combat vet during the Vietnam War and drew on his experience to craft was has been called what may be the best military sci-fi novel ever.

Question 34

With the rise of "Star Wars", "ET" and "Close Encounters", sci-fi became established as big box office in the late 1970s.  Which sci-fi franchise underwent a rebirth at this time?

Accepted Answer

Star Trek - Star Trek: 13 television series, 13 movies, 40 games, 18 comic book series, and over 100 novels.  That's a success story.

Question 35

1999 brought the release of what was called the 7th-best of the 6 Star Trek movies, starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman.  What was the title of this parody film?

Accepted Answer

Galaxy Quest - Anyone who is a Star Trek an and hasn't seen this movie... I'm sorry for you.

Question 36

The same year Deep Space Nine finished its TV run, "The Matrix" hit theaters.  Everyone knows Keanu Reeves as Neo, but who played Agent Smith?

Accepted Answer

Hugo Weaving - The list of actors who turned down Neo reads like a who's who of Hollywood superstars of the day.  Keanu Reeves for the win!

Question 37

It took 25 year to work out the issues before Sony could bring Spider-Man to the big screen with Toby Maguire as the hero.  Who was the director?

Accepted Answer

Sam Raimi - Raimi is also known for his creation of "The Evil Dead" franchise and his mythological series "Hercules" and "Xena: Warrior Princess".

Question 38

A rising star of sci-fi had already created "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" when he launched the sci-fi cult classic series "Firefly" in 2002.  Who is he?

Accepted Answer

Joss Whedon - Whedon created Buffy, co-wrote Toy Story, wrote AND directed The Avengers and Age of Ultron for the MCU.  Serious professional cred.  Personal cred... eh... not so much.  Too bad.

Question 39

With its concept of invading dreams and stealing vital thoughts, "Inception" bent minds and walked away with 4 Oscars the year it hit theaters.  Who was its writer/director?

Accepted Answer

Christopher Nolan - Nolan used his personal experience with lucid dreaming for the concept and his eye as a director to make it a blockbuster.

Question 40

Netflix had a breakthrough when it aired "Stranger Things", set in 1983 and starring Millie Bobbie Brown, Winona Ryder and David Harbour.  Where is it set?

Accepted Answer

Hawkins, Indiana - Stranger Things also made Netflix re-evaluate its "2-season-only" limit, the program now in its 5th season because of its success.

Science Fiction Trivia: From Verne and Wells to Niven and Heinlein

2) Jules Verne wrote a number of popular works, but "From the Earth to the Moon" was immortalized on film by which French film maker?

3) E. E. "Doc" Smith was one of the first authors to write what is now called "space opera". His two best known series were "the Skylark series" and which other?

4) Orson Wells' radio show, "Mercury Theater Playhouse", performed what came to be called "the panic broadcast" on October 30, 1938. It was based on "The War of the Worlds". Who wrote the original?

5) "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" was what might be called "pharmacological science fiction". Who wrote it?

6) Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the Tarzan novels, but he made a major contribution to science fiction with what group of novels?

7) Almost a century ago, "Amazing Stories" became the first regular publication dedicated to sci-fi stories. Who was the editor/publisher?

8) Some say that the "Golden Age of Science Fiction" was the late 1930s to late 1940s. Why?

9) In 1920, Czech author Karel Čapek published "R.U.R." What was important about this book?

10) In 1932, Aldous Huxley published what is considered by some to be one of the top novels of the 20th Century. What was it's title?

11) John W Campbell was editor of Astounding Stories, but using a pseudonym he wrote one highest-rated sci-fi stories ever, later adapted as John Carpenter's "The Thing". What was the story title?

12) In 1941, Isaac Asimov published a short story that was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as the best sci-fi story written before 1965 (when the Nebula Awards began). What was it named?

13) The next year, Asimov began the first stories of what became what is often considered the greatest sci-fi series ever. What series is this?

14) About the same time Asimov was making a name in sci-fi, Robert Heinlein began writing his famous series that he wrote until his death in 1988. What was it?

15) In 1949, Eric Arthur Blair published the incredibly influential "1984" under his famous pen name. What is that pseudonym?

16) In 1950, Asimov again made a major contribution to science fiction by publishing a novel which included which now-famous concept?

17) Speaking of important concepts, which author made the statement that "any technology that is advanced enough is indistinguishable from magic"?

18) "The Martian Chronicles" was the first notable success of which famous American author of science fiction?

19) The next success for Bradbury was the hugely-popular dystopian novel "Fahrenheit 451". What is the title a supposed reference to?

20) The tremendously influential "Stranger in a Strange Land" was published in 1961 and challenged many accepted moral norms of the time. Who wrote it?

21) 1962 was huge for sci-fi: "A Clockwork Orange", "A Wrinkle in Time", and Philip K Dick publishes which important alternate history novel?

22) The 1965 winner of the first Nebula Award for a Science Fiction Novel was "Dune", one of the best-selling novels of the genre ever. Who wrote it?

23) Philip K Dick published "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" in 1968. Fourteen years later, it was turned into a movie under what title?

24) The same year as "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", Stanley Kubrick released "2001: a Space Odyssey". Who wrote the book it was based on?

25) "Ringworld" was another huge stepping stone in mass-market sci-fi. Who is the author?

26) 1977 was a major year for sci-fi in cinema... "Star Wars" was one major release. What was the second?

27) "Hitchhker's Guide to the Galaxy" has been a fan favorite for so long, but who's the author?

28) Females in sci-fi are often overlooked, but one broke onto the NYT Best Sellers list and was the first female to win a Hugo and Nebula award with her "Dragonriders of Pern" series. Who was she?

29) Another female author who did well in the mid-1980s was the author of "The Handmaid's Tale". Who is she?

30) One author managed the unprecedented feat of winning both Hugo and Nebula Awards 2 consecutive years for "Ender's Game" and "Speaker for the Dead". Who is he?

31) Who was the author of "This Immortal", "Lord of Light" and the "Chronicles of Amber" series who won 3 Nebula and 6 Hugo Awards during his life?

32) This author wrote the "Earthsea" trilogy, "Left Hand of Darkness", "The Dispossessed" and many other successful novels and collections of short stories. Who was she?

33) Sci-Fi Grand Master Joe Haldeman had his first great success with which novel?

34) With the rise of "Star Wars", "ET" and "Close Encounters", sci-fi became established as big box office in the late 1970s. Which sci-fi franchise underwent a rebirth at this time?

35) 1999 brought the release of what was called the 7th-best of the 6 Star Trek movies, starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. What was the title of this parody film?

36) The same year Deep Space Nine finished its TV run, "The Matrix" hit theaters. Everyone knows Keanu Reeves as Neo, but who played Agent Smith?

37) It took 25 year to work out the issues before Sony could bring Spider-Man to the big screen with Toby Maguire as the hero. Who was the director?

38) A rising star of sci-fi had already created "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" when he launched the sci-fi cult classic series "Firefly" in 2002. Who is he?

39) With its concept of invading dreams and stealing vital thoughts, "Inception" bent minds and walked away with 4 Oscars the year it hit theaters. Who was its writer/director?

40) Netflix had a breakthrough when it aired "Stranger Things", set in 1983 and starring Millie Bobbie Brown, Winona Ryder and David Harbour. Where is it set?