There are several institutions throughout the world that hold collections dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of the science fiction and fantasy genres. This history is expressed through the published and broadcast works themselves, the secondary literature devoted to them, the primary materials (i.e. authors’ manuscripts) that are their building blocks, and the products lovingly created by fans in response to those works. Together these types of materials chart the birth, development, and evolution of the SF&F genres, and without them, researchers and scholars, as well as fans, will be unable to get a sense of where the genres came from and where they might be headed in the future. I propose discussing the A&M collection, as well as others of its kind, (with images of some of the more important or interesting materials), the uses to which they are or can be put, and the importance placed upon SF&F creators to preserve their work for future scholars.
