The SF Book of Lists by Maxim Jakubowski & Malcolm Edwards, 1983.

I used to read lots and lots of science fiction. Now I basically just re-read a few favorites (LeGuin, Heinlein, Vance, the short stories I loved as a teen). But I still like reading about science fiction from time to time, in the same way I enjoy most books about books and reading; I like the feeling of possibility, all those books I could read. The sense of wonder that was my main draw to SF I now get from non-fiction. I think that's partly why I didn't like the Franzen essays; where Wallace has sheer exuberance and Baker revels in the quiddity of the world, Franzen had only crankiness to offer. Anyway, I enjoyed flipping through this for the memories it prompted, but the only real highlight was "Ten Characters Who Have Promoted the Consumption of Coffee in Improbable Quarters of Space and Time" by Nick Lowe (as in Jesus of Cool Nick Lowe, I wonder? How many could there be?) He doesn't even mention the Pern "klah," which joined redfruit in my list of Anne McCaffery's bogus earth substitutions (later lamely explained in the lousy tail-end of the "Dragonrider" series.)