Back to Annual Report

A Sci-Fi Collection that Stretches Beyond the Known World

One of the world’s largest cataloged science fiction and fantasy collections is housed at Cushing Memorial Library & Archives at Texas A&M University.

Established in 1974, the collection includes novels, short stories, scholarly journals, nonfiction titles, manuscripts, toys, games, objects, “fanzines” and convention materials.  

The collection’s items tell the shared story of humanity in fantastic, supernatural, historic and futuristic ways. Jeremy Brett, Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection curator, said that the stories touch on common concerns throughout history.

“Science fiction and fantasy have always been part of our common human culture,” Brett said. “They explore the supernatural and the magic of what’s just beyond our world, or the idea of thinking about our future and where we’re going to be and what kind of people we’re going to be, and what kind of planet this is going to be.”

West of Westeros

“Game of Thrones” (GoT) and “A Song of Ice and Fire” fans are frequent visitors to Cushing’s sci-fi collection, since it is the archive of author George R.R. Martin. He chose Texas A&M to house his early manuscripts, first drafts and props from the popular HBO series because of his love for AggieCon, the oldest sci-fi, horror and fantasy student-run fan convention in the United States, that began in 1969 and has since grown to one of the largest gatherings of its kind. 

He spent time at Texas A&M in the 1970s and in a 2013 interview said he remembered the university’s “well taken care of” archival system.

While the GoT swords are perhaps the most requested items from Cushing’s sci-fi collection, there are also many other well-known items, including a 1726 first edition of a book most commonly known as “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift, and a signed copy of “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury.  

A Legacy of Support

Students seeking a Science Fiction & Fantasy Studies minor can find the Texas A&M University Libraries collection to be a valuable resource. In turn, donors have recently shown increased interest in sci-fi collection funding. 

“We’re getting several endowments of varying sizes,” Brett said. “It really opens up the kinds of things we can collect. We have more access to rarer and more valuable items which adds to the scholarly value of the collection.”

Donors showing increased support for the collection include Dr. L. Diane Hurtado ’88 and Dr. John E. Hurtado ’91, Sharon Faye Wilbur, and Susan D. ’89 and Anthony J. Wood ’87 through the WoodNext TAMU Fund, a component of the Greater Houston Community Foundation. 

Brett said the increased support for the collection will also enhance the library’s chances of hosting more “public-facing” activities like exhibits, workshops and author talks. 

“This collection is for everybody,” Brett said. “It belongs to everybody. It’s our common property. So I welcome anyone who wants to come and make use of it.”