With more than 100,000 books, the Eaton Collection at UC Riverside is the world's largest public assortment of science fiction, fantasy, horror and utopian literature. And it is a valuable resource for scholars and researchers worldwide.
When J. Lloyd Eaton, a UC Berkeley alumnus and a doctor in Oakland, Calif., wanted to donate his collection of some 7,500 books in 1969, even iconic authors such as Jules Verne weren't regarded as "serious." Eaton tried several universities before UC Riverside accepted his donation.
Now, the genres are taken very seriously indeed. And Wired magazine, in its October 2011 issue, ranked the Eaton Collection No. 2 on its list of global "Geeky Destinations and Smart Side Trips."