Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Encyclopedia of Fantasy by John Clute, John Grant ISBN: 0-312-19869-8 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 March, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (13 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: The one indispensable fantasy reference work
Comment: Like the companion volume, "The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction," "The Encyclopedia of Fantasy" tries to include everything within its thick volume. Finally, readers can find the name of every single book ever published by their favorite authors. This is not the kind of book one reads from cover-to-cover; the sheer staggering amount of detail alone would prevent any useful retention. Rather, it is the perfect playing ground for encyclopedia tag: pick a page, read a topic, then follow the bouncing references until you get hopelessly, wonderfully entangled in ideas and authors you've never encountered before! My only minor complaints are the too-brief biographies for the authors, and the occasional over-opinionated discussion of an author's works. But even then, the book sparks curiosity by leading a reader to want to know more about an author or idea. An excellent gift for readers who constantly have a fantasy novel in their hands (and for whom you're afraid to buy a book for fear they've already read it).
Rating: 5
Summary: An Academic Vocabulary for Fantasy -- Better Than It Sounds!
Comment: WARNING: THIS REVIEW IS ANECDOTAL
I had coveted this book for quite some time before I ordered my copy. Aside from being a longtime and irredeemable fantasy geek, I am also an English teacher at a small independent school, and our reference library has a copy. This fact has enabled me to waste many happy free periods rifling through the _Encyclopedia_ instead of, say, grading papers or thinking deep, serious thoughts about the state of pedagogy in America. But before you write me off as a disgrace to my profession, hear me out:
_The Encyclopedia of Fantasy_ is a remarkable book, and any time I have spent with it in lieu of more mundane tasks is time very well spent indeed. I can even justify this frivolous perusal academically, because what really makes the _Encyclopedia_ a great resource isn't so much its exhaustive listing of authors or titles (much of which information is available elsewhere anyway), but the fact that Clute et al. have managed to accomplish nothing less than a rigorous, consistent, and phenomenally well cross-referenced taxonomy and analytical vocabulary for fantasy. I know, I know, that sounds awfully dry, but it isn't.
I'm a word junkie, so I love learning apt new terms for things, especially if those nameless concepts have gone begging for far too long. When Clute coins the term "thinning" to describe any fantasy world that, over time, loses its magic [Middle-earth, anyone?], you cannot help (assuming you're an aficionado of the genre) but say to yourself, "Aha! Now I know what to call it!" Furthermore, the fact that this vocabulary is employed consistently throughout the _Encyclopedia_ allows for thematic and formal juxtapositions of specific works, combinations and comparisons that might not occur even to the serious fantasy buff. Who needs hypertext when you've got such meticulous cross-indexing?
I recently received an Amazon.com gift certificate from thoughtful in-laws, and decided that even though I have access to a copy at school, I had to have an _Encyclopedia of Fantasy_ at home, both for reference while reading/writing and for couch-sprawl browsing.
I splurged and bought the $75.00 hardback. I had a hunch it would get a lot of use, and I wanted it to last. Money very well spent, as far as I'm concerned, and if you're a fantasy partisan, a literary theory wonk, or just someone who gets off on thousands of pages of really, really small type, you'll probably agree.
Rating: 1
Summary: Not what I expected...
Comment: I'm sure that this would be a wonderful book for anyone interested in the history of the fantasy genre - including movies and television shows, characters and certain authors. However, if you are looking for a book that contains information of the fantasy world itself (ie. mythical beasts, worlds, spells, etc...), like I was, this is definately the wrong book for you. I am a fantasy writer and was looking for information that would help in my writing. This book, now that I have had a good look at it, will sit on my shelf and collect dust until I can find someone to give or sell it to. If you are looking for information on movies, this is a book for you... If not, then don't waste your time and money on this book. It is not worth it.
 |
Title: The Writers Complete Fantasy Reference: An Indispensable Compendium of Myth and Magic by Writer's Digest Books, Writer's Digest, Terry Brooks ISBN: 1582970262 Publisher: Writers Digest Books Pub. Date: November, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.99 |
 |
Title: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by John Clute, Peter Nicholls ISBN: 031213486X Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: November, 1995 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
 |
Title: Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth by Carol Rose ISBN: 0393322114 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: November, 2001 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
 |
Title: The Dictionary of Imaginary Places: The Newly Updated and Expanded Classic by Alberto Manguel ISBN: 0156008726 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 02 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
 |
Title: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia by Carol Rose ISBN: 0393317927 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: August, 1998 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
