Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice: An Unauthorized Exploration of the Bestselling Fantasy Series of All Time [Paperback]

Mercedes Lackey (Editor), Leah Wilson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 11, 2005

** COMPLETELY UNAUTHORIZED **

 

This book has not been authorized by J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or anyone associated with the Harry Potter books or movies.

New and old fans of the Harry Potter series will welcome this collection of fresh essays on Potter lore, plotlines, and characters. With up-to-date information through book six in the series, this companion volume offers a comprehensive look at the world of Potter through the eyes of leading science fiction and fantasy writers such as David Gerrold, Joyce Millman, and Martha Wells, and religion, psychology, and science experts. Along with feminism, fascism, and moral life, topics include the Three Faces of Severus Snape, Harry Potter as Luke Skywalker, I Am a Hufflepuff: A Look at the Houses, and Harry Potter and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mercedes Lackey is the author of more than 60 books, including the Diana Tregarde, Elvenbane, and Valdemar series. She lives in Claremore, Oklahoma.

Product Details

• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: Smart Pop (December 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932100598
• ISBN-13: 978-1932100594
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > History & Criticism

More About the Author

Leah Wilson is Editor-in-Chief of the Smart Pop imprint of Dallas-based publisher BenBella Books. She graduated from Duke University in 2003 with a degree in Culture and Modern Fiction, and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Fall season premiere schedules make her a little giddy.

(Her author blog is the main blog for Smart Pop's website.)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and satisfying on the whole, January 28, 2006

By 

L. S. Jaszczak "servant of the secret fire" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice: An Unauthorized Exploration of the Bestselling Fantasy Series of All Time (Paperback)

This is probably the most enjoyable of the several different books of essays on the Harry Potter books that I have read. Perhaps it's because the contributors are, themselves, fantasy and sci-fi authors, which may give them a unique insight. Another possibility is that this is also the first collection to cover all of the books through Half-Blood Prince.

As with any compilation of work by several different authors, the quality of the essays is uneven at best. The contributors stretch to come up with original ways to look at the series and, inevitably, they sometimes fail. The ones that fell the flattest, in my view, were "The Proper Wizard's Guide to Good Manners" (Roxanne Longstreet Conrad) and "Harry Potter and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Counselor" (Mercedes Lackey).

At least, however, those two essays were near the end of the book. Throughout my reading, I never changed my view that the first essay, "Harry Potter and the Young Man's Mistake" (Daniel P. Moloney), was the one with the profoundest insight and most thoughtful probing of the pitfalls that Harry faces in his final struggle against Voldemort. Honorable mention also goes to "Harry Potter and the End of Religion" (Marguerite Krause) and "It's All About God" (Elisabeth DeVos), which should be mutually exclusive but, surprisingly, don't seem to be; "Hermione Granger and the Charge of Sexism" (Sarah Zettel), which should (but won't) dispose of that one once and for all; and "Why Killing Harry is the Worst Outcome for Voldemort" (Richard Garfinkle). All in all, a very enjoyable and satisfying read.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent HP Companion, January 20, 2006

By 

S. Whiteside "QuirkyBookGirl" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice: An Unauthorized Exploration of the Bestselling Fantasy Series of All Time (Paperback)

I have to admit, I'm generally not one to read companion books to my favorite series, be they literary or televised.

Mapping the World of Harry Potter, however, is quickly becoming one of my favorite books. The essays are smart, funny, and well-written and have prompted me to look at my Harry Potter books in a new light. The essay on fanfiction Snape alone is worth the price of the book! (Though I wouldn't recommend reading it while drinking anything, particularly if you aren't familiar with fanfic!Snape. I may never recover from that.)

I highly encourage any "grown up" HP fans to read this book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fabulous Buffet of Food for Thought, November 3, 2006

By 

D. Homan (Wilmington, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice: An Unauthorized Exploration of the Bestselling Fantasy Series of All Time (Paperback)

Loved it! I am an old lady who got hooked on Harry Potter so I would have something to converse about with a new step-nephew, and I tell you this book sparked huge discussions amongst everyone I know who read it. Great variety of essays.