From School Library Journal
Two previously separate volumes-Horror Literature and Fantasy Literature (both Garland, 1990)-are extensively revised and combined here. A companion to Barron's Anatomy of Wonder (Bowker, 1995), this selective guide includes articles on horror and fantasy poetry, reference and online resources, author studies, comics, teaching fantasy and horror literature, magazines, and more. All this is in addition to the lengthy annotations of the selected titles that are divided into chronological categories (e.g., "Fantasy in the Nineteenth Century, 1812-1899"; "Early Modern Horror Fiction, 1897-1949"; "From Baum to Tolkien, 1900-1956"; etc.). Few would quibble with the more than 2300 critically selected works that run the gamut from Stephen King to "Winnie the Pooh." The introductions to each section are analytical and knowledgeable, and the thorough indexes of authors, titles, and themes are invaluable. One tiny editing complaint-numerous pages in the "Contemporary Fantasy, 1957-1998" chapter are incorrectly headed "1957-1988."-Bette Ammon, Missoula Public Library, MT
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Using the same general format as his groundbreaking guide to science fiction, Anatomy of Wonder (Bowerk, 1995. 4th ed.), Barron and his colleagues guide the reader through the best primary and secondary literature in the two broad categories of fantasy and horror, written from 1762 to 1998. They provide extensive annotations and brief (one-paragraph) essays on each subtopic or item. In this enormous enterprise, Barron covers fiction, poetry, authors, media, the web, organizations, etc. Since the individual authors intermix fantasy and horror materials, the reader interested in only one genre is forced to scan through numerous citations in both genres to find relevant items. Separating the two within each chapter, whenever possible, would have made for easier access. Though this easily replaces all earlier broad genre guides, some genre separatists might be uncomfortable with the liberal intermix of fantasy, sf, Gothic, and horror. In fact, this remains two excellent reference books not quite comfortably rolled into one. Nonetheless, it is recommended for all public and academic collections.AAnthony J. Adam, Prairie View A&M Univ. Lib., Houston
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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