J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (Two Volume Box Set)

Book Description

Designed to be the essential reference works for all readers and students, these volumes present the most thorough analysis possible of Tolkien's work within the important context of his life.
The Reader's Guide includes brief but comprehensive alphabetical entries on a wide range of topics, including a who's who of important persons, a guide to places and institutions, details concerning Tolkien's source material, information about the political and social upheavals through which the author lived, the importance of his social circle, his service as an infantryman in World War I -- even information on the critical reaction to his work and the "Tolkien cult."
The Chronology details the parallel evolutions of Tolkien's works and his academic and personal life in minute detail. Spanning the entirety of his long life including nearly sixty years of active labor on his Middle-earth creations, and drawing on such contemporary sources as school records, war service files, biographies, correspondence, the letters of his close friend C. S. Lewis, and the diaries of W. H. Lewis, this book will be an invaluable resource for those who wish to gain a complete understanding of Tolkien's status as a giant of twentieth-century literature.

Customer Reviews:

Everything you ever wanted to know about Tolkien and then some.......2007-10-14

Like the title of my review says, this set has everything you ever wanted to know about Tolkien and then some. At around 2300 pages, this isn't exactly casual reading, and it isn't for the casual reader either - it is for the devoted Tolkien fan.

Devoted Tolkien fans will be rewarded for their patience as they work their way through these thick volumes. Plenty of rare nuggets and interesting commentary on the life and times of Tolkien.

A Magnificent Work of Scholarship.......2007-03-05

This is an enormous work and a stupendous achievement. Christina Scull and her husband Wayne G. Hammond have created, in two large volumes, an indispensable compendium for students of JRR Tolkien. Although the two volumes can be obtained separately, I recommend that both be purchased, preferably at the same time, so that you can turn from one to the other as your studies lead you down one fascinating avenue to countless others.

The Chronology Volume is an amazing achievement. JRR Tolkien's entire life is chronicled, many times day by day, so that we know what classes he taught, lectures he gave, conferences he attended, and guests he invited for dinner throughout a long, active life. This may seem to be inconsequential minutiae, but all of it is important in revealing the personality and character of the author and the many sources from which his own writings sprang. Historians and sociologists will also find this volume extremely useful since it reveals one man's daily life through three quarters of the twentieth century.

Equally as impressive is Volume 2, the Reader's Guide. Here Scull and Hammond have provided a multiplicity of information on every bit of extant writing by Tolkien, other authors and thinkers with whom he conversed or otherwise communicated, and so much else that it is impossible to enumerate it all. Scholars studying other writers besides Tolkien will do well to consult this volume, since he had contact with so many of them.

As a matter of full disclosure I should reveal that I met Christina Scull some years ago in London, and I have maintained a friendship with her and with Wayne ever since. I am honored that an article I wrote for the Tolkien journal "Beyond Bree" has been referenced in this Reader's Guide. But I hasten to assure you that I would be just as impressed with this work and would recommend itjust as highly even if these connections did not exist.

Incomparable Reference Work on an Incomparable Author.......2007-02-26

Scull and Hammond's "The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide" is an unparalleled reference work about Tolkien as author. The "Chronology" volume examines his life in extraordinary detail, often day-by-day. It draws heavily from Tolkien's letters. The Reader's Guide" volume discusses in equal detail the persons, institutions, and literary works that influenced Tolkien's great cration. Published in a boxed, two-volume set of excellent physical quality, Scull and Hammond's "The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide" would be a handsome addition to any library, and a fountain of sparkling interest to any serious Tolkien student.

Absolutely indispensable - Hammond and Scull have done it again!.......2007-01-12

In the Preface to their long-awaited J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide, Hammond and Scull write that the book "has been designed to serve as a reference of (at least) first resort", but I would daresay that in a great many cases, theirs will be not only the first but the *only* reference work needed. It's *that* exhaustive!

The first volume is mainly a chronology of Tolkien's life, with several satellite chapters detailing his published works, poems, art, a series of Tolkien's family trees, etc. To say that the chronology is detailed would be a considerable understatement. It's really an almost daily accounting of the events of Tolkien's life: essentially an 800-page biography of dates. Staggering!

The second volume, the Reader's Guide, is even larger at well over 1000 pages. This volume, meant to compliment the chronology (and vice versa) provides alphabetized entries for just about every person, place, and literary idea of importance to Tolkien studies. Many of these are in quite astonishing detail, and even the short ones are extremely valuable little gems. For example, in the entry for Jennie Grove, Hammond and Scull provide the basic facts, of course -- but they also point out where to find a photograph of her as well as a portrait of her drawn by Tolkien. These are fantastic kernels of information, and nowhere else are so many collected together in one place. Not only that, but the list of unpublished and archival sources Hammond and Scull consulted is very impressive indeed! Many details represented here have never been brought to light before.

Another excellent feature of the set is the common index; that is, a single index at the back of both volumes covers references *in* both volumes. This makes cross-referencing between the Reader's Guide and Chronology a snap. Both volumes also have extremely thorough bibliographies.

The price tag for the two-volume set is high, yes, but it is well worth it. NB: I'm speaking of the U.S. edition published by Houghton Mifflin *only*; I have not seen the British edition published by HarperCollins (however, I can say that I've been consistently disappointed by the production quality of most British books -- including HarperCollins' otherwise excellent extended edition of "Smith of Wootton Major" (ed. Verlyn Flieger). The books are sturdy and well made, bound in cloth, with sewn binding. The slipcase, also, is attractive, sturdy, and cloth-bound and will help to protect the books over time. The pages are a pleasant cream, with a nicely proportioned and very readable font, and with appropriate margins. The pages had to be a little thin to accommodate so many, but there is only minimal bleed-through.

The two volumes are a little unwieldy to read from -- but given their size, how could they not be? And reading them cover to cover will take a long time (perhaps all the way until John Rateliff's History of the Hobbit is published next November ;), but it's something I've been looking forward to for a long time now.

The most significant addition in Tolkien scholarship.......2007-01-06

The long delay was well worth the wait: the depth and detail of the work are astounding. I daresay the two volume work is exhaustive, but I have been hardpressed to find any topic or date of significance that is not addressed.

The chronology may seem overwhelming for the reader without an agenda. Tolkien's letter collection edited by Humprey Carpenter is a great resource for cross referencing. Even if you aren't interested in what day Tolkien had lunch with a comittee at Leeds, don't ignore the chronology! The bibliography towards the rear is well worth the big bucks--plenty of bread crumbs to helpful sources.
The reader's guide is excellent and ranges from Tolkien's work to his life. Hammond and Skull are very good about pulling information from primary sources. Even more so, they do well at avoiding speculation on more subjective matters, and limit their own interpretation to those primary sources (though I am sure it is valuable).

This is type of book that should occupy the reference area of every college library. The companion is certainly a scholarly work, and is the best reference material on Tolkien to date. It is also, however, valuable to readers who are equally fascinated with Tolkien as they are with his creations.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

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Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion

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Wow! This is FANTASTIC!
Wow, amazing wealth of info for LOTR readers!
Essential Guide to Tolkien's masterpiece, remarkable scholarship
A Superb Reference for the Dedicated Tolkien Student
A true Readers Companion

The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion
Wayne G. Hammond , and Christina Scull
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618642676

Book Description

In The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion internationally acclaimed scholars Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull examine Tolkien's masterpiece chapter by chapter, offering expert insights into its evolution, structure, and meaning. They discuss in close detail important literary and historical influences on the development of The Lord of the Rings, connections between that work and other writings by Tolkien, errors and inconsistencies, significant changes to the text during its fifty years of publication, archaic and unusual words used by Tolkien, and words and passages in his invented languages of Middle-earth. Thousands of notes, keyed to standard editions of The Lord of the Rings but universally accessible, reveal the richness and complexity of one of the most popular works of fiction in our time. In addition to their own expertise and that of other scholars and critics, Hammond and Scull frequently draw upon comments by Tolkien himself, made in letters to family, friends, and enthusiasts, in draft texts of The Lord of the Rings, and in works written in later years which amplify or illuminate characters and events in the story. Extensive reference is made also to writings by Tolkien not previously or widely published, including elaborate time-schemes, an unfinished manuscript index to The Lord of the Rings, and most notably, the important Nomenclature or guide to names in The Lord of the Rings prepared for the use of translators, long out of print and now newly transcribed and printed in its entirety. With these resources at hand, even the most seasoned reader of The Lord of the Rings will come to a greater enjoyment and appreciation of Tolkien's magnificent achievement.

Customer Reviews:

Wow! This is FANTASTIC!.......2007-08-24

I read the Lord of the Rings about once a year, and have for a while. Even so, there is much that I don't know and a lot of background that I wish I knew.

I just bought this book, and am reading it while I re-read the LOTR. I'm reading a chapter of LOTR and then read the chapter's notes in this book. THe world of Lord of the Rings is expanding hugely for me because of the vast amounts of background information this book provides.

Highly recommended!!

Wow, amazing wealth of info for LOTR readers!.......2007-06-18

This extensively researched and painstakingly organized reader's companion to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is itself a masterpiece, as time will show. In over 400 pages, it contains a wealth of information for both new and seasoned readers, going far beyond just the characters, plot, and language used by the author (reflecting not only the English at the time but also the language as imagined by the author befitting of the book's characters).

Reading this companion, I realized just how much thought Tolkien put into his work, writing, rewriting, and editing parts over years of dedication. When reading a work of fiction, it's easy to be taken hostage by the plot and rush through the story just to see what happens next. Little things, like words that may not make sense, or titles whose significance is not entirely understood, may not get a second thought. And names, of which Tolkien's story contains so many, from characters to places, may appear as names only, but this book reveals the meanings and reasons behind chosen names. Not to mention all the folklores and other literature that Tolkien referenced in his story and expected his readers to know. Which is why I find this book so helpful -- it deliberately slows me down, making me understand the meaning and symbolism contained in the chapter's title and a place's name as much as it helps me fully appreciate the culture of the book's characters. The Shire and elvish country, for example, just come to life with the researchers' analysis.

It's no summer beach reading, but if you're fascinated by the world of Lord of the Rings, you know it's not enough just to know the plot or Heaven forbid, only watch the movies. This will help you get to a new level with Tolkien's masterpiece. Go chapter by chapter and page by page with this companion, and there's also a convenient index to help you with names you may have forgotten. Do you remember Belfalas, Dwarrowdelf, or Caradock of Llancarfan? Want to know more about Celeborn the Elf, Boromir, or the effects of elvish song on humans? Did you spot the proverbs that Tolkiens quoted in his work? Read this companion to the Lord of the Rings and find out.

Essential Guide to Tolkien's masterpiece, remarkable scholarship.......2007-04-22

Two of the foremost Tolkien scholars, Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull have managed to produce in this volume one of the most essential books in any Tolkien library. A READER'S COMPANION carefully annotates, line by line, chapter by chapter, Tolkien's great masterpiece.

When the revised version of THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT came out in 2002 with Douglas A. Anderson's annotations, I was thrilled, as the original from 1988 was out of print. The way they handled THE HOBBIT was a large, oversized hardback, with the main text printed on wide sheets but only taking up the half closet to the binding, with the annotations on the outer edges of the sheets. The book is beautiful to hold, and it was very enlightening during rereadings of THE HOBBIT. It also noted all revisions, and gave original readings, including the original version of "Riddles in the Dark" chapter, which has been out of print for over fifty years. The natural question, of course, was when would LOTR get similar treatment? After all, LOTR had been in print for over fifty years, and such a publication has been long overdue.

Although the method described above worked well with THE HOBBIT, it proved unfeasible for LOTR. For one, LOTR is a much, much longer book than its prequel. So Hammond and his wife opted for a separate volume, and what a volume it is.

Due to the size of LOTR, the way READER'S COMPANION is broken up to cover each chapter in the book. Each annotation is proceeded by the first few words of whatever paragraph the two scholars are analysing at that point. This makes A READER'S COMPANION very easy to use, and to locate in your copy of LOTR the passage in which they are discussing.

As with THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT, there have been a very concentrated effort on the part of the Tolkien Estate to publish the more accurate version of LOTR as possible. Scull and Hammond, along with Christopher Tolkien, spearheaded this enterprise. READER'S COMPANION gives extensive details on how Hammond and Scull, with cooperation from C. Tolkien, set about making the definitive text on LOTR in 2004 and 2005 for the fifthieth anniversary edition. All future subsequent editions will be based on this edition, and is considered the most accurate text now available of Tolkien's work LOTR.

The book annotates all major changes made to LOTR's text in its fifty years of publication. It gives extensive details on how Hammond and Scull, with cooperation with Christopher Tolkien, set about making the definitive text on LOTR in 2004 and 2005 for the fifthieth anniversary edition. All future subsequent editions will be based on this edition, and is considered the most accurate text now available of Tolkien's work LOTR. It examines rare and archaic words and gives information on Elvish linguistics. Hammond and Scull deftly analyse different plot elements, elaborate and clarify obscure points in the text, and bring to light both real inconsistencies within LOTR and perceived contradictions. Tolkien very carefully organized and created precise chronologies and time tables, including the cycles of the moon, and every time the text mentions a new day had arrived, or said something of the moon, the book tells you the precise day this event is occurring.

The companion gives extensive information on time frames and maps. It covers and annotates the forward to the second edition as well as the prologue. There is information about the original 1955 dust jacks, how the title pages were handled, and a number of other publishing matters.

As far as rare and otherwise unpublished original material by Tolkien, A READER'S COMPANION is notable for its inclusion of three pieces.

1. It contains the original forward to LOTR, which was published in the first edition in 1955 and was deleted in 1965 by Tolkien himself, who replaced it with a much longer forward. Tolkien said of the original forward that it confused "personal matters with the machinery of the Tale" and was a "serious mistake". Tolkien was only too happy to delete it. Still, it makes for interesting reading.

2. The second highlight is the previously unpublished summary of LOTR that Tolkien wrote in his letter to Milton Waldman in 1951. This letter was first published in LETTERS OF TOLKIEN, and likewise appears in new editions of THE SILMARILLION. However, the LOTR summary was omitted from these publications, and is published here for the first time.

3. Thankfully, A READER'S COMPANION includes Tolkien's essential, and rarely published before now, "Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings." Previously published n 1975 in Jared Lobell's A TOLKIEN COMPASS, Tolkien prepared this document for his publishers, Allen & Unwin, to send to any translators who were translating LOTR into another language. As LOTR is largely a linguistic work in both foundation and inspiration, this gives a lot of insight into Tolkien and how he felt his work should (as well as emphatically should not) be translated, and what Tolkien considers fair treatment of the material. Essential stuff.

Ultimately, A READER'S COMPANION succeeds in being one of the essential reference works for Tolkien studies and fans. The dust jacket is beautiful, the binding (sewn!) is top notch, and, as any reference work must, you can easily locate any passage or annotation you are looking for. All the annotations are pertinent and enlightening, all textual changes and revisions to the text are accounted for, and with the previously unpublished or rare Tolkien material included, Hammond and Scull have produced the single best resource now available to us on Tolkien's masterpiece. They have proven themselves as two of the foremost Tolkien scholars in the world.

For those looking for additional resources to Tolkien's hobbit cycle, the best way to study them is to have THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT revised and republished in 2002 (the definitive version of that work), buy the fully corrected 50th anniversary text of LOTR, which is the most accurate typographical version ever published, and buy this volume.

Bottom line: If you are a casual fan or very much into Tolkien, buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

A Superb Reference for the Dedicated Tolkien Student.......2007-02-26

This is not a book for the casual reader, or even for those enthusiastic readers of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" who are not interested in that work as a literary creation or in its sources. I suspect that most readers of this volume are persons who have Christopher Tolkien's "The Making of Middle Earth" series of books. In the present volume, Hammond and Scull discuss and correct hundreds of errors that have crept into "The Lord of the Rings" as printed over the decades; most of these errors are minor (one word inadvertently substituted for another or perhaps capitalization changed), occasionally a sentence was omitted from the manuscript. In addition, obscure word origins are examined for their roots in Middle Earth languages. This is an excellent, even necessary, reference book for the student of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" who wishes to delve deep into its development.

A true Readers Companion.......2006-03-09

For the LoTR afficiando, this book is a must read. It goes through the books chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph, explaining many things that to the first time reader can be a bit perplexing. Archaic words are defined. Construction of some of the Elvish languages seen in the books is discussed in easy to understand language. Insights into Tolkien's thinking are explored through letters written by him. It is just rich, rich, rich with information that any Tolkien student would like to know.

The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

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An excellent academic study of science fiction
One of the best anthologies I have ever read

The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521016576

Book Description

Science fiction is at the intersection of numerous fields. It is literature which draws on popular culture, and engages in speculation about science, history, and all varieties of social relations. This volume brings together essays by scholars and practitioners of science fiction, which look at the genre from different angles. It examines science fiction from Thomas More to the present day; and introduces important critical approaches (including Marxism, postmodernism, feminism and queer theory).

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Science fiction is at the intersection of numerous fields. It is a literature which draws on popular culture, and which engages in speculation about science, history, and all types of social relations. This volume brings together essays by scholars and practitioners of science fiction, which look at the genre from these different angles. After an introduction to the nature of science fiction, historical chapters trace science fiction from Thomas More to the present day, including a chapter on film and television. The second section introduces four important critical approaches to science fiction drawing their theoretical inspiration from Marxism, postmodernism, feminism and queer theory. The final and largest section of the book looks at various themes and sub-genres of science fiction. A number of well-known science fiction writers contribute to this volume, including Gwyneth Jones, Ken MacLeod, Brian Stableford Andy Duncan, James Gunn, Joan Slonczewski, and Damien Broderick.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent academic study of science fiction.......2007-10-13

This is truly a fine volume, highly recommended to anyone who wants a broad sampling of the academic thought that has been applied to the genre. Although it's a collection of chapters by many different authors, I thought the quality was uniformly excellent. The structure of the book results in some overlap of themes, for example with a chapter on "Feminist theory and science Fiction" appearing in "Part 2. Critical approaches" and a chapter on "Gender in science Fiction" in "Part 3. Sub-genres and themes". However, I didn't find this to be a flaw; it gives the reader the opportunity to read different authors approaching related topics from different angles.

My favorite authors and chapters included Ken Macleod's "Politics and science Fiction" and Edward James' "Utopias and anti-utopias". Farah Mendelsohn's chapter "Religion and science Fiction" was a real eye-opener for me, examining a side of science fiction that I'd been pretty dismissive towards.

Not cheap, but well worth it.

One of the best anthologies I have ever read.......2006-09-04

Anthologies are notoriously inconsistent. Most contain several essays considerably below the level of the best pieces and many contain a few utterly miserable ones. On the downside, no essay in this collection truly stands out; on the upside, there really isn't a weak entry in the volume. I honestly cannot think of another collection of which I can make that statement.

Whether you are a serious fan of Sci-fi or a casual reader seeking an introduction to the field, this collection will prove invaluable. I fall somewhere between those two categories. Over the years I've read a few hundred Sci-fi novels and seen most Sci-fi films that have been made, but it has never been my main source of reading or film viewing. I've read rather a lot of the historically important works such as Mary Shelly, Henry Kuttner, H. G. Wells, Olaf Stapleton, and David Lindsay, but I've never attempted anything like a comprehensive reading of the classics. And I have ready very little that has been published in the past fifteen years. Still, I found that I learned an enormous amount about the field from this book. I learned about several historical works I had not previously known of, got a better understanding of the state of the genre from one decade to another, and learned a great deal about trends in the field in the past couple of decades. I also learned something about the various literary critical reactions to the genre. For those in the academy, it is a helpful introduction to the scholarly take on things.

The book is also great at pointing the way to other books. I kept a sheet of paper beside me as I read. I have already bought a few critical books on Sci-fi based on mentions of them in this volume, while I also have compiled a list of a number of novels that I plan on reading.

The essays in the book are broken down into three separate sections. The first section deals with the history of Sci-fi, from precursor works to the magazine age to various decades after. The second and most academic section deals with various academic approaches to Sci-fi, including Marxist, feminist, postmodernist, and queer theory. The final and most wide-ranging section covers a variety of themes such as gender, race, hard science fiction, alternate history, space opera, film and TV, and religion. The writers are mainly English and mostly academic, though several are also writers of Sci-fi. Even the writers, however, are fully qualified academics. For instance, one of the more scholarly entries is that by Brian Stableford. Though most of the essayists are British, American Sci-fi has so completely dominated the genre that it automatically demands priority. If anything, I was somewhat surprised by the absence of some European writers. There is, for instance, very little discussion of Stanislaw Lem, though several deserving British writers do receive attention.

In addition to the very good essays there is also a very interesting (though certainly not exhaustive) list of chronology listing some significant novels, short stories, movies, and television series. There is also a good bibliography at the end of the book, though I wish it had been annotated.

I highly recommend this collection to anyone interested in Sci-fi either in a casual or more dedicated fashion. In all honestly I have to say it is one of the most successful volumes in the Cambridge Companions series that I have read.

The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Women's Writing (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

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great information and organization

The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Women's Writing (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521796385

Book Description

Beginning with an examination of the different stages of women's lives--childhood, virginity, marriage and widowhood, this Companion addresses various aspects of medieval life that affected women's writing. These include the nature of authorship in the period, the position of women at home or in nunneries, and their relationship to religion. Additional essays cover the lives and work of such prominent women writers as Heloise, Marie de France, Christine de Pizan, Julian of Norwich, Margery Kempe and Joan of Arc. A chronology and guides to further reading add information which students and scholars will find invaluable.

Customer Reviews:

great information and organization.......2004-02-21

I really like this book, although I have not read it all yet. Some of the articles are quite short, though. Overall, I believe it is a great investment!

An Interethnic Companion to Asian American Literature

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An Interethnic Companion to Asian American Literature

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521447909

Book Description

This book provides a survey of literature by North American writers of Asian descent, both by national origins (Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, South Asian, Vietnamese) and by shared concerns.

The Cambridge Companion to Virginia Woolf (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

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The Cambridge Companion to Virginia Woolf (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521625483

Book Description

Virginia Woolf is now hailed as one of the greatest, most innovative writers of our age. This landmark collection of essays by leading scholars addresses the full range of her intellectual perspectives--literary, artistic, philosophical and political. The volume provides original, new readings of all nine novels and fresh insights into Woolf's letters, diaries and essays, allowing easy reference to individual themes and texts. The progress of Woolf's thinking is revealed from Bloomsbury aestheticism through her hatred of censorship, corruption and hierarchy to her concern with all aspects of modernism.

James Herriot: A Critical Companion (Critical Companions to Popular Contemporary Writers)

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James Herriot: A Critical Companion (Critical Companions to Popular Contemporary Writers)
Michael J. Rossi
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313294496

Book Description

This study examines James Herriot's five major books as carefully crafted volumes of autobiography based on the building block of the short story. In each of these works Herriot explores the fundamental choice of values underlying a happy and successful life. In his vision the bonds of affection and mutual dependence between all creatures, human and animal, form an enduring theme that lies at the heart of the choices he makes in his personal and professional life. This study will help the reader to understand the relationship between Herriot's stories and each book as a whole and to appreciate Herriot's work in the context of twentieth-century anxieties about identity and meaning. Following a biographical chapter that describes the relationship between Herriot's life and literary work, Rossi discusses the genre of autobiography, the relationship between truth and fiction in modern autobiography, and Herriot's use of the genre. A separate chapter is then devoted to each of Herriot's works in turn: All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, and Every Living Thing. The discussion of each work includes sections on plot development and narrative structure, character development, thematic issues, and alternative critical approaches that may be fruitfully applied to the book. Helpful appendices contain identifications of minor characters in the works. A complete bibliography of all of James Herriot's works, critical sources, and a listing of reviews of all of his works completes the volume. Because of the popularity of Herriot's work among adults and young adults this companion will be a key purchase for school and public libraries.

Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion (Star Trek)

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An encyclopedia of Star Trek novels
WOW - WHAT A BOOK!!
Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Companion
Great Star Trek research tool
Lot of Work Put In There; Long-Awaited; Yet Could Have Been A Lot More

Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion (Star Trek)
Jeff Ayers
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1416503498

Book Description

Through four decades, five television series comprising over seven hundred episodes, ten feature films, and an animated series, fandom's thirst for more Star Trek stories has been unquenchable.

From the earliest short-story adaptations by James Blish in the 1960s, followed by the first original Star Trek novels during the seventies, and on throughout the eighties, nineties, and into the twenty-first century, fiction has offered an unparalleled expansion of the rich Star Trek tapestry. But what is it that makes these books such a powerfully attractive creative outlet to some and a compelling way to experience the Star Trek mythos anew to others?

Voyages of Imagination takes a look back on the first forty years of professionally published Star Trek fiction, revealing the personalities and sensibilities of many of the novels' imaginative contributors and offering an unprecedented glimpse into the creative processes, the growing pains, the risks, the innovations, the missteps, and the great strides taken in the books.

Author Jeff Ayers has immersed himself in nearly six hundred books and interviewed more than three hundred authors and editors in order to compile this definitive guide to the history and evolution of an incomparable publishing phenomenon. Fully illustrated with the covers of every book included herein, Voyages of Imagination is indexed by title and author, features a comprehensive timeline, and is a must-have for every fan.

Customer Reviews:

An encyclopedia of Star Trek novels.......2007-09-03

When I bought this I was hoping for some form of indexing of the characters and plots of the novels. What I got was a compendium of author comments on the creation of their novels. Interesting, worth reading, I'm glad I bought it, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping I would get.

WOW - WHAT A BOOK!!.......2007-08-16

Hi all, if you read the star trek novels and have plenty of them this is THE STARTING POINT to figure out what books are placed where in the star trek chronology. Thuis one shows the books covers and gives a synopsis of each book - simply amazing. And its a thick book too, so perfect fot that rainy day to sort through your star trek novels = ) And the price if great too, so click that mouse and get it sent you - highly recomended!!!

Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Companion.......2007-05-13

Every serious Star Trek fan should have this book. It's interesting and fun.

Great Star Trek research tool.......2007-03-27

I cannot imagine all the research that Ayers did to assemble this book. The book is far from complete, but still to track down all the various Star Trek book covers, get interviews, write up summaries is a phenomenal achievement that should help all ST fan writers track down the best in ST fiction.

The factoids concerning the various books are fun and interesting. I, myself would have loved to have heard more on Barbara Hambley's Ishmael where she combined two television shows into one novel.

Another missing fact. That there were major differences in the hard cover and paperback version to the Star Trek:Generations novelization due to the alterations in the last moment on how our beloved Kirk was killed.

Someone at Pocket Books should consider doing a similar type text for all the Star Trek comic books that have been written. Now, that would be a great book. In a few years, I do hope that there will be a second edition to this text, with some of the non-contributing authors telling their side of the story on getting their books out.

Excellent read.

JThree
[...]

Lot of Work Put In There; Long-Awaited; Yet Could Have Been A Lot More.......2007-03-21

Yes, this book indeed contains each and every volume of officially released StarTrek fiction and not only sketches their plots, but also presents b/w pictures of each cover. What makes "Voyages of the Imagination" more than just a simple bibliography is the stories behind the novels, that Jeff Ayers collected in many interviews with the authors. Just the job of conducting these must have been immense. Still more incredible is the time arrow that places every chapter of the fictional world created by the StarTrek novels in the right year since 5 billion years b.c. until 1 012 260. Compared to that, the presumably giant task of finding a nearly practical structure for the bibliography consisting of miniseries which are part of other miniseries that also correspond to tv series, seems small.

But I could think of many other features that I would have expected from this book:
* The plot summary of every novel or short story never tells the ending and usually isn't more detailed than the back covers. I don't like that since I really was interested in the whole story archs.
* There is never a critique of any of the fiction. "Voyages of the Imagination" doesn't tell the readers whether any of the books is worth reading or not so much.
* I would have liked summarizing articles on which characters from the TV and movie productions appear in print fiction and how they develop; who was newly invented by the authors; where are overlaps between the novels that exclude each other etc.

On my rating: Apart from a complete bibliography and some fun with reading the stories behind the stories, this book doesn't offer me anything of what I had expected. But it gets a big bonus from me for the incredible task done and for the fact that it's the first of its kind. Therefore, three stars.

Martin Jost

I originally wrote my review in German:
Ja, dieses Buch enthält wirklich ausnahmslos jeden Band von offiziell veröffentlichter StarTrek-Fiction und umreißt nicht nur kurz dessen Handlung, sondern präsentiert auch s/w-Bilder vom jeweiligen Cover. Mehr als nur eine bloße Bibliografie ist Voyages of Imagination durch die Hintergrundgeschichten der Entstehung, die Jeff Ayers zu vielen Romanen in Interviews mit den Autoren recherchiert hat. Die Arbeit, die allein dahinter steckt, muss unglaublich gewesen sein. Noch unglaublicher wirkt aber der Zeitstrahl, der in jedes beschriebene Jahr von 5 Milliarden Jahren v. u. Zt. bis 1 012 260 unserer Zeitrechnung kapitelgenau den Ausschnitt aus der fiktionalen Welt der StarTrek-Romane einordnet, in dem darüber erzählt wird. Daneben scheint die ebenfalls nicht hoch genug einzuschätzende Leistung gering, eine halbwegs übersichtliche Struktur für die Bibliografie zu finden, in der Miniserien mit anderen Miniserien verschachtelt sind und dabei noch einer der Fernsehserien zugeordnet werden müssen.
Mir fallen aber auch noch zahlreiche Features ein, die ich mir von diesem Buch gewünscht hätte und die bei so viel Vorbereitungszeit doch hätten machbar sein müssen:
-Die Zusammenfassungen der Handlung jedes einzelnen Romans bzw. jeder anthologisierten Kurzgeschichte verrät nie die Auflösung und geht selten mehr ins Detail als die Umschlag-Rückseite. Ich finde das schade, denn mich hätten die vollständigen Handlungsbögen interessiert, die in der Roman-Welt ablaufen.
- Eine Kritik der Bücher fehlt völlig. Mit dem Handbuch "Voyages of Imagination" lässt sich nicht entscheiden, ob irgendeines der Bücher lesenswert ist oder nicht.
- Zusammenfassungen wären interessant gewesen, aus denen hervor geht, welche Charaktere aus den TV- und Kinoproduktionen mitspielen und sich weiterentwickeln; welche Charaktere neu eingeführt werden; wo es sich ausschließende Überschneidungen zwischen den Romanen gibt u. s. w. Diese hätten am Ende jedes Kapitels in tabellarischer Form oder am Ende der Beschreibung jedes Plots hervorgehoben Platz gefunden.

Zu meiner Bewertung: Abgesehen von einer vollständigen Bibliografie und einigem Lesevergnügen über die jeweiligen Menschen hinter den Geschichten bietet dieses Buch nichts, was ich mir von ihm gewünscht hätte. Einen dicken Bonus erhält es aber für die gründliche und unvorstellbar umfangreiche Arbeit die drin steckt und dafür, dass es immerhin endlich das erste seiner Art ist. Unterm Strich also 3 Sterne.

Martin Jost

A Historical Commentary on Thucydides: A Companion to Rex Warner's Penguin Translation

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Greatest Of All Greek Historians

A Historical Commentary on Thucydides: A Companion to Rex Warner's Penguin Translation
David Cartwright
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0472084194

Book Description

Much of the modern way of thinking about history and historiography in fact begins with the great Greek historian Thucydides, an Athenian general in the latter half of the fifth century b.c.e. It is also Thucydides who provides us with the historical framework for fifth-century Greece, a period of progress and creativity rarely equaled in human history. His work, The Peloponnesian War, recounts that destructive conflict and also includes the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire. Thucydides teaches his readers that the most powerful states in the world can come to a humiliating end, that a careless tyranny, especially toward the weak, and, nearly two millennia before Machiavelli, that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

In A Historical Commentary on Thucydides, David Cartwright aims to guide the Greekless reader through Thucydides' fascinating yet demanding narrative. Cartwright's is the only such full-length, one-volume commentary and companion: it is based on Rex Warner's Penguin translation of Thucydides--the most widely used translation--and requires no knowledge of Greek. The introduction to A Historical Commentary on Thucydides includes a brief biography of Thucydides: his approach, aims, and methods are discussed, as are the general character of his work and his contribution to historiography. The commentary gives brief accounts of the people and places mentioned by Thucydides and puts events in their immediate and wider contexts. Cartwright provides occasional summaries, explains Greek concepts and technical terms, and offers interpretations of difficult or controversial passages. The author also picks out important historiographical issues and discusses the themes' underlying events.

For both first-time readers and seasoned students, this commentary gives broad access to one of antiquity's most profound and difficult writers. Historians, classicists, and anyone else interested in the cultural and intellectual achievements of ancient Greece will find A Historical Commentary on Thucydides a welcome addition to their library.

David Cartwright is Head of Classics at Dulwich College, London, England.

Customer Reviews:

Greatest Of All Greek Historians.......2005-08-10

David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides gently guides the reader through the historians complex narrative paving the way for making this history a very enjoyable read. This book includes a plethora of maps, definitions and cross-references to help modern readers become more immersed in the text. The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.). Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire. Thucydides as a master story teller doesn't just cover the battle scenes, he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen. He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records. This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times. President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

I recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history. I highly recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides.

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