title: The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
author: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd
description: This masterful follow-up to the 1993 <i>Encyclopedia of Science Fiction</i> is an essential purchase for anyone who's serious about fantasy. Those who are serious about horror will also find it an excellent reference. The works of prolific and confusing authors such as Michael Moorcock, as well as authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien who have many posthumously published fragments, are explained with admirable clarity. Especially fascinating are the numerous terms for motifs and themes, constituting what the editors call a map of the many "fuzzy sets" in the universe of fantasy fiction--terms such as "crosshatch," "polder," and "water margin." There are many entries on horror movies and the better-known horror writers (only writers who write no fantasy, such as Richard Laymon, are excluded). You'll also find carefully written definitions of horror, dark fantasy, supernatural fiction, gothic fiction, psychological thrillers, and weird fiction. <i>Locus</i> calls <i>The Encyclopedia of Fantasy</i> "massive and welcome," and writes, "This will be the standard reference for years to come."
zlib_text: Praise for  
  GARTH NIX’S  
  OLD KINGDOM SERIES
  
  > > > > > > > > SABRIEL
  
  > > > > > > ‘ _Sabriel_ is a winner, a fantasy that reads like realism. Here
  > is a world with the same solidity and four-dimensional authority as our own,
  > created with invention, clarity and intelligence.’
  
  > > > > > >  _Philip Pullman_  
  >
  
  > > > > > > ‘Passionately exciting, full of intriguing characters and stunning
  > scenery, _Sabriel_ is sheer enjoyment.’
  
  > > > > > >  _The Times_
  
  > > > > > > > > LIRAEL
  
  > > > > > > ‘[Garth Nix] reaffirms his position as Australia’s top fantasy
  > author.’
  
  > > > > > >  _Canberra Sunday Times_  
  >
  
  > > > > > > ‘What makes _Lirael_ a delight is the magic that Nix brings to his
  > story and to his characters. It is filled with twists and turns, playful
  > inventiveness and dark magic, and is sure to satisfy his many readers.’
  
  > > > > > >  _Locus_
  
  > > > > > > > > ABHORSEN
  
  > > > > > > ‘Breathtaking, bittersweet, and utterly unforgettable.’
  
  > > > > > >  _Kirkus reviews_  
  >
  
  >