Speculative Fiction: Literary Criticism, Essays, Non-Fiction

1.
The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction
The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction 3.96 avg rating — 16,342 ratings
2.
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland 3.95 avg rating — 4,926 ratings
3.
A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Non-Fiction
A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Non-Fiction 4.24 avg rating — 5,946 ratings
4.
Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew
Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew 4.23 avg rating — 5,766 ratings
5.
Traveler of Worlds: Conversations with Robert Silverberg
Traveler of Worlds: Conversations with Robert Silverberg 3.82 avg rating — 83 ratings
6.
The Motion of Light in Water: Sex and Science Fiction Writing in the East Village
The Motion of Light in Water: Sex and Science Fiction Writing in the East Village 4.33 avg rating — 1,180 ratings
6.
What Makes This Book So Great: Re-Reading the Classics of Science Fiction & Fantasy
What Makes This Book So Great: Re-Reading the Classics of Science Fiction & Fantasy
by: Jo Walton
3.89 avg rating — 1,100 ratings
8.
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art 4.01 avg rating — 129,152 ratings
9.
The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays
The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays 3.96 avg rating — 4,006 ratings
9.
No Time To Spare: Thinking About What Matters
No Time To Spare: Thinking About What Matters 4.01 avg rating — 8,407 ratings
11.
Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture
Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture 3.53 avg rating — 1,674 ratings
12.
The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction
The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction 4.27 avg rating — 1,960 ratings
13.
Reflections: On the Magic of Writing
Reflections: On the Magic of Writing 4.32 avg rating — 951 ratings
13.
In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination
In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination 3.77 avg rating — 2,284 ratings
15.
Tolkien On Fairy-stories
Tolkien On Fairy-stories 4.32 avg rating — 4,631 ratings
16.
Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places
Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places 4.12 avg rating — 1,594 ratings
17.
Words Are My Matter: Writings About Life and Books, 2000-2016
Words Are My Matter: Writings About Life and Books, 2000-2016 4.01 avg rating — 1,544 ratings
18.
The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition
The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition 4.06 avg rating — 597,695 ratings
19.
The Power of Myth
The Power of Myth 4.26 avg rating — 53,107 ratings
20.
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien 4.22 avg rating — 7,061 ratings
21.
Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality, and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale
Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality, and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale 3.95 avg rating — 921 ratings
22.
Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction
Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction 4.33 avg rating — 4,141 ratings
23.
Daemon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling
Daemon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling 4.12 avg rating — 2,590 ratings
24.
The Vanishing People: Fairy Lore and Legends
The Vanishing People: Fairy Lore and Legends 4.21 avg rating — 189 ratings
24.
Morphology of the Folktale
Morphology of the Folktale 4.01 avg rating — 2,128 ratings
26.
The Wave in the Mind: Talks and Essays on the Writer, the Reader and the Imagination
The Wave in the Mind: Talks and Essays on the Writer, the Reader and the Imagination 4.34 avg rating — 2,738 ratings
27.
From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers
From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers 4.12 avg rating — 1,464 ratings
28.
J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography 4.05 avg rating — 16,222 ratings
28.
Meditations on Middle-Earth
Meditations on Middle-Earth 3.84 avg rating — 3,141 ratings
30.
The Secret Feminist Cabal
The Secret Feminist Cabal 3.89 avg rating — 71 ratings
31.
42: The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams
42: The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams 4.17 avg rating — 178 ratings
32.
The Road to Science Fiction 1 (The Road to Science Fiction, #1)
The Road to Science Fiction 1 (The Road to Science Fiction, #1) 3.85 avg rating — 125 ratings
32.
Alternate Worlds: The Illustrated History of Science Fiction
Alternate Worlds: The Illustrated History of Science Fiction 3.83 avg rating — 64 ratings
34.
Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy
Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy 3.76 avg rating — 336 ratings
35.
Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler
Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler 4.07 avg rating — 61 ratings
36.
Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, & Other Supernatural Creatures
Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, & Other Supernatural Creatures 4.26 avg rating — 1,246 ratings
37.
The Secret History of Wonder Woman
The Secret History of Wonder Woman 3.73 avg rating — 16,562 ratings
38.
The Fairies in Tradition and Literature
The Fairies in Tradition and Literature 4.13 avg rating — 187 ratings
39.
The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre
The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre 3.81 avg rating — 325 ratings
40.
The Hero With a Thousand Faces
The Hero With a Thousand Faces 4.13 avg rating — 44,165 ratings
41.
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction 4.35 avg rating — 605 ratings
41.
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy 4.40 avg rating — 340 ratings
43.
Reinventing Comics: The Evolution of an Art Form
Reinventing Comics: The Evolution of an Art Form 3.90 avg rating — 3,791 ratings
44.
The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction
The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction 3.90 avg rating — 124 ratings
44.
Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands
Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands 3.69 avg rating — 4,269 ratings
44.
New Maps of Hell: A Survey of Science Fiction
New Maps of Hell: A Survey of Science Fiction 3.58 avg rating — 257 ratings
44.
Snape: A Definitive Reading
Snape: A Definitive Reading 4.20 avg rating — 2,328 ratings
44.
H.P. Lovecraft: A Biography
H.P. Lovecraft: A Biography 3.81 avg rating — 656 ratings
44.
Rocket Fuel: Some of the Best From Tor.com Non-Fiction
Rocket Fuel: Some of the Best From Tor.com Non-Fiction 3.43 avg rating — 161 ratings
44.
Institutional Racism and the search for African American masculinity and identity in selected works of Richard Wright
Institutional Racism and the search for African American masculinity and identity in selected works of Richard Wright 4.43 avg rating — 7 ratings
44.
Fantasy's Othering Fetish
Fantasy's Othering Fetish 4.40 avg rating — 186 ratings
52.
Flesh and the Mirror: Essays on the Art of Angela Carter
Flesh and the Mirror: Essays on the Art of Angela Carter 4.09 avg rating — 104 ratings
52.
In Search of Wonder
In Search of Wonder 3.69 avg rating — 58 ratings
54.
James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon
James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon 4.24 avg rating — 1,381 ratings
54.
Stranger Magic: Charmed States & The Arabian Nights
Stranger Magic: Charmed States & The Arabian Nights 4.11 avg rating — 166 ratings
54.
Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion
Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion 4.06 avg rating — 388 ratings
54.
The Eureka Years: Boucher and McComas's Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction 1949-1954
The Eureka Years: Boucher and McComas's Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction 1949-1954 4.12 avg rating — 8 ratings
58.
Kirby: King of Comics
Kirby: King of Comics 4.12 avg rating — 2,444 ratings
58.
Don't Tell the Grown-Ups: The Subversive Power of Children's Literature
Don't Tell the Grown-Ups: The Subversive Power of Children's Literature 3.71 avg rating — 361 ratings
58.
Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick
Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick 4.11 avg rating — 1,447 ratings
61.
Fantasists on Fantasy: A collection of Critical Reflections by Eighteen Masters of the Art
Fantasists on Fantasy: A collection of Critical Reflections by Eighteen Masters of the Art 3.71 avg rating — 28 ratings
61.
A Comics Studies Reader
A Comics Studies Reader
by: Jeet Heer
3.69 avg rating — 86 ratings
61.
The Inklings: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Their Friends
The Inklings: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Their Friends 3.94 avg rating — 3,721 ratings
61.
Last Night, a Superhero Saved My Life: Neil Gaiman!! Jodi Picoult!! Brad Meltzer!! . . . and an All-Star Roster on the Caped Crusaders That Changed Their Lives
Last Night, a Superhero Saved My Life: Neil Gaiman!! Jodi Picoult!! Brad Meltzer!! . . . and an All-Star Roster on the Caped Crusaders That Changed Their Lives 3.65 avg rating — 401 ratings
61.
The Futurians
The Futurians 3.64 avg rating — 87 ratings
66.
Feminist Philosophy and Science Fiction: Utopias and Dystopias
Feminist Philosophy and Science Fiction: Utopias and Dystopias 3.92 avg rating — 48 ratings
66.
Give Our Regards to the Atomsmashers!: Writers on Comics
Give Our Regards to the Atomsmashers!: Writers on Comics
by: Sean Howe
3.51 avg rating — 79 ratings
66.
Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of Comic Book Heroes
Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of Comic Book Heroes 3.41 avg rating — 250 ratings
66.
The World According to Star Wars
The World According to Star Wars 3.25 avg rating — 2,871 ratings
66.
Breakfast in the Ruins
Breakfast in the Ruins 3.91 avg rating — 43 ratings
71.
Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale
Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale 4.08 avg rating — 53 ratings
71.
Reading Comics
Reading Comics 3.73 avg rating — 1,237 ratings
71.
Ursula K. Le Guin: The Last Interview and Other Conversations
Ursula K. Le Guin: The Last Interview and Other Conversations 4.26 avg rating — 367 ratings
74.
The Invention of Angela Carter
The Invention of Angela Carter 4.28 avg rating — 456 ratings
75.
Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography
Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography 4.66 avg rating — 4,220 ratings
76.
The Law of Superheroes
The Law of Superheroes 3.85 avg rating — 415 ratings
77.
Beauty and the Beast: Visions and Revisions of an Old Tale
Beauty and the Beast: Visions and Revisions of an Old Tale 3.91 avg rating — 56 ratings
78.
Writing Down the Dragon: and Other Essays on the Tolkien Method and the Craft of Fantasy
Writing Down the Dragon: and Other Essays on the Tolkien Method and the Craft of Fantasy
by: Tom Simon
4.43 avg rating — 35 ratings
78.
Multicultural Comics: From Zap to Blue Beetle (Cognitive Approaches to Literature and Culture Series)
Multicultural Comics: From Zap to Blue Beetle (Cognitive Approaches to Literature and Culture Series) 3.68 avg rating — 22 ratings
80.
The Owl, The Raven, and the Dove: The Religious Meaning of the Grimms' Magic Fairy Tales
The Owl, The Raven, and the Dove: The Religious Meaning of the Grimms' Magic Fairy Tales 4.29 avg rating — 87 ratings
81.
Robin Hood
Robin Hood
by: J.C. Holt
3.71 avg rating — 295 ratings
81.
Graphic Novels and Comics in Libraries and Archives: Essays on Readers, Research, History and Cataloging
Graphic Novels and Comics in Libraries and Archives: Essays on Readers, Research, History and Cataloging 4.10 avg rating — 20 ratings
83.
Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK
Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK 4.33 avg rating — 30 ratings
84.
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries 4.09 avg rating — 1,581 ratings
85.
The Road to Middle-Earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology
The Road to Middle-Earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology 3.95 avg rating — 6,103 ratings
85.
Fairies in Victorian Art
Fairies in Victorian Art 4.12 avg rating — 51 ratings
87.
J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century
J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century 3.88 avg rating — 5,653 ratings
88.
The Lore of the Unicorn
The Lore of the Unicorn 3.76 avg rating — 217 ratings
89.
Personnel of Fairyland: A Short Account of the Fairy People of Great Britain for Those Who Tell Stories to Children
Personnel of Fairyland: A Short Account of the Fairy People of Great Britain for Those Who Tell Stories to Children 3.69 avg rating — 13 ratings
90.
Meaning of Folklore: The Analytical Essays of Alan Dundes
Meaning of Folklore: The Analytical Essays of Alan Dundes 4.16 avg rating — 37 ratings
90.
Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness
Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness 3.87 avg rating — 143 ratings
90.
Wish I Was Here
Wish I Was Here 4.07 avg rating — 342 ratings
93.
Appendix N
Appendix N 3.62 avg rating — 175 ratings
94.
Letters to Tiptree
Letters to Tiptree 4.07 avg rating — 87 ratings
94.
The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore
The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore 3.98 avg rating — 1,753 ratings
96.
The Last Straw: A Critical Autopsy of a Galaxy Far, Far Away
The Last Straw: A Critical Autopsy of a Galaxy Far, Far Away 4.31 avg rating — 49 ratings
97.
Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales
Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales 3.75 avg rating — 312 ratings
97.
From Barsoom to Malacandra: Musings on Things Past and Things to Come
From Barsoom to Malacandra: Musings on Things Past and Things to Come 4.03 avg rating — 32 ratings
99.
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels 4.34 avg rating — 9,604 ratings
99.
The Lament of Prometheus: An Examination of David Lindsay's A Voyage to Arcturus
The Lament of Prometheus: An Examination of David Lindsay's A Voyage to Arcturus 3.67 avg rating — 15 ratings
Next