A glorious collection that delves deep into the inception, influences, and literary and historical underpinnings of nearly 100 of our most beloved fictional realms.Literary Wonderlands is a thoroughly researched, wonderfully written, and beautifully produced book that spans four thousand years of creative endeavor. From Spenser's
The Fairie Queene to Wells's
The Time Machine to Murakami's
1Q84 it explores the timeless and captivating features of fiction's imagined worlds including the relevance of the writer's own life to the creation of the story, influential contemporary events and philosophies, and the meaning that can be extracted from the details of the work. Each piece includes a detailed overview of the plot and a "Dramatis Personae."
Literary Wonderlands is a fascinating read for lovers of literature, fantasy, and science fiction.
Laura Miller is the book's general editor. Co-founder of Salon.com, where she worked as an editor and writer for 20 years, she is currently a books and culture columnist at
Slate. A journalist and a critic, her work has appeared in the
New Yorker, Harper's, the
Guardian, and the
New York Times Book Review, where she wrote the "Last Word" column for two years. She is the author of
The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia and editor of the
Salon.com Reader's Guide to Contemporary Authors.
From the advent of the first works of literature many millennia ago, writers have used imaginary worlds both to entertain their readers as well as to examine social concepts, highlight key issues of humanity, examine their environments, and consider their personal beliefs. Thoroughly researched, wonderfully written, and beautifully produced, Literary Wonderlands explores 100 of the most fantastic and influential fictional worlds in literary history and delves into the captivating features of their formation and creation including the writer's own life and the relevance of contemporary events, movements, and philosophies, and the meaning that can be extracted from the details of the composition. The 100 entries include original archive artwork, illustrations, and cartography, along with a detailed overview of the story and a "Dramatis Personae." This truly global collection draws on texts from around the world, spanning over two thousand years of creative endeavor. Roaming from well-known worlds to less traversed terrain, Literary Wonderlands is a fascinating read for lovers of fantasy, history, and anyone fascinated with imaginary literary realms.
