Covering everyone from Leo Tolstoy and Mark Twain to Don De Lillo and Lorrie Moore, Good Fiction Guide offers an informative reference work on novelists and their works, with an emphasis of twentieth-century fiction and popular classics, but with ample coverage of major novelists of the past.

The guide takes us on a stimulating tour of the literary landscape. Here are more than one thousand alphabetically arranged biographies of important novelists, ranging from Chinua Achebe to Emile Zola. There are profiles of leading contemporary writers, such as Ann Beattie, Thomas Pynchon, Jane Smiley, Martin Amis, Amy Tan, Peter Carey, V.S. Naipaul, and Harold Brodkey. The entries provide a flavor of each writer's work, recommend which of their books to read, and include suggestions for related reading, leading you to other writers whose work may be either comparable or an interesting contrast. Equally important, the guide includes 34 essays that illuminate genres such as Crime, Adventure, Romance, and Magic Realism, or offer intriguing looks at the national literatures of such places as Australia, India, and the Caribbean. Each entry is a personal essay by an expert in the field and includes their top twelve recommended titles.

Good Fiction Guide is a perfect road map for everyone exploring the highways and byways of fiction.

From Library Journal
Another intriguing addition to Oxford's collection of literary guides, this resource for the general reader offers information contributed by 60 writers, critics, and translators in two formats: 34 four-page subject essays and more than 1000 alphabetically arranged, paragraph-length author entries covering 5000 books. Certainly, it is similar to other Oxford handbooks, such as Margaret Drabble's The Oxford Companion to English Literature (LJ 10/15/00) and Peter Parker's A Reader's Guide to Twentieth-Century Writers (LJ 7/96). This reference, however, is unique in that it encompasses popular and genre fiction for both adults and teens, as well as classics, contemporary literature, and international works translated into English. Because selection is based on reader enjoyment, authors are included only if their books are well known, strong sellers, in print, and recommended by the contributors. The essays explore a wide range of topics, from the science fiction of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Richard Hoban's Riddley Walker, and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale to a literary/geographical analysis of French writing and the progression of the adventure story from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Authors were chosen for their specialized knowledge and thus conclude with their Top 12 recommendations. The informal style and inclusion of personal details about the authors' lives create a livelier, more engaging source than standard companions. Highly recommended for literature collections.

Contents

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Introduction Contributors Subject Essays Adventure, Robert McCrum Africa, Anthony Chennells Australia & New Zealand, Jane Rogers Black and white, Rita Christian Canada, Aritha van Herk Caribbean, E. A. Markham Childhood, Jan Dalley Classics, John Sutherland Crime, Michael Dibdin Family saga, Sherry Ashworth Fantasy, Tom Shippey Film adaptations, Mike Harris France, Michèle Roberts Germany, Michael Hulse Glamour, Kate Saunders Historical, Boyd Tonkin Humour, Nigel Williams India, Shirley Chew Ireland, Patricia Craig Magic realism, Carol Birch Romance, Elizabeth Buchan Russia, Lesley Chamberlain Science fiction, Livi Michael The sea, Tony Tanner Sexual politics, Maureen Freely Short stories, Lesley Glaister Social issues, Valentine Cunningham Spy, Michael Shea Supernatural, Michael Cox Teen, Adèle Geras Thrillers, Val McDermid United States of America, Richard Francis War, Mike Harris Western, Lee Clark Mitchell Authors A-Z

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