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.
