{"title":"Fantasy non-fiction","description":"\u003cp\u003eEverything from Tolkien's biography to The Grammar of Fantasy... these books are for both fantasy lovers and writers!\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"9780008669461","title":"The Maps of Middle-Earth","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailable together for the first time in a single hardback volume, J.R.R. Tolkien's maps of The Hobbit, Beleriand, Middle-earth and Númenor - re-illustrated by John Howe - are presented as full colour foldout posters and accompanied by a richly detailed text by Brian Sibley.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis new hardback edition of THE MAPS OF MIDDLE-EARTH presents J.R.R. Tolkien's maps of Wilderland, Beleriand and Middle-earth, together with a unique map of the island-kingdom of Númenor, as featured in Amazon Prime's THE RINGS OF POWER.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach poster-sized foldout map has been re-imagined in full colour by John Howe, the world-renowned Tolkien artist who has worked on Peter Jackson's Academy Award-winning \u003cem\u003eLord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e trilogy, \u003cem\u003eThe Rings of Power\u003c\/em\u003e TV series as well as the forthcoming Warner Bros animated film, \u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe maps are accompanied by a fascinating and authoritative, fully illustrated 160-page text written by Brian Sibley, author of the \u003cem\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling THE FALL OF NÚMENOR and leading expert on THE LORD OF THE RINGS (he adapted the work for the acclaimed 1981 BBC radio dramatisation), which recounts the story behind each map and provides a richly detailed glossary of every name, place and event.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesigned to complement the growing range of hardback editions of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, this brand new edition is the perfect companion for every fan wishing to learn more about the world of Tolkien's Middle-earth.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sibley, Brian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56822764929406,"sku":"9780008669461","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780008669461.jpg?v=1768557891"},{"product_id":"9780261102750","title":"The Road to Middle-Earth","description":"\u003cp\u003eA detailed and fascinating journey to the roots of The Lord of the Rings, by award-winning Tolkien expert Professor Tom Shippey.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Road to Middle-Earth is a fascinating and accessible exploration of J.R.R.Tolkien's creativity and the sources of his inspiration. Tom Shippey shows in detail how Tolkien's professional background led him to write The Hobbit and how he created a work of timeless charm for millions of readers. He discusses the contribution of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales to Tolkien's great myth-cycle, showing how Tolkien's more 'complex' works can be read enjoyably and seriously by readers of his earlier books, and goes on to examine the remarkable 12-volume History of Middle-earth by Tolkien's son and literary heir Christopher Tolkien, which traces the creative and technical processes through which Middle-earth evolved. The core of the book, however, concentrates on The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic and cultural map, as a twisted web of a story, and as a response to the inner meaning of myth and poetry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy following the routes of Tolkien's own obsessions - the poetry of languages and myth - The Road to Middle-earth shows how Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings, Grimm's Fairy Tales, the Elder Edda and many other works form part of a live and continuing tradition of literature. It takes issue with many basic premises of orthodox criticism and offers a new approach to Tolkien, to fantasy, and to the importance of language in literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis new edition is revised and expanded, and includes a previously unpublished lengthy analysis of Peter Jackson's film adaptations and their effect on Tolkien's work.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shippey, T. A.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57540031381886,"sku":"9780261102750","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780261102750.jpg?v=1781264428"},{"product_id":"9781068591815","title":"The Word for World","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Ursula K. Le Guin started writing a new story, she would begin by drawing a map. \u003cem\u003eThe Word for World\u003c\/em\u003e presents a selection of these images by the celebrated author, many of which have never been published before, to consider how her imaginary worlds enable us to re-envision our own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLe Guin's maps offer journeys of consciousness beyond conventional cartography, from the Rorschach-like archipelagos of Earthsea to the talismanic maps of \u003cem\u003eAlways Coming Home\u003c\/em\u003e. Rather than remaining within known terrain, they open up paradigms of knowledge, exemplified by the map's edges and how a map is read, made and re-made, together. \u003cem\u003eThe Word for World\u003c\/em\u003e brings her maps together with poems, stories, interviews, recipes and essays by contributors from a variety of perspectives to enquire into the relationship between worlds and the imagination and representation of them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith contributions by Federico Campagna, Theo Downes-Le Guin, Daniel Heath Justice, Bhanu Kapil, Canisia Lubrin, Una McCormack, David Naimon, Nisha Ramayya, Shoshone Collective, Standard Deviation, Marilyn Strathern.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCo-published by Spiral House and AA Publications to coincide with an exhibition of Ursula K. Le Guin's maps at the Architectural Association, London, opening on 10 October 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shin, Sarah","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57540032659838,"sku":"9781068591815","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781068591815.jpg?v=1781264498"},{"product_id":"9780261104013","title":"J.R.R. Tolkien","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe definitive critical study of Tolkien's greatest works by the respected and world renowned Tolkien scholar Professor T.A. Shippey.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing the unprecedented and universal acclaim for \u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e, the respected academic and world-renowned Tolkien scholar, Professor Tom Shippey, presents us with a fascinating and informed companion to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, in particular focusing on \u003cem\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Silmarillion\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten in a clear and accessible style, \u003cem\u003eJ. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century\u003c\/em\u003e reveals why all of these books will be timeless, and shows how even such complex works as \u003cem\u003eThe Silmarillion\u003c\/em\u003e can be read enjoyably. Taking issue with the uninformed criticism that has often been levelled at Tolkien and fantasy in general, Professor Shippey offers a new approach to Tolkien, to fantasy and to the importance of language in literature, and demonstrates how his books form part of a live and continuing tradition of storytelling that can trace its roots back through Grimm's Fairy Tales to \u003cem\u003eThe Elder Edda\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBeowulf\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shippey, T. A.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57571486368126,"sku":"9780261104013","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780261104013.jpg?v=1781783650"},{"product_id":"9781592703050","title":"The Grammar of Fantasy","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom the father of modern\nItalian children's literature, a guide to fairytales and folk tales and their\ngreat advantages in teaching creative storytelling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA groundbreaking pedagogical work that is also a\nhandbook for writers of all ages and kinds, \u003ci\u003eThe Grammar of\nFantasy \u003c\/i\u003egives each of us a playful, practical path to finding our own\nvoice through the power of storytelling. Full of ideas, glosses on fairytales,\nstories, and wide-ranging activities, including the fantastic binomial, this\nbook changed how creative arts were taught in Italian schools.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGianni Rodari is widely regarded as the father\nof modern Italian children's literature, but he is also remembered for his\nvisionary pedagogy, and it is these two fields he combines in this revolutionary\nessay collection. Translated into English by acclaimed children's historian\nJack Zipes and illustrated for the first time ever by Matthew Forsythe, this\nedition of \u003ci\u003eThe Grammar of Fantasy \u003c\/i\u003eis one to live with and\nreturn to for its humor, intelligence, and truly deep understanding of\nchildren.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs translator and esteemed fairytale scholar\nJack Zipes puts it, 'Rodari grasped children's need to play with life's rules\nby using the grammar of their own imaginations. They must be encouraged to\nquestion, challenge, destroy, mock, eliminate, generate, and reproduce their\nown language and meanings through stories that will enable them to narrate\ntheir own lives.'\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cspan\u003e'I\nhope this small book,' writes Rodari, 'can be useful for all those people who\nbelieve it is necessary for the imagination to have a place in education; for\nall those who trust in the creativity of children; and for all those who know\nthe liberating value of the word.'\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Rodari, Gianni","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57844449542526,"sku":"9781592703050","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781592703050.jpg?v=1786696461"},{"product_id":"9781915368942","title":"Writing the Magic","description":"From Lord of the Rings to Game of Thrones, over the last hundred years few genres have captured the public imagination as powerfully as fantasy. Whether it's epic quests of dwarves and elves, wizards and paladins, or the influential childhood classics of Alan Garner and C.S. Lewis, the appetite among readers for all things magical seems insatiable. Pulling together a fellowship of some of the best writers of modern fantasy fiction, WRITING THE MAGIC invites you to step through the portal and discover what gives these tales such enduring appeal. Writers such as Jeff Noon, Hannah Kaner, RJ Barker and Jen Williams pull back the curtain on how they write fantasy, demystifying topics such as worldbuilding, sources of magic, creating authenticity, and how best to deploy your dragons. An essential map for anyone wanting to write their own world into being, WRITING THE MAGIC explores the perilous realms of fantasy fiction - and arms novice writers with everything they need to embark on their own adventure. Contributors: Francesco Dimitri, Hannah Kaner, RJ Barker, Kritika H. Rao, Juliet E. McKenna, Jen Williams, Jeff Noon, Alex Pheby, J.L. Worrad, Richard Strachan, Charlotte Bond, Katherine Langrish, and Lucy Holland.","brand":"Coxon, Dan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57844449575294,"sku":"9781915368942","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781915368942.jpg?v=1786696465"},{"product_id":"9780521728737","title":"The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature","description":"Fantasy is a creation of the Enlightenment, and the recognition that excitement and wonder can be found in imagining impossible things. From the ghost stories of the Gothic to the zombies and vampires of twenty-first-century popular literature, from Mrs Radcliffe to Ms Rowling, the fantastic has been popular with readers. Since Tolkien and his many imitators, however, it has become a major publishing phenomenon. In this volume, critics and authors of fantasy look at its history since the Enlightenment, introduce readers to some of the different codes for the reading and understanding of fantasy, and examine some of the many varieties and subgenres of fantasy; from magical realism at the more literary end of the genre, to paranormal romance at the more popular end. The book is edited by the same pair who produced The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (winner of a Hugo Award in 2005).","brand":"James, Edward","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57844452032894,"sku":"9780521728737","price":26.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780521728737.jpg?v=1786696471"},{"product_id":"9780007136551","title":"The Road Goes Ever On","description":"\u003cp\u003eAvailable for the first time in 25 years, this book of songs and sheet music, a collaboration between J. R. R. Tolkien and the composer Donald Swann, will delight Tolkien fans everywhere as the book to stand beside their copies of Lord of The Rings, the essays, poems and calendars. Includes a bonus CD containing performances of all the songs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this song book the composer Donald Swann gives Tolkien characters Bilbo, Treebeard, Sam Gamgee and Tom Bombadil tunes for their ballads of the road.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProfessor Tolkien approved of this and added a tune of his own, decorated the book in his own hand and added a glossary of Elvish terms and lore that appears nowhere else.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Paper and Word","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57864536785278,"sku":"9780007136551","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780007136551.jpg?v=1787057930"},{"product_id":"9780008131418","title":"A Secret Vice","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst ever critical study of Tolkien's little-known essay, which reveals how language invention shaped the creation of Middle-earth and beyond, to George R R Martin's \u003cem\u003eGame of Thrones\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJ.R.R. Tolkien's linguistic invention was a fundamental part of his artistic output, to the extent that later on in life he attributed the existence of his mythology to the desire to give his languages a home and peoples to speak them. As Tolkien puts it in 'A Secret Vice', 'the making of language and mythology are related functions'.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the 1930s, Tolkien composed and delivered two lectures, in which he explored these two key elements of his sub-creative methodology. The second of these, the seminal Andrew Lang Lecture for 1938-9, 'On Fairy-Stories', which he delivered at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, is well known. But many years before, in 1931, Tolkien gave a talk to a literary society entitled 'A Hobby for the Home', where he unveiled for the first time to a listening public the art that he had both himself encountered and been involved with since his earliest childhood: 'the construction of imaginary languages in full or outline for amusement'.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis talk would be edited by Christopher Tolkien for inclusion as 'A Secret Vice' in \u003cem\u003eThe Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays\u003c\/em\u003e and serves as the principal exposition of Tolkien's art of inventing languages. This new critical edition, which includes previously unpublished notes and drafts by Tolkien connected with the essay, including his 'Essay on Phonetic Symbolism', goes some way towards re-opening the debate on the importance of linguistic invention in Tolkien's mythology and the role of imaginary languages in fantasy literature.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"1892-1973,,, Tolkien, J. R.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57864538882430,"sku":"9780008131418","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780008131418.jpg?v=1787057936"},{"product_id":"9780007748693","title":"The Inklings","description":"\u003cp\u003eCritically acclaimed, award-winning biography of CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and the brilliant group of writers to come out of Oxford during the Second World War.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eC.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and their friends were a regular feature of the Oxford scenery in the years during and after the Second World War. They drank beer on Tuesdays at the 'Bird and Baby', and on Thursday nights they met in Lewis' Magdalen College rooms to read aloud from the books they were writing; jokingly they called themselves 'The Inklings'.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eC.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien first introduced The Screwtape Letters and The Lord of the Rings to an audience in this company and Charles Williams, poet and writer of supernatural thrillers, was another prominent member of the group.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHumphrey Carpenter, who wrote the acclaimed biography of J.R.R. Tolkien, draws upon unpublished letters and diaries, to which he was given special access, in this engrossing story.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Carpenter, Humphrey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57864539931006,"sku":"9780007748693","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780007748693.jpg?v=1787057939"},{"product_id":"9780008601423","title":"The Art of the Hobbit","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA sumptuous full colour art book containing the complete collection of more than 100 sketches, drawings, paintings and maps created by J.R.R. Tolkien for \u003cem\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen J.R.R. Tolkien wrote \u003cem\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e, he was already an accomplished amateur artist, and drew illustrations for his book while it was still in manuscript. \u003cem\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e as first printed had ten black and white pictures, two maps, and binding and dust-jacket designs by its author. Later, Tolkien also painted five scenes for colour plates which are some of his best work. His illustrations for \u003cem\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e add an extra dimension to that remarkable book, and have long influenced how readers imagine Bilbo Baggins and his world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien\u003c\/em\u003e is the complete collection of the artwork created by the author for his story. Including related pictures, more than one hundred sketches, drawings, paintings, maps, and plans are presented here, preliminary and alternate versions and experimental designs as well as finished art. Using fresh digital scans from the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford and Marquette University in Wisconsin, Tolkien's Hobbit pictures can be seen more vividly than ever before.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, two of the world's leading Tolkien scholars, have edited the book and provide an expert introduction and comments. Readers who have enjoyed \u003cem\u003eThe Art of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien\u003c\/em\u003e will find much of interest also in \u003cem\u003eThe Art of The Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"1892-1973,,, Tolkien, J. R.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57864542093694,"sku":"9780008601423","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780008601423.jpg?v=1787057942"},{"product_id":"9780007582914","title":"Tolkien on Fairy-Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003eA new expanded edition of Tolkien's most famous, and most important essay, which defined his conception of fantasy as a literary form, and which led to the writing of The Lord of the Rings. Accompanied by a critical study of the history and writing of the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJ.R.R. Tolkien's 'On Fairy-stories' is his most-studied and most-quoted essay, an exemplary personal statement of his views on the role of imagination in literature, and an intellectual tour de force vital for understanding Tolkien's achievement in the writing of The Lord of the Rings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'On Fairy-stories' comprises about 18,000 words. What is little-known is that when Tolkien expanded the essay in 1943, he wrote many more pages of his views that were originally condensed into or cut from the published version. An estimate is difficult, but these unpublished passages perhaps amount to half again as much writing as the essay itself. These passages contain important elaborations of his views on other writers, and their publication represents a significant addition to Tolkien studies. Included in this new critical study of the work are:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn introductory essay setting the stage for Tolkien's 1939 lecture (the origin of the essay) and placing it within a historical context.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA history of the writing of 'On Fairy-stories', beginning with coverage of the original lecture as delivered, and continuing through to first publication in 1947.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe essay proper as published in corrected form in Tree and Leaf (1964).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCommentary on the allusions in the text, and notes about the revisions Tolkien made to the text as published in Tree and Leaf.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImportant material not included in the essay as published, with commentary by the editors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eContained within 'On Fairy-stories' are the roots of the tree of tales that bore such glittering fruit in Tolkien's published and unpublished work. Here, at last, Flieger and Anderson reveal through literary archaeology the extraordinary genesis of this seminal work and discuss, in their engaging commentary, how what Tolkien discovered during the writing of the essay would shape his writing for the rest of his life.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Reuel),1892-1973,, Tolkien, J. R.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57864544223614,"sku":"9780007582914","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780007582914.jpg?v=1787057947"},{"product_id":"9780008601416","title":"The Art of the Lord of the Rings","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA sumptuous full-colour art book containing the complete collection of almost 200 sketches, drawings, paintings and maps created by J.R.R. Tolkien for \u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs he wrote \u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e, J.R.R. Tolkien's mental pictures often found expression in drawing, from rough sketches made within the manuscript to more finished illustrations. Only a few of these were meant for publication; most were aids to help Tolkien conceive his complex story and keep it consistent. Many do not illustrate the final text, but represent moments of creation, illuminating Tolkien's process of writing and design. In addition to pictorial sketches, numerous maps follow the development of the Shire and the larger landscape of Middle-earth, while inscriptions in runes and Elvish script, and 'facsimile' leaves from the burned and blood-stained Book of Mazarbul, support Tolkien's pose as an 'editor' or 'translator' of ancient records.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Art of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien\u003c\/em\u003e collects these drawings, inscriptions, maps, and plans in one volume. More than 180 images are included, all of them printed in colour from high-quality scans and photographs. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, two of the world's leading Tolkien scholars, have edited the book and provide an expert introduction and comments. Readers who have enjoyed \u003cem\u003eThe Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien\u003c\/em\u003e, with which the book is uniform, will find much of interest also in \u003cem\u003eThe Art of The Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hammond, Wayne G.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57864548483454,"sku":"9780008601416","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780008601416.jpg?v=1787057956"},{"product_id":"9780008627577","title":"Letters From Father Christmas","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA new edition of Tolkien's famous illustrated\u003cem\u003e Letters from Father Christmas\u003c\/em\u003e to his children is presented in a stunning hardback format, complete with full colour illustrations. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis classic festive book of Tolkien's amazing Father Christmas letters written to his children between the 1920s and the 1940s has been reworked into a new hardback edition to match other beloved Tolkien titles. It contains high-quality digital reproductions of his beautiful letters and pictures.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'My dear children, I am more shaky than usual this year. The North Polar Bear's fault. It was the biggest bang in the world, and the most monstrous firework there has ever been. It turned the North Pole black!'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien's children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful coloured drawing or some sketches. The letters were from Father Christmas.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole:\u003cbr\u003e How all the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place\u003cbr\u003e How the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house into the dining-room\u003cbr\u003e How he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden\u003cbr\u003e How there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humour to the stories. From the first note to Tolkien's eldest son in 1920 to the final poignant letter to his daughter in 1943, this book collects all the remarkable letters and pictures in one enchanting edition. No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by the inventiveness of Tolkien's \u003cem\u003eLetters from Father Christmas\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"1892-1973,,, Tolkien, J. R.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57864549532030,"sku":"9780008627577","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780008627577.jpg?v=1787057959"},{"product_id":"9780008207779","title":"J.R.R. Tolkien","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe original authorised biography, and the only one written by an author who actually met J.R.R. Tolkien, reissued to mark Tolkien's 125th Anniversary.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn more than 40 years since Tolkien's death in September 1973, millions have read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion and become fascinated about the very private man behind the books.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn in Bloemfontein in January 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned in childhood, brought up in near-poverty and almost thwarted in adolescent romance. He served in the First World War, surviving the Battle of the Somme, where he lost some of his closest friends, and returned to academic life, achieving high repute as a scholar and university teacher, eventually becoming Merton Professor of English at Oxford.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen suddenly his life changed dramatically. One day while marking essay papers he found himself writing 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit' - and worldwide renown awaited him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHumphrey Carpenter was given unrestricted access to all Tolkien's papers, and interviewed his friends and family. From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the twentieth century's most cherished author.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Carpenter, Humphrey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57864552644990,"sku":"9780008207779","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780008207779.jpg?v=1787057965"},{"product_id":"9781350374683","title":"Reading Tolkien in Chinese","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eApproaching translations of Tolkien's works as stories in their own right, this book reads multiple Chinese translations of Tolkien's writing to uncover the new and unique perspectives that enrich the meaning of the original texts. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExploring translations of \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Silmarillion\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Children of Hurin\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Unfinished Tales\u003c\/i\u003e, Eric Reinders reveals the mechanics of meaning by literally back-translating the Chinese into English to dig into the conceptual common grounds shared by religion, fantasy and translation, namely the suspension of disbelief, and questions of truth - literal, allegorical and existential. With coverage of themes such as gods and heathens, elves and 'Men', race, mortality and immortality, fate and doom, and language, Reinder's journey to Chinese Middle-earth and back again drastically alters views on Tolkien's work where even basic genre classification surrounding fantasy literature look different through the lens of Chinese literary expectations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInvoking scholarship in Tolkien studies, fantasy theory and religious and translations studies, this is an ambitious exercises in comparative imagination across cultures that suspends the prejudiced hierarchy of originals over translations.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Robert, Reinders, Eric","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57868184027518,"sku":"9781350374683","price":28.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781350374683.jpg?v=1787138232"},{"product_id":"9781350350908","title":"Fanfiction as Queer Healing","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eExploring the phenomenon of Femslash fanfiction (fan narratives that bring together heterosexual female characters from mainstream media and fiction), this book analyses fan-authored works as forms of literature worthy of studying at length. \u003c\/b\u003eIt examines the anti-racist, feminist, sapphic fan works produced in response to white supremacist, heteronormative, queerbaiting mainstream fantasy and argues that they represent a significant site of queer healing for marginalised audience members.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Focusing on the 'Swan Queen' fandom, where fans pair the 'white trash' heroine, Emma Swan and the villainous Latina Evil Queen (Regina Mills) from ABC's hit show \u003ci\u003eOnce Upon a Time\u003c\/i\u003e, Alice Kelly redresses the widespread academic neglect of queer female fandoms and responds to urgent calls to diversify fan and fantasy scholarship. With reference to complex theoretical subjects such as ethnography, sociology, psychology and decolonial, queer, film and media studies, the book also delves into the alternative timescales on which queer female and genderqueer fan authorship runs; offers intriguing insights into fanfiction narrative structures; and tackles the issues of broader fandom representation and contextualization.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Making the case that fan texts deserve attention in the academy, Kelly shows how some of the most prolific fan works have the ability to enact colour reparation and a reclamation of memory, fantasy, romance, maternity, childhood, parenting and magic. These fictions serve fan communities as a whole through intersectional challenges to the power dynamics of the source text and within the fandom itself and, as the book demonstrates, offer attendant validation to fantasy fans who have been repeatedly told that the genre is not for them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chapman-Kelly, Alice M.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57868184224126,"sku":"9781350350908","price":28.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781350350908.jpg?v=1787138235"},{"product_id":"9781350365735","title":"William Hope Hodgson and the Rise of the Weird","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe first comprehensive study of the works of William Hope Hodgson, one of the true innovators of Weird fiction, this book examines the Weird novels and stories upon which his posthumous reputation rests, his non-fantastic writing, identifiable literary influences, and the historical contexts in which he wrote. Focusing extensively upon major works such as \u003ci\u003eThe House on the Borderland\u003c\/i\u003e (1908) and \u003ci\u003eThe Night Land \u003c\/i\u003e(1912), Timothy S. Murphy surveys topics including Hodgson's experiments with code switching and linguistic experimentation; his depictions of racial and ethnic differences and gender and sexuality; the function of space and place in his writing; the adaptation of his shipboard experiences; and his use of abyssal time. With special attention paid to his paradoxical nihilist humanism, this book explores what made Hodgson a respected precursor to later innovators such as H. P. Lovecraft and C.L. Moore, and what makes him an important ancestor to 21st-century writers such as China Miéville, Greg Bear, and Charlie Jane Anders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Demonstrating how his work is both of his time and 'untimely', Murphy recovers Hodgson as the most significant figure to precede the fantastically popular but deeply controversial Lovecraft, as well as a figure whose work challenges what has thus far been accepted about the genre and the interpretive perspectives from which we view it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Murphy, Timothy S.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57868184420734,"sku":"9781350365735","price":28.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781350365735.jpg?v=1787138238"},{"product_id":"9781350231771","title":"Queering Faith in Fantasy Literature","description":"\u003cp\u003eFantasy literature inhabits the realms of the orthodox \u003ci\u003eand\u003c\/i\u003e heterodox, the divine \u003ci\u003eand\u003c\/i\u003e demonic simultaneously, making it uniquely positioned to imaginatively re-envision Christian theology from a position of difference. Having an affinity for the monstrous and the 'other', and a preoccupation with desires and forms of embodiment that subvert dominant understandings of reality, fantasy texts hold hitherto unexplored potential for articulating queer and feminist religious perspectives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFocusing primarily on fantastic literature of the mid- to late twentieth century, this book examines how Christian theology in the genre is dismantled, re-imagined and transformed from the margins of gender and sexuality. Aligning fantasy with Derrida's theories of deconstruction, Taylor Driggers explores how the genre can re-figure God as the 'other' excluded and erased from theology. Through careful readings of C.S. Lewis's \u003ci\u003eTill We Have Faces,\u003c\/i\u003e Angela Carter's \u003ci\u003eThe Passion of New Eve\u003c\/i\u003e, and Ursula K. Le Guin's \u003ci\u003eThe Left Hand of Darkness\u003c\/i\u003e and the Earthsea novels, Driggers contends that fantasy can challenge cis-normative, heterosexual, and patriarchal  theology. Also engaging with the theories of Hélène Cixous, Luce Irigaray, Marcella Althaus-Reid, and Linn Marie Tonstad, this book demonstrates that whilst fantasy cannot save Christianity from itself, nor rehabilitate it for marginalised subjects, it confronts theology with its silenced others in a way that bypasses institutional debates on inclusion and leadership, asking how theology might be imagined otherwise.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Driggers, Taylor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57868184453502,"sku":"9781350231771","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781350231771.jpg?v=1787138241"},{"product_id":"9781350348301","title":"Justice in 21st-Century Fairy Tales and the Power of Wonder","description":"\u003cp\u003eExploring a range of international works such as films, streaming television series, a graphic novel, and a picture book, this open access book interrogates how, and to what extent, fairy tales are put to work for justice in the areas of environment and ecology, kinship and family, ability and disability, and sex and gender. As Bacchilega and Greenhill demonstrate, some 21st-century fairy tales channel the genre's wonder to offer otherwise possibilities for being and acting in the world that are not confined to socially sanctioned paths. Drawing on visual and audio-visual case studies of texts such as\u003ci\u003e The Magic Fish, Julián Is A Mermaid, Pokot [Spoor], Gräns [Border], The Dragon Prince, Gatta Cenerentola [Cinderella the Cat], \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Sweet Tooth\u003c\/i\u003e, they examine how the wonder and preternatural of fairy tales model a sustained desire to believe in and realize new ways of existence that have often been too easily dismissed. \u003cbr\u003eGuided by theories in fields including ecological, gender, disability, critical race, Indigenous, fantasy, posthuman, and adaptation studies as they intersect with folklore and fairy tale studies, this book examines how creators of wonder tales since the beginning of the new millenium have presented provocations around humans' political and social relations with nature and culture. Analyzing justice from a variety of positions and establishing how tales of the otherwise can develop optative thinking, \u003ci\u003eJustice in 21st-Century Fairy Tales and the Power of Wonder \u003c\/i\u003erefutes the conservative, patriarchal, and merely nostalgic Disnified narrative of the genre and insists on the power of wonder within and beyond fairy tales.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grant 435-2019-0691 and The University of Winnipeg, Canada.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bacchilega, Cristina","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57868184650110,"sku":"9781350348301","price":28.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781350348301.jpg?v=1787138244"},{"product_id":"9781350350038","title":"Imagining the Celtic Past in Modern Fantasy","description":"\u003cp\u003eFocusing on representations of Celtic motifs and traditions in post-1980s adult fantasy literature, this book illuminates how the historical, the mythological and the folkloric have served as inspiration for the fantastic in modern and popular culture of the western world. Bringing together both highly-acclaimed works with those that have received less critical attention, including French and Gaelic fantasy literature, \u003ci\u003eImagining the Celtic Past in Modern Fantasy\u003c\/i\u003e explores such texts as Susanna Clarke's \u003ci\u003eJonathan Strange \u0026amp; Mr Norrell\u003c\/i\u003e, Alan Garner's \u003ci\u003eWeirdstone \u003c\/i\u003etrilogy, the Irish fantasies of Jodi McIsaac, David Gemmell's \u003ci\u003eRigante \u003c\/i\u003enovels, Patricia Kennealy-Morrison \u003ci\u003eKeltiad \u003c\/i\u003ebooks, as well as \u003ci\u003eAn Sgoil Dhubh\u003c\/i\u003e by Iain F. MacLeòid and the \u003ci\u003eVertigen \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eFrontier \u003c\/i\u003eseries by Léa Silhol. Lively and covering new ground, the collection examines topics such as fairy magic, Celtic-inspired worldbuilding, heroic patterns, classical ethnography and genre tropes alongside analyses of the Celtic Tarot in speculative fiction and Celtic appropriation in fan culture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Introducing a nuanced understanding of the Celtic past, as it has been informed by recent debates in Celtic studies, this wide-ranging and provocative book shows how modern fantasy is indebted to medieval Celtic-language texts, folkloric traditions, as well as classical sources.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fimi, Dimitra","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57868184813950,"sku":"9781350350038","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781350350038.jpg?v=1787138247"},{"product_id":"9780857529480","title":"Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGo behind the scenes of the iconic Discworld series with this beautiful, illustrated hardback, the perfect gift book for any fantasy fan this holiday season.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'It's still magic, even if you know how it's done' SIR TERRY PRATCHETT\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSir Terry Pratchett was one of the world's best-loved and bestselling fantasy writers, author of the iconic Discworld series. Now, for the first time, go behind the scenes of the incredible partnership between Pratchett and his 'artist of choice', Paul Kidby.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis stunning new book shows how the Discworld was brought to visual life - from the earliest sketches to the final magnificent masterpieces - and how Terry and Paul absorbed influences from art and pop culture, fusing them into the Discworld landscape.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhilst Terry was the undisputed creative fountainhead, for three decades Paul has been the artistic force taking the people, places and piece of man-eating luggage from Terry's ever-fertile imagination right into our world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd, in a special final chapter, \u003ci\u003eDesigning Terry Pratchett's Discworld\u003c\/i\u003e also outlines the images that we never got to see - the early covers of the great unwritten novels, taken from the world before their time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePacked full of hitherto unseen art and the real stories behind it, this is a unique insight into one of the greatest literary partnerships.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Paul Kidby has enriched us Discworld readers by visualizing the landscapes of our imagination . . . he has paved roads that allow us to walk throughout Discworld' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003efrom the Foreword by \u003c\/i\u003eColin Morgan\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kidby, Paul","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57868234260862,"sku":"9780857529480","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9780857529480.jpg?v=1787138755"},{"product_id":"9781529176902","title":"Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWINNER OF THE 2023 LOCUS AWARD FOR NON-FICTION\u003cbr\u003eWINNER OF THE BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTION\u003cbr\u003eFINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST RELATED WORK\u003cbr\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTION\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Always readable, illuminating and honest. It made me miss the real Terry.' \u003ci\u003e- \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eNeil Gaiman\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Sometimes joyfully, sometimes painfully, intimate . . . it is wonderful to have this closeup picture of the writer's working life.' - \u003cb\u003eFrank Cottrell-Boyce, \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--------\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt the time of his death in 2015, award-winning and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett was working on his finest story yet - his own.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe creator of the phenomenally bestselling Discworld series, Terry Pratchett was known and loved around the world for his hugely popular books, his smart satirical humour and the humanity of his campaign work. But that's only part of the picture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore his untimely death, Terry was writing a memoir: the story of a boy who aged six was told by his teacher that he would never amount to anything and spent the rest of his life proving him wrong. For Terry lived a life full of astonishing achievements: becoming one of the UK's bestselling and most beloved writers, winning the prestigious Carnegie Medal and being awarded a knighthood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, the book Terry sadly couldn't finish has been written by Rob Wilkins, his former assistant, friend and now head of the Pratchett literary estate. Drawing on his own extensive memories, along with those of the author's family, friends and colleagues, Rob unveils the full picture of Terry's life - from childhood to his astonishing writing career, and how he met and coped with what he called the 'Embuggerance' of Alzheimer's disease.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA deeply moving and personal portrait of the extraordinary life of Sir Terry Pratchett, written with unparalleled insight and filled with funny anecdotes, this is the only official biography of one of our finest authors.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--------\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Spins magic from mundanity in precisely the way Pratchett himself did.' - \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTelegraph\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'As frank, funny and unsentimental as anything its subject might have produced himself.' - \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMail on Sunday\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wilkins, Rob","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57868234785150,"sku":"9781529176902","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/0325\/6389\/files\/9781529176902.jpg?v=1787138765"}],"url":"https:\/\/paperandword.com\/collections\/fantasy-non-fiction.oembed","provider":"Paper and Word","version":"1.0","type":"link"}