Neil Barron, "Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction"

Barron's classic work has been updated and reorganized to reflect changes in the genre over the past decade, and meet the needs and tastes of today's readers and those who work with them. Renowned experts in the field have contributed to this new edition, providing authoritative historical and contemporary coverage of the best in science fiction. Users will find succinct, critical discussions of more than 1,400 SF novels, story collections, and anthologies. In addition, there is a comprehensive survey of the secondary literature-books and other resources that discuss fantastic literature, film, and illustration-plus chapters on teaching SF and a directory of libraries containing significant collections of science fiction. Titles appropriate for or appealing to teens are noted, as are award-winning titles and titles of literary merit. Author, title, and theme indexes provide additional points of access. An essential tool for collection development, research, and reference, this book also supports readers' advisory work. Young adult and adult. Grades 9 and up.

Over 2,000 works of fiction and over 800 works of non-fiction are critiqued in this revised fourth edition of a classic work, which appears anew for the first time in seven years. This includes the new 'cyberpunk' genre, film and TV show listings, and organization and publication descriptions to round out the book focus. The book is most notable for its well-rounded synopses. – Midwest Book Review