Anatomy of Wonder

Anatomy of Wonder — A Critical Guide to Science Fiction is a reference book by Neil Barron.^[1] It covers hundreds of works of science fiction.^[2]

Publication history

The book received a total of five editions, each updated and expanded compared to the previous ones:^[3]

• Anatomy of Wonder: Science Fiction (1976)
• Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction: Second Edition (1981)
• Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction: Third Edition (1987)
• Anatomy of Wonder 4: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction (1995)
• Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction: Fifth Edition (2004)

Reception

Dave Langford reviewed Anatomy of Wonder for White Dwarf #39, and stated that "The book records hundreds of 'major' SF works from antiquity to 1980, with useful plot summaries [...] and idiosyncratic recommendations for building up a collection of fine SF. A unique reference book, shortlisted for the 1982 Hugo Award, non-fiction category."^[2]

The book was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Related Work for 1982, but lost to Danse Macabre.^[4]

Reviews

• Review by Jeff Frane (1981) in Locus, #248 September 1981^[5]
• Review by Thomas D. Clareson (1981) in Extrapolation, Winter 1981
• Review by Arthur O. Lewis (1982) in Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Review, #1, January-February 1982
• Review by Tom Staicar (1982) in Amazing Science Fiction Stories, March 1982
• Review by Thomas A. Easton [as by Tom Easton] (1982) in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, May 1982
• Review by T. E. D. Klein (1982) in Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone Magazine, August 1982

See also

• The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
• Encyclopedia of Fantasy
• Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction by Brian Stableford