Research Guides: Fantasy & Science Fiction Literature: Reference for Fantasy Literature and Sci-Fi Literature

Starting Research into the Fantasy Genre

Scholars and fantasy fans often look to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy as the starting point of the fantasy genre, but fantasy was being written long before the 1950s. Early fantasy writers include Madame d'Aulnoy, Gertrude Barrows Bennett (pen name 'Francis Stevens'), George MacDonald, and Samuel Rutherford Crockett.

The myths and faerie-tales that have inspired much modern fantasy literature date back to ancient times. From the epic poem Beowulf, as well as Scandinavian, Celtic, and Greek mythology, modern fantasy literature has come a long way since those tales were first told, and Tolkien is just the beginning. Many great modern fantasy authors have emerged since Tolkien's time, and lots of them just within the last few decades, including: Susanna Clarke, Maya Deane, Joe Abercorombie, NK Jemisin, Marlon James, VE Schwab, Juno Dawson, A.R. Capetta, Shelley Parker-Chan, and Neon Yang.

image source: Vecteezy.com

Tips On Using Reference Resources

Can't see the enchanted forest for the trees? Research may seem straightforward, but sometimes it helps to have a couple of tips for maximizing efficiency and success:

If you find a source you like, such as an encyclopedia or a book of literary criticism, check out the bibliography section. This points you to the sources the authors/editors of the reference work used, which will be authoritative to the topic.

If in doubt about where to find a reference work, or if the GTC libraries don't have what you're looking for, ask a librarian. We are, of course, pleased to help you, either in finding an item through another academic institution using PASCAL/ILL (inter-library loan), or through another library.