Recs if you like The Language of the Night: Essays on Writing, Science Fiction, and Fantasy...

Fantasy nonfiction, or books about the nature of the fantastic (and the lives of some of its most ardent devotees) for those of us who'd like to leave the comfort of our Hobbit holes and brave the literary wilderness.

All of Ursula K. Le Guin's major works. Not exhaustive due to some writing being hard to source sadly. Still a work in progress!

Non-exhaustive list of foundational reading for the fantasy genre; either foundational texts or classics that influenced the development of the genre and its conventions. Also some key modern texts + criticism.

This list features book covers illustrated/designed by Pennsylvania-based artist Jim Tierney. Tierney's illustrations feature sweeping textures, dramatic lighting, and bold, nostalgic text design, as you will definitely note while scrolling through this list. Please note that in some cases, his work is one of multiple versions of cover art for the same book, so it may appear as a different version here than the one he illustrated. In some cases I have avoided adding specific versions to curb confusion.

This list focuses on the cultural and intellectual history of the fantasy genre, and on its evolution from myths, folklore, to being dismissed as childish, to being respected as a real genre. It explains how the genre works, how the authors use the mechanics of worldbuilding and systems of magic as a way to understand human nature and how women writers changed the rules.

Do not hesitate if you have any recommendations!

Is all this reading inspiring you to write your own book? Go for it! Here are some sources of tips, inspiration, and motivation. Recommendations accepted, especially how-tos for genres not yet covered.

A personal study in gothic lit, fantasy, mythology, and the writing of it.

Have you ever wanted a PhD in English Lit? Do you think fantasy is a legitimate field of literary criticism? Would you like a glimpse into the psyche of someone who does?

These are the books included (or excerpted from) on my comprehensive exams list for a dissertation on fantasy. It is not even a remotely comprehensive list of fantasy texts and criticism (yes, I see the irony).