Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction

by Betty Rosenberg

Book Overview

Expanded and updated to provide information on the newest popular fiction, this guide to genre fiction covers westerns, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, supernatural/horror fiction, and romance. It defines the various genres; analyses their characteristics, grouping authors according to type or subject content; and provides a selective, annotated bibliography of the history and criticism of each genre. New authors are profiled in this edition,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0872879305
• ISBN13: 9780872879300
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Length: 345 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Sixth edition, but more like a first draft

I am so glad that this volume exists because I care much about advising readers, and the intent of this tool is right on. I appreciate the suggestions in each genre, and subgenre. However, the presentation of the titles is so inconsistent that it puzzles me that this could be a sixth edition--it seems more like a draft. Several of the titles are elaborately annotated, while others are simply listed without supporting information. I wish that the titles were treated more consistently. I do appreciate that this advisory series from Libraries Unlimited exists. However since this is their flagship volume that has gone through multiple editions, I expect a higher standard.

Thank goodness this great book has been updated again!

This book is a very valuable resource for public librarians acting as a reader's adviser ("I like this author, who/what else would I like?"), but I can't imagine anyone having the time to be poring over the pages as a collection development tool. Genreflecting is also a great reference for writing or literature studies students who are studying genre - along with lists of authors that they can pursue, there are very lucid discussions of the genres, and it's a good starting point for assignments in this area. (I used it for this purpose at Uni, and liked it so much that I tried to buy a copy - unfortunately it was between editions at the time.)