The Tough Guide to Fantasyland (review)

Most libraries have a travel section filled with guidebooks to places familiar and far away, but no real-world guidebook (it's a nice joke that the imprint for this book appears to be "Firebird Travel") is as wry or inventive as the Tough Guide that serves as a mixture of glossary and handbook for Fantasyland, with alphabetical encyclopedia-style entries covering key and cliché aspects of fantasy writing. First published ten years ago in the UK, this classic has been given a few new parts, a good varnish, and a new set of wheels. Entries include everything from bards to black arts, quests to tree homes, and jumping around is more satisfying than making a linear trip from start to finish. This will leave fantasy fans of various ages in stitches, and teachers or librarians hoping to inspire teen writers will appreciate the way Jones pokes gentle fun at the fantasy genre while providing quite a list of appurtenances within it.