Specifications

Index. Appendix. Bibliography. Cross-references.

Summary

Vivid characters and first-rate storytelling are the hallmarks of good popular fiction. Encyclopedia of American Popular Fiction is a new A-to-Z resource that covers those contemporary authors and works that have enjoyed commercial success in the United States but are typically neglected by more "literary" guides. Written by literary scholars, this invaluable resource provides high school and college students with everything they need to know to understand the authors and works of American popular fiction.

Coverage includes:

• The Bourne Identity
• The Bridges of Madison County
• Tom Clancy
• The Da Vinci Code
• Sue Grafton
• John Grisham
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Erica Jong
• Barbara Kingsolver
• The "Left Behind" books
• Elmore Leonard
• James Patterson
• The Secret Life of Bees
• The Silence of the Lambs
• Nicholas Sparks
• and more.

About the Author(s)

Geoff Hamilton received his Ph.D. in American literature from the University of Toronto and was a Killam Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia. His primary research interest is contemporary North American literature.

Brian Jones studied literature, philosophy, and education at Queen's University and did his graduate work in philosophy of culture at Cambridge University.

Reviews

"...a good jumping-off point for the more serious scholar of popular fiction as well as those seeking something new to read...impressive range and currency...A worthy addition to most libraries."

"...highly recommended for high-school media centers, public libraries, and academic libraries serving undergraduate students...a great go-to volume for any person who is writing a report on a popular-fiction author or for readers who want to know more about authors they've enjoyed."