A review by rachela1eaf
A Short History of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn, Edward James

5.0

A delightfully engaging summary of some of the most important works of fantasy (and some sci-fi as well) throughout the ages. Anyone who grew up on fantasy will find this a joy; learning the culture context beyond the countless fantasy books I read growing up was fascinating. I feel like I learned quite a lot, but most importantly, my reading list has now expanded exponentially. I also appreciate the attention to cultural contexts such as queer visibility and feminism, and the attempt to expand beyond Western fantasy. It is far from comprehensive, but that is of course, not the point. Definitely check this out if you're interested in fantasy and how it's grown over the years.