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Inspirations & Techniques
The Astounding Illustrated History of Fantasy & Horror
Companion title to The Astounding Illustrated History of Science Fiction this new book reflects the same roots in Gothic literature but follows a complementary path through the 20th century, to the movies of Peter Jackson, the success of streaming TV series such as Grimm, and the fantasy of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. From the wellspring of Frankenstein, Germanic fairy tales, and heroic, epic myths a dark and fantastic path can be found to the fragmentation of the 1930s: the schlock horror of early modern movies, the invention of High Fantasy by Tolkien and fellow Inkling C.S. Lewis, and the pulp magazine powerhouse Weird Tales with Robert E. Howard’s sword and sorcery archetype Conan.
A brilliant concoction of movie posters, stills, book covers, fantastic art and incredible timelines.
A brilliant concoction of movie posters, stills, book covers, fantastic art and incredible timelines.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published August 24, 2018
About the author
Roger Luckhurst
54 books48 followersRoger Luckhurst is a British writer and academic. He is Professor in Modern and Contemporary Literature in the Department of English and Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London and was Distinguished Visiting Professor at Columbia University in 2016. He works on Victorian literature, contemporary literature, Gothic and weird fiction, trauma studies, and speculative/science fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 17, 2019
I love these kinds of books - the problem is that they can get very additive and make me wish that rather than spending time reading this title I should have been out there reading the titles they were referring to.
Seems a catch 22 really in that I have learnt so much and about so many titles (from various mediums) that I just did not know about, the problem is that (and I will admit it openly) I am easily distracted by other things so as a result my TBR pile not only never goes down but changes more often that summer fashions.
That said these books are a wealth of information (along with the sister title on Fantasy and Horror).
I will have to raise one thing - the book is a rather mix of old and new. The authors make no secret that many of the subjects have modern illustrations even when they are referring to classic publications where their illustrations would have just as much impact. I do wonder if this is the authors wish to modernise the genre or just to have the publishing version of "click bait" when people flick through.
It is a minor observation and one like I say that the authors draw attention to so you cannot really challenge them over that.
The other thing about this book is that the subjects - a sort of potted history of the subject is rather unique as well - its a challenge to read the book from cover to cover but as a random journey where one reference leads to another and so on its incredible. To the point in fact there reading it sequentially I was struggling but jumping through the chapters I really got lost in the book.
SO highly recommended but its not for the established reader I think than the novice. Not that I am claiming to be either but I was rather smug (possibly too) that not only did I recognise a lot of the references but I in fact owned copies of them
Seems a catch 22 really in that I have learnt so much and about so many titles (from various mediums) that I just did not know about, the problem is that (and I will admit it openly) I am easily distracted by other things so as a result my TBR pile not only never goes down but changes more often that summer fashions.
That said these books are a wealth of information (along with the sister title on Fantasy and Horror).
I will have to raise one thing - the book is a rather mix of old and new. The authors make no secret that many of the subjects have modern illustrations even when they are referring to classic publications where their illustrations would have just as much impact. I do wonder if this is the authors wish to modernise the genre or just to have the publishing version of "click bait" when people flick through.
It is a minor observation and one like I say that the authors draw attention to so you cannot really challenge them over that.
The other thing about this book is that the subjects - a sort of potted history of the subject is rather unique as well - its a challenge to read the book from cover to cover but as a random journey where one reference leads to another and so on its incredible. To the point in fact there reading it sequentially I was struggling but jumping through the chapters I really got lost in the book.
SO highly recommended but its not for the established reader I think than the novice. Not that I am claiming to be either but I was rather smug (possibly too) that not only did I recognise a lot of the references but I in fact owned copies of them
September 3, 2019
Quite glossy and well illustrated but it is largely a chronological list, leaping between films, books and comics and its often not necessarily directly related genres - A coffee table book format, and not much depth or analysis. A fun book to skim through, with a good glossary for further study
April 26, 2019
Liked it quite a lot. Recommended.
January 2, 2026
Was excited to see titles I know and enjoy, even added some new titles to my TBR. Coffee table book with familiar pictures, worth checking out if you're into the genres.
March 22, 2022
4 / 5 for 'The Astounding Illustrated History of Fantasy and Horror' by Roger Luckhurst et al.
This was an enjoyable potted history of the concepts and genres of both Fantasy and Horror, in the formats of book, comic, TV and film. Many pivotal points are touched upon through the author's historic view, with important creators and works referenced and discussed in varying amounts of detail.
The book is well presented, but a fair few of the images appear to be screensaver type pieces of cheap(ish) original art - a higher number of actual pieces of art from the history of sci-fi itself would have been appreciated.
The book is generally well researched, with just two factual inaccuracies through the whole 192 big pages. I liked how the author touched upon changes within society and our real world, alongside the changes within horror and fantasy.
Overall, an enjoyable and well-presented history of horror and fantasy.
4 / 5
This was an enjoyable potted history of the concepts and genres of both Fantasy and Horror, in the formats of book, comic, TV and film. Many pivotal points are touched upon through the author's historic view, with important creators and works referenced and discussed in varying amounts of detail.
The book is well presented, but a fair few of the images appear to be screensaver type pieces of cheap(ish) original art - a higher number of actual pieces of art from the history of sci-fi itself would have been appreciated.
The book is generally well researched, with just two factual inaccuracies through the whole 192 big pages. I liked how the author touched upon changes within society and our real world, alongside the changes within horror and fantasy.
Overall, an enjoyable and well-presented history of horror and fantasy.
4 / 5
September 21, 2021
Best $10 I’ve ever spent!! I’m so happy to have read this book in preparation for Halloween. This is a fantastic book of useful information concerning the roots of fantasy and horror and ends with a coverage of recent films and books. I am excited to refer back to this book whenever I’m looking for a specific, good book or movie in these genres. 10/10 recommend to everyone, even if it’s just to educate you on a major part of entertainment history and it’s industry.
February 27, 2021
Great overview of the worlds of fantasy and horror as they have been represented in all forms of artistic expression, from the Victorian era to modern times.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews