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Great Science-Fiction a critical list with discussions Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books by
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Standard Disclaimer:
This is a brief discussion of George MacDonald and, of course, of some speculative-fiction books by George MacDonald This discussion and list does not necessarily include every book by MacDonald: it includes only those books that I both know and like. Just as with the author list itself, omission of a particular item may mean I didn't think highly enough of the omitted item, or it may simply mean that I have not yet sufficient familiarity with it. (In a very few cases, I have listed some books merely on the strength of my opinion of the author: all such books are clearly marked below, as throughout these lists, with a hash mark (#) before the title so you know what's what.) I don't pretend that this discussion is a deep analysis. My intent is no more than to give you a rough idea of what kinds of tales MacDonald tells, how those tales are usually told, and what makes them and MacDonald worthy; in sum, to help you rank MacDonald (and the works by MacDonald listed here) on your personal literary "to do" list. |
Regrettably, I have not yet had an opportunity to write an essay on this author, but the "Other Resources" section below will lead you to some information about the "Notable Books" listed farther down this page.
MacDonald now being seen as a major writer (and theologian), there is no shortage of material about him on the web. The foremost resource is the site The Golden Key, wholly devoted to MacDonald and his works; another major MacDonald resource is The George MacDonald Society.
Besides those dedicated sites, there are several useful pages: George MacDonald on the Victorian Web; George MacDonald & Michael Phillips (Phillips supposedly helped "revive" interest in MacDonald's work); an essay, "The Childlike in George MacDonald and C. S. Lewis", at Donald King's C. S. Lewis site; and a George Macdonald page at the American Chesterton Society site.
In addition, there is a periodical, North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies.
There are also numerous brief biographies and individual book reviews, none of which add much, if anything, to what the links above provide.
And there is an interesting page of links to numerous portraits of George MacDonald, with thumbnails.
As with the web, there are many possibilities. Here are a few:
For the Childlike, Roderick McGillis (editor)
George MacDonald: Literary Heritage and Heirs, Roderick McGillis (editor)
George MacDonald: Victorian Mythmaker, Rolland Hein
The Harmony Within: The Spiritual Vision of George MacDonald, Rolland Hein
The Gold Thread: Essays on George Macdonald, William Raeper
George MacDonald and His Wife, Greville MacDonald
That list is merely indicative, not by any means exhaustive; you can find some other MacDonald-related titles at the Questia site.
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Site Directory:
The site's Front Page |
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(essential one-time reading) |
Introductory Material: | ||
Welcome:
a quick site overview and some mechanical details |
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Apologia:
the criteria used to make these lists (A long page, so also available in two parts for those with slow internet connections.) · Apologia: Part 1 · Apologia: Part 2 |
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Site Organization: what's where, and why |
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(the heart of the site) |
The Authors: | ||
Author List (just a lightly annotated list of the authors here--not the best place to start) |
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Specialty Lists: several author "sub-lists" (such as the 5-star greats) |
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Author Links: links to useful external pages or sites for each listed author |
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More Books: yet-unread candidate books by authors already in these lists |
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Other Candidates: authors, and books, that--pending actual reading--seem likely candidates for these lists |
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(typically gotten to by author) |
The Books: | ||
All Listed Science Fiction & Fantasy Books (a long file to download) |
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Preferred Editions: for those books having such (a work in progress) |
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The Other Books: all cited books not in the master fiction list, collected in one place |
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Overlooked Gems of Science Fiction & Fantasy: wonderful works sadly under-known |
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Light-Hearted Science-Fiction & Fantasy: there's more than you might think |
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Religiously Themed Science Fiction & Fantasy: something the field handles wonderful well |
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Science Fiction & Fantasy For Younger Readers: a selection from these lists of appropriate works |
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100 Great Works of Science Fiction & Fantasy: using an expansive definition of "works" |
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"Guilty Pleasures" of Science Fiction & Fantasy: sometimes even gourmets just want a big bag of potato chips |
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Buying Books New:
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Buying Books Used:
searching for used books anywhere in the world |
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Our Speculative-Fiction "General Store": | |||
About the Science-Fiction Book Club: info & online signup |
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(often the most interesting part of any site) |
Miscellaneous Topics & Info: | ||
Musings: an ever-growing collection of, yes, musings |
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Obiter Dicta: collected miscellaneous |
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"That Other Genre": crime/mystery fiction |
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Science-Fiction & Fantasy Art and Illustration: online galleries of diverse works |
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