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This is a brief discussion of James Thurber and, of course, of some speculative-fiction books by Thurber.
This discussion and list does not necessarily include every book by Thurber: 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 Thurber tells, how those tales are usually told, and what makes them and Thurber worthy; in sum, to help you rank James Thurber (and the works by Thurber 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.
Thurber was a famed cartoonist and all-round wit—best known for his work in the renowned New Yorker magazine—who also wrote some humorous books, among them a few fantastic books nominally for children, but obviously written (like many of that sort) with adults firmly in mind (and tongue firmly in cheek). There is a fine set of Thurber references already assembled at the James Thurber Pathfinder [archived copy] links page. The always useful Authors Calendar site has a nice Thurber page; eNotes also has a useful Thurber information page. And there is a Thurber interview by George Plimpton from the Paris Review.
There are some individual appreciations of his books, notably of The Thirteen Clocks (which Neil Gaiman has hyperbolically called “probably the best book in the world”) available, one from The Chicago Tribune, another from Russ Allberry.
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