Great Science-Fiction & Fantasy Works

Science-fiction & fantasy literature: a critical list with discussions.

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Standard Disclaimer:

This is a brief discussion of Ian McDonald and, of course, of some speculative-fiction books by McDonald.

This discussion and list does not necessarily include every book by McDonald: 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 McDonald tells, how those tales are usually told, and what makes them and McDonald worthy; in sum, to help you rank Ian McDonald (and the works by McDonald listed here) on your personal literary “to do” list.

A Few Words About Ian McDonald

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.

Other Ian McDonald Resources

Ian McDonald Resources on the Web

First off, there is Cyberabad, McDonald’s blog (but last updated 30 March 2012). There is also Ian McDonald, a fan page (last updated 11 October 2004). More up to date, and quite helpful, is the McDonald, Ian entry at The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

There are, of course, also numerous one-off reviews of individual books; for those, Google Is Your Friend.

Ian McDonald Resources in Print

Notable Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books by Ian McDonald **

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