History & Criticism

philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy Is Renowned For Its Mystery And Magic. What’s The Truth Behind It All? Is The Golden Compass Actually Based In...

Join David and Leigh Eddings on a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of the extensive background materials they compiled before beginning the masterpiece of...

In Harry Potter And Philosophy, Individual Chapters Look At Such Topics As Life Revealed In The Mirror Of Erised; The Ethics Of Magic; Moaning Myrtle, Nearl...

Who was the real Nicholas Flamel? How did the Sorcerer’s Stone get its power? Did J. K. Rowling dream up the terrifying basilisk, the seductive veela, or...

The Dark Tower is the backbone of Stephen King's legendary career. Inspired more than thirty years ago by works as diverse as J.R.R. Tolkien's epics, Rober...

Beliefs in mysterious underworlds are as old as humanity. But the idea that the earth has a hollow interior was first proposed as a scientific theory in 169...

Full-color maps and illustrations from every reach of Middle-earth make this an essential guide to exploring Tolkien’s world. Full-color maps and illustra...