A comprehensive encyclopaedia of the fantasy field. From precursors such as Shakespeare and Dante, through Lewis Carroll, George MacDonald and L. Frank Baum to J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and their modern successors, like Ursula Le Guin and Stephen R. Donaldson, the text has over 4000 entries covering every aspect of fantasy - in literature, films, television, opera, art and comics. It is intended as a reference work not only for fans of the fantasy genre, but also for anyone interested in how elements of the fantastic are used in the imaginative arts.