Thomsen, Brian M., ed. The American fantasy tradition.

Tor. 604p. bibliog. c2002. 0-765-30456-2. $17.95. SA

This interesting anthology of tales has stories by many well-known American authors (including Irving, Hawthorne, Alcott, Lovecraft, Jackson, King, Le Guin, Henry James, Mark Twain, Stockton, and L. Frank Baum) as well as by some little-known writers. The writers are all Americans, but not all fantastic literature written by Americans is represented. The editor employs a fairly restrictive description of American Fantasy Tradition as incorporating "the frontier legacies of the pioneers complete with their heroism and adventure as well as with its sense of danger and primitive savagery" and "the egalitarian vision of democracy, the self-made man, and the American dream with the harsh realities of both the rural and urban wildernesses." Under the parameters of this description, "for the most part, the American fantasy hero is an everyday person with everyday concerns." Some of the tales in this fine collection are familiar and some are obscure, but all of them are enjoyable reading. Hugh Flick, Jr., Silliman College, Yale Univ., New Haven, CT

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.