Novels and Novelists

A Guide to the World of Fiction

 edited by Martin Seymour-Smith

St. Martin’s Press, New York. 1980. Hardcover in dust jacket. 288 pages. (8¾ X 11¼). Introduction by the editor. The editor presents a very good history of the novel with a lot of help from a group of contributors. Crime fiction is introduced by H. R. F. Keating and Brian W. Aldiss covers science fiction. There are essays on many world authors; including Agatha Christie, Barbara Cartland, Ross Macdonald, Michael Moorcock, and Len Deighton. The largest section of the book is an alphabetical listing of authors and some of their works. Selected books are graded by readability, characterization, plot, and literary merit, and are given a one to five star rating in each category. This is similar to Keating’s Whodunit? in structure.

Scan and Commentary by Bob Gaines