THE PENGUIN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORROR AND THE SUPERNATURAL

[New York]: Viking, [1986]. First edition. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket. Note: Oversize heavy volume, extra postage likely. (30965). Large octavo, cloth backed boards. The first attempt to produce a true encyclopedia of the literature of fear: supernatural and psychological. Provides about 650 entries written by 65 contributors (including Sullivan) that, with a few exceptions, fall into three categories: Authors (writers, artists and illustrators, composers and others); films (131 entries for individual films, plus several more combined in an essay "Dracula on Film"); and themes (54 essays on architecture, mad doctors, special effects and other topics). The encyclopedia has been criticized for lack of editorial balance, but deficiencies are offset by excellent critical essays by E. F. Bleiler and others and entries (e.g. Richard Dalby on Arthur R. Ropes) that provide information not found elsewhere. "Unlike too many fantasy-horror reference works, this encyclopedia gives considerable coverage to poetry themes, as well as to individual poets." - Steve Eng. Barron (ed), Fantasy Literature 6-31. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 6-31. Burgess, Reference Guide to Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror (2002) 17.