Reviews (2)

I wrote a review, but for some reason
It ended up in the discussion area, so please read that. Poor Stan Lee, his mighty ship has been taken over by the rats!

It's no OHOTMU, but it does the job
In the style of their 2004 publication, "The DC Comics Encyclopedia," Dorling Kindersley have released "The Marvel Encyclopedia," a guide to the characters of the Marvel Comics universe. DK are no strangers to Marvel's universe, having frequently released "Ultimate Guide" books covering the histories of Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Hulk, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and next year, Ghost Rider. But how does this tome, touted as "the definitive guide," stack up?
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Subjects:  1. Comic strip characters    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Encyclopedias    4. Fantasy    5. Graphic Novels    6. Graphic Novels - General    7. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    8. History & Criticism    9. Marvel Comics Group    10. Reference    11. United States    12. Reference / Encyclopedias   

Reviews (6)

Great Book
This is a great book, considering how huge it is. Being written in 1998, this book has all the current knowledge. There's more info on the actual era and the technical asspects of dinosaurs than the actual dinosaurs. Despite the price, this book is worth it.

Questions about dinosaurs that go deeper than the surface?
If so, then this is the book for you! The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs is a wonderful, up-to-date book that covers most, if not all, topics concerned with dinosaurs.Well put-together, beautifully illustrated, and written by today's top paleontologists, the Encyclopedia is well worth the price.Although it doesn't get too technical, this book is not for the uninformed.A must have for any serious dino-enthusiast - believe me, it will answer your questions, and lead you to ask more!5 stars may not be enough for this one!(Plus it's massive enough to knock some sense into the not-so-dino-loving loved one or associate in your life!)

This definitely belongs on the shelf of any dino-lover.
When I first received this book for Christmas, I was shocked!The book was the size and weight of a telephone book!It's packed with skeletal drawings, cladograms, paintings... You name it, it's in the text. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dinosaurs    2. Encyclopedias    3. General    4. Paleontology    5. Reference    6. Science    7. Science Fiction    8. Vertebrate Paleontology    9. Nature / General    10. Palaeozoology    11. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. Comic strip characters    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Encyclopedias    4. Fantasy    5. Graphic Novels    6. Graphic Novels - General    7. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    8. History & Criticism    9. Marvel Comics Group    10. Reference    11. United States    12. Cartoons    13. Encyclopaedias & reference works    14. Reference / Encyclopedias   

Reviews (5)

An 8-year old's dream
My son loved this book. It's full of enough obscure information to make him feel like an expert in the field of Bionicles. Of course, it's full of so much information that he's now an insufferable font of Bionicle facts!

great book for kids, wonderful moms resource!!
my boys have spent hours reading and coming up with all sorts of new information. i bought 2 so there would be some commradary. boy, i tell you it even got me hooked and interested in these little people of metru nui and all their friends and enemies we have great chats as to what does what and what some of these creature...people look like. book has some stickers but only a few. my boys constantly refer to it , the little bio fans they are

Bionicle Encyclopedia
The book is informative enough but the pictures are really small. It's hard to appreciate the detail of the different characters. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    6. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (9)

Fantastic book
I love this book. It is very comprehensive and I cannot wait for the release of Mr. Nevins next book on Pulp Heroes. We need more books like this.

Awesome!
Though no encyclopedia can claim to be truly exhaustive, this fantastic work by Jess Nevins is incredible in its breadth as well as in terms of incisiveness. Despite Nevins'somewhat apologetic note regarding being subjective, it is my opinion that that is the only way by which the Victorian literature can be made vivid enough to oversome the fog and gaslight. This work is magnificient in all aspects. Enjoy it.

A Reading List That's Worth Reading Itself
This is a page turner for the web generation.
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Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Encyclopedias    3. English literature    4. Fantasy fiction, English    5. Fiction - Science Fiction    6. General    7. History and criticism    8. Reference    9. Science Fiction - General    10. Science fiction, English    11. English    12. Fantasy    13. Novels, other prose & writers: 19th century    14. Reference works   

Reviews (3)

Good artwork but it isn't worth the money.
This book is okay, but there could have been a little more information in it on (the pictures are huge and take up most of the page space). That being said, the artwork is great, but it doesn't compare to books like the Spiderwick Field Guide and Dragonology. If you're looking for something a little more complete, and something that is worth 25 dollars, don't buy this book.

Excellent for fantasy fans!
This book has beauitful pictures, great amount of information that is easy to understand and read. I highly recommend this book to every and any fantasy fan! Myself, I've been looking for this type of book for a long time but never knew what to search to find it. One day I got the idea to type in my search "Fantasy Encyclopedia" and that is when I found this book.
Amazing!!!
This book is spectacular! With color pictures on every page, it illustrates nearly every creature of fantasy imaginable, from the Baba Yaga to the Cockatrice. Kids and adults of all ages will treasure this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals, Mythical    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    6. Encyclopedias, Juvenile    7. Fairies    8. General    9. Juvenile Folk Tales / Mythology / Fables    10. Juvenile Nonfiction    11. Literary Criticism & Collections    12. Reference - Encyclopedias    13. Social Science - Folklore & Mythology    14. Juvenile Nonfiction / Reference / Encyclopedias   

Reviews (55)

Not the book that I thought it would be
This book was extremely disappointing.A great volume of the book was filled with details about individuals who have an interest in cryptozoology.Perhaps three names belonged in the book, if even that.Some of these people do not belong in a cryptozoology book any more than I do.Take away the sections on people pursuing bigfoot and other oddities and you are left with a scant book.I have enjoyed the author's books in the past, but this book fell short.

Informative and a very good start off point for those interested in cryptozoology
Loren Coleman and Jerome Clark's book, Cryptozoology A to Z is a very informative encyclopedia that clearly and simply states the facts about the cryptids (animals of interest to cryptozoologists) and those who investigate and study such animals. There's other books that deal in much ore detail about specific cryptids, but for those whose interest in the subject of cryptozoology is still in the basic stage will find this book helpful in starting them out on a very interesting and fun hobby or calling.

An Excellent Reference Point
Not only deals with the many cryptids you've probably heard of, (Yeti, Bigfoot, Nessie, etc.) but others like the Shunka Warak'in, Chuchunaa, and Nguoi Rung most probably have not. The many tales of recent zoological discoveries, will also infuse fans of the still-waiting-to-be-classified, with new hope. But more than just an encyclopedia of Cryptozoology, it is also a greatbiographical reference source to the who's who of researchers. Not the most exhaustive work by far, but for the price, a great place to start. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Controversial Knowledge    2. Cryptozoology    3. Encyclopedias    4. Encyclopedias and dictionaries    5. General    6. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    7. Monsters    8. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Unexplained Phenomena    12. Wonders And Curiosities    13. Body, Mind & Spirit / General    14. Science fiction   

Reviews (16)

Encyclopedia Magica is a MUST!
Encyclopedia Magica vols 1-4 has to be one of the BEST Dungeons and Dragons accessories ever made and a definite must-have for every DM! A must have
These books are my most prized possesion. Although I own and prefer the original faux-leather editions better (which are long out of print)than the latest paperback. They are stacked with tons of info on almost every item created in D&D history.

The hardcover is not a hardcover
Amazon misleadingly lists the first printing of this book as a hardcover.This series was NEVER printed in hardcover form.The book listed as a hardcover is actually the original "bible" or "fancy" edition of the book.It comes with a faux-leather vinyl cover, fancy bible-quality paper, and two ribbon bookmarks that are sewn into the binding.Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dungeons and dragons (Game)    3. Encyclopedias    4. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    5. Games/Puzzles    6. Role Playing & Fantasy - Dungeons & Dragons    7. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (3)

Loved it!
I know there are alot of things that could be complained about if you want to get picky, there's bound to be SOMEONE who doesn't have a full entry, or their own entry, and it's true, there ARE a few...but SERIOUSLY! The most comprehensive encyclopedia of the Marvel character universe ever undertaken! No longer is your favorite hero or villian reduced to a maximum of one page, now whatever it takes to flesh out the bio, the more that's in there. Rich, imaginative diagrams and spec sheets of just about everything non-living that has an importance in Marvel. Iron Man's armor, the Avengers Mansion, too many to list. Read the whole first edition in a sit down, I remember my brother buying the original series, simply overwhelming, and a MUST OWN for any more than casual Marvel fan. Just got notified that Edition2 is on it's way, I can't wait!!!

It's in black and white
It's great that editions 1-7 are collected here but it would have been MUCH better if the illustrations were in color.

A complete paperback compilation of the deluxe edition...
...in three installments. I did not have the privilege of owning the original run of the Deluxe Edition of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, but I do have the trade paperback of ten volumes, which unfortunately when read by volume will fall apart on the spine (the 1st 4 volumes were carelessly bound). For the first time I read the entries for such obscure Marvel characters as Cloud, Arnim Zola, Blackout (which has another entry of the Deluxe Edition's Book(s) of the Dead), and for the first time I see the original feature illustrations for Angel, Cyclops, and Hawkeye which were replaced in the trade paperback edition. For a Marvel fan who has lived throughout the seventies and eighties this is the book for u, the era before the so-called "Dark Ages" of comicbook. Here are the Marvel characters who ante-dates the overexposure of the X-Men and the antihero and the big gun types. This is the expansion of the original run of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (1983-1984), which explains why most feature illustrations of characters are exactly the same as in the first run. The only handicap of this series was that it failed to materialize its own Appendix, unlike in the first series, which published them on the back of the backcover. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Encyclopedias    3. Fantasy    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - Fantasy    6. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    7. History & Criticism    8. Comics & Graphic Novels / General   

Editorial Review

Since 1977, the Read more

Reviews (96)

star wars encyclopedia
i found the content great especially for it being the original trilogy and comic books as well as the mini movies. it was also suprising that it was current up to the modified episodes of 4-6.

Really crummy...
I am terribly sorry I bought this book. I'm a big fan of George Lucas' Star Wars work, but this is an expensive edition dealing all the novels written on his idea, and doesn't cover anything about Episodes I, II and III. Where is Jar-jar Binks? What about Qi-gon? Nope, not a single line.
Excellent *THEN*, Not so hot now....
This was an excellent book when it came out, and just glancing at the other reviews gives you an idea of what the good qualities are- and there are many.
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Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Encyclopedias    3. Film & Video - General    4. Film & Video - Guides & Reviews    5. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    6. Performing Arts    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Science Fiction - Star Wars    9. Science Fiction Films    10. Star Wars films    11. Reference / Encyclopedias   

Reviews (1)

Final Chapter in a Unique Classic
Note: The description for this volume provided by Marvel (on Amazon and the sites of other online book-sellers) is really a description of Vol. 2, not this, the 3rd volume. Also, this series origionally came out nearly 20 years ago, so it is quite dated, but still provides more info. than any other book of its sort, and based on the recent Marvel Encyclopedias (which I loved but were NOTHING next to the level of info. put into the Hand Book series), nothing like them will ever be seen again.
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Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Fine Arts    3. General    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    6. Reference    7. Comics & Graphic Novels / General    8. Fantasy   

Reviews (17)

Great introduction to mythology
I accidentally stole this book from my college library, when I put it in my bag and forgot it was there until I got home (how I got it through the electronic sensors is an unsolved mystery). Once I realized the mistake though, I couldn't bring myself to return it. It is true that, as other reviewers have pointed out, this book is anything but comprehensive, and is certainly not an academic or reference work. However, it is the most beautiful, entertaining book on mythology I've yet seen, and will probably inspire many who read it to track down some of those more scholarly references. Apart from the fanciful illustrations, I found the democratic scope of the work particularly commendable- the authors pull many of their entries from the usual sources, such as the folklore of the British Isles and Egyptian mythology, but they also look to more unusual inspiration such as contemporary American hobo mythology. I also like how the conceit of the book- to discuss these "things that never were" as if they really existed- is applied not only to subjects culled from ancient mythology, which presumably were at some point viewed more or less as factual, but also to those created whole-cloth for relatively recent works of literature. Given that the focus of the book is so free-ranging, it is inevitable that there are some weird omissions and emphases- no separate entries for the bulk of the Greek pantheon, but page after page of detailed notes on locations featured only in Gulliver's Travels, for example- but this same quality means that even the most seasoned mythology afficionado is likely to find something new or surprising here. A truly entertaining work.

encyclopedia of things that never were:creatures, places and people
I purchased this book when I was about 17 years old(21 years ago!)and loved every minute that I spent reading and looking at the fantastic illustrations of this wonderful book.I shared it with my children and they were hooked as well. I recommend it to any body who loves fantasy and mythology,you will not be disappointed.

Quite Good
I bought this book a couple of years ago in a moment of pure whim, and I've not regretted the purchase. Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Fantastic fiction    3. Fantasy literature    4. Folklore    5. Folklore & Mythology - Mythology    6. General    7. Mythology    8. Oral And Folk Literature    9. Reference    10. Science Fiction And Fantasy    11. Reference / General   

Subjects:  1. Biosphere    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Earth    6. Encyclopedias, Juvenile    7. General    8. Juvenile Earth Sciences    9. Juvenile General And Reference Works    10. Juvenile Nonfiction    11. Reference - Encyclopedias    12. Science & Nature - Earth Sciences    13. Juvenile Nonfiction / Reference / Encyclopedias   

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Encyclopedias    3. History    4. Reference    5. Science    6. Science Fiction & Fantasy    7. Science fiction    8. Europe    9. Reference / Encyclopedias    10. Science: General Issues   

Editorial Review

Marvel's late-'80s Read more

Reviews (1)

A Must-Have for hard-core Marvel Fans
Okay, so granted the info here is nearly 20 yrs. out of date, but it still is the paragon to which any and all comic book guides should strive to emulate. When Marvel undertook the Delux Handbook series they went didn't hold anything back. The history of even the most obscure characters is delved into with great detail, and the specs on all armor, wepons, etc... is beyond fantastic. Also, the section of each entry relating to the various powers or applications of weapons and armor and such are given great consideration; the authors do their best to give a logical and scientific explaination to each and every one of these subjects, as well as to how said individual got their powers or skills.
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Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Fine Arts    3. General    4. Graphic Novels    5. Reference    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / General    7. Science fiction   

Reviews (14)

Incredible amount of information
Pierre Dubois covers a vast array of different types of faeries.This is more for the serious study of faeries and less on their cute aspects.Contains lots of information from folklore and mythology.

I do believe in Faeries... but...
This book did not live up to its potential... sure it told the facts but it lacked in interest and good art. If you want a book that renews/brings the faery faith into you, then I would suggest Good Faeries Bad Faeries by Brian Froud. Now that man knows what he is talking about!

Welcome to the REAL Fairyland!
This is a MUST for any true lover of the Faerie world. By this I do NOT mean the prissy Victorian idea of Faeries as twee little tinkerbell types. This is the real stuff. The Red and Black ladies, the Selkies and all the other nasty little members of the un-Seelie Court. Here you will find the good with the bad, the beautiful with the ugly. If this was a map, there would be 'Here be Monsters' written on it. (but then it would be too late!) If you ONLY like the Brian Froud stuff (and I do as well) then you will be dissapointed. The line drawings are perfect for this book. They give an edge. The scope is worldwide, although predominetly Eurocentric. The bibliography is enormous and the research extensive. Of course there is nudity. Faeries are nature spirits - they don't NEED clothes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    3. Fairies    4. Folklore & Mythology - Folklore    5. Literary Criticism    6. Literature: Folklore/Mythology    7. Reference    8. Science Fiction And Fantasy    9. Techniques - Drawing - Specific Subjects    10. Fantasy    11. Fiction / Fantasy / General   

Reviews (36)

A must for Dune fans!
My copy of the Dune Encyclopedia is from 1985 and I remember seeing it on the shelf at the bookstore and purchasing it without even looking at it first!
Irony
The first time I ran into the Dune Encyclopedia was purely by accident.I was on Morpheus (a P2P downloading site) and I typed down "DUNE" on the search bar, on the generated list was "The Dune Encyclopedia".
Holy Grail found!!
Just recently I found a good condition copy of The Dune Encyclopedia at a local used book dealer.I was completely shocked to have found it on the "recent arrivals" shelf in the Sci-Fi section.I grabbed it up and leafed through it to verify its existence.It was real alright.The fact that I bought it for only $4.50 is more extraordinary.Yes, $4.50 !!! They must not have realized what a treasure they had. Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction - General   

Reviews (8)

Sweeping Overview
This book gives a great overview of the entire world of Warhammer - covering all the races, their motivations and backgrounds, history (including a timeline) and culture.The art was a bit bright and fancy, but I came away aghast with the depth of this world.

A GOOD READ!! A MUST BUY FOR WARHAMMER FANS!!!
this book is a great read for anybody that is starting in warhammer, if you are a veteran player, though, you might want to subscribe to white dwarf instead. the book is informative about almost any army, the magic, the units and the history of warhammer and the grudges that the races have with each other. nice..
fantastic book from the man who worked as deputy editor for GW's citidel journal... and may I add, put so much bloody sweat and beer into it that it actually got out on time for the few month's he was there... (nice one)Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy games    2. Games    3. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    4. Games/Puzzles    5. Role Playing & Fantasy - General    6. Role Playing & Fantasy - Strategy Games    7. Warhammer (Game)   

Editorial Review

This masterful follow-up to the 1993 Read more

Reviews (13)

Not what I expected...
I'm sure that this would be a wonderful book for anyone interested in the history of the fantasy genre - including movies and television shows, characters and certain authors.However, if you are looking for a book that contains information of the fantasy world itself (ie. mythical beasts, worlds, spells, etc...), like I was, this is definately the wrong book for you.I am a fantasy writer and was looking for information that would help in my writing.This book, now that I have had a good look at it, will sit on my shelf and collect dust until I can find someone to give or sell it to.If you are looking for information on movies, this is a book for you... If not, then don't waste your time and money on this book.It is not worth it.

all I can say is thank heavensIboughtthisused!!!!
There are so many disappointments here I don't know where to start but I'll give it a try just in case you are considering purchasing this paperweight. All I can say is Thank God I bought it used! First, no pictures AT ALL. Second, there is a very annoying problem with the text. When you read the sentence above with the words 'AT ALL' in capital letters you probably emphasised those two words in your head. This is a normal thing to do especially now with e-mail etiquette using words written in capital letters as a form of 'written yelling'. Well, the authors, editors, whomever, chose to capitalize [as opposed to italicize],all the words in each listing that appear elsewhere in the book as a heading. This makes for very dis-jointed and annoying reading. Of course this is a personal opinion of mine, it may not bother you. So here is another one, jargon, or I should say more correctly, made-up terms by the authors supposedly referring to fantasy books. This book is filled with these imaginary terms that no one else has heard of but them. It reads like someone's lame thesis. As if they wrote this overblown dissertion all about fantasy books and tried to make themselves soundso very literary and intellectual. Kind of pathetic folks! Bloody Amazing
Fantasy Geeks can't complain any longer--not with the addition of this volume to their already heavily burdened bookshelves: their readerly fetish is now fully indexed, glossed, and cross-referenced.Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Fantasy fiction    3. Fantasy films    4. Fantasy in art    5. Fantasy literature    6. General    7. Reference    8. Science Fiction & Fantasy    9. Science Fiction And Fantasy    10. Fantasy    11. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. 1916-    2. American - General    3. Encyclopedias    4. Fantasy fiction, American    5. Literary Criticism    6. Science Fiction & Fantasy    7. Science fiction, American    8. Vance, Jack,