This book is intended to help readers extend the number of authors they read, and thus promotes reading. First published in 1993, the 7th edition of this standard reference work has a new editor, but retains the features established and refined by Roy and Jeanne Huse in previous editions. “The Readers' Guide” comprises three quarters of the book – an alphabetical list of over 2,000 authors (the largest number of any edition of the book), from Jeff Abbott to Markus Zusak. The key information for each author is the list of up to 12 other authors who write similar books, or books with similar appeal characteristics. Thus a reader can look up an author and find the names of other authors whose books he/she might like to read. For each author, a compact entry also presents life dates and nationality and, where relevant, pseudonym(s); genre and sub‐genre; characters, series and families (sagas); setting/environment; and literary prizes/awards. Indicators are given for authors who write books suitable for older teenagers, and for those who also write for children.
In choosing which authors to include, the starting point is the 400 most borrowed writers in UK libraries as provided by the Registrar of Public Lending Right (except for those who write solely for children). Other authors are suggested by the team of advisors, and from the quarterly updates to the online version of the guide. In general, authors must have written at least three books. The editor states that “the book represents an excellent cross section of what is available in libraries and bookshops throughout the UK and Australia”.
There are a few changes from the previous edition. Author web sites are no longer listed in the book, as these are easily discoverable via web search engines (however web sites are retained on the online version). “Classic” and many “modern classic” authors have been removed from the main section of the book – writers such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, CS Lewis, Somerset Maugham, Virginia Woolf. Fortunately a list of the excised names is given, with recommended titles for each author. This made available space for hundreds of new authors not included in the 6th edition – for example, Stieg Larsson. The extensive genre classification was updated for the 6th edition and appears to be largely unaltered for the 7th. Subgenres are included for Adventure/Thriller, Crime, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Sea, and War classifications.
A quarter of the book is supporting material and indexes. As well as the list of “classic” authors, there are lists of literary awards and winners from 2005, “crossover” authors (a reliable selection of authors to introduce older teenagers to adult fiction), recommended reference books which can be used alongside “Who else writes like …?, and suggested genre web sites. Separate indexes that refer to names in the main alphabetical sequence are included for pseudonyms; genres/subgenres; characters, series and family names; and geographical and/or environmental settings. The online version provides searchable access to all the content, and is updated quarterly.
This is a must‐have reference book for public libraries and an excellent guide for readers anywhere. A handy summary of information about popular fiction authors, it's compact, portable and quick and easy to consult. Devoted readers will love it, and it's just the resource for readers puzzled about who to read next among the thousands of names available in libraries and bookshops. Highly recommended.
