Library Journal: This collection of essays, some original and many revised and updated, represents a wide range of thought and many sterling examples of what makes science fiction and fantasy popular and so appealing for readers, along with what causes some readers not to like it. They also offer insight into where the speculative fiction conversation with itself, its past, and its readership is going in the future. Readers interested in the study of genre and those who have been captivated by SF’s ability to explore the future while commenting on the present will find their TBR piles expanding exponentially. These essays provide a thoroughly researched but highly opinionated exploration of the science fiction and fantasy genres by two award-winning novelists who have, in addition to writing in the genre, spent significant time thinking and writing about their genre and analyzing where speculative fiction has been and where it might be going.
VERDICT Highly recommended for collections of literature studies, particularly but not limited to studies of SF and fantasy, and collections where Walton’s What Makes This Book So Great and An Informal History of the Hugos, as well as both authors’ novels, have been popular.