"This comprehensive guide to the world of fantasy is packed with illuminating text and illustrations covering every aspect of this extremely popular genre. Learn about the development of fantasy from earliest times through to its current range of forms including Fairy Tales, Sword & Sorcery and Shared Worlds. Examine fanasy's television and big screen manifestations in chapters packed with fascinating facts about all the important fantasy films and the central themes of the most popular series, serials, teleplays and TV movies. Discover the major fanasy authors along with important figures from other media, in the context of their works and best-known creations. Meet a host of heroes, villains, companions, mythical beasts and other popular characters from across the whole field of fantasy.Uncover the world of DIY fantasy with a look at computer games, role-playing games, wargames, trading-card games, board games and game books. Step inside some of the most popular and enduring fantasy universes, including J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar, Rober Jordon's World of the Wheel, J.K. Rowling's Hogwarts and Terry Pratchett's Discworld"--BOOK JACKET.