Updating and expanding the original edition of 1981, this major revision of a Magill standard contains a total of 363 articles: 348 on individual authors, plus 12 comprehensive overview essays, an annotated bibliography of short fiction criticism, a chronology, and a glossary. All 49 articles from the 1987 Supplement to the Critical Survey have been incorporated into the Revised Edition, either by being revised to bring them up to date or by being replaced with completely new articles. Of the 363 articles in the current edition, 65 are completely new entries, and 227 have been substantially revised. In place of the secondary bibliographies that appeared at the ends of articles in the original edition, all articles now feature new, updated, annotated bibliographies. Finally, the comprehensive subject index, listing names of literary personages, titles of works receiving substantial discussion, and literary terms and concepts, has been revised to cite new material. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

This revised set focuses on authors of short stories, even if that genre does not constitute the bulk of their work, and the art of short story writing. It covers such diverse writers as Ovid, Hans Christian Andersen, Ursula Le Guin, Alice Walker, and Woody Allen. Entries are arranged by author, and each includes birth and death dates, titles of principal short fiction, titles of other literary works, achievements, biography, other major works, critical analysis of work overall and of specific works, and an annotated bibliography. Several essays, constituting a chronological history of short fiction, appear in volume 7, including "Short Fiction in Antiquity," "The Romance Form in the Late Middle Ages," and "Short Fiction since 1960."<^P>Of the 363 articles (348 author entries, 12 essays) in this revision, 130 are basically the same as they were in the 1981 original version or the 1987 supplement, 227 are revised, and 65 are completely new. Revisions were made based on changes in the author's status, either biographical or literary. All articles are signed, and revised entries indicate both the original author and the author of the revision, but their credentials are not given. The bibliographies were updated to include current literature.<^P>In addition, there is a chronology of important events in short fiction from 4000 B.C. to A.D.1991, a glossary of terms and techniques associated with short-fiction writing, and an index that includes proper names, titles of collections and individual works, and terms from the glossary.<^P>The analysis section of each article is valuable as a resource for high school and older students. These segments are usually several pages in length and include a summary of each work discussed and a discussion of the author's life experiences as reflected in his or her work. The entries as a whole will give the researcher an understanding of the author, his or her body of work, the times in which this person wrote, and the genre. Recommended for high school libraries, especially those that found the original edition useful. (Reviewed Oct. 1, 1993) From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

This revision of the first edition (7v., 1981) includes 348 entries on individual authors, of which 65 are completely new. Other major changes include deleting the section of 390 brief entries on minor authors and reducing the first edition's 50 articles on short fiction to only 12. The bulk of the current edition is composed of articles on individual writers, typically 5 to 10 pages in length, which consist of brief sections on achievements and biography, lists of major work, and a brief annotated bibliography of secondary sources. Each article analyzes selected works of short fiction in some depth, including both critical insights and plot summary. The quality of critical analysis is generally high. The selection of authors ranges from medieval times to the present, with an emphasis on 20th-century American authors. Although a work of this nature cannot be comprehensive, some well-known authors of short fiction (e.g., Robert Benchley, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Elizabeth Taylor) are omitted. A useful reference work, but libraries that own the earlier edition may not find this one necessary. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.