The tough guide to fantasyland

How it reads

The tough guide to fantasyland is fantasy (satirical fantasy guidebook, specifically), and its dominant mood is funny. The humour is the point, not garnish. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in an invented world, in no single period, told through letters, documents or mixed forms. Its central concerns are art and creativity, power and politics and identity. In weight it's light and escapist — easy to fall into.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending is left open, for you to argue about. It's a short book. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.