The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy

By: D. J. Butler

Narrated by: Gary Lane

A guide to the most illuminating literature of the modern world.

Science fiction and fantasy comprise some of the great works of the human imagination—and some of the most abhorrent. This is your Politically Incorrect Guide® to a literary tradition that is a key to understanding the modern world.

Before men knew how to write, they were telling each other stories of gods and monsters. But science fiction and fantasy are not escapist literatures and they never have been. Science fiction grapples with the great questions of technology and human society. Fantasy grapples with the great questions of the human spirit. A reader who can find his way to the enduring classics of these genres will be immeasurably enriched.

In this book you’ll learn about futurists and dreamers such as Ray Bradbury and J. R. R. Tolkien, master storytellers such as Orson Scott Card and Isaac Asimov, troubled scribes such as J. K. Rowling and George R. R. Martin, and failed visionaries who preach a dysfunctional anti-human future such as Ursula LeGuin and the covens of woke disciples infesting the literature of the imagination.

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy is a gazetteer to futures filled with big dreams and innovation, imparting a healthy sense of wonder and mapping those dangerous regions filled with dragons waiting to consume with fire the careless, uninformed, and prideful.

All is chaos, yet nothing is new. This is the perfect moment to give guidance to readers and to new practitioners alike.

©2025 D. J. Butler (P)2025 Skyhorse Audio

I agree with the author Quidditch is silly!

This book offers a fascinating exploration of the roots of fantasy and science fiction. The author's research is impressively thorough, uncovering connections and context that enriched my understanding of the genres. His argument that J. R. R. Tolkien stands as the greatest literary figure of the 20th century—closely followed by J. K. Rowling—is both bold and convincing. I found myself nodding in agreement throughout.

Good

Book good. I like.
In all seriousness this is a great book that covers a lot of SFF history with humor and precision.

A great overview

This book is a great overview of science fiction and fantasy. Butlers doesn’t delve too deeply into any one topic, but gives the reader a broad base upon which to build an understanding of the field. He also doesn’t force a particular view on the reader, instead showing both sides of any controversy or topic. He does express his views on several topics, but makes it clear those are his opinions. This is refreshing.

I strongly recommend this book.