Samuel R. Delany: A Reference Guide to His Life and Works is the first encyclopedic overview of Delany’s fiction, essays, public talks, and interactions with leading writers and icons, from W. H. Auden to Wonder Woman. No book offers such a comprehensive guide to the scope of Delany’s presence in American letters, literary, and popular culture. The alphabetical listing is organized to maximize reader accessibility, with cross-references that allow for exploration of his intertextual and intracultural reach. His biography is also meticulously detailed with entries on his grandfather Henry Beard Delany (born enslaved and the first black bishop of the Episcopal Church), aunts Sarah and Bessie Delany (the celebrated sisters of Having our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years), parents (into whose home many leaders of the Harlem Renaissance were welcomed), and the vast cultural landscape with which he has engaged for over five decades..
This book contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 200 cross-referenced entries addressing each of Delany’s major novels, short stories, nonfiction, and theoretical texts, and entries addressing the full scope of Delany’s writings and major events in his life. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Samuel R. Delany.