Most Popular Non-fiction Books of the 20th century

Discover popular Non-fiction books from the 20th century, with reader ratings and new favorites to explore.

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Books in this list

J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography

Humphrey Carpenter

Biography · Non-fiction

1977

Tree and Leaf

J. R. R. Tolkien

Fantasy · Short Stories · Non-fiction

1964

A Tolkien Bestiary

David Day

Middle-earth · Non-fiction

1978

J. K. Rowling: A Biography

Sean Smith

Biography · Non-fiction

1999

Tolkien: The Illustrated Encyclopedia

David Day

Middle-earth · Non-fiction

1992

Belgarian Universe

The Rivan Codex

David Eddings, Leigh Eddings

Fantasy · Epic Fantasy · High Fantasy · Non-fiction

July 1998

The Empire Strikes Back: The Illustrated Screenplay

Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas

Non-fiction

1998

Discworld Reference

The Discworld Companion Updated

Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs

Non-fiction

1997

The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche and Other Odd Acquaintances

Peter S. Beagle

Fantasy · Short Stories · Non-fiction

1997

Miscellaneous Writings

H. P. Lovecraft

Non-fiction

1995

The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction: An A-Z of Science-Fiction Books by Title

David Pringle

Non-fiction

1990

Dune Universe

The Dune Encyclopedia

Willis E. McNelly

Non-fiction

1984

The Milford Series: Popular Writers of Today

Kurt Vonnegut: The Gospel from Outer Space (Or, Yes We Have No Nirvanas)

Clark Mayo

Non-fiction

January 1, 1977

H. P. Lovecraft's Selected Letters #5

Selected Letters V

H. P. Lovecraft

Non-fiction

1976

H. P. Lovecraft's Selected Letters #4

Selected Letters IV

H. P. Lovecraft

Non-fiction

1976

H. P. Lovecraft's Selected Letters #3

Selected Letters III

H. P. Lovecraft

Non-fiction

1971

H. P. Lovecraft's Selected Letters #2

Selected Letters II

H. P. Lovecraft

Non-fiction

1968

H. P. Lovecraft's Selected Letters #1

Selected Letters I

H. P. Lovecraft

Non-fiction

1965

Discworld Mapps

The Discworld Mapp

Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs

Non-fiction

1995

Discworld Mapps

The Streets of Ankh-Morpork

Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs

Non-fiction

1993

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland

Diana Wynne Jones

Non-fiction

1996

A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking

Natural Sciences · Non-fiction

1988

Elric

Elric at the End of Time

Michael Moorcock

Fantasy · Sword and Sorcery · Short Stories · Non-fiction

1984

The Wheel of Time

The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

Robert Jordan, Teresa Patterson

Non-fiction

1997

Discworld Reference

Nanny Ogg's Cookbook

Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs

Non-fiction

1999

The History of Middle-earth #10

Morgoth's Ring

J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien

Fantasy · Middle-earth · Non-fiction

1993

The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of: How Science Fiction Conquered the World

Thomas M. Disch

Hugo Award · Locus Award · Non-fiction

1998

The History of Middle-earth #11

The War of the Jewels

J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien

Fantasy · Middle-earth · Non-fiction

1994

Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places

Ursula K. Le Guin

Non-fiction

1989

Unicorn Variations

Roger Zelazny

Fantasy · Science Fiction · Locus Award · Short Stories · Non-fiction

1983

The Entropy Exhibition: Michael Moorcock and the British New Wave in Science Fic

Colin Greenland

Non-fiction

1983

The Atlas of Middle-earth

Karen Wynn Fonstad

Non-fiction

1981

The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction

Ursula K. Le Guin

Non-fiction

1979

The Way the Future Was: A Memoir

Frederik Pohl

Biography · Non-fiction

1978

The History of Middle-earth #3

The Lays of Beleriand

J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien

Fantasy · Middle-earth · Non-fiction

1985

The Science of Discworld #1

The Science of Discworld

Terry Pratchett, Jack Cohen, Ian Stewart

Fantasy · Non-fiction

1999