A Brief History of American Literature offers students and general readers a concise and up-to-date history of the full range of American writing from its origins until the present day. It covers fiction, poetry, drama and non-fiction, as well as looking at other forms of literature including folktales, spirituals, the detective story, the thriller and science fiction; considers how our understanding of American literature has changed over the past twenty years; and offers an abridged version of History of American Literature