Superlinguo linguistics books master post - fiction and non-fiction
This post is a collection of all the reviews and write ups of linguistics fiction and non-fiction that has appeared on Superlinguo over the years. I’ll add to this post whenever I write a new review.
See also, the separate post of links to linguistics books for young people.
Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch
I didn’t write a review of this because it’s weird to review a book where you pop up as a minor character in a chapter. I can promise the rest of the book is also excellent. Gretchen is one of the most compelling pop linguistics writers out there.
Language Unlimited: The Science Behind Our Most Creative Power, David Adger
This example-rich ten chapter volume from David Adger focuses on the unique syntactic capacity of human languages. I wish there were more linguistics professors bringing their A-game to a larger audience like this.
How We Talk, N.J. Enfield
If you did linguistics but never got to study Conversation Analysis, or you want a whistlestop tour of some of the most interesting work to come out of the field in the last couple of decades, this book is certainly worth a visit.
Women Talk More than Men… and Other Myths about Language Explained, Abby Kaplan
Each chapter takes a ‘myth’ about language and deconstructs it, with careful and critical attention to research.
The Art of Language Invention, David J. Peterson
This book is designed as an introduction to conlanging, but can just as easily be read as an introduction to linguistic analysis, or a refresher if you’re heading back to university and want to polish up on your linguistics vocab.
Secret Language, Barry J. Blake
Blake does a good job of wending his way though an impressive array of topics, explaining things clearly and providing often entertaining examples, but never dwelling too long on any one topic.
You Are What You Speak, Lane Green
Overall this book is a great read, suffused with both enthusiasm for the topic and a desire to not fudge things for the sake of a good anecdote.
Bastard Tongues, Derek Bickerton
Bastard Tongues is part memoir, part linguistic adventure. Until as recently as the 1970s Creoles were dismissed as simple languages, arising from simple communicative needs. Bickerton very quickly shows that this is not the case.
The Information, James Gleick
The first three chapters focus on language and literacy without a bit or a broadband to be seen.
Netymology, Tom Chatfield
Netymology is a romp through the lexicon of the interwebs, with 100 short and snappy entries all focusing on one or two words, their meaning, etymology, origins and changing usage.
A Christmas Cornucopia, Mark Forsyth
If yours is the kind of family that gets a kick out of sitting around guessing the punchlines to the jokes in Christmas crackers, then you’ll get a great deal of entertainment in your post lunch stupor reading and sharing informative gems from this volume.
The Speculative Grammarian Essential Guide to Linguistics
SpecGram takes you a giant leap towards absurdity, often masked by seemly earnest academic rigour.
Some of this is fiction with clear linguistic themes, other times I’ve made a post about reading something like a linguist.
The Darkest Bloom (Shadowscent Book 1), P.M. Freestone
A Young Adult fantasy adventure, with a cracking pace and memorable characters. The book features the first few snippets of Aramteskan, a language I created to be unlike any existing human language, which places smell at the centre of people’s experience. Check out the Shadowscent hashtag on the blog for more news.
Native Tongue, Suzette Haden Elgin
There are two separate plots that explore linguistic relativity, the first explores the consequences of humans learning languages of aliens with radically different perceptions of reality. The second, and really the core of the book, is the secret organisation of women who are creating their own language to escape the tyranny of the male dominated world.
Babel-17, Samuel R. Delany
The pace is good, the universe isn’t too badly dated and even though there’s a neat ending with regards to some of the plot, there are enough unanswered questions for the reader to build their own conclusions.
Embassy Town, China Miéville
Even if you’ve not studied language or linguistics Mieville guides you though the narrative turns with consummate skill that rarely feels too heavy handed.
New Finnish Grammar, Diego Marani
The tale itself is a compelling one, but for a word nerd it’s got another layer of intrigue as the Finnish language is a central focus of the story.
Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
Stephenson goes right to the heart of some of the biggest debates in linguistics in the 20th century, although Hiro doesn’t seem that convinced by Universalism.
Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
Woven throughout the story are a small number of examples of this ‘dialect’, and while I tried very hard to behave and just enjoy reading the books, I couldn’t help but note them all down.
Repairing the World, John Chu
In a reality that is constantly being invaded by portals to other worlds, linguists are called in to deal with whoever and whatever comes through from the other side.
Polyglossia, Tamara Vardomskaya
Although a work of fiction, it touches on many of the social tensions in the context of endangered languages and efforts to document and revive them.
The Story of Your Life, Ted Chiang
It’s one of the best fictional descriptions I’ve come across of the process to document and capture a language you don’t speak.
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