Welbeck The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy: The definitive illustrated guide

This is more of an anthology of fantasy TV and film titles and not at all an encyclopedia of all things fantasy.If you want to know when Game of Thrones was released or who starred in Conan the Barbarian then it is a useful reference.I was hoping for something entirely different.

The encyclopedia does a survey of the fantasy field and stays at that level. As a reference book, if you are an enthusiast, you know large sections of it already. The Clute & Grant "The Encyclopedia of Fantasy" (published by Palgrave MacMillan, also on Amazon) is a much better reference book for enthusiasts. However, if you're just starting out with fantasy, it's a decent place to start because the survey is at a high level and points you to sub-genres and creators which may help you pursue the veins you find interesting.