---. Studies in Lucian's Comic Fiction. Mnemosyne supplement, no 43. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1976. [Concentrates exclusively on Lucian's novelistic works, especially "Lucius the Ass." Includes a short chapter on "A True Story" that discusses sources and provides an interesting if somewhat unconvincing table of parallels between Books I and II.]
Baldwin, Barry. Studies in Lucian. Toronto: Hakkert, 1973. [Studies of Lucian's career, his friends and enemies, his linguistic satire, his views on oratory, his treatment of historiography, and his religious and social views. Argues that Lucian's works were inspired by and reflective of his age, but does not develop the argument through sophisticated critical readings.]
Branham, R. Bracht. Unruly Eloquence: Lucian and the Comedy of Traditions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989. ["Lucian attempts to engage his audience in a momentary bridging of the gap between its historical present and cultural past through a parodic revival of a whole array of paradigmatic types and cultural ideals preserved by diverse traditions from the classical past" (p. 4). He evaluates past "cultural types and codes" in terms of their contemporary significance.. A chapter on the techniques and substance of the mingling of the serious and comic in Lucian's dramatic style; a chapter on Lucian's use of Plato, especially his adaptation of Platonic dialogue; a chapter on the complex parody in Lucian's comic and irreverent treatment of the gods (with a particularly good discussion of "Zeus the Opera Star"); a chapter on "Alexander the False Prophet" (with some observations on "The Death of Peregrinus"; and a conclusion that insists that Lucian's comic detachment allows him to adopt a variety of significant roles. Branham concentrates on a relatively limited group of works, but his discussion is particularly interesting and intelligent.]
Duncan, Douglas. Ben Jonson and the Lucianic Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979. [A good introductory chapter on Lucian as comedian and satirist (rather than philosopher) is followed by chapters on Erasmus, More, the Renaissance reputation of Lucian, and the satiric theater. The last half of the book takes up the major plays of Ben Jonson.]
Fowler, H. W. and F. G. Fowler, trans. The Works of Lucian of Samosata. 4 vols. Oxford: Clarendon, 1905. [The Fowlers' translation is Victorian in two senses: its style, although lively and elegant, is somewhat old-fashioned, and it leaves out passages (in "A True Story" for example) that might offend properly moral people. Nonetheless, it is a pleasing and accessible translation.]
Georgiadou, Aristoula and David H. J. Larmour. Lucian's Science Fiction Novel, True Histories: Interpretation and Commentary. Mnemosyne supplement, no. 179. Leiden: Brill, 1998. [On "A True Story." The excellent introduction covers the theme of truth and falsehood, the allegorical journey towards knowledge, parody, and (quite briefly) influence on later satires and science fiction. The commentary that makes up most of the book is keyed to the Greek text but is filled with useful information, especially in the introductions to each section.]
Hall, Jennifer. Lucian's Satire. New York: Arno, 1981. [Scholarly and judicious; chapters on Lucian's life, on Menippean satire, on philosophy and religion, on rhetoric, and on parody and burlesque include substantial discussions of individual works. Perhaps the best introduction to Lucian in English.]
Jones, C. P. Culture and Society in Lucian. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1986. [Sees Lucian less as an imitator of other books and more as an original observer of life around him. Introductory chapters on Lucian's life and experience of society are followed by topical chapters in which various works are grouped and summarized. The summaries supply useful information, but Jones does not move towards interesting critical generalizations.]
Kirk, Eugene P. "Boethius, Lucian, and Menippean Satire." Helios n.s. 9.2 (Winter, 1982): 59-71. [In seeking to explain why Boethius used the Menippean form for his philosophical meditation The Consolation of Philosophy, Kirk considers in detail the similar philosophical and even religious concerns of Lucian.]
---. Menippean Satire: An Annotated Catalogue of Texts and Criticism. New York: Garland, 1980. The introduction defines Menippean satire (rather loosely) and comments on the history of the genre, as revealed by the following catalog. The catalog describes works from the third century B.C. to the mid-seventeenth century, taking a generous, non-restrictive view of the genre. The final chapter describes critical works.]
Relihan, Joel C. Ancient Menippean Satire. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. [The introduction comments on the theories of Northrup Frye and Mikhail Bakhtin and proposes a further definition of Menippean satire that particularly stresses the mixture of prose and verse, the presence of fantasy, the parody of other literary forms, the mockery of learning, and the influence of The Odyssey, Old Comedy, and Platonic dialogue. The individual chapters take up Menippus, Varro, Seneca, Petronius, Lucian, Julian, Martianus Capella, Fulgentius, Ennodius, and Boethius. The treatment of Lucian considers only the satires in which Menippus is a character ("Necyomantia" and "Icaromenippus") and argues that there is an "ironic distance" between Lucian the satirist and Menippus the mocker.]
Robinson, Christopher. Lucian and his Influence in Europe. London: Duckworth, 1979. [The first sixty-five pages are an excellent general introduction to Lucian, with cogent comments on many particular works (e.g., parody in "A True Story"). The remainder of the book traces Lucian's influence on European literature, with particular attention to Erasmus and Fielding.]