This reference book is a collection of fiction set in New Jersey that is not available anywhere else--its historical contexts, its social interactions, its varied landscapes--from 1796 to the present. The book contains summary descriptions and a reference section providing information about the authors' works and relationship with New Jersey; dates of publication; 14 different genres (for example, coming of age, campus fiction, history, humor, and mystery). The collection covers 265 exemplary authors of 365 novels, short stories, sketches, and plays. The underlying theme is the importance of place to the characters in New Jersey fiction. This easy-to-use guidebook introduces the reader to the engrossing history and literary importance of New Jersey.