# Fantasy Must Read List



## Joe the Gnarled

I have compiled a list from the fantasy reading list thread: 
http://mythicscribes.com/forums/novels-stories/196-fantasy-reading-list.html
I hope no one is upset if I included something that should have been excluded, or excluded something that should have been included, but it was a good bit of information to sift through.  I have sorted the works by date so people will have some idea of what they are getting into if they decide to look for a particular piece of work.

*Disclaimer- some dates may be publication dates, and some may be the dates the work was written

Here is the must read list:

“Beowulf”
“Aesop's Fables”

15th Century 
“Le Morte d'Arthur” by Sir Thomas Malory (1485)

 16th Century
“The Faerie Queene” by Edmund Spenser (1590 first installment, 1596 second installment)
“A Midsummer Night's Dream” and “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare (1594-1596? /1611)

19th Century
Grimm's Fairy Tales (1812, 1814, 1819, 1822) WHO WROTE???
"The Water-Babies" by Charles Kingsley (1863)
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There" by Lewis Carroll (1865/1871)
"The Coming Race" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1871)
"The Princess and the Goblin" by George MacDonald (1872)
"The Wood Beyond the World" and "The Well at World's End" by William Morris (1894/1896)
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum (1900)

20th Century
"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
"The Little House in the Fairy Wood" by Ethel Cook Eliot (1918)
"The Worm Ouroboros" by Eric RÃ¼cker Eddison (1922)
"The King of Elfland's Daughter" by Lord Dunsany (1924)
"Lud-in-the-Mist" by Hope Mirrlees (1926)
"Islandia" by Austin Tappan Wright (1942 written in 1920s)
"The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937/1954-55)
"Titus Groan", "Gormenghast", and "Titus Alone" by Mervyn Peake (1946/1950/1958)
"The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956)
“The Once and Future King” by T. H. White (1958)
"Earthsea" series by Ursula K. LeGuin (1964, 1971, 1972, 1990, 2001)
“Merlin” trilogy by Mary Stewart (1970, 1973, 1979)
“Magician” by Raymond E. Feist (1982)
“Dark Tower” series by Stephen King (1982-2012)
“Dragonlance” series “Chronicles”, “Legends”, and “Heroes” trilogies by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman (1984, 1985/1986, 1988)
“Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan (1990-2010)
“Neverwhere” by Neil Gaiman (1996)
"Bas-Lag" series by China MiÃ©ville (2000, 2002, 2004)

21st Century
All works yet to be published by Members of Mythic Scribes


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## Joe the Gnarled

This was in response to:



Behelit said:


> I want to sticky this thread, but I'd like it if the OP could organize each posters suggestions into the original post or create a master list that combines a couple of the highest recommended from each post. That way anyone that refers to this thread has a quick-view list to refer to as opposed to having to read through individual posts in order to create their own.
> 
> Thank you for all of your contributions, keep them coming if any more come to mind.



I am in the process of compiling a list of other works listed on the original thread that were mentioned but not a "must read".  Hopefully I will be done by Tuesday.


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## Joe the Gnarled

Here is the list of books that were mentioned but did not make the “Must Read” list:

“First Law” series by Joe Abercrombie
“The Chronicles of Prydain” by Lloyd Alexander
"The Books of Abarat" series by Clive Barker
“Tithe” by Holly Black
“Death Is A Lonely Business” by Bradbury
“The Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher
“Divine” series, “Partholon” series by PC Cast
“The Heir” trilogy, “The Seven Realms” series by Cinda Williams Chima
“Little Big” by John Crowley
“Lord Foul's Bane” by Donaldson
“Shanara” series by Sara Douglas
“Belgariad” and ”Malloreon” or “Elenium” and “Tamuli”  by David Edding
“Malazan Book of the Fallen” series by Steve Erikson
“Villains by Necessity” by Eve Forward
“Neverwhere”, "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
"Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
“Waylander” and “Legend” by David Gemmell 
“The Dwarves” series by Markus Heitz
“Mythago Wood” by Holdstock 
“Watergivers” series by Glenda Larke
“Gentlemen Bastard” series by Scott Lynch
 “Ombria in Shadow” by Patricia McKillip
“A Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R.R. Martin
“The Abhorsen Chronicles” by Garth Nix
“Feed” by Mira Grant
"Temeraire" series by Naomi Novik
"The Fionavar Tapestry" trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay
“Discworld”, “Equal Rites” series by Terry Pratchett
“The Unsuspecting Mage” series by Brian S. Pratt
“Power & Majesty” by Tansy Rayner Roberts
“The Anvil of Ice” by Michael Scott Rohan
"Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling
“The Last Wish” by Andrzej Sapkowski
“Talion: Revenant” by Michael Stackpole
"Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series by Tad Williams 
“Daughter of the Empire” series Janny Wurts
“Chronicles Amber” series by Zelazny

These authors were mentioned without any particular work being specified:

R. Scott Bakker
Jennifer Fallon
Terry Goodkind
Robin Hobb 
Robert E. Howard 
Fritz Lieber
H.P. Lovecraft


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## Kelise

Yay, thanks so much for that 

Just a note though - the Scott Lynch series is 'Gentleman' Bastard, not Gentlemen  

I think I now have a whole lot more to add to my 'to read' pile now.


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## Joe the Gnarled

Oops  I probably missed a few things like that.  I was moving a lot of things around and retyping here and there.


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## Black Dragon

Joe,

Thanks for taking the time to compile this list.  Believe it or not, *this very thread* was featured today on *The Huffington Post* in their books section!


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## Joe the Gnarled

Wow... It is my first published work!!!  lol


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## Eliazar

Nice list, thanks for the effort. By the way, Grimm's Fairy Tales were "written" by the Brothers Grimm, that is compiled and edited from oral stories from Germany and other parts of Europe.

And as Beowulf is mentioned, the Scandinavian/German Nibelungen might fit in here, too. Not so sure how famous it is in anglophone countries, but here it's a big thing and one of the most important pieces of epic stories.


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## Joe the Gnarled

Eliazar,

You are absolutely correct on both accounts.  I was attempting keep the list uniform.  I probably should have put some editorials down at the bottom.  Oh well, hindsight being what it is, I know better now.

I was hoping for a sticky... but the mod god does not smile upon me


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## Black Dragon

Joe the Gnarled said:


> I was hoping for a sticky... but the mod god does not smile upon me



You need only ask.


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## Donny Bruso

Nice list, Joe. Good to see _Villains by Necessity_ and _Talion: Revenant_ in there. Two of my favorite books that don't get enough exposure in my opinion.


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## Joe the Gnarled

Thank you Dragon.  You have made my day.

I think it is a pretty good list Donny.  Everyone here came up with the titles. I just took all that input and made the list.


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## Angharad

Great list!  Many of my favorites are on there, and I will add others to my endless reading list.  Thanks for posting!


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## The Muse

I think everybody should have a go at _The Black Jewels Series_, by Anne Bishop.
It is so richly dark and powerful. Literally every person that I have introduced it to, has fallen in love with it. =)


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## flyboy

Hello, this is my first day. I like the reading lists - seems I haven't read as much as I thought. I 've read some but not read a lot on the list. However, I have a short list of my favourites:

Robert Holdstock (Mythago series) JRRT, Stephen Donaldson, David Gemmell, Terry Brookes, Charles D Lint, Raymon Fiest (Fairie Story, James Herbert (once). But I also like Scifi:Arthur C Clarke, Doc E Smith, Wastson on the Integral Trees.

Regards: To all


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## pskelding

Michael Stackpole - Cartomancy series, Draconis series and Dark Glory War
Gay Gavriel Kay - Anything he's written, especially Under Heaven
Joe Abercrombie - Heroes and Best Served Cold


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## HÃ«radÃ¯n

I would like to suggest things
1. Trudi Canavan's "The Magician's Apprentice", "The Black Magician" trilogy, "Age of the Five" trilogy and "Traitor Spy" Trilogy(only 2 books of this one are done)
2. Kristen Britain's "Green Rider" series
3. J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Silmarillion"


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## Ark1117

"The Farseer Trilogy" by Robin Hobb. Definitely powerful prose and an overall story that is very creative and original.


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## Author-Vic

I didn't see Mercedes Lackey on this list and would venture to say that reading her work would be an entertaining visit into fantasy.


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## markn12

Check out Ross Lawhead's debut work _The Realms Thereunder_. For a first effort, it's quite good. As the son of Stephen Lawhead, perhaps he will be measured by his father's success. However, I would advocate reading him for his own merits. If you enjoy great plots, then you won't be disappointed. Here's a link to Amazon: 

The Realms Thereunder


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## Arcbound Phyrexian

Ok, now say you were on a poor college kid's budget, but really like to actually own a book in your collection (none of this kindle nonsense or books borrowed from a library). Which books are the number one must reads? How do you all rank these books?

For example, the _Wheel of Time_ series in quite an expense, especially if there are better books out there.


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## mythique890

You can probably find them used on Amazon.  I've gotten books from there for $2 before.


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## julienlegault

I just picked up _A Wizard of Earthsea_. It was surprisingly hard to find, and you'll be saddened to know they categorize it as "Age 9-12" now to move more copies. _Sigh._ I am still excited to read it, and then some of the others on this list!


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## rayne

The last Herald Mage-Series is also one of my favorites.  I would definitely add that to my list.  I did think that the Arabat series was rather boring and hard to follow.  Anyone else feel this way?


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## Angharad

My daughter loved Abarat when she was a teenager, but I haven't been able to finish it although I tried twice.  I'm not sure why, it's very clever and imaginative, but it just doesn't hold my attention.


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## Gutendaug

Very helpful list. I am just getting into fantasy, and I love writing. You can't write what you don't read's my motto, and this will start me on reading some great books.


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## Merc

@Joe... Directly after reading the list, I immediately thought of the first law series.  Can't get enough of Joe Abercrombie, Best Served Cold is pretty amazing too.


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## Kit

+1 on the Anne Bishop Dark Jewels books.  Truly a unique spin- not just another fantasy series.

Along with Song Of Ice and Fire, two of my three all-time favorites. 

The third being: the Fifth Millenium series (Meier, Wehrstein, and Stirling). Start with Shadow's Daughter by Meier (I already pimped this book in the "well-written deaths" thread.) Meier and Wehrstein are currently doing weblit serials set in the Fifth Millenium. The former took a minor character from the dead-tree series and ran with it; the latter is rewriting her main character's storyline into a much-expanded version.


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## Masronyx

Joe the Gnarled said:


> Here is the list of books that were mentioned but did not make the “Must Read” list:
> 
> “First Law” series by Joe Abercrombie
> “The Chronicles of Prydain” by Lloyd Alexander
> "The Books of Abarat" series by Clive Barker
> “Tithe” by Holly Black
> “Death Is A Lonely Business” by Bradbury
> “The Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher
> “Divine” series, “Partholon” series by PC Cast
> “The Heir” trilogy, “The Seven Realms” series by Cinda Williams Chima
> “Little Big” by John Crowley
> “Lord Foul's Bane” by Donaldson
> “Shanara” series by Sara Douglas
> “Belgariad” and ”Malloreon” or “Elenium” and “Tamuli”  by David Edding
> “Malazan Book of the Fallen” series by Steve Erikson
> “Villains by Necessity” by Eve Forward
> “Neverwhere”, "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
> "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
> “Waylander” and “Legend” by David Gemmell
> “The Dwarves” series by Markus Heitz
> “Mythago Wood” by Holdstock
> “Watergivers” series by Glenda Larke
> “Gentlemen Bastard” series by Scott Lynch
> “Ombria in Shadow” by Patricia McKillip
> “A Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R.R. Martin
> “The Abhorsen Chronicles” by Garth Nix
> “Feed” by Mira Grant
> "Temeraire" series by Naomi Novik
> "The Fionavar Tapestry" trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay
> “Discworld”, “Equal Rites” series by Terry Pratchett
> “The Unsuspecting Mage” series by Brian S. Pratt
> “Power & Majesty” by Tansy Rayner Roberts
> “The Anvil of Ice” by Michael Scott Rohan
> "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling
> “The Last Wish” by Andrzej Sapkowski
> “Talion: Revenant” by Michael Stackpole
> "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series by Tad Williams
> “Daughter of the Empire” series Janny Wurts
> “Chronicles Amber” series by Zelazny
> 
> These authors were mentioned without any particular work being specified:
> 
> Scott R.R. Bakker
> Jennifer Fallon
> Terry Goodkind
> Robin Hobb
> Robert E. Howard
> Fritz Lieber
> H.P. Lovecraft




Garth Nix, Guy Gavriel Kay, ANYTHING by Patricia McKillip, Some good choices.  I have read the Abhorsen series, the Fionavar Tapestry was awesome, I loved it, and I have always been a fan of McKillip's writing style and novels.  You've also listed a bunch for me to look out for.  But I'd also like to add Robert E. Howard and C. L. Moore (Jirel of Joiry and Northwest of Earth).  The Sword and Sorcery era of the early to mid 20th century has some of the best stuff.


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## phoenixwings

Thanks for the lists of these, some i have read and am fond of, others i can now purchase and get into them. I have always been a fan of fantasy and and reading some of the books that have been mentioned makes for better writing in this genre. 

Thanks again.


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## Robdemanc

What about 2001, that is fantasy really.


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## Janga

The King Raven trilogy by Stephen Lawhead is a great spin on the Robin Hood story! Check out the first book in the series "Hood". I enjoyed it immensely.


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## Sami

_Trudi Canavan is currently my favour author and has been for a number of years.
I must suggest that 'The black magician trilogy' by her is most definitely a must-read series. _


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## Degenerate Hill Person

Jack Vance's "Dying Earth" and "Lyonesse" series.  He just turned 95 not too long ago.


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## Reaver

I highly recommend the *"Demons of Lashte"* by Benjamin Clayborne. You can find it at www.amazon.com/Demons-LashtÃ«-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B006VE6J1S

Like every other work of fiction I've read by this guy, it's *REALLY* good!


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## Benjamin Clayborne

Haha, thanks for the support, man!


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## Reaver

I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it! 

Seriously, everyone...you gotta read this!!


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## xerolee

My favourite authors would be Robert jordan, trudi canavan, brandon Sanderson ( mistborn trilogy), George martin


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## charleshudgen

I love to read novels and with what you posted I read some of it. I saw some different novels there and I will try to read it maybe next week. Thank you for posting those books and keep us updated. 



______________________________________
Buy Science Fiction Book Online


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## Elder the Dwarf

Reaver said:


> I highly recommend the *"Demons of Lashte"* by Benjamin Clayborne. You can find it at www.amazon.com/Demons-LashtÃ«-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B006VE6J1S
> 
> Like every other work of fiction I've read by this guy, it's *REALLY* good!



Ben, I'm still waiting to add the novel to this list!


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## Benjamin Clayborne

Elder the Dwarf said:


> Ben, I'm still waiting to add the novel to this list!



I'm writin' as fast as I can, cap'n!

Actually I kind of lost a month—work got really hairy and much of my free time at home was spent working, too, so little progress was made. But that's over now and I'm back on track.


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## Holdwyne

Joe, a Most excellent list.......I did note one very small error however.
The Shanarra Series is by Terry Brooks....its jus a lil oops but we wouldnt want to offend Mr Magic himself 

I might add also that while your list is quite comprehensive and loaded with excellent choices worthy of the finest fantasy libraries. While you did mention Terry Goodkind, I submit Wizards First Rule was a great read as were the next 2 in the series. I personally thought the author dropped the ball as the series progressed. Then again, it may have simply been me in a mood for something different. 
 I might deem to add a few offerings that you may have regretfully missed. A boon to you if you have not managed to read them yet.
L.E. Modessit Jr's  Recluse series ( Up to i believe 15 volumes now this series has been around near on forever). His Chorean chronicles and Imager Series are also noteworthy.
Mel Odom's  Librarian Series. Pure unadulterated fun.
Jennifer Fallon ( Australian Author ) Harshini Series Not her first work but a Great job of World building with a story of Epic proportions.

Weiss and Hickmans Dragonlance Series ( The Original 4 Seasons)
Ed Greenwoods Shandril Saga. The original creator of the Forgotten Realms World, Like Feist anything Greenwood writes is exceptionally entertaining...

Now for a few older offerings.... A Cult classic by i believe its John Meyers Meyers  SILVERLOCK   a literary adventure where characters from myth and legend abound. You need to figure out who they are while you romp through the pages. A much loved favorite of many of our most esteemed scifi and fantasy authors. Finding a copy may however be difficult to nearly impossible to find. Well worth the search.

Then there is those few books that seem to cross the bounds between sci fi and fantasy. There are quite a few but I will refrain from listing them all and lean to one that while Sci Fi at heart, reads like a great Fantasy adventure. No elves however 

From Robert Silverberg..........Lord Valentines castle

And finally a Sci Fi  Book worth reading. And it is the Only book from this author worth spending time with.
L RON HUBBARDS Battlefield Earth. Yes, the movie stunk but it is a great read and believe it or not, well written. Nothing else he penned was worth the ink wasted IMHO. His Planet Earth dekology (10 volumes) was so far beyond horrid I burned the complete hardcover set just to insure nobody else would be put through the torture of perusing its ugly interior. I am sorry but crap is crap and if crap were king, L Ron Hubbard would have been given the golden throne of crapdom for that set............

So there you are, If any of you haven't read any of the above mentioned offerings, you have something to look forward to..


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## gavintonks

Stephen Donaldson, Julian May, Anderson, Scot card just a few at my fingertips and Lindholme


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## Holdwyne

Just finished Hidden Empire by Orson Scott Card last week........Was well written like all of his stuff..About a future civil war ( not too distant) in the USA....Kind of timely considering the social unrest....Was a good read, Highly recommend if you Like a cross between sci fi and techno thriller ( leans more to techno thriller I would say). Say  Tom Clancy but written by Heinlein.....You know Heinlein, He wouldn't need a thousand pages to tell a 400 page story....  LOL


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## Steerpike

gavintonks said:


> Stephen Donaldson, Julian May, Anderson, Scot card just a few at my fingertips and Lindholme



Lindholme==Robin Hobb, I think. Is that right?


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## gavintonks

This one is quite interesting as it is a reader poll
					Shop at
Move 	Rank 	Author/Editor 	Title 	Year 		Amazon
0	1	Orson Scott Card	Ender's Game [S1]	1985		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	2	Frank Herbert	Dune [S1]	1965		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	3	Isaac Asimov	Foundation [S1-3]	1951		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	4	Douglas Adams	Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy [S1]	1979		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	5	George Orwell	1984	1949		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	6	Robert A Heinlein	Stranger in a Strange Land	1961		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	7	Ray Bradbury	Fahrenheit 451	1954		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	8	Arthur C Clarke	2001: A Space Odyssey	1968		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	9	Isaac Asimov	[C] I, Robot	1950		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	10	Robert A Heinlein	Starship Troopers	1959		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	11	Philip K Dick	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?	1968		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	12	William Gibson	Neuromancer	1984		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	13	Larry Niven	Ringworld	1970		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	14	Arthur C Clarke	Rendezvous With Rama	1973		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	15	Dan Simmons	Hyperion [S1]	1989		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	16	H G Wells	The Time Machine	1895		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	17	Aldous Huxley	Brave New World	1932		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	18	Arthur C Clarke	Childhood's End	1954		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	19	H G Wells	The War of the Worlds	1898		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	20	Robert A Heinlein	The Moon is a Harsh Mistress	1966		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	21	Joe Haldeman	The Forever War	1974		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	22	Ray Bradbury	[C] The Martian Chronicles	1950		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	23	Kurt Vonnegut	Slaughterhouse Five	1969		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	24	Neal Stephenson	Snow Crash	1992		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	25	Ursula K Le Guin	The Left Hand of Darkness	1969		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	26	Niven & Pournelle	The Mote in God's Eye	1975		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	27	Orson Scott Card	Speaker for the Dead [S2]	1986		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	28	Michael Crichton	Jurassic Park	1990		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	29	Philip K Dick	The Man in the High Castle	1962		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	30	Isaac Asimov	The Caves of Steel	1954		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	31	Alfred Bester	The Stars My Destination	1956		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	32	Roger Zelazny	Lord of Light	1967		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	33	Frederik Pohl	Gateway	1977		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	34	Jules Verne	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea	1870		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	35	Stanislaw Lem	Solaris	1961		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	36	Michael Crichton	The Andromeda Strain	1969		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	37	Madeleine L'Engle	A Wrinkle In Time	1962		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	38	Carl Sagan	Contact	1985		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	39	Isaac Asimov	The Gods Themselves	1972		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	40	Kurt Vonnegut	Cat's Cradle	1963		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	41	Philip K Dick	Ubik	1969		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	42	Vernor Vinge	A Fire Upon the Deep	1991		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	43	John Wyndham	The Day of the Triffids	1951		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	44	Neal Stephenson	Cryptonomicon	1999		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	45	Anthony Burgess	A Clockwork Orange	1962		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	46	Kim Stanley Robinson	Red Mars [S1]	1992		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	47	Robert A Heinlein	Time Enough For Love	1973		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	48	Walter M Miller	A Canticle for Leibowitz	1959		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	49	Daniel Keyes	Flowers for Algernon	1966		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	50	Isaac Asimov	The End Of Eternity	1955		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	51	Mary Shelley	Frankenstein	1818		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	52	Jules Verne	Journey to the Center of the Earth	1864		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	53	L Ron Hubbard	Battlefield Earth	1982		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	54	Ursula K Le Guin	The Dispossessed	1974		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	55	Neal Stephenson	The Diamond Age	1995		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	56	Iain M Banks	Player Of Games [S2]	1988		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	57	Peter F Hamilton	The Reality Dysfunction [S1]	1996		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	58	David Brin	Startide Rising [S2]	1983		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	59	Orson Scott Card	Ender's Shadow [S1]	1999		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	60	Philip Jose Farmer	To Your Scattered Bodies Go	1971		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	61	Kurt Vonnegut	The Sirens of Titan	1959		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	62	Greg Bear	Eon	1985		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	63	Philip K Dick	A Scanner Darkly	1977		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	64	Niven & Pournelle	Lucifer's Hammer	1977		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	65	Arthur C Clarke	The City and the Stars	1956		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	66	Margaret Atwood	The Handmaid's Tale	1985		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	67	Alfred Bester	The Demolished Man	1953		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	68	Harry Harrison	The Stainless Steel Rat [S1]	1961		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	69	Michael Crichton	Sphere	1987		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	70	Robert A Heinlein	The Door Into Summer	1956		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	71	Gene Wolfe	The Shadow of the Torturer [S1]	1980		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	72	Alastair Reynolds	Revelation Space [S1]	2000		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	73	Robert A Heinlein	Citizen Of the Galaxy	1957		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
2	74	H G Wells	The Invisible Man	1897		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	75	Philip K Dick	The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch	1964		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	76	Connie Willis	Doomsday Book	1992		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	77	Dan Simmons	Ilium	2003		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	78	Robert A Heinlein	The Puppet Masters	1951		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	79	Robert A Heinlein	Have Space-Suit - Will Travel	1958		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	80	C S Lewis	Out of the Silent Planet [S1]	1938		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	81	Edgar Rice Burroughs	A Princess of Mars [S1]	1912		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
3	82	Richard Morgan	Altered Carbon [S1]	2002		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	83	John Wyndham	The Chrysalids	1955		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	84	Ursula K Le Guin	The Lathe of Heaven	1971		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
3	85	John Scalzi	Old Man's War	2005		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-3	86	Iain M Banks	Use of Weapons [S3]	1990		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	87	Clifford Simak	Way Station	1963		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	88	Edwin A Abbott	Flatland	1884		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	89	Cormac McCarthy	The Road	2006		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	90	Philip K Dick	VALIS	1981		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	91	Arkady & Boris Strugatsky	Roadside Picnic	1972		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
2	92	John Brunner	Stand on Zanzibar	1969		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	93	Stanislaw Lem	[C] The Cyberiad	1974		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	94	David Brin	The Postman	1985		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
4	95	Greg Bear	The Forge of God	1987		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-3	96	Julian May	The Many-Colored Land [S1]	1981		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	97	Arthur C Clarke	The Fountains of Paradise	1979		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	98	Arthur Conan Doyle	The Lost World	1912		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	99	James Blish	[C] Cities in Flight	1955		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	100	David Brin	The Uplift War [S3]	1987		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK


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----------



## gavintonks

by Megan Lindholm
ISBN 0007127731 (0-00-712773-1)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Find All Copies


› Find collectible copies of 'Cloven Hooves'

More editions of Cloven Hooves:

    Cloven Hooves: ISBN 0553293273 (0-553-29327-3)
    Softcover, Bantam Books
    Cloven Hooves: ISBN 0586215182 (0-586-21518-2)
    Softcover, Micro Data Base Systems, Incorporated (m d b s)

this is just amazing of hers


----------



## Steerpike

I checked, and Megan Lindholm is indeed Robin Hobb. So if you like Lindholm, you might check out the books written as Robin Hobb.

On the list you posted, I see Gene Wolfe. Shadow of the Torturer and the books that come after are excellent. Wolfe is highly underrated for some reason. One of the best writers we have.


----------



## JBryden88

Look up "The Last Wish" and "Blood of Elves." I don't recall the author's name (spelling wise) but it's by a Polish Author. If you've heard of the Witcher games, they are based off of his books which are a really dark fantasy (and semi tongue in cheek homage) that turns some tropes upside down on their heads. Good stuff.


----------



## gavintonks

sorry understand now the question, there were a couple of writers using nom de plum not sure why especially in a case like hers


----------



## King Raven Stark

A Song of Ice and Fire


----------



## gavintonks

I have found a few more polls on the issue

Move 	Rank 	Author/Editor 	Title 	Year 		Amazon
0	1	J R R Tolkien	Lord of the Rings	1954		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	2	J K Rowling	Harry Potter Series	1997		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	3	J R R Tolkien	The Hobbit	1937		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	4	George R R Martin	A Song of Ice & Fire	1996		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	5	Robert Jordan	Wheel of Time Series	1990		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	6	C S Lewis	The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe [S2]	1950		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	7	David Eddings	The Belgariad Series	1982		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	8	Terry Goodkind	Wizard's First Rule [S1]	1994		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	9	Raymond E Feist	Magician [S1]	1982		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	10	Christopher Paolini	Eragon [S1]	2002		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	11	Philip Pullman	His Dark Materials Trilogy	1995		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	12	Terry Brooks	The Sword of Shannara [S1]	1977		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	13	Robin Hobb	The Farseer Trilogy	1995		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	14	R A Salvatore	Dark Elf Trilogy	1990		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	15	Ursula K Le Guin	A Wizard of Earthsea [S1]	1968		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	16	J R R Tolkien	The Silmarillion	1977		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	17	Stephen King	The Dark Tower Series	1982		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	18	Weis & Hickman	Dragonlance Chronicles	1984		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	19	Roger Zelazny	The Chronicles of Amber	1970		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	20	Lewis Carroll	Alice's Adventures In Wonderland	1865		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	21	Richard Adams	Watership Down	1972		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	22	Stephen Donaldson	Thomas Covenant - The Unbeliever	1977		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	23	Neil Gaiman	American Gods	2001		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	24	William Goldman	The Princess Bride	1973		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	25	Eoin Colfer	Artemis Fowl	2001		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	26	Stephenie Meyer	Twilight	2005		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	27	Anne Rice	Interview With the Vampire	1976		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	28	Madeleine L'Engle	A Wrinkle In Time	1962		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	29	Terry Pratchett	The Colour of Magic [S1]	1983		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
6	30	Patrick Rothfuss	The Name of the Wind [S1]	2007		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	31	Roald Dahl	Charlie & the Chocolate Factory	1964		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	32	David Eddings	The Malloreon	1987		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	33	George Orwell	Animal Farm	1945		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	34	Anne McCaffrey	Dragonflight [S1]	1968		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-3	35	Bram Stoker	Dracula	1897		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	36	Tad Williams	Memory, Sorrow & Thorn Series	1988		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-3	37	Marion Zimmer Bradley	The Mists Of Avalon	1983		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	38	Gaiman & Pratchett	Good Omens	1990		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	39	Steven Erikson	Gardens of the Moon [S1]	1999		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	40	Neil Gaiman	Neverwhere	1997		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	41	Garth Nix	Sabriel [S1]	1995		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	42	William Golding	The Lord Of the Flies	1954		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	43	Brian Jacques	Redwall [S1]	1986		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	44	Homer	The Odyssey	-800		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	45	Terry Pratchett	Mort [S4]	1987		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	46	Piers Anthony	On a Pale Horse [S1]	1983		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	47	Cornelia Funke	Inkheart	2003		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	48	T H White	The Once & Future King	1958		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	49	Michael Ende	The Neverending Story	1979		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	50	Lloyd Alexander	The Chronicles of Prydain	1964		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	51	Tamora Pierce	Alanna: The First Adventure	1983		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	52	Mary Shelley	Frankenstein	1818		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	53	Unknown Author	Beowulf	700		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	54	Gail Carson Levine	Ella Enchanted	1997		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	55	Weis & Hickman	Death Gate Cycle	1990		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
2	56	William Shakespeare	A Midsummer Night's Dream	1600		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	57	Michael Moorcock	Elric of Melnibone Series	1972		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	58	Anthony Burgess	A Clockwork Orange	1962		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	59	C S Lewis	The Screwtape Letters	1942		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	60	Guy Gavriel Kay	Tigana	1990		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
3	61	David Eddings	The Elenium	1989		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	62	David Gemmell	Legend [S1]	1984		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	63	Jonathan Stroud	The Amulet of Samarkand [S1]	2003		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	64	Paulo Coelho	The Alchemist	1995		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	65	Jim Butcher	Storm Front [S1]	2000		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	66	Oscar Wilde	The Picture of Dorian Gray	1891		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	67	Susanna Clarke	Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell	2004		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
5	68	Peter S Beagle	The Last Unicorn	1968		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
5	69	Glen Cook	The Black Company [S1]	1984		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	70	Audrey Niffenegger	The Time Traveler's Wife	2003		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	71	Susan Cooper	The Dark Is Rising [S1]	1973		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	72	Jacqueline Carey	Kushiel's Dart [S1]	2001		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	73	Richard Matheson	I Am Legend	1954		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-3	74	Moore & Gibbons	Watchmen	1987		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	75	Charles Dickens	A Christmas Carol	1843		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
2	76	Trudi Canavan	The Magician's Guild [S1]	2001		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	77	Diana Wynne Jones	Howl's Moving Castle	1986		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-3	78	Mitch Albom	The Five People You Meet in Heaven	2003		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
13	79	The Brothers Grimm	Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales	1812		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
3	80	Dr Seuss	The Cat in the Hat	1957		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	81	Frank Miller	Batman - The Dark Knight Returns	1986		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
5	82	L Frank Baum	The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz	1900		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	83	Ray Bradbury	Something Wicked This Way Comes	1962		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-3	84	Norton Juster	The Phantom Tollbooth	1961		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
0	85	Laurell K Hamilton	Guilty Pleasures [S1]	1993		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-7	86	Diana Gabaldon	Outlander [S1]	1992		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-3	87	Antoine de Saint-Exupery	The Little Prince	1943		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	88	Gabriel Garcia Marquez	One Hundred Years of Solitude	1967		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	89	Dante Alighieri	Inferno	1321		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	90	Mercedes Lackey	Magic's Pawn [S1]	1989		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	91	Yann Martel	Life of Pi	2001		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-2	92	China Mieville	Perdido Street Station	2000		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
2	93	Anne Bishop	Daughter of the Blood [S1]	1998		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	94	Gene Wolfe	Book of the New Sun	1980		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	95	Patricia C Wrede	Dealing With Dragons [S1]	1990		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	96	Robert E Howard	[C] Coming Of Conan the Cimmerian	1933		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	97	Alice Sebold	The Lovely Bones	2002		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
11	98	Brandon Sanderson	Mistborn Trilogy	2006		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
-1	99	Franz Kafka	The Metamorphosis	1915		Shop at Amazon USA	Shop at Amazon UK
1	100	Orson Scott Card	Seventh Son [S1]


----------



## gavintonks

Top 100 Fantasy Books
Here are the 100 best fantasy books of all time:

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay100. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay (1990)
After losing his son in a battle against Tigana, a king places a curse on the land. All those born within it will be unable to remember its name.

Storm Front99. Storm Front by Jim Butcher (2000)
Harry Dresden is the only openly practicing wizard in his country. He uses his talents to help the police fight crime. This is the first book in the Dresden Files series

Guy Gavriel Kay trilogy98. The Fionavar Tapestry  trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay (1984-1986)
Five students are drawn into a magical world where they discover they each have a vital role to play in an epic conflict.

The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl97. The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl (1966)
A family that hunt ducks for fun have a change of heart after an eight-year-old girl forces them to switch places with their prey.


Over Sea Under Stone96. Over Sea, Under Stone by  Susan Cooper (1965)
Three children try to decipher a mysterious map that leads them in search of a mythical treasure. This is the first of five books in The Dark is Rising series.

Coming up! The 95 best fantasy books:

Left Behind95. Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth’s Last Days by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B Jenkins (1995)
Biblical predictions come into play as all non-believers are left waiting for the apocalypse to wipe out Earth. This is the first of 16 book in the Left Behind series

The Wee Free Men94. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (2003)
The Queen of the Elves is trying to invade the Discworld by stealing children and infesting dreams. When she steals the baby brother of a young witch, the witch goes to the elves’ world to steal him back. This is the second Story of the Discworld series, which is a series aimed at younger readers.

The Magic Faraway Tree93. The Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton (1939-1951)
This four-book series revolves around the adventures of four children who discover a host of magical lands on the top of the Faraway Tree. This is strictly speaking a children’s book, but it earned a place on this list of the best fantasy books by being my favorite childhood read.

On a Pale Horse92. On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony (1983)
Death visits a man on the brink of suicide – and the man ends up killing Death instead of himself. Fate forces him to take up Death’s role and ride a mode of transport called Pale Horse weighing up people’s souls. This is the first of eight book in the Incarnations of Immortality series.

Dealing with Dragons91. Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C Wrede (1992)
A young princess leaves her mundane life behind to marry a dragon. This is the first book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles series.

The 90 best fantasy books are as follows...

The Malloreon series90. The Malloreon series by David Eddings (1988-1992)
This five-book series is a sequel to the Belgariad series, which comes in at Number 17 below. It documents the hero’s fulfillment of yet another prophecy.

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger89. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2003)
An unconventional love story involving a man who has a disorder that causes him to unintentionally time travel.


Sara Douglass trilogy88. The Axis Trilogy by Sara Douglass (1995-1996)
Horned and winged creatures fight alongside humans to save their world from a dark ruler.


The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde87. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (2001)
It’s Britain in the 1980s. Well, almost. In this alternate version of Britain, people can time travel and literary homicide is a crime. A detective enters a Bronte novel to stop a villain killing off the heroine Jane Eyre.

Lloyd Alexander series86. The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander (1968-1973)
A young pig keeper dreams of being a hero in this coming-of-age five-book series.

It's time for the 85 best fantasy books:

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce85. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (1983)
Alana has to disguise herself as a boy to begin training as a knight and become the hero she’s always hoped she would be. This is the first of four books in The Song of the Lioness series.

Roger Zelazny84. The Chronicles of Amber series by Roger Zelazny (1970 - 1991)
Amber is the only true world. All other worlds, including Earth, are mere shadows. And the Royals of Amber have the power to alter reality. This series includes ten novels, short stories and several other works.

The Death Gate Cycle series83. The Death Gate Cycle series by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman (1990-1994)
A seven-part series about the struggle between two powerful races, which branched off from the human race following a nuclear holocaust.

Elfsorrow by James Barclay82. Elfsorrow by James Barclay (2003)
A statue breaks, unleashing a disease lethal to elves. The only way to stop the disease is to put the statue back together. This is the first book in the Chronicles of the Raven series by James Barclay

Dragonflight81. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (1968)
A young girl must embrace her destiny as a dragonrider to help save her planet from invasion. This is the first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series.

Here come the 80 best fantasy books:

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez80. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1967)
A series of plotlines that explores the concept of time and revolves around the theme that it’s important for people to remember their history.

Sabriel by Garth Nix79. Sabriel by Garth Nix (1995)
When Sabriel’s father disappears, she is forced to return to the magical land of the Old Kingdom and take his place as the killer of the undead. This is the first book in the Old Kingdom trilogy.

The Once and Future King by TH White78. The Once & Future King by TH White (1958)
Go back in time and explore the life of King Arthur, including his childhood on the isle of Gramarye, his elevation to the throne and the romance between his best knight, Sir Lancelot, and his queen, Guinevere.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs77. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (2006)
Mercedes Thompson is a mechanic. She is also a shapeshifter who turns into a coyote. Her friends include werewolves, a vampire and other supernatural beings. This is the first book in the Mercedes Thompson series.

Tad Williams trilogy76. Memory, Sorrow & Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams (1988-1993)
In this fantasy epic, a magician’s apprentice learns to be a hero following the death of his high king.

Now for the 75 best fantasy books of all time:

Nightchild by James Barclay75. Nightchild by James Barclay (2001)
Lyanna is the only one who can unite the magic of the four colleges of Balaia. Some want her dead while others want to claim her powers as their own. The is the third book in the Chronicles of the Raven trilogy

Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb74. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (1995)
A stable boy with royal blood trains to become an assassin and is soon viewed as a threat to the throne. This is the first book in the Farseer Trilogy.

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson73. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (1994)
A struggle for domination ensues between various interests in the Malazan Empire, which has fallen under the rule of a ruthless empress. This is the first book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.

Watership Down by Richard Adams72. Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)
A rabbit who can see into the future helps the fellow members of his warren to find a new home.


Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury71. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (1962)
When a carnival of freaks and oddities pull into town, it’s up to two boys to stop them damning the townspeople for all eternity.

The countdown continues with the 70 best fantasy books:


----------



## gavintonks

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley70. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1982)
The women who played pivotal roles in the lives of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table give their own, female perspective on the Arthurian legends.

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett69. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett (2001)
A boy piper, a talking cat and a band of intelligent rats travel from town to town scamming people for money. They fake a plague of rats and when the townspeople pay the piper to get rid of them, share the loot among themselves. This is the 28th book in the Discworld series and the first one aimed at a younger audience.

Redwall by Brian Jacques68. Redwall by Brian Jacques (1986)
The Redwallers rise up to defend their abbey from attack by a rat and a young mouse embarks on a quest to recover the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior. This is the first book in the Redwall series, which has over 20 books and is still expanding.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho67. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (1988)
A shepherd boy has a life-changing dream and sets out to Egypt in search of treasure.


The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Alborn66. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Alborn (2003)
An aging veteran dies while trying to save a girl’s life and discovers that heaven is a processing area designed to examine the meaning of life.

Here are the 65 best fantasy books:

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer65. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (2001)
A 12-year-old boy, who happens to be a criminal mastermind, kidnaps a fairy for a large ransom of gold. This is the first book in the Artemis Fowl series

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare64. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare (1600)
Follow the adventures of four young lovers from Athens and their interactions with the fairies of a magical moonlit forest in this superb Shakesperian drama.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman63. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (1990)
The Earthly representatives of God and Satan have taken a liking to mankind – and to each other. So when they hear the end of the world is coming, they decide to work together to delay it for as long as they can.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle62. The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle (1968)
A unicorn who believes she is the last of her kind sets out to discover what happened to the rest of her species and meets a host of colorful characters along the way.

His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik61. His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik (2006)
A dragon called Temeraire prepares for battle against Napoleon’s aerial fleet. This is the first book in the Temeraire series, about intelligent thoughtful dragons who take part in aerial warfare.  

It's time for the 60 best fantasy books:

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery60. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1943)
A pilot crashes into the Sahara Desert where he meets a mysterious little prince. They journey into space together and visit a series of tiny planets, each of which has only one human inhabitant.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman59. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (1996)
Richard Mayhew is a young Londoner with a normal life until he meets a mysterious girl called Door. After inadvertently putting her life in danger, he journeys into the shadowy underworld of London Below to find her and put things right.

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever trilogy by Stephen Donaldson58. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever trilogy by Stephen Donaldson (1977-1979)
A diseased outcast finds himself in a magical world where he becomes a White Gold wielder and runs afoul of an evil lord.

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett57. A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett (2004)
A young witch becomes possessed by a dangerous creature who causes her to abuse her powers. This is the 30th book in the Discworld series.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold56. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (2002)
A teenage girl who’s been raped and murdered watches her family and friends from Heaven as she tries to come to terms with her own death.

The 55 best fantasy books:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel55. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2001)
An Indian boy survives 227 days shipwrecked and stranded in the Pacific Ocean, where he explores issues of religion and spirituality.


Matilda by Roald Dahl54. Matilda by Roald Dahl (1988)
A special little girl realizes she has psychokinetic powers and uses them to rid her school of its wicked headmistress.


The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis53. The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis (1942)
A devil called Screwtape tries to instruct his apprentice and nephew Wormwood on how to tempt a man to sin in a series of letters.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley52. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)
A scientist called Victor Frankenstein learns how to create life. He sets out to create a man but ends up creating a monster, with tragic circumstances for him and all those he loves.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine51. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (1997)
A retelling of Cinderella about a girl under a spell to be constantly obedient, something she must hide to protect her beloved prince.


We're halfway there! Get ready for the 50 best fantasy books of all time:

Animal Farm by George Orwell50. Animal Farm by George Orwell (1999)
The animals on a farm overthrow its human owner only to discover far greater tyrants among their own ranks. This is a brutal story of corruption, cruelty and hypocrisy.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl49. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (1964)
Five children win golden tickets to visit a chocolate factory but only one of them can win the grand prize. This is the most famous book by Roald Dahl and the subject of two popular movies.

The 48 best fantasy books are...

Stardust by Neil Gaiman48. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1998)
A young man ventures into the magical land of Faerie to retrieve a fallen star for the woman he loves.


Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris47. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (2002)
A psychic barmaid must solve the murder of a co-worker and find a missing vampire in this, the second book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series.

Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia by CS Lewis46. Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia by CS Lewis (1951)
The four Pevensie children return to Narnia to help Prince Caspian defeat a race of men determined to drive all non-human species from the land. This is the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia series.

More swordplay and adventure await you in the 45 best fantasy books:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini45. Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2003)
A young farmboy finds a blue egg, which hatches a few days later and produces a dragon called Saphira. The boy and the dragon set out on a dangerous journey that tests their courage, strengthens their bond and turns the young boy into the hero he was meant to be.

Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll44. Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871)
Alice explores the world on the other side of the mirror where she discovers a book of looking-glass poetry, becomes a pawn in a chess game and captures a queen.

CLICK HERE to read Lewis Carroll quotes

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke43. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004)
The stubborn Mr Norrell and his colorful apprentice Jonathan Strange bring magic back to 19th century Britain.


Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman42. Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman (1984)
The Heroes of the Lance come together in this, the first of more than 190 books in the expansive Dragonlance series, which is based on a Dungeons & Dragons game session.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice41. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (1976)
The vampire Louis gives up his human form to escape the heartache of losing his wife and daughter and becomes a companion to the cold-hearted Lestat. This is the first book in The Vampire Chronicles series.


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## gavintonks

Here are the 40 best fantasy books:

Nation by Terry Pratchett40. Nation by Terry Pratchett (2008)
Mau finds himself on a desert island, the last survivor of his nation. Then he meets a ghost girl and they make some remarkable discoveries together.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman39. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2001)
The ancient gods of mythology battle against the modern gods of western technology.


Inkheart by Cornelia Funke38. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (2003)
Meggie discovers her father can draw characters out of the pages of any book by reading from them aloud. But for everyone who comes out of the story world, someone else has to go in. This is the first book in the Inkworld series

The 37 best fantasy books are...

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi37. The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (1883)
The story of the animated puppet Pinocchio who has to learn the grim realities of life before he earns his greatest wish, which is to become a real-life little boy.

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson36. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (2006)
A teenager learns she is one of the Mistborn people, who can use ingested metal particles to enhance their abilities. She sets out on a journey of discovery – while trying to save the world at the same time.

Here come the 35 best fantasy books:

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin35. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin (1968)
An apprentice wizard learns to embrace his powers as evil threatens to overcome his homeland. This is the first book in the Earthsea Cycle series.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens34. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)
Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean old miser until three ghosts appear to him on Christmas Eve and show him the error of his ways.


The 33 best fantasy books are...

The Horse and his Boy by CS Lewis33. The Horse and his Boy by CS Lewis (1954)
A boy finds out his father isn’t really his father and flees to Narnia with his talking horse. There he discovers his true identity. This is the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia series

The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks32. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks (1977)
Shea Ohmsford is the one man in the Four Lands who can wield The Sword of Shannara and use it to defeat the Warlock Lord. This is the first book in the Original Shannara Trilogy.

Dark Elf Trilogy by R A Salvatore31. Dark Elf Trilogy by R A Salvatore (1990-1991)
Follow the adventures of the dark elf Drizzt in the Forgotten Realms universe as he struggles to reform his evil race. This is a prequel to Salvatore’s Icewind Dale Trilogy.

Ready for the 30 best fantasy books? Good, here they come:

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder30. Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder (1991)
A series of dialogues between a young girl called Sophie and a mysterious man called Alberto Knox, who uses the most ingenious ways to teach her about the history of philosophy.

The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King29. The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King (1970-2004)
This series of seven books documents the journey of the Gunslinger as he makes his way towards the Dark Tower, a fabled building said to be the nexus of all universes.

The 28 best fantasy books are...

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling28. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (1999)
Harry discovers that an escaped convict helped Lord Voldemort find and murder his parents – and now he’s coming to get him. This is the third book in the Harry Potter series.

CLICK HERE to read about the three main Harry Potter characters


Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb27. Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb (1997)
In this, the third book in the Farseer Trilogy, the hero returns from the dead only to find himself changed forever.



The Princess Bride by William Goldman26. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (1973)
The brave and noble Wesley risks life and limb to avenge his father’s murder and rescue the woman he loves. This story is swashbuckling fun for all the family.

Enjoy more spectacular fun and fantasy in the 25 best fantasy books:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L’Engle25. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L’Engle (1962)
A girl, her brother and best friend travel through time to find her father - and learn quite a bit about science, religion and other things along the way. This is a famous children’s book but is fun at any age.

Magician by Raymond E Feist24. Magician by Raymond E Feist (1982)
Forget good and evil. This book deals with the eternal struggle between Order and Chaos and an apprentice magician called Pug who gets stuck in the middle of it. This is the first book in the Riftwar Saga series.

The 23 best fantasy books are...

The Witches by Roald Dahl23. The Witches by Roald Dahl (1983)
A young boy faces terrible danger when he tries to bring down an organization of witches intent on ridding the world of children.


Dracula by Bram Stoker22. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)
A British solicitor recounts his encounter with the mysterious Count Dracula, who takes an unnatural interest in his beloved fiancÃ©. 

The Magician’s Nephew by CS Lewis21. The Magician’s Nephew by CS Lewis (1955)
Two children find their way into parallel worlds and accidentally transport a wicked queen into the magical land of Narnia. This is the opening book in The Chronicles of Narnia series

The 25 best fantasy books continue...

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame20. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
Spoiled, rich Toad has a knack for getting his friends, Mole, Ratty and Badger, in trouble. But he can always rely on them to come to his aid.

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett19. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (2002)
A policeman accidentally sends himself back in time where he has to change history to save the world from a devastating revolution. This is the 29th book in the Discworld series.

We're getting closer to the hot top spot! Here are the 18 best fantasy books...

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind18. Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind (1994)
A young woodsman’s investigation of his father’s murder leads him deeper into his world than he ever intended to go. This is the first book in The Sword of Truth series

The Belgariad series by David Eddings17. The Belgariad series by David Eddings (1982-1984)
A five-book epic fantasy series about an orphaned farm boy and his relatives as they try to fulfill an ancient prophecy that will decide the fate of the universe.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris16. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (2001)
A psychic barmaid from a small town finds her life turned upside down when a handsome vampire takes an interest in her. This is the first book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series.

The 15 best fantasy books are...

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum15. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900)
The heartwarming story of Dorothy Gale who, in a land somewhere over the rainbow, discovers that there’s no place like home.

CLICK HERE to read about the Wizard of Oz characters

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett14. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (1983)
An incompetent wizard is forced to guide a naÃ¯ve tourist across the Disc and ends up leaving it behind. This is the first book in Terry Pratchett’s famous Discworld series.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling13. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (2005)
In the fourth book in the Harry Potter series, Harry is forced to compete in a tournament that sees him battle a dragon, rescue his friends and navigate a labyrinth - only to find far greater danger awaiting him in the form of a resurrected dark lord.

The twelve best fantasy books are coming up:

Song of Ice and Fire series by George R R Martin12. A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R R Martin (1996 - present)
An epic fantasy series that’s as yet incomplete, this is a must for Sword & Sorcery fans.

Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan11. Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (1990-present)
Another epic fantasy series, this one consisting of 12 books. Sadly Robert Jordan passed away while working on the final installment but another author, Brandon Sanderson, is finishing his work. The final novel in the series is due for release in late 2009.

We're almost there! Here are the ten best fantasy books:

Magic Kingdom for Sale – SOLD by Terry Brooks10. Magic Kingdom for Sale – SOLD by Terry Brooks (1986)
A jaded lawyer has to give up his hopes for a quiet life when he ends up in the magic kingdom of Landover. This is the first book in the Magic Kingdom of Landover series

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende 9. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (1979)
A boy is drawn into a book about the magical world of Fantastica and the book’s story soon becomes his own.


It's time for the eight best fantasy books...

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer8. Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer (2005-2008)
It’s not easy dating a vampire! The romance between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen is at the heart of this fantastic four-book series.


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## gavintonks

CLICK HERE to read about the first Twilight novel
CLICK HERE to read about the final Twilight novel, Breaking Dawn


The Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien7. The Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien (1954-1955)
Follow the adventures of Frodo and friends as they struggle to destroy the One Ring and save Middle Earth from the evil Sauron.


His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman 6. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (1997-2000)
Lyra Silvertongue journeys from the halls of Oxford to the snowy peaks of Arctic to worlds far beyond our own where she needs all her courage to overthrow a cruel dictatorship.

The five best fantasy books are...

Peter Pan and Wendy by JM Barre 5. Peter Pan and Wendy by JM Barre (1911)
The Darling children have a normal life until Peter Pan flies through their bedroom window and carries them off to Never Never Land, a magical place where children stay children forever.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis 4. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (1950)
The four Pevensie children discover the entrance to another world in this, the second book (and not the first as some believe) in The Chronicles of Narnia series.

Here are the three best fantasy books:

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)
Alice falls down a rabbit hole into a crazy wonderland where she shrinks herself, goes to a tea party and narrowly escapes execution.


The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien2. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (1937)
Bilbo Baggins leaves his cosy home in The Shire to help a band of dwarves recover their treasure from the dragon Smaug.


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## gavintonks

The Most Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years

I ran across this list of books in the science fiction book club listings and thought it was pretty interesting. I just had to take a look and see how many of them I read and how I felt about their listing. The first thing that struck me was how they call these books “The Most Significant” which is an interesting way to phrase it. It leaves a lot of latitude and leaves it open to interpretation. Does it mean sales? Impact? Theme? etc. etc.

I guess it is a pretty tough task to compile a list like this because there are always going to be criticisms. For the most part I agree with the list and there were some things I was glad to see.

The Lord of the Rings is of course Number one and rightfully so. Riverworld by Philip Jose Farmer barely squeaked onto the list at 50. I could disagree with this but at least it’s on the list. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone came in at 26 and as much as I am not a big fan of Harry Potter I have to think that if the operative qualification here is “Significant” then this book should be higher on the list. It seems to have taken a whole generation by storm.

Fantasy books are reasonably well represented in the list with A Wizard of Earthsea in 5th place -and deservedly so. The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant come in at 23rd which is great. It’s a maginificent series of books.

A few other notables: Dragonflight is 21 and the Sword of Shannara is 48.

There is one thing that surprised me about the fantasy books on this list. With the exception of Harry Potter not one single fantasy book is less than 20 years old! We haven’t had a significant fantasy work in 20 years? What does this say about the genre? Is it a used up genre just swallowing itself in repetitions of the same old cliches?



The Most Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years, 1953-2002

    The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
    The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
    Dune, Frank Herbert
    Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
    A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
    Neuromancer, William Gibson
    Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
    Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
    The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
    Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
    The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
    A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
    The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov
    Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
    Cities in Flight, James Blish
    The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
    Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
    Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
    The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester
    Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
    Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
    Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
    The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson
    The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
    Gateway, Frederik Pohl
    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling
    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
    I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
    Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
    The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
    Little, Big, John Crowley
    Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
    The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
    Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
    More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
    The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
    On the Beach, Nevil Shute
    Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
    Ringworld, Larry Niven
    Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
    The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
    Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
    Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
    Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
    The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
    Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
    Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
    The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
    Timescape, Gregory Benford
    To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer


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## gavintonks

Top 25 Best Fantasy Books


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## gavintonks

This past year fantasy books have topped the best seller lists like never before. Writers like Stephenie Meyer and Charlaine Harris have led the way in introducing a new audience (and in the case of Twilight, a new generation) to urban fantasy. In honor of a great year I’ve put together a list of the best selling fantasy books. I decided to cover several fantasy subgenres, not just urban fantasy.

Please Note: these lists are based on data obtained from a sole source, Amazon.com. Cumulative data for the entire year was not available from the NY Times or USA Today and neither source provides subgenre sales information. The lists are basically meant to serve as guides for introducing fantasy book fans to new titles and new fantasy subgenres and to get people talking about some of the great fantasy books they’ve read over the past year.

So, without further fanfare, here are the best selling fantasy books of 2008 organized by subgenre:

Alternate History Fantasy Books

    Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell
    Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
    A Meeting at Corvallis by S.M. Stirling
    The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
    1633 by Eric Flint
    Weapons of Choice (The Axis of Time Trilogy, Book 1) by John Birmingham
    Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War by Newt Gingrich
    Planetary Vol. 3: Leaving the 20th Century by Warren Ellis
    Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final Victory (Gingrich and Forstchen’s Civil War Trilogy) by Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen, and Albert S. Hanser
    In War Times by Kathleen Ann Goonan
    Into the Storm: Destroyermen, Book I by Taylor Anderson

Fantasy Book Anthologies

    Many Bloody Returns (Sookie Stackhouse) by Charlaine Harris, Tony Kelner, Kelley Armstrong, and Jim Butcher. Edited by Toni L.P. Kelner and Charlaine Harris.
    Backup by Jim Butcher
    Mean Streets by Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, Simon R. Green, and Thomas E. Sniegoski.
    The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman. Kudos to the artists: Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Chris Bachalo, Michael Zulli, Steve Parkhouse, Kelley Jones, Charles Vess and Colleen Doran, and Dave McKean.
    Bite by Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight, and Vickie Taylor.
    My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Charlaine Harris, L. A. Banks, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine , Esther M. Friesner, P.N. Elrod, Lori Handeland, and Susan Krinard. Edited by P. N. Elrod.
    Tales from the Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien. Illustrated by Alan Lee.
    Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy by Charlaine Harris, Carole Nelson Douglas, Simon R. Green, and Laurie R. King. Edited by Dana Stabenow.
    Men of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong (available January 27, 2009)
    On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance, and Sunny.
    WarCraft Archive by Blizzard Entertainment, Richard A. Knaak, Jeff Grubb, and Christie Golden.

Arthurian Fantasy Books

    The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
    Le Morte D’Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table (Signet Classics) by Sir Thomas Malory
    The Winter King (The Arthur Books #1) by Bernard Cornwell
    The Book of Merlyn: The Unpublished Conclusion to The Once and Future King by T.H. White
    The Eagles’ Brood (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 3) by Jack Whyte
    Lady of Avalon (Avalon, Book 3) by Marion Zimmer Bradley
    The Lance Thrower (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 8 ) by Jack Whyte
    Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart
    Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff
    Enemy of God (The Arthur Books #2) by Bernard Cornwell
    The Eagle (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 9) by Jack Whyte

Contemporary Fantasy Books

Amazon distinguishes “contemporary” from “urban” fantasy books. Let’s see if they really differ:

    From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8 ) by Charlaine Harris
    At Grave’s End (Night Huntress, Book 3) by Jeaniene Frost
    Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1) by Charlaine Harris
    All Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 7) by Charlaine Harris
    Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 6) by Charlaine Harris
    Dead to the World (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 4) by Charlaine Harris
    Dead as a Doornail (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 5) by Charlaine Harris
    Living Dead in Dallas (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 2) by Charlaine Harris
    The Ghost in Love: A Novel by Jonathan Carroll
    Club Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 3) by Charlaine Harris
    Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Urban Fantasy Books

    Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 6) by Charlaine Harris
    Dead as a Doornail (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 5) by Charlaine Harris
    Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)
    Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) by J.R. Ward
    Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
    Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost
    Kiss of Midnight (The Midnight Breed, Book 1) by Lara Adrian
    The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
    Neverwhere: A Novel by Neil Gaiman
    Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2) by Jim Butcher
    Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4) by J.R. Ward

Dark Fantasy Books

You decide if all the entries on this list are “dark” fantasy books.

    All Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 7) by Charlaine Harris
    Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) by Jim Butcher
    Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
    Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3) by J.R. Ward
    The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
    Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4) by J.R. Ward
    Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1) by Ilona Andrews
    Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, Book 6) by Stephen King
    The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (The Hollows, Book 2) by Kim Harrison
    Dream Country (The Sandman, Vol. 3) by Neil Gaiman, Malcolm Jones III, Kelley Jones, Charles Vess, Steve Erickson
    The Killing Dance (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 6) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Epic Fantasy Books

Although a few of these books probably shouldn’t fall into the “epic” category I have to admit that a few of the real epic novels look really interesting.

    A Dance with Dragons (Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin
    His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) by Philip Pullman
    Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1) by Charlaine Harris
    Living Dead in Dallas (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 2) by Charlaine Harris
    The Sword of Truth, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: Wizard’s First Rule, Blood of the Fold ,Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
    Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
    Princeps’ Fury (Codex Alera, Book 5) by Jim Butcher
    The Sword of Truth Box Set, Books 4-6: Temple of the Winds; Soul of the Fire; Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind
    Sword of Truth, Boxed Set III, Books 7-9: The Pillars of Creation, Naked Empire, Chainfire by Terry Goodkind
    The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1) by Brandon Sanderson
    A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R.R. Martin

Historical Fantasy Books

    Dark Mission: The Secret History of NASA by Richard C. Hoagland and Mike Bara
    The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman
    The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
    Grendel by John Gardner
    Laurell K. Hamilton Set – Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse, Circus of the Damned and The Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton
    Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4) by Naomi Novik
    The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
    Victory of Eagles (Temeraire, Book 5) by Naomi Novik
    Taltos by Anne Rice
    Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
    Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Fantasy Books Series

    Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) by Stephenie Meyer
    The Sword of Truth, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: Wizard’s First Rule, Blood of the Fold ,Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
    Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 3 (Sword Of Truth, Book 11) by Terry Goodkind
    The Sword of Truth Box Set, Books 4-6: Temple of the Winds; Soul of the Fire; Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind
    Sword of Truth, Boxed Set III, Books 7-9: The Pillars of Creation, Naked Empire, Chainfire by Terry Goodkind
    Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) by Jim Butcher
    A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R.R. Martin
    The Dark Tower Boxed Set (Books 1-4) by Stephen King
    Making Money (Discworld Novels) by Terry Pratchett
    Debt of Bones (Sword of Truth Prequel Novel) by Terry Goodkind
    The Gypsy Morph (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 3)

So, there you have it – the top 11 books in 9 different fantasy book subgenres. Since that only adds up to 99 books I’ll include the overall bestselling fantasy book in 2008, which happens to be an urban fantasy book! This book is the top seller at both Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble:


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## gavintonks

Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) by Stephenie Meyer!


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## gavintonks

A Fantasy Book Revives Store Sales
By JULIE BOSMAN
Published: July 13, 2011

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Amid the growth of the e-book business and online retailers like Amazon, sales of print books in brick-and-mortar stores have been suffering all year.
Enlarge This Image
Nick Briggs/HBO

George R. R. Martin
Related

    Books of The Times: ‘A Dance With Dragons’ by George R. R. Martin (July 15, 2011)

Not this week.

Beginning Tuesday bookstores had a summer savior in the fantasy author George R. R. Martin, whose new book, “A Dance With Dragons,” the fifth installment of his “Song of Ice and Fire” series, went on sale that day.

Independent booksellers around the country said it quickly emerged as their biggest book of the summer, selling rapidly despite its doorstopper appearance (1,016 pages) and hefty price ($35 undiscounted).

It also temporarily upended the conventional wisdom in the book business that devoted readers of genre fiction — whether romance, sci-fi or fantasy — have begun to prefer reading in e-book format over print. According to first-day sales collected by Random House, more than 170,000 print copies and 110,000 e-book copies sold on Tuesday, the largest opening for a Random House book in 2011.

“What’s been really interesting is the physical-digital split,” said Scott Shannon, the publisher of digital content for the Random House Publishing Group. “These days, for a lot of our big titles, digital is outselling physical. That’s not what we’re seeing here, and it really speaks to George’s fan base.”

Eager customers waited outside bookstores before the doors opened on Tuesday at the Tattered Cover in Denver, Book Culture in Morningside Heights and Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. An event at Barnes & Noble in Burlington, Mass., on Tuesday was attended by 1,600 people. The series has appealed to hard-core fantasy fans, readers of literary fiction and people who have become hooked on the popular HBO series that is based on it, “Game of Thrones.”

“It’s a wonderful phenomenon,” said Cathy Langer, the lead book buyer for the Tattered Cover. “The anticipation has been palpable. People are discovering him now who had never heard of him because of the TV series, so he has all kinds of new readers.”

By e-mail Paul Ingram, the book buyer at Prairie Lights in Iowa City, said, “It’s sort of a Harry Potter for everybody.”

Many bookstore owners got a hint of what was to come several months ago, when customers began buying up the first four books, which are available individually in paperback and in a boxed set. (The first book was published in 1996.) Random House has shipped four million copies of the first four books since January.

“It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I realized how big of a deal this was going to be,” said Annie Shapiro, an owner of Book Culture. “I can barely keep the backlist in stock. For the last few weeks I was just ordering them in ridiculous quantities.”

Then the early requests for the fifth book began to come in. BookCourt, an independent store in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, collected more than 30 preorders for “A Dance With Dragons,” an unusually high number.

It is selling briskly on Amazon as well, holding the No. 2 spot on the company’s books best-seller list on Wednesday, followed by the boxed set of the first four books.

Fans of Mr. Martin have waited more than five years for the publication of “A Dance With Dragons,” pillorying him online as they wondered if he would ever finish writing. Two more books in the series are expected, though Mr. Martin’s publisher would not set a timeline for their release. “I don’t want to speculate,” Mr. Shannon said.

Some of the most devoted fans are already worried about whether Mr. Martin, who by all accounts is in robust health at 62, will complete the last two books. Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, an owner of Greenlight Bookstore, said that one customer in particular who came in on Tuesday was preoccupied with that concern. “He was really forlorn,” she said.


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## studentofrhythm

*Sagas of Icelanders*

May I humbly make a suggestion: the Sagas of Icelanders.  The modern translations are better IMHO.  Penguin has put out good editions of the most famous.


----------



## DavidALindsay

Hi.

The must-read fantasy novels I would wish to add to any list are Fritz Leiber's Fafhred and The Gray Mouser stories. They were ahead of their time and are still very readable today. I wouldn't be surprised if they influenced the likes of Terry Pratchett.


----------



## Alva

I loved "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke. _His Dark Materials_ by Philip Pullman was also an interesting read.


----------



## Lunaairis

Hi! I believe "The heart of the world" series by Col Buchanan (still in the works) But the first book "Farlander" and the second "Stands a Shadow" are a great read.


----------



## Aravelle

I can't help but feel like there's almost too many books on here, namely the loads given by gavin tonks.

Surely they can't _all _be necessary?


----------



## StuartEWise

The book that had the most impact on me as a child was Alan Garner's 'Weirdstone of Brisingamen' which I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who wants a high quality children / YA epic fantasy story.


----------



## gavintonks

Nothing in this world is necessary but if you wish to be entertained by the best then read the books


----------



## Aravelle

Ah. I just felt.. inferior, I guess for not having read half of these, nor having the desire to.


----------



## gavintonks

Aravelle please understand reading was all we had, TV started in 1965 and broadcast from 5pm to 8pm
there were no cellular phones, computer games, we played cards, chess and checkers and monopoly.I was taught to speed read at school and could read a page a minute, our schools had libraries well socked with solid offerings as well as the public library.
We could not afford to buy books, The first book I bought with my own money was a book on keeping horses and william blake talking with horses. I saved pocket money for months I think it was R6.00 dollars a huge amount of money considering a coke was 5c, and a packet of crisps/ chips 5c. i sold guavas at 2 for 1c and 3 for 5c to earn my pocket money from trees in my garden.

How can you compare that when you had time, and today there are 100s of channels, downloads computers iphones communication across the world. Your friends were people you could cycle to in an hour. So please do not feel inadequate my daughter has hardly read anything saying why read a book when you can watch a movie?he world is not the same place readers are almost people who do not wish to let go of the past


----------



## thedarknessrising

I am going to suggest the _Inheritance Cycle_ by Christopher Paolini. I think those books are fantastically, beautifully written. They are one of my biggest inspirations, next to Mythic Scribes and D&D. I think all fantasy writers should at least give him a chance.

Besides, he was fifteen when he began _Eragon_, I was fifteen when I began my novel a year ago.


----------



## Aravelle

Paolini is a great starter for budding fantasy writers; he holds a very special place in my heart. However, his writing does leave things to be desired if looked at with a critical eye. He's terribly cliche and writes sues, but that's only half of why I love him.


----------



## Riellfhe

Hi y'all! Was browsing to see which thread I should weigh in on first and this one caught my eye. Y'all have listed many fine novels in this thread. Most I've read some I haven't. It's awesome to see dragonlance mentioned. It was one of the first fantasy series I was introduced to when I was in elementary school; alongside The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Salvatore's Drizzt novels are worth looking into as well. Also among epics Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the best I've read. Haven't really seen a better representation of the celestial world in print recently unless you count Neil Gaimans Sandman graphic novels (which are very good). 

EDIT: Content Edited by Moderator. Member referred to Self-Promotion.


----------



## Riellfhe

Thanks for allowing my post hehe wasn't sure what was goin on  I hope everyone is doin well out there!


----------



## Grimmlore

Grimms tales for young and old
newly translated by Ralph Manheim
the complete stories

i hope that helps if anyone is trying to find english versions of the tales


----------



## Lycan999

I also loved the _Inheritance Cycle_. The way they are written is very interesting, since he combines magic and actual science in a very unusual way for a fantasy novel way. Some of the philosophical views were interesting as well. I think it is a must read for any fantasy writer to experience the writing style.


----------



## Jabrosky

I'm going to advertise for a DeviantArt friend of mine who has published his own prehistoric fantasy novel which I enjoyed:

_Orishadaon: To The Ends of the Urth_ by Brandon Bowling



			
				The Blurb said:
			
		

> Welcome to primeval Urth.
> 
> It is a world of savagery, populated by deadly beasts and deadlier annaru–feral lizardmen devoted to the bloodthirsty god, Kor.
> 
> Into this world comes Dayn, a young man seeking his destiny. Armed only with his wits, a rusty sword and the orishadai locked within his raging soul, he'll search for it.
> 
> When he and his companions unleash something deep within the steaming jungle, something buried long ago and better left forgotten, Dayn cannot begin to imagine what, or who, it will cost him.
> 
> Before he can set things right, he will not only learn the true meaning of sacrifice, but discover what destiny has in store for him and the one he loves most.



And here is my review:


			
				Jabrosky said:
			
		

> Most literature I've seen with dinosaurs has tended towards the sci-fi side of the speculative fiction spectrum (e.g. A Sound of Thunder, The Lost World, and of course Jurassic Park), so it was refreshing to see a modern dinosaur novel with a more high-fantasy setting. I loved the juxtaposition of prehistoric wildlife, backdrops such as jungles and ancient ruins, lizard-people, and pseudo-Celtic tribespeople (at least I think they resemble ancient Celts since they have tattoos and European physical features). However, the book's real power comes less from the dinosaurs than its rich characterization, especially of the human protagonist Dayn the orishadaon (mage). I really liked how Bowling describes Dayn's emotional and spiritual experiences, for example the metaphor of the red tide to describe a wave of rage.
> 
> I would have rated it five stars except that some of the characters' dialects, especially Ryl the hunter's, were slightly irritating. I also would have appreciated a more diverse cast of dinosaurs appearing than just the Ceratosaurus (who apparently functions as a T. Rex stand-in for this setting), although the text does mention other kinds in passing. Otherwise a good read and I look forward to reading any subsequent installments.


----------



## Incanus

It's an excellent list, I've read many of them, but not yet all. . .

I'm glad to see that someone at least brought up Jack Vance's Dying Earth.  Should be in the 'Must' list for sure.  The inclusion of Feist is somewhat baffling, however.

Lot's to read. . .


----------



## spectre

i'm thinking the odyssey and the illiad?


----------



## Mythopoet

avm31982 said:


> i'm thinking the odyssey and the illiad?



It does seem exceedingly odd to include Aesop's Fables by not the Iliad and the Odyssey. 

I haven't gone through all the posts in this thread, but the list at the very beginning seems to me to be sorely lacking and some of the choices very odd indeed. 

I've been compiling my own list over the past few years of the major works of what I call modern fantasy only, no fairy tales or myths or epics or satires. (Someday I might do a separate list of the major works that led up to the modern fantasy genre from ancient times.) It's pretty long, but perhaps someone will find it useful:

Vathek by William Beckford (1786)

*John Ruskin: The King of the Golden River (1851)

*Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald (1858)

*The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris (1894)

The Well at the World's End by William Morris (1896)

The Wallet of Kai Lung by Ernest Bramah (1900)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900)

*The Gods of Pegana by Lord Dunsany (1905)

*Time and the Gods by Lord Dunsany (1906)

*The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories by Lord Dunsany (1908)

*The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson (1908)

*A Dreamer's Tales by Lord Dunsany (1910)

*The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson (1912)

*The Works of H.P. Lovecraft (1917-1935)

*The Moon Pool by A. Merritt (1919)

*A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay (1920)

*The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison (1922)

*The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (1924)

*Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees (1926)

War in Heaven by Charles Williams (1930)

Zothique stories by Clark Ashton Smith (1932-)

*Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard (1932-)

Jirel of Joiry stories by C.L. Moore (1934-)

*The Island of the Mighty by Evangeline Walton (1936)

*The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)

*Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis 1938

*Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber (1939-)

*The Roaring Trumpet and The Mathematics of Magic by Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp (1940)

*The Sorcerer's Ship by Hannes Bok (1942)

*The Book of Ptath by A.E. van Vogt (1943)

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake (1946)

The Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt (1948)

*The Dying Earth by Jack Vance (1950)

*The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (1950-1956)

The Tritonian Ring by L. Sprague de Camp (1953)

*The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson (1954)

*The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954-1955)

*The Once and Future King by T.H. White (1958)

*The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960) 

*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1962)

Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges (1962)

The Moon of Gomrath (1963) by Alan Garner

*Witch World by Andre Norton (1963)

*The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (1964)

*Dune series (Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune) by Frank Herbert (1965-1981)

*The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (1968)

*The Earthsea Trilogy (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore) by Ursula K. LeGuin (1968, 1971, 1972)

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern Book 1, 1968)

The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs (1969)

Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant (1970)

Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz (1970)

*Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny (1970)

*Elric of MelnibonÃ© by Michael Moorcock (1972)

Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)

*Perelandra by C.S. Lewis 1972

*That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis 1974

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip (1974)

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck (1976)

The Sword of Shanara by Terry Brooks (1977)

*Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (1977)

A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony (Xanth Book 1, 1977)

The Magic Goes Away by Larry Niven (1978)

Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen (1979)

*The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (1979)

The Book of the New Sun (The Shadow if the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, The Sword of the Lictor, The Citadel of the Autarch) by Gene Wolfe (1980-1983)

*The Changing Land by Roger Zelazny (1981)

*Dilvish, the Damned by Roger Zelazny (1982)

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (1982)

*The Elfin Ship by James Blaylock (1982)

Magician (Riftwar Saga) by Raymond E. Feist (1982)

Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (The Belgariad Book 1, 1982)

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (1982)

Little, Big by John Crowley (1982)

*The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers (1983)

*The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (1983)

Web of light by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983)

Alanna: The First Adventure (The Song of the Lioness) by Tamora Pierce (1983)

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (1984)

The Summer Tree (Fionavar Tapestry #1) by Guy Gavriel Kay (1984)

The Black Company by Glen Cook (1984)

Legend by David Gemmell (1984)

The Man of Gold by M.A.R. Barker (1984)

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (1984)

Her Majesty's Wizard by Christopher Stasheff (1986)

*Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986)

The Time Master Trilogy by Louise Cooper (1986)

Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe (1986)

Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead (1987)

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (1987)

The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore (Icewind Dale Book 1, 1988)

Sheepfarmer's Daughter (The Deed of Paksenarrion) by Elizabeth Moon (1988)

*The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams (1988)

The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson (1989)

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (1990)

*The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (1990)

The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust (1991)

*The Magic of Recluce by L. E. Modesitt Jr (1991)

*Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (1994)

*Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (Farseer Trilogy book 1, 1995)

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (1995)

Sabriel by Garth Nix (1995)

*A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (1996)

*The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (1997-2007)

*Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1998)

The Sum of All Men by David Farland (1998)

*Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen, 1999)

*Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (1999)

*Storm Front by Jim Butcher (Harry Dresden Book 1, 2000)

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (2000)

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (2001)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002)

*Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2002)

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (2002)

*Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (2003)

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (2003)

Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (2003)

*Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004)

*The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker (2004)

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (2005)

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (2005)

Priestess of the White by Trudi Caravan (2005)

*The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (2006)

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (2006)

*The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay (2007)

The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett (2008)

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks (2008)

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (2010)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (2010)

Hounded by Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid series) 2011

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2011)

*The Night Land, a Story Retold by James Stoddard, William Hope Hodgson (2011)


----------



## Mythopoet

I can't apparently edit an older post, so I'm going to post my updated Mast Fantasy Reading List, since I've done some major overhauling and added a lot of additions to it recently. (* means I've read it already) 

Mythopoet's Master Fantasy Reading List


Vathek by William Beckford (1786)

*John Ruskin: The King of the Golden River (1851)

*Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald (1858)

*The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris (1894)

The Well at the World's End by William Morris (1896)

*Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)

The Wallet of Kai Lung by Ernest Bramah (1900)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900)

*The Gods of Pegana by Lord Dunsany (1905)

*Time and the Gods by Lord Dunsany (1906)

*The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories by Lord Dunsany (1908)

*The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson (1908)

*A Dreamer's Tales by Lord Dunsany (1910)

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (1911)

The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson (1912) or

*The Night Land, a Story Retold by James Stoddard, William Hope Hodgson 

(2011)

*The Works of H.P. Lovecraft (1917-1935)

*The Moon Pool by A. Merritt (1919)

*A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay (1920)

*The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison (1922)

*The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (1924)

*Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees (1926)

War in Heaven by Charles Williams (1930)

Zothique stories by Clark Ashton Smith (1932-)

*Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard (1932-)

Jirel of Joiry stories by C.L. Moore (1934-)

*The Island of the Mighty by Evangeline Walton (1936)

*The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)

*Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis 1938

*Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber (1939-)

*The Roaring Trumpet and The Mathematics of Magic by Fletcher Pratt and L. 

Sprague de Camp (1940)

*The Sorcerer's Ship by Hannes Bok (1942)

*The Book of Ptath by A.E. van Vogt (1943)

The Opener of the Way by Robert Bloch (1945)

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake (1946)

The Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt (1948)

Silverlock by John Myers Myers (1949)

*The Dying Earth by Jack Vance (1950)

*The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (1950-1956)

The Tritonian Ring by L. Sprague de Camp (1953)

*The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson (1954)

*The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954-1955)

*The Once and Future King by T.H. White (1958)

The Mask of Cthulhu by August Derleth (1958)

*The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960) 

*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1962)

Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges (1962)

The Trail of Cthulhu by August Derleth (1962)

The Moon of Gomrath (1963) by Alan Garner

*Witch World by Andre Norton (1963)

*The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (1964)

*Dune by Frank Herbert (1965)

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny (1967)

*The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (1968)

*A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin (1968)

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern Book 1, 1968)

*The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs (1969)

Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant (1970)

Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz (1970)

*Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny (1970)

The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (1970)

*Elric of MelnibonÃ© by Michael Moorcock (1972)

Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)

*Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (1972)

*The Princess Bride by William Goldman (1973)

*The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1973)

*That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis (1974)

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip (1974)

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck (1976)

The Sword of Shanara by Terry Brooks (1977)

*Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (1977)

A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony (Xanth Book 1, 1977)

The Magic Goes Away by Larry Niven (1978)

Night's Master by Tanith Lee (1978)

Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen (1979)

*The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (1979)

*The Shadow if the Torturer by Gene Wolfe (1980)

*The Changing Land by Roger Zelazny (1981)

*Dilvish, the Damned by Roger Zelazny (1982)

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (1982)

*The Elfin Ship by James Blaylock (1982)

Magician (Riftwar Saga) by Raymond E. Feist (1982)

Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (The Belgariad Book 1, 1982)

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (1982)

Little, Big by John Crowley (1982)

*The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers (1983)

*The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (1983)

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983)

Web of light by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983)

Alanna: The First Adventure (The Song of the Lioness) by Tamora Pierce 

(1983)

Jhereg by Steven Brust (1983)

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (1984)

The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay (1984)

The Black Company by Glen Cook (1984)

Legend by David Gemmell (1984)

The Man of Gold by M.A.R. Barker (1984)

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (1984)

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart (1984)

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (1984)

Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy (1985)

Her Majesty's Wizard by Christopher Stasheff (1986)

*Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986)

The Time Master Trilogy by Louise Cooper (1986)

Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe (1986)

Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead (1987)

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (1987)

The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore (1988)

Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon (1988)

*The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams (1988)

The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson (1989)

The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers (1989)

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (1989)

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (1990)

Magic Casement by Dave Duncan (1990)

*The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (1990)

The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust (1991)

*The Magic of Recluce by L. E. Modesitt Jr (1991)

Black Sun Rising by C. S. Friedman (1991)

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (1992)

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett (1992)

Deerskin by Robin McKinley (1993)

*Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (1994)

*Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (1995)

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (1995)

Sabriel by Garth Nix (1995)

World Without End by Sean Russell (1995)

*The Anvil of Ice by Michael Scott Rohan (1995)

*A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (1996)

The Golden Key by Jennifer Roberson, Melanie Rawn and Kate Elliott (1996)

*Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (1997)

Talion: Revenant by Michael Stackpole (1997)

*Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1998)

The Sum of All Men by David Farland (1998)

Heroes Die by Matthew Stover (1998)

In Legend Born by Laura Resnick (1998)

The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells (1998)

*Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (1999)

*Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (1999)

*Storm Front by Jim Butcher (2000)

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (2000)

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (2001)

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (2001)

Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (2001)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002)

*Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2002)

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (2002)

*Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (2002)

Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKillip (2002)

The Prince of Shadow by Curt Benjamin (2002)

The One Kingdom by Sean Russell (2002)

*Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (2003)

Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe (2003)

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (2003)

Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (2003)

The Etched City by K. J. Bishop (2003)

The Briar King by Greg Keyes (2003)

The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams (2003)

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (2003)

The Shadow of the Lion by Mercedes Lackey, Eric FLint, Dave Freer (2003)

*Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004)

*The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker (2004)

*Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher (2004)

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (2005)

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (2005)

Priestess of the White by Trudi Caravan (2005)

*The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (2006)

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (2006)

A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham (2006)

Eifelheim by Michael Flynn (2006)

*The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay (2007)

Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham (2007)

Devices and Desires by K. J. Parker (2007)

The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett (2008)

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks (2008)

Anathem by Neal Stephenson (2008)

The Magicians by Lev Grossman (2009)

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (2010)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (2010)

The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker (2010)

The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (2010)

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal (2010)

Among Others by Jo Walton (2011)

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie (2011)

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2011)

The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham (2011)

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed (2012)

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (2012)

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (2013)

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan (2013)

City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (2014)

The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley (2014)

The Thousand Names by Django Wexler (2014)

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (2014)

The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley (2014)

Maplecroft by Cherie Priest (2014)

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015)


----------



## Trick

Long list (that I might steal ). 

I notice that you have The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett. I think it's called that in the UK but it's called The Warded Man in the US. Not that it matters. Just pointing it out.


----------



## Mythopoet

Trick said:


> Long list (that I might steal ).
> 
> I notice that you have The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett. I think it's called that in the UK but it's called The Warded Man in the US. Not that it matters. Just pointing it out.



Yeah, it's been a work in progress for some years now. I'm slowly, slowly trying to read everything on the list.


----------



## Trick

Mythopoet said:


> Yeah, it's been a work in progress for some years now. I'm slowly, slowly trying to read everything on the list.



It will be a great accomplishment when you get there, and by then, it'll probably be longer  It's funny, there are a ton of books you've read that I have not but many of the books you have not yet read, I have. Weird how that happens. You've definitely got me beat though.

I have to ask, what did you think of A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay?


----------



## Mythopoet

Trick said:


> It will be a great accomplishment when you get there, and by then, it'll probably be longer  It's funny, there are a ton of books you've read that I have not but many of the books you have not yet read, I have. Weird how that happens. You've definitely got me beat though.
> 
> I have to ask, what did you think of A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay?



I was really disappointed by some of the recent fantasy I read some years ago, so I decided I wanted to dive into classic fantasy and educate myself about the greats. So I've been focusing on that for a long time and haven't read anything written in the last several years. So yeah, I've gotten a bit lopsided now. 

What _did_ I think of A Voyage to Arcturus? It was interesting. I think I'd have to read it again to really form an opinion on it.


----------



## Trick

Mythopoet said:


> What _did_ I think of A Voyage to Arcturus? It was interesting. I think I'd have to read it again to really form an opinion on it.



I got about 75% through by sheer power of curiosity and had to trudge the rest of the way. I'm glad I read it but wow...


----------



## L M Rush

Eternally glad to see 'The Wheel of Time' given the credit it deserves on that list, I can't help but resent every person I know in real life for a) not having read the books and more importantly b) for not even having HEARD of the books. RIP Mr. Jordan.


----------



## Mythopoet

I made quite a few additions to my Fantasy Reading List recently. It can be found here:

https://mythopoeicfantasy.wordpress.com/fantasy-literature/mythopoets-master-fantasy-reading-list/


----------



## Cambra

Mythopoet said:


> I can't apparently edit an older post, so I'm going to post my updated Mast Fantasy Reading List, since I've done some major overhauling and added a lot of additions to it recently. (* means I've read it already)
> 
> Mythopoet's Master Fantasy Reading List
> 
> 
> Vathek by William Beckford (1786)
> 
> *John Ruskin: The King of the Golden River (1851)
> 
> *Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald (1858)
> 
> *The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris (1894)
> 
> The Well at the World's End by William Morris (1896)
> 
> *Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)
> 
> The Wallet of Kai Lung by Ernest Bramah (1900)
> 
> The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900)
> 
> *The Gods of Pegana by Lord Dunsany (1905)
> 
> *Time and the Gods by Lord Dunsany (1906)
> 
> *The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories by Lord Dunsany (1908)
> 
> *The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson (1908)
> 
> *A Dreamer's Tales by Lord Dunsany (1910)
> 
> Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (1911)
> 
> The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson (1912) or
> 
> *The Night Land, a Story Retold by James Stoddard, William Hope Hodgson
> 
> (2011)
> 
> *The Works of H.P. Lovecraft (1917-1935)
> 
> *The Moon Pool by A. Merritt (1919)
> 
> *A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay (1920)
> 
> *The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison (1922)
> 
> *The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (1924)
> 
> *Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees (1926)
> 
> War in Heaven by Charles Williams (1930)
> 
> Zothique stories by Clark Ashton Smith (1932-)
> 
> *Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard (1932-)
> 
> Jirel of Joiry stories by C.L. Moore (1934-)
> 
> *The Island of the Mighty by Evangeline Walton (1936)
> 
> *The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)
> 
> *Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis 1938
> 
> *Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber (1939-)
> 
> *The Roaring Trumpet and The Mathematics of Magic by Fletcher Pratt and L.
> 
> Sprague de Camp (1940)
> 
> *The Sorcerer's Ship by Hannes Bok (1942)
> 
> *The Book of Ptath by A.E. van Vogt (1943)
> 
> The Opener of the Way by Robert Bloch (1945)
> 
> Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake (1946)
> 
> The Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt (1948)
> 
> Silverlock by John Myers Myers (1949)
> 
> *The Dying Earth by Jack Vance (1950)
> 
> *The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (1950-1956)
> 
> The Tritonian Ring by L. Sprague de Camp (1953)
> 
> *The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson (1954)
> 
> *The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954-1955)
> 
> *The Once and Future King by T.H. White (1958)
> 
> The Mask of Cthulhu by August Derleth (1958)
> 
> *The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960)
> 
> *A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1962)
> 
> Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges (1962)
> 
> The Trail of Cthulhu by August Derleth (1962)
> 
> The Moon of Gomrath (1963) by Alan Garner
> 
> *Witch World by Andre Norton (1963)
> 
> *The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (1964)
> 
> *Dune by Frank Herbert (1965)
> 
> Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny (1967)
> 
> *The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (1968)
> 
> *A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin (1968)
> 
> Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern Book 1, 1968)
> 
> *The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs (1969)
> 
> Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant (1970)
> 
> Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz (1970)
> 
> *Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny (1970)
> 
> The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (1970)
> 
> *Elric of MelnibonÃ© by Michael Moorcock (1972)
> 
> Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)
> 
> *Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (1972)
> 
> *The Princess Bride by William Goldman (1973)
> 
> *The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1973)
> 
> *That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis (1974)
> 
> The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip (1974)
> 
> The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck (1976)
> 
> The Sword of Shanara by Terry Brooks (1977)
> 
> *Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (1977)
> 
> A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony (Xanth Book 1, 1977)
> 
> The Magic Goes Away by Larry Niven (1978)
> 
> Night's Master by Tanith Lee (1978)
> 
> Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen (1979)
> 
> *The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (1979)
> 
> *The Shadow if the Torturer by Gene Wolfe (1980)
> 
> *The Changing Land by Roger Zelazny (1981)
> 
> *Dilvish, the Damned by Roger Zelazny (1982)
> 
> The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (1982)
> 
> *The Elfin Ship by James Blaylock (1982)
> 
> Magician (Riftwar Saga) by Raymond E. Feist (1982)
> 
> Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (The Belgariad Book 1, 1982)
> 
> The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (1982)
> 
> Little, Big by John Crowley (1982)
> 
> *The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers (1983)
> 
> *The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (1983)
> 
> The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983)
> 
> Web of light by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983)
> 
> Alanna: The First Adventure (The Song of the Lioness) by Tamora Pierce
> 
> (1983)
> 
> Jhereg by Steven Brust (1983)
> 
> Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (1984)
> 
> The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay (1984)
> 
> The Black Company by Glen Cook (1984)
> 
> Legend by David Gemmell (1984)
> 
> The Man of Gold by M.A.R. Barker (1984)
> 
> Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (1984)
> 
> Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart (1984)
> 
> The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (1984)
> 
> Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy (1985)
> 
> Her Majesty's Wizard by Christopher Stasheff (1986)
> 
> *Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986)
> 
> The Time Master Trilogy by Louise Cooper (1986)
> 
> Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe (1986)
> 
> Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead (1987)
> 
> War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (1987)
> 
> The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore (1988)
> 
> Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon (1988)
> 
> *The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams (1988)
> 
> The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson (1989)
> 
> The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers (1989)
> 
> Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (1989)
> 
> Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (1990)
> 
> Magic Casement by Dave Duncan (1990)
> 
> *The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (1990)
> 
> The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust (1991)
> 
> *The Magic of Recluce by L. E. Modesitt Jr (1991)
> 
> Black Sun Rising by C. S. Friedman (1991)
> 
> Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (1992)
> 
> Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett (1992)
> 
> Deerskin by Robin McKinley (1993)
> 
> *Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (1994)
> 
> *Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (1995)
> 
> The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (1995)
> 
> Sabriel by Garth Nix (1995)
> 
> World Without End by Sean Russell (1995)
> 
> *The Anvil of Ice by Michael Scott Rohan (1995)
> 
> *A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (1996)
> 
> The Golden Key by Jennifer Roberson, Melanie Rawn and Kate Elliott (1996)
> 
> *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (1997)
> 
> Talion: Revenant by Michael Stackpole (1997)
> 
> *Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1998)
> 
> The Sum of All Men by David Farland (1998)
> 
> Heroes Die by Matthew Stover (1998)
> 
> In Legend Born by Laura Resnick (1998)
> 
> The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells (1998)
> 
> *Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (1999)
> 
> *Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (1999)
> 
> *Storm Front by Jim Butcher (2000)
> 
> Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (2000)
> 
> Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (2001)
> 
> The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (2001)
> 
> Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (2001)
> 
> American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002)
> 
> *Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2002)
> 
> The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (2002)
> 
> *Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (2002)
> 
> Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKillip (2002)
> 
> The Prince of Shadow by Curt Benjamin (2002)
> 
> The One Kingdom by Sean Russell (2002)
> 
> *Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (2003)
> 
> Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe (2003)
> 
> The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (2003)
> 
> Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (2003)
> 
> The Etched City by K. J. Bishop (2003)
> 
> The Briar King by Greg Keyes (2003)
> 
> The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams (2003)
> 
> The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (2003)
> 
> The Shadow of the Lion by Mercedes Lackey, Eric FLint, Dave Freer (2003)
> 
> *Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004)
> 
> *The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker (2004)
> 
> *Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher (2004)
> 
> Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (2005)
> 
> His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (2005)
> 
> Priestess of the White by Trudi Caravan (2005)
> 
> *The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (2006)
> 
> The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (2006)
> 
> A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham (2006)
> 
> Eifelheim by Michael Flynn (2006)
> 
> *The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)
> 
> Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay (2007)
> 
> Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham (2007)
> 
> Devices and Desires by K. J. Parker (2007)
> 
> The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett (2008)
> 
> The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks (2008)
> 
> Anathem by Neal Stephenson (2008)
> 
> The Magicians by Lev Grossman (2009)
> 
> The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (2010)
> 
> The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (2010)
> 
> The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker (2010)
> 
> The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (2010)
> 
> Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal (2010)
> 
> Among Others by Jo Walton (2011)
> 
> The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie (2011)
> 
> Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2011)
> 
> The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham (2011)
> 
> Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed (2012)
> 
> Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (2012)
> 
> The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (2013)
> 
> Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan (2013)
> 
> City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (2014)
> 
> The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley (2014)
> 
> The Thousand Names by Django Wexler (2014)
> 
> The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (2014)
> 
> The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley (2014)
> 
> Maplecroft by Cherie Priest (2014)
> 
> Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015)




So fabulous to see so many female writers on this list... And, an impressive list too... I really need to get reading some of the really oldies, would you say Frankenstein should be on there? Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? The King in Yellow?

Oh, and no HG Wells? No Aasimov?

I'm not being critical, just want a be all end all list...


----------



## Cambra

... and no-one should overlook Jorge Luis Borges or Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Julio CortÃ¡zar and the whole kit and caboodle of South American magic realism (which is, basically, fantasy...).


----------



## Mythopoet

Cambra said:


> So fabulous to see so many female writers on this list... And, an impressive list too... I really need to get reading some of the really oldies, would you say Frankenstein should be on there? Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? The King in Yellow?
> 
> Oh, and no HG Wells? No Aasimov?
> 
> I'm not being critical, just want a be all end all list...





Cambra said:


> ... and no-one should overlook Jorge Luis Borges or Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Julio CortÃ¡zar and the whole kit and caboodle of South American magic realism (which is, basically, fantasy...).



Check out the updated version of the list here: https://mythopoeicfantasy.wordpress.com/fantasy-literature/mythopoets-modern-fantasy-reading-list/

Did Asimov write any fantasy? Also, I don't really feel Magical Realism is fantasy at all. But that's just my opinion. Though Borges is already on the list.


----------



## Russ

I am not sure about HG Wells but I suspect Mr. Asimov would be spinning in his grave to be called a fantasy writer!


----------



## FifthView

Russ said:


> I am not sure about HG Wells but I suspect Mr. Asimov would be spinning in his grave to be called a fantasy writer!



I'm wondering, did Asimov ever comment on the fantasy genre?  He did write a collection of stories called _Azazel_, generally classified as fantasy.  But that sort of thing was of course not typical for him.


----------



## Mythopoet

Russ said:


> I am not sure about HG Wells but I suspect Mr. Asimov would be spinning in his grave to be called a fantasy writer!





Russ said:


> I am not sure about HG Wells but I suspect Mr. Asimov would be spinning in his grave to be called a fantasy writer!



Wells wrote before fantasy and sci fi became separated as genres. I included The Time Machine on the list because I think it greatly impacted both genres. In fact, I include a lot of books that wouldn't be called fantasy today, but that surely impacted the genre, having been written as "amazing" or "weird" stories before the genres were more demarcated. 



FifthView said:


> I'm wondering, did Asimov ever comment on the fantasy genre?  He did write a collection of stories called _Azazel_, generally classified as fantasy.  But that sort of thing was of course not typical for him.



Asimov did comment on fantasy. I used to have a collection of his "fantasy" stories that also included some essays on fantasy. But, imho, the man just did NOT understand what fantasy is. He clearly had no taste for it. He was downright condescending in the essays. And I don't know of any stories of his that are considered fantasy that have had any impact on the genre.


----------



## Russ

FifthView said:


> I'm wondering, did Asimov ever comment on the fantasy genre?  He did write a collection of stories called _Azazel_, generally classified as fantasy.  But that sort of thing was of course not typical for him.



While he may have briefly brushed up against the fantasy genre, but no means would I call him a fantasy writer, nor would I think he would be on anyone's "must read" fantasy list.


----------



## FifthView

Russ said:


> While he may have briefly brushed up against the fantasy genre, but no means would I call him a fantasy writer, nor would I think he would be on anyone's "must read" fantasy list.



He's not even a "must read" science fiction author, for me.  That's probably due to the fact that I have always trended more toward fantasy than SF – I know many SF writers hold him in high esteem, probably justifiably.  (I leave it to them to say.)  I think I've read maybe a short story or two by Asimov, when I was young; but he never appealed to me in the way that some other SF authors did.


----------



## bestellen

But that sort of thing was of course not typical for him.


----------



## CF WELBURN

Great lists and lots of good suggestions. I haven't seen (or may have missed) anything by Jack Vance on here... Just to add my grain of salt I would highly recommend: Tales of the dying earth, and (perhaps more so) Lyonesse trilogy, by Jack Vance. I'll be adding some of the books here to my ever increasing 'to-read' list...


----------



## neodoering

I'd also add The Epic of Gilgamesh, which is a fantasy written a few thousand years ago.  It's a lot of fun to read and takes you as far back as the written story goes.  There are various translations; I have Penguin Classics version and find it to be satisfying.  About 120 pages long...


----------



## Steerpike

I don't know if Beowulf has been mentioned in this thread, but if we're talking classics then that has to go on the list. I really like Seamus Heaney's translation.


----------



## kjbartolotta

Since we're naming off the classics here, I would highly recommend both Hesiod's Theogony and his Works and Days, usually packaged in the same slim volume. You get both epic worldbuilding and a cranky but empathetic look at the tribulations of Bronze Age life among the common folk.


----------



## Cu Mara

HÃ«radÃ¯n said:


> I would like to suggest things
> 1. Trudi Canavan's "The Magician's Apprentice", "The Black Magician" trilogy, "Age of the Five" trilogy and "Traitor Spy" Trilogy(only 2 books of this one are done)
> 2. Kristen Britain's "Green Rider" series
> 3. J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Silmarillion"


Yes! I love the “Green Rider” series too, very much worth the mention.


----------



## Jack in the Green

Holdwyne said:


> And finally a Sci Fi  Book worth reading. And it is the Only book from this author worth spending time with.
> L RON HUBBARDS Battlefield Earth. Yes, the movie stunk but it is a great read and believe it or not, well written.



Yes! I loved Battlefield Earth. Great adventure. I could read it again.


----------



## Futhark

*KATHERINE KERR*
The *Deverry Cycle* is a series of Celtic fantasy novels by Katharine Kerr set in the fictional land of Deverry. As of November 2009, fifteen books have been published in the series. Wikipedia

*SIMON R. GREEN*
*Hawk and Fisher*
*The Forest Kingdom*
*Nightside books*
*Simon R. Green bibliography - Wikipedia*

*The Burning City* and *The Burning Tower, *by American writers Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
Set in the same timeline as The Magic Goes Away

*The Necroscope series by Brian Lumley.  *Dark fantasy/horror fiction.
Brian Lumley - Wikipedia


----------



## Rkcapps

Fulhark, that Deverry series is one of my favs


----------



## Ban

Mythopoet said:


> I can't apparently edit an older post, so I'm going to post my updated Mast Fantasy Reading List, since I've done some major overhauling and added a lot of additions to it recently. (* means I've read it already)
> 
> Mythopoet's Master Fantasy Reading List
> 
> 
> Vathek by William Beckford (1786)
> 
> *John Ruskin: The King of the Golden River (1851)
> 
> *Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald (1858)
> 
> *The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris (1894)
> 
> The Well at the World's End by William Morris (1896)
> 
> *Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)
> 
> The Wallet of Kai Lung by Ernest Bramah (1900)
> 
> The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900)
> 
> *The Gods of Pegana by Lord Dunsany (1905)
> 
> *Time and the Gods by Lord Dunsany (1906)
> 
> *The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories by Lord Dunsany (1908)
> 
> *The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson (1908)
> 
> *A Dreamer's Tales by Lord Dunsany (1910)
> 
> Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (1911)
> 
> The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson (1912) or
> 
> *The Night Land, a Story Retold by James Stoddard, William Hope Hodgson
> 
> (2011)
> 
> *The Works of H.P. Lovecraft (1917-1935)
> 
> *The Moon Pool by A. Merritt (1919)
> 
> *A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay (1920)
> 
> *The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison (1922)
> 
> *The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (1924)
> 
> *Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees (1926)
> 
> War in Heaven by Charles Williams (1930)
> 
> Zothique stories by Clark Ashton Smith (1932-)
> 
> *Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard (1932-)
> 
> Jirel of Joiry stories by C.L. Moore (1934-)
> 
> *The Island of the Mighty by Evangeline Walton (1936)
> 
> *The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)
> 
> *Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis 1938
> 
> *Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber (1939-)
> 
> *The Roaring Trumpet and The Mathematics of Magic by Fletcher Pratt and L.
> 
> Sprague de Camp (1940)
> 
> *The Sorcerer's Ship by Hannes Bok (1942)
> 
> *The Book of Ptath by A.E. van Vogt (1943)
> 
> The Opener of the Way by Robert Bloch (1945)
> 
> Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake (1946)
> 
> The Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt (1948)
> 
> Silverlock by John Myers Myers (1949)
> 
> *The Dying Earth by Jack Vance (1950)
> 
> *The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (1950-1956)
> 
> The Tritonian Ring by L. Sprague de Camp (1953)
> 
> *The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson (1954)
> 
> *The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954-1955)
> 
> *The Once and Future King by T.H. White (1958)
> 
> The Mask of Cthulhu by August Derleth (1958)
> 
> *The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960)
> 
> *A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1962)
> 
> Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges (1962)
> 
> The Trail of Cthulhu by August Derleth (1962)
> 
> The Moon of Gomrath (1963) by Alan Garner
> 
> *Witch World by Andre Norton (1963)
> 
> *The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (1964)
> 
> *Dune by Frank Herbert (1965)
> 
> Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny (1967)
> 
> *The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (1968)
> 
> *A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin (1968)
> 
> Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern Book 1, 1968)
> 
> *The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs (1969)
> 
> Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant (1970)
> 
> Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz (1970)
> 
> *Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny (1970)
> 
> The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (1970)
> 
> *Elric of MelnibonÃ© by Michael Moorcock (1972)
> 
> Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)
> 
> *Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (1972)
> 
> *The Princess Bride by William Goldman (1973)
> 
> *The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1973)
> 
> *That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis (1974)
> 
> The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip (1974)
> 
> The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck (1976)
> 
> The Sword of Shanara by Terry Brooks (1977)
> 
> *Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (1977)
> 
> A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony (Xanth Book 1, 1977)
> 
> The Magic Goes Away by Larry Niven (1978)
> 
> Night's Master by Tanith Lee (1978)
> 
> Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen (1979)
> 
> *The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (1979)
> 
> *The Shadow if the Torturer by Gene Wolfe (1980)
> 
> *The Changing Land by Roger Zelazny (1981)
> 
> *Dilvish, the Damned by Roger Zelazny (1982)
> 
> The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (1982)
> 
> *The Elfin Ship by James Blaylock (1982)
> 
> Magician (Riftwar Saga) by Raymond E. Feist (1982)
> 
> Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (The Belgariad Book 1, 1982)
> 
> The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (1982)
> 
> Little, Big by John Crowley (1982)
> 
> *The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers (1983)
> 
> *The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (1983)
> 
> The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983)
> 
> Web of light by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983)
> 
> Alanna: The First Adventure (The Song of the Lioness) by Tamora Pierce
> 
> (1983)
> 
> Jhereg by Steven Brust (1983)
> 
> Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (1984)
> 
> The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay (1984)
> 
> The Black Company by Glen Cook (1984)
> 
> Legend by David Gemmell (1984)
> 
> The Man of Gold by M.A.R. Barker (1984)
> 
> Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (1984)
> 
> Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart (1984)
> 
> The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (1984)
> 
> Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy (1985)
> 
> Her Majesty's Wizard by Christopher Stasheff (1986)
> 
> *Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986)
> 
> The Time Master Trilogy by Louise Cooper (1986)
> 
> Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe (1986)
> 
> Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead (1987)
> 
> War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (1987)
> 
> The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore (1988)
> 
> Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon (1988)
> 
> *The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams (1988)
> 
> The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson (1989)
> 
> The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers (1989)
> 
> Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (1989)
> 
> Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (1990)
> 
> Magic Casement by Dave Duncan (1990)
> 
> *The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (1990)
> 
> The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust (1991)
> 
> *The Magic of Recluce by L. E. Modesitt Jr (1991)
> 
> Black Sun Rising by C. S. Friedman (1991)
> 
> Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (1992)
> 
> Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett (1992)
> 
> Deerskin by Robin McKinley (1993)
> 
> *Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (1994)
> 
> *Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (1995)
> 
> The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (1995)
> 
> Sabriel by Garth Nix (1995)
> 
> World Without End by Sean Russell (1995)
> 
> *The Anvil of Ice by Michael Scott Rohan (1995)
> 
> *A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (1996)
> 
> The Golden Key by Jennifer Roberson, Melanie Rawn and Kate Elliott (1996)
> 
> *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (1997)
> 
> Talion: Revenant by Michael Stackpole (1997)
> 
> *Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1998)
> 
> The Sum of All Men by David Farland (1998)
> 
> Heroes Die by Matthew Stover (1998)
> 
> In Legend Born by Laura Resnick (1998)
> 
> The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells (1998)
> 
> *Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (1999)
> 
> *Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (1999)
> 
> *Storm Front by Jim Butcher (2000)
> 
> Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (2000)
> 
> Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (2001)
> 
> The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (2001)
> 
> Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (2001)
> 
> American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002)
> 
> *Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2002)
> 
> The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (2002)
> 
> *Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (2002)
> 
> Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKillip (2002)
> 
> The Prince of Shadow by Curt Benjamin (2002)
> 
> The One Kingdom by Sean Russell (2002)
> 
> *Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (2003)
> 
> Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe (2003)
> 
> The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (2003)
> 
> Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (2003)
> 
> The Etched City by K. J. Bishop (2003)
> 
> The Briar King by Greg Keyes (2003)
> 
> The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams (2003)
> 
> The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (2003)
> 
> The Shadow of the Lion by Mercedes Lackey, Eric FLint, Dave Freer (2003)
> 
> *Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004)
> 
> *The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker (2004)
> 
> *Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher (2004)
> 
> Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (2005)
> 
> His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (2005)
> 
> Priestess of the White by Trudi Caravan (2005)
> 
> *The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (2006)
> 
> The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (2006)
> 
> A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham (2006)
> 
> Eifelheim by Michael Flynn (2006)
> 
> *The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)
> 
> Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay (2007)
> 
> Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham (2007)
> 
> Devices and Desires by K. J. Parker (2007)
> 
> The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett (2008)
> 
> The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks (2008)
> 
> Anathem by Neal Stephenson (2008)
> 
> The Magicians by Lev Grossman (2009)
> 
> The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (2010)
> 
> The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (2010)
> 
> The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker (2010)
> 
> The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (2010)
> 
> Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal (2010)
> 
> Among Others by Jo Walton (2011)
> 
> The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie (2011)
> 
> Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2011)
> 
> The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham (2011)
> 
> Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed (2012)
> 
> Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (2012)
> 
> The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (2013)
> 
> Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan (2013)
> 
> City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (2014)
> 
> The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley (2014)
> 
> The Thousand Names by Django Wexler (2014)
> 
> The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (2014)
> 
> The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley (2014)
> 
> Maplecroft by Cherie Priest (2014)
> 
> Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015)



Four years have passed since this massive list Mytho. How big is it by now?


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## S.T. Ockenner

Joe the Gnarled said:


> H.P. Lovecraft


He was racist


----------



## Vicki27

Many of my favourite authors on the list, any of David Gemmell's books are good reading.  Has anyone read Garth Nix, his necromancer trilogy is very good.  I love the fact that in the original list, I have read most of the 19th and 20th century titles, most of them in the days when libraries were just on your doorstep and you could take out 6 or 8 books and binge read.  Hmmmm that makes me feel old


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## Steerpike

Vicki27 said:


> Many of my favourite authors on the list, any of David Gemmell's books are good reading.  Has anyone read Garth Nix, his necromancer trilogy is very good.  I love the fact that in the original list, I have read most of the 19th and 20th century titles, most of them in the days when libraries were just on your doorstep and you could take out 6 or 8 books and binge read.  Hmmmm that makes me feel old



Yep. I enjoy both Gemmell and Nix. 

FYI--Garth Nix currently has a story posted on Tor.com.


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## S.T. Ockenner

Does it have to be Fantasy, or just spec fic in general? Because: 1984 by George Orwell.


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## neodoering

I'm currently reading The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, which is a thick compendium (1020 pages)  of leather-bound bookmaking.  Love his poems and his prose both, so much that I am working on a short Poe-esque story set in Egypt in the late 19th century.  It needs works, but so far it is promising.


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## Mad Swede

I've just finished re-reading CS Lewis' "The Horse and His Boy". There is a book which I feel should be on every aspiring fanstasy writers must read list (yes, I know the Narnia books were listed in the first post!). And for why? Well, I've always been hugely impressed by the way in which Lewis creates the realm of Calormen and details it in the first 100 pages or so. The food, the politics, its society. And it really is quite grim and dark - the way Lewis describes the scene where the Tisroc discusses Rabadash' plans to take Archenland with the Grand Vizier, and calmly notes that failure will likely mean Rabadash' death (so removing a threat to the Tisroc's rule) is an amazing bit of cynical realism for a childrens book. People talk about George Martin and Joe Abercrombie being dark and cynical, but in many ways Lewis got there first with this book.


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## S.T. Ockenner

In my opinion [yes, this is Comic Sans,finally] the Bad Unicorn trilogy by Platte F Clark needs way more love.


----------



## Ben Scotton

Joe the Gnarled said:


> I have compiled a list from the fantasy reading list thread:
> Fantasy Reading List
> I hope no one is upset if I included something that should have been excluded, or excluded something that should have been included, but it was a good bit of information to sift through.  I have sorted the works by date so people will have some idea of what they are getting into if they decide to look for a particular piece of work.
> 
> *Disclaimer- some dates may be publication dates, and some may be the dates the work was written
> 
> Here is the must read list:
> 
> “Beowulf”
> “Aesop's Fables”
> 
> 15th Century
> “Le Morte d'Arthur” by Sir Thomas Malory (1485)
> 
> 16th Century
> “The Faerie Queene” by Edmund Spenser (1590 first installment, 1596 second installment)
> “A Midsummer Night's Dream” and “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare (1594-1596? /1611)
> 
> 19th Century
> Grimm's Fairy Tales (1812, 1814, 1819, 1822) WHO WROTE???
> "The Water-Babies" by Charles Kingsley (1863)
> "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There" by Lewis Carroll (1865/1871)
> "The Coming Race" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1871)
> "The Princess and the Goblin" by George MacDonald (1872)
> "The Wood Beyond the World" and "The Well at World's End" by William Morris (1894/1896)
> "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum (1900)
> 
> 20th Century
> "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
> "The Little House in the Fairy Wood" by Ethel Cook Eliot (1918)
> "The Worm Ouroboros" by Eric RÃ¼cker Eddison (1922)
> "The King of Elfland's Daughter" by Lord Dunsany (1924)
> "Lud-in-the-Mist" by Hope Mirrlees (1926)
> "Islandia" by Austin Tappan Wright (1942 written in 1920s)
> "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937/1954-55)
> "Titus Groan", "Gormenghast", and "Titus Alone" by Mervyn Peake (1946/1950/1958)
> "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956)
> “The Once and Future King” by T. H. White (1958)
> "Earthsea" series by Ursula K. LeGuin (1964, 1971, 1972, 1990, 2001)
> “Merlin” trilogy by Mary Stewart (1970, 1973, 1979)
> “Magician” by Raymond E. Feist (1982)
> “Dark Tower” series by Stephen King (1982-2012)
> “Dragonlance” series “Chronicles”, “Legends”, and “Heroes” trilogies by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman (1984, 1985/1986, 1988)
> “Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan (1990-2010)
> “Neverwhere” by Neil Gaiman (1996)
> "Bas-Lag" series by China MiÃ©ville (2000, 2002, 2004)
> 
> 21st Century
> All works yet to be published by Members of Mythic Scribes


Realise this post is from a while ago, but I've been looking for a list like this for ages. Massive thank you, Joe!

Got some reading to do.


----------

