# Reddit's Top 105 Fantasy Novels/Series of All Time



## Philip Overby (Mar 20, 2015)

Maybe some would like to discuss this and mention how many of these books you've read on the list (and Michael Sullivan made the list, congrats!) Some are individual books while some are series. 

Also, I'm sure A Song of Ice and Fire being higher than Lord of the Rings is sure to rankle some. 

Which ones have you read and what do you think of the rankings? 

Reddit's Top 105 Fantasy Novels/Series of All Time - How many have you read?


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## Svrtnsse (Mar 20, 2015)

32 of 105 - more than I'd expected.

Interesting list, and indeed, Martin ahead of Tolkien is going to be a bit controversial, but I guess it's a sign of the times. I'm not going to weigh in on it more than that.
It was interesting to see that some authors appeared several times with different stories (Gaimain, Kay, Sanderson). I've read most of Gaiman's works, one or two of Kay's and I've started on one book of Sanderson's - though I have yet to finish it.
I also got the impression that it's mostly "classic" fantasy that's on the list. Other genres are there too, but it's the traditional fantasy that holds the majority of the spots.

Also, congratulations to Michael Sullivan for making the list.


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## Mythopoet (Mar 20, 2015)

You'd expect it to rankle me, but I'll just smile a little smile and say that we'll see how the cards lay after ASoIaF is actually concluded and, you know, when it's been out for over 50 years. 

The thing that saddens me about such lists is the lack of pre-Tolkien fantasy. On this list we have only The Picture of Dorian Grey which I really don't think should count as fantasy and Alice in Wonderland which is really more fairy tale-ish than it is modern fantasy. Where's Conan? Where's The Worm Ouroboros? Where's Dunsany? Where's Lovecraft? There are so many older classics that I would hate to see forgotten.


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## Mindfire (Mar 20, 2015)

If this list had been compiled only a decade ago, Tolkien would have been number one no contest. The last LOTR film was released 12 years ago (wow I feel so old) and while the Hobbit films were good (in my opinion) they weren't as universally acclaimed. Meanwhile, Game of Thrones is a hit and Martin's work is now en vogue. I don't say that to diminish his accomplishments at all. I'm only saying he's what's in fashion now and that's influenced his ranking. That's just how pop culture works.


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## Mindfire (Mar 20, 2015)

However, what _does_ surprise me is that Harry Potter ranks so low. Number 10? Really? I mean, Harry Potter got beaten by Dresden? _DRESDEN?!_ I'm not saying Dresden is bad. I've never read it. But Harry Potter beats Dresden in every conceivable way. The books and the films were a worldwide phenomenon. Meanwhile the average guy on the street has no clue who Dresden even is. Unless they watched the short-lived TV show. Honestly, even Discworld, as clever as it is, and Wheel of Time, as iconic as it is, should not have beaten Harry Potter. Harry Potter should have been #3 on this list. The only conclusion I can come to is that this list was compiled with the tastes of older readers in mind and they grudgingly made Harry Potter, the children's book, #10 because they knew they _had_ to put it somewhere and ranking it any lower would have crossed the line from baffling to insulting.


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## Mindfire (Mar 20, 2015)

And while I'm at it, why the heck do Earthsea and Narnia rank so low? And why is Paolini's Inheritance Cycle even on this list?


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## Philip Overby (Mar 20, 2015)

I'm not sure how the voting was done, but I'd say a lot of these books certainly deserve to be on the list. I think pre-Tolkien fantasy gets the shaft a lot because people don't know it that well. For some, fantasy begins with Tolkien (which obviously isn't true). I would like to see more fantasy fans get into older fantasy works. A lot of it can be bought for cheap or even free from sites like Project Gutenberg. 

The rankings themselves could of course be debated. I certainly think A Song of Ice and Fire belongs in the Top 5 for sure, but Lord of the Rings will always be the granddaddy of them all as far as fantasy goes I think. The Harry Potter series should definitely be Top 5 also. While I love the Malazan Series myself, I am beyond surprised it made as Number 4. That's pretty incredible considering it's one of those love it or hate it series. I guess enough people love it in that case. 

If I were to guess at the Top 5, just thinking off the top of my head, I would have said they'd be (in no particular order)

Lord of the Rings
A Song of Ice and Fire
Harry Potter
Wheel of Time
Chronicles of Narnia

I say this because these seem to have had the most impact on the genre in recent history and have had the most mainstream success.

Also, Malazan ranking so high in lists like these always gives me faith for my own writing. Simply because Erikson seems to really go all out with his fantasy and breaks all the rules people say not to break. Yet his fiction is beloved by a hardcore group of fans. That said, I don't ever see there being a Malazan movie or TV show. You thought HBO broke the bank with Game of Thrones? Sheesh.


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## Mindfire (Mar 20, 2015)

Mythopoet said:


> The thing that saddens me about such lists is the lack of pre-Tolkien fantasy. On this list we have only The Picture of Dorian Grey which I really don't think should count as fantasy and Alice in Wonderland which is really more fairy tale-ish than it is modern fantasy. Where's Conan? Where's The Worm Ouroboros? Where's Dunsany? Where's Lovecraft? There are so many older classics that I would hate to see forgotten.



Actually, Conan is on the list. #65



Philip Overby said:


> For some, fantasy begins with Tolkien (which obviously isn't true). I would like to see more fantasy fans get into older fantasy works.



Fantasy did not begin with Tolkien. But fantasy _as we now know it_ very much did begin with Tolkien in my opinion.



Philip Overby said:


> If I were to guess at the Top 5, just thinking off the top of my head, I would have said they'd be (in no particular order)
> 
> Lord of the Rings
> A Song of Ice and Fire
> ...



Agreed.


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## Philip Overby (Mar 20, 2015)

Also in regards to Lovecraft, I believe many people see him as a horror writer, so that may be why he doesn't make it on fantasy lists even though what he was writing had loads of fantastical elements to them. Maybe Dunsany doesn't make these kind of lists due to lack of awareness. I'll admit that I haven't read his work, although I have downloaded it and meant to read it (like 100 other books I own). 

I agree that fantasy we now know it began with Tolkien, but fantasy has existed for thousands and thousands of years. Fantasy fiction probably started with epic poetry like Beowulf and Gilgamesh or even further back than that (although I'm not a historian so I'm sure someone could correct me).

I wonder if for some newer fans, fantasy as they know it began with George R.R. Martin?


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## ThinkerX (Mar 20, 2015)

73 out of 105.  Though there were several series I didn't finish (like 'Sword of Truth') and others I have not read in thirty years or more.  There are also a few very well known ones I just never got around to.

Yes, Lovecraft should have been on that list.  Several of the other authors - like King - stole his ideas in bulk lots.  

Clark Ashton Smith is another...except he didn't write any novels.  His longest pieces were short novella's.  Dang good ones, though.  

Lord Dunsany...His 'King of Elflands Daughter' is supposed to be good.  I have his 'Complete Pegana,' which is interesting but tough going because of the antiquated language - sort of mythological short stories.

Machen's 'Three Imposters,' while billed as a novel, is actually a short story collection, linked by narrators and audience.  He really influenced Lovecraft.

As to Martin - yes, these days GRRM is known for 'Game of Thrones,' huge runaway success and all that.  But beforehand, he was a television script writer (which is how I suspect GOT became a TV series - old connections coming to the fore).  His earlier stuff...well, 'Armageddon Rag' tanked badly.  'Windhaven' and 'Tuf Voyaging' were strung together collections of novelettes and novella's.


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