Good day, Dear Reader!
In my last blog, I gave you a list of my Top 40 Sci-Fi reads. I had fun creating that post so, being the voracious reader that I am, I’ve decided to keep going and make it a series. As I mentioned, Science Fiction and Fantasy are my two favorite genres with the former just edging out the latter. Therefore, this time I’ll discuss my ‘must-reads’ in the Fantasy genre.
The standard definition for the Fantasy literary or cinematic genre is that it is an imaginative or fanciful work usually containing folkloric, magical, mythical, or supernatural elements and/or themes in a non-technological setting. Under the ‘Fantasy’ umbrella, there are several sub-genres:
Ø Epic Fantasy – Sometimes called High or Heroic Fantasy. As the name suggests, these are Fantasy tales set in a massive, grand scale. These stories usually involve some sort ‘hero’s journey’ quest for a world-changing artifact or goal. They also almost always include some sort of high stakes struggle between the forces of Good and Evil. The two best examples of this sub-genre will be in the list;
Ø Sword and Sorcery Fantasy – Sometimes presented as “Sword-n-Sorcery”, this is fairly self-explanatory. Whether they are barbarians, gladiators, knights, etc., or just some sort of mercenary with edged weapons, the sword-wielders are usually contesting in some way or another against some form of magic user;
Ø Mythological Fantasy – Even though Mythology is its own literary genre, this sub-genre of Fantasy usually takes existing ancient cultural mythology and expands upon it, occasionally blending elements different mythos;
Ø Dystopian Fantasy – As with Dystopian Science Fiction, this sub-genre tends to have a very dark, almost hopeless view of how Humanity would come out of a world-changing cataclysm. In the Fantasy flavor of Dystopian tales, the world is almost always thrown back to the Iron Age or earlier, and the rediscovery of ‘lost’ technologies is not part of the story at all. There may be references to ‘The Time Before’, but the plot and story usually deal solely with the tale’s contemporary issues. These tales often include elements of Sword and Sorcery Fantasy;
Ø Magical Realism Fantasy – Sometimes called “Low Fantasy”, this is a sub-genre that usually includes either unexpected magical elements or a universe where magic is either part of or exists alongside everyday life, sometimes both. This sub-genre has its own sub-genres:
Ø Urban Fantasy – this is usually a story cycle or arc, often a collection of short stories and novellas, in which fantastical characters, artifacts, and/or situations are placed in a real world urban setting;
Ø Paranormal Romance – Usually a tale of romance between a ‘normal person’ and some sort of supernatural entity, this sub-genre tends to blend the lines between Urban Fantasy, Coming-of-Age Tales, and Romance. Two of the most notable examples are the motion picture Ghost (1990) and the Twilight Saga books written by Stephenie Meyer;
Ø Dark/Grimdark Fantasy – This sub-genre combines the elements of Fantasy, Horror, and often Dystopian Fantasy in dark stories designed specifically to unnerve and frighten the reader. These stories tend to be disturbing, hopeless, and rarely (if ever) have a happy ending. The best examples of this are the works of H. P. Lovecraft.
Many people consider Mythology, Fables, and Fairy Tales to be sub-genres of Fantasy, but I don’t. In the opinions of many educated people, Mythology is its own genre with Fables and Fairy Tales being sub-genres thereof.
Now that I’ve laid the groundwork for this list, here are the Fantasy stories that I feel exemplify the best in Fantasy literature (again, in alphabetical order by author):
Ø A very prolific author of both Fantasy and Science Fiction literature is Piers Anthony. In fact, one of his Fantasy series is officially the longest running fictional novel series in the history of the printed word. Anthony’s works run the gamut from serious tales and series to light-hearted, humorous, almost snarky and satirical works. Here are three of my favorites of his:
Ø The Xanth Series – At 47 novels and counting, this is Anthony’s record holder. The stories take place in the land of Xanth, a magical world where all Humans have ‘talents’ to one extent or another, and is inhabited by many other sentient races in addition to the Humans. Other than its endurance, the hallmark of these stories is humor. Anthony liberally uses puns, wordplay, and bad jokes throughout the books, starting with many of the titles. Definitely a must have;
Ø The Apprentice Adept Heptalogy – This is a fascinating series that alternates between Fantasy and Science Fiction. However, I include it here because the primary plot device is a portal between the worlds of Phaze and Proton which is natural ‘magic’ and not technological. These tales are wonderfully complex and humorous, and though Anthony uses puns and wordplay here as well, there are nowhere near as many as there are in Xanth;
Ø The Incarnations of Immortality Octology – This is a fun, satirical series that proposes that certain of the anthropomorphic representations of immortal concepts…specifically Death, Time, Fate, War, Nature, Evil, Good, and Night…are actually jobs with a regular turnover carried out by different Humans throughout the ages. Each of the 8 books deals with a different one of the Incarnations. Anthony has woven a wonderful tapestry of engrossing tales that even touch on how each of these Incarnations have been addressed by various cultural mythologies throughout time.
Ø The Thieves World Anthologies edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey – In 1978, during a casual gathering at “Boskone”, the Boston Science Fiction Convention, Asprin, Abbey, and Gordon R. Dickson were discussing the challenges of worldbuilding in Epic and Heroic Fantasy when Asprin proposed that, instead of every author beating his or her head against the writing table, trying to create a unique world of their own, how wonderful and how much easier it would be if all of their favorite Sword and Sorcery characters existed in the same universe, settings, and time frames. With that one wistful wish, a series of anthologies were born that would affect the careers of over two dozen authors, mostly for good. Set in an unnamed fictitious world in the seedy city of Sanctuary, the various short stories are rife with Sword and Sorcery tropes, including a disreputable tavern in the disreputable part of a disreputable town called ”The Vulgar Unicorn” (you do NOT want to know what the unicorn on the sign is doing that makes him so vulgar!) where many of the tales start. The stories in the 14 anthologies plus 7 ‘official’ Thieves World novels and 8 other novels that take place in the Thieves World universe and expand on many of the short stories are wonderful, engaging, and full of action and adventure. These tales deal with many different themes, including (but not limited to) morality, situational ethics, imperialism, duty, devotion, love, honor, loyalty, and even homosexual marriage. These anthologies are also a great way to sample the work of numerous authors without spending a fortune.
Ø The MythAdventures Series by Robert Lynn Asprin, later with and then by Jodie Lynn Nye – If you like bad jokes and puns as much as I do, then these are the stories for you. This Fantasy series is also a Satirical series with tongue firmly set in cheek. It takes place in a universe where ‘Demon’ is actually short for ‘Dimensional Traveler’, the inhabitants of the dimension of Klah are known as ‘Klahds’, and the inhabitants of the dimension of Perv are known as ‘Pervects’ (NOT Perverts!). The two main characters are a bumbling Klahd apprentice magician named Skeeve and a Pervect Wizard named Aahz. Asprin and Nye openly and unapologetically borrow elements, themes, and even jokes and routines from everyone, most notably Damon Runyon’s Prohibition-era novels and the Bing Crosby/Bob Hope Road movies. If you want to laugh your tail off, this is where to start.
Ø The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks – While this was written to be a Children’s Fantasy, this book also appeals to adults. It wonderfully yet gently deals with themes such as disappointment, ethnic bigotry, spiritual and emotional growth, and friendship.
Ø Peter Pan and Wendy by J. M. Barrie – The classic Fantasy about an orphan who has chosen to never grow up, his sidekicks The Lost Boys, the fairy Tinkerbell, London children Wendy Darling and her brothers, John and Michael, a tribe of Native Americans, the epitome of greed and evil, the pirate Captain Hook, and a ticking crocodile. This tale examines longing, self-discovery, first love, loyalty, jealousy, and the transition from childhood to adulthood. This is a must-have for any personal library.
Ø The Peter and the Starcatchers Quintet by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson – These books are part prequel and part reimagining of the Nineteenth Century Fairy Tale Peter Pan and Wendy by J. M. Barrie. I normally don’t like reimaginings, but Barry and Pearson did a brilliant job of taking elements that Barrie hinted at in the original story and fleshing them out while staying true to the spirit of the source material. If you love Peter Pan, then you’ll probably at least really like Peter and the Starcatchers.
Ø The Land of Oz Stories by L. Frank Baum – While technically Children’s Fantasy, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 13 books that followed are all delightful Fantasy for all ages. Apocryphal stories have claimed that Baum created the first Oz stories for one of his children when they were ill, but Baum had been writing fiction and plays for some time before The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first published, so who knows. The stories address themes such as longing, poverty, perseverance, con artists, bigotry, totalitarianism, loyalty, and devotion.
Ø Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury – As I mentioned in the previous post, Ray Bradbury was a very versatile writer. While he tended to consider even his Sci-Fi stories to be Fantasy, this tale is a brilliant example of Magical Realism Fantasy that very adroitly illustrates the admonition, “be careful what you wish for…you might get it.” This is a cautionary tale that deals with the themes of pride, avarice, wrath, envy, and vanity.
Ø The Russian Trilogy by C. J. Cherryh – Equally adept with both, Science Fiction and Fantasy, C. J. created this Mythological Fantasy trilogy based on myths from the Dnieper (Dnipro) River Valley in medieval Russia (now on the border between Belarus and Ukraine). The books are brilliantly written, engaging, and explore timeless themes.
Ø The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson – Divided into three Chronicles, these ten books wonderfully blend elements of Epic Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy. One of the things that makes these stories unique is that their anti-hero protagonist, Thomas Covenant, wasn’t just emotionally and morally flawed, but he was physically ill. Because Donaldson’s father was a medical missionary, he spent part of his childhood living in leper colonies in India, so he gave Covenant Hansen’s Disease, a.k.a. Leprosy. In addition to being an epic (anti) Hero’s Journey, the stories are also surreptitiously educational in that the reader learns what a modern leper has to do every day just to survive. Even though the stories sometimes take a dark turn, Donaldson does a masterful job exploring angst, depression, chronic illness, devotion, betrayal, feudalism, love, hope, and despair.
Ø The Spellsinger Octology by Alan Dean Foster – This series is a wonderful example of Magical Realism Fantasy. In the first book, Foster introduces us to Jonathan Thomas Meriweather, a law student, part-time wannabe rock guitarist, and janitor who is pulled into a parallel dimension of anthropomorphic animals and magic. Once there, he discovers that, with the help of a guitar-like instrument, he can perform magic using his repertoire of classic rock songs…such as using the Beach Boys version of Sloop John B to create a boat…often with unpredictable and humorous results. Fun, witty, and adventurous, these books are definitely worth the read.
Ø American Gods by Neil Gaiman – The epitome of Urban Fantasy, American Gods also includes elements of Mythological Fantasy and Americana Fiction. Gaiman blends several different pantheons of ancient and modern Mythology in the setting of modern America. Fun, satirical, somewhat sacrilegious, and intriguing, it’s a great read.
Ø The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind – Sixteen full-length novels broken up into 5 story arcs, this series is a wonderful example of Epic Fantasy. Through a series of events, a young woods guide named Richard Cypher discovers that he is actually a “Seeker”…an arbiter of Truth and Right…empowered by the Sword of Truth. Richard and his companions end up fighting everything from an empire ruled by a Dark Wizard, a Theocracy, a Collective Oligarchy, and more. Goodkind unapologetically imbues Richard with his own philosophy…a love of individualism, personal freedom, Human Rights, and personal honor. A TV series, Legend of the Seeker (2008) was created from the first two books. In spite of the executive producers swearing to Goodkind that they were huge fans of the books and would remain completely true to the original text if the author gave them the rights to create the show, it began to immediately change elements key to all 5 story arcs, making it a lousy adaptation of The Sword of Truth stories. Stick with the books. Oh, and the first book introduces to the Rules of Wizardry, the first of which is summarized as, “people are stupid.” The full explanation of the Rule makes it considerably less insulting.
Ø The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman – A wonderful Urban Fantasy with Epic Fantasy elements about a Brooklyn High School student who is ‘invited’ to apply for the only College of Magic in North America and who discovers that his favorite Narnia-esque fantasy series is real. The stories follow his adventures with his best friend from High School and several of his magic classmates both in college and in the magical land of Fillory. Fun, engaging, and adventurous, these tales are wonderful!
Ø The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan, with the last three novels being co-authored with Brandon Sanderson – A brilliant Epic Sword and Sorcery Fantasy series set in a world of magic and mysticism. An attempt was made at adapting the stories as a streaming series, but as with The Sword of Truth, the writers made too many key changes for it to be considered an adaptation. Even though the series drags a bit in the third quarter of the books, it is a wonderful read.
Ø The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen R. Lawhead – These 6 books are an updated and more historical take on the Arthurian legends. Lawhead actually moved to Oxford, England to thoroughly research Ancient Celtic myths, legends, and culture to make the tales more historically accurate. He even added elements of Roman history and the legend of Atlantis. The Pendragon Cycle is a beautiful variation of the premier legend of Britain.
Ø The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis – Another great blend of Epic and Sword and Sorcery Fantasy. As with Peter Pan and The Wizard of Oz, The Chronicles of Narnia were originally written as Children’s Fantasy but are perfect for everyone, no matter their age. Lewis was a Christian Apologist, so the stories are subtly laced with Christian Allegory, exploring themes such as faith, honor, duty, loyalty, betrayal, atonement, and martyrdom. Definitely a must have in any personal library.
Ø Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory – One of the earliest known compilations of the tales and legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. A must have in any personal library.
Ø Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock – Part of Moorcock’s ‘Eternal Champion’ cycle, the 6 original Elric stories are pure Sword and Sorcery Fantasy. The titular anti-hero is an albino wizard who is the last Emperor of the declining Melniboné and who wields a cursed, sentient sword named Stormbringer that supplies its wielder with energy and strength by absorbing the Souls of its victims. While the stories can be dark and melancholy, they are wonderfully written and engrossing. The Progressive Rock song Black Blade by Blue Öyster Cult is actually about Elric and Stormbringer, and even features Moorcock performing the spoken word dialogue.
Ø Animal Farm by George Orwell – Written as a cautionary tale about Marxism, this is a Dystopian Fantasy about anthropomorphic animals who rebel against the farmer and take over the farm, creating a Communist collective. Being the smartest of the animals, the hogs become the ruling class, gradually taking over the collective until they are the Tyrannical despots dominating all the other animals. This book needs to be read by everyone so that it can become fiction again.
Ø The Discworld Series by Sir Terry Pratchett – If you like the idea of laughing your tail off to satire, puns, and parodies while reading intricate, well-crafted Fantasy, this 41 novella series is perfect for you. The series alternates between eight different story arcs that focus on different characters and often weave into other books in the series. I just can’t say enough good things about these books. All hail the Great A’Tuin!
Ø Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman – This is a hilarious Urban Fantasy about the End Times by two wonderful authors that think at right angles to the rest of the world. An angel and a demon team up to sabotage the End of the World and hilarity ensues.
Ø The Wizarding World of Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling – J. K. beautifully and masterfully blends Epic Fantasy and Urban Fantasy into a tale of Good versus Evil that explores how two people with almost identical origins and upbringings can end up on diametrically different paths simply based on the choices they make. While the movies are really good, the books are phenomenal.
Ø Sir J. R. R. Tolkien is almost unanimously considered to be the Father of Epic Fantasy. He was a Professor of English Language and Literature, a Philologist, and a Linguist who created the entire and complete spoken and written languages for the Elvish and Dwarven races of his Middle Earth, the setting of his most famous works. These stories literally inspired every other story on this list:
Ø The Hobbit, or There and Back Again – Written as a Children’s Fantasy, The Hobbit has become deeply ingrained in Western Culture. It is a grand tale about self-discovery, overcoming self-doubt, rising to the occasion, duty, loyalty, intellect, and understanding that anyone, no matter how humble their beginnings, can become the Hero;
Ø The Lord of the Rings – Originally broken up and published in three parts because it was considered to be too long for a single book, this is a sequel to The Hobbit. As he wrote it, Tolkien noticed it was decidedly more adult than its predecessor, but continued on the path the story dictated. This tome has three different simultaneous quests that wind around and through each other in all three parts until the exciting climax. This is a tale of generational heirlooms, legacy, duty, personal fortitude, perseverance, intellect, loss, and redemption;
Ø The Silmarillion - Edited by Christopher Tolkien and Guy Gavriel Kay, this anthology was published posthumously. While writing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien wrote several outlines and short stories for himself in order to work out the mythology and history of Middle Earth. He had discussed with his son, Christopher, the possibility of ‘cleaning up’ his background reference works and publishing them as the Quenta Silmarillion, but he passed away before seriously beginning the work. Tolkien had appointed his son as Literary Executor, so after his father’s death, Christopher worked with family friend and author in his own right, Guy Gavriel Kay, to organize some of the material into this single coherent, beautifully detailed volume.
Ø A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain – This is Twain’s satirical look at feudalism and monarchy while celebrating individualism, personal ingenuity, and democratic principles. This parable is told from the point of view of a Nineteenth Century engineer who, after a blow to the head, finds himself in the Court of King Arthur. Bitingly funny and witty, this classic should be in every house.
Ø The Once and Future King by T. H. White – This is an omnibus of 4 novels that were a Twentieth Century update of the Fifteenth Century Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory. While there is much debate about whether the tales of King Arthur are Fantasy, History, or Mythology, I am firmly in the camp of the first. Also, Disney’s animated movie The Sword in the Stone is based on the first part of this tome.
So, there you have it, Dear Reader, my personal all-time Top 30 Fantasy books and series. In my humble yet educated experience, every one of these novels, anthologies, and series should be in every private collection, especially for every true fan of the Fantasy genre.
Until next time, be well…
© 2009, 2024 James P. Rice
