Everyone has their favorite fantasy novels — those special books that you read over and over again, hoping each time to find something new that you might have missed in your last reading. It could be the daring swordfights that draw you in. Maybe the cleverly coded symbolism. Or maybe it’s steamy in the way that a hot summer day isn’t.
Whatever the reason, certain books just speak to us. Here are a few of mine.
The Princess Bride
When I was a kid, The Princess Bride was one of my favorite movie for three reasons:
1) The sword fights.
2) It starred Andre the Giant.
3) Mandy Patinkin used the phrase “son of a bitch.” (I was a kid, remember. Swearing automatically equaled awesome.)
When I picked up the book the first time in high school, I was utterly bewildered by the ruse set down by the book’s author, William Goldman, who claimed that the book was actually an abridged version of another author’s work, and then goes on to provide surprisingly intimate details of his life. It was all a trick, I later learned — he was using it as a literary device. But for his sly sense of humor, this book is one I keep dear to my heart.
The Marvelous Land of Oz
Though The Wizard of Oz gets all the attention, I have always been a huge fan of its first sequel, The Marvelous Land of Oz, which features the young lad Tip, the ward of Mombi, and his own crew of misfits: Jack Pumpkinhead, the Saw Horse, the Wogglebug, and the Gump.
Author L. Frank Baum continued his sly brand of feminism (in The Wizard of Oz, all the characters with any real power are female) by having the Emerald City overtaken by an army of militant young women, and what’s more — SPOILER ALERT!! — he includes what might be the first transgender character in children’s literature, as it’s revealed that Tip is really Princess Ozma, who was transformed by Mombi in her infancy into a boy, in order to conceal her identity. At first hesitant to return to his true state, Tip is convinced by his friends and allows the spell to be cast that transforms him back into Ozma. Not something you read every day.
Interview with a Vampire
Long before she found Jesus and stopping writing readable books, Anne Rice emerged from the shadows of literary erotica and wrote this fascinating gothic fantasy, which earned her a legion of fans and an A-list film adaptation. Told from the point of view of Louis, a vampire who is less Bela Lugosi’s Dracula and more the kind of kid that today we’d call “emo,” it is a fun little book, never too wordy or challenging for a high schooler, which is when most people seem to discover it, and for all its pomp and audacity never seems to run that deep beyond the repeating sentiment that being a vampire, well, sucks. (Get it?)
Sexuality was always a prevalent theme in Rice’s works. As the books went on, homosexuality and bisexuality became more prevalent themes, despite her bold choice to render all of her vampires physically impotent. (I suppose this saves us from imagining squirm-inducing undead sexual scenarios.) All in all, Interview remains one of the strongest and, thankfully, least bombastic books in her Vampire Chronicles, and is an enjoyable escapist piece.
The Mists of Avalon
I love, love, love this book. This novel, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, took the utterly complex mythology of King Arthur and turned it on its head by emphasizing the power of the women in these stories instead of the men, and while much of Arthurian tale champions pure Christian values, this story places the Pagan Druids as the protagonists, with the encroaching Christian Church as an oppressive tyrant. But rather than being an anti-Christian piece, the main character, Morgaine, realizes it’s not the teachings of Jesus that are opposed to her, just the men in the Church who are threatened by another religion.
But beyond the basic themes, it’s a fascinating character study of four incredible characters: Morgaine, a woman reared in Avalon and dedicated to keeping the ways of the Old Religion alive; Gwenhyfar, a devoutly Christian woman who is terrified of the world; Arthur, the man whom greatness was thrust upon; and Lancelet, a warrior who is struggling with his forbidden love for his best friend, Arthur.
This novel really has everything you could ask for in a fantasy novel, and it’s an incredibly mature piece. And if you’re worried, no knowledge of Arthurian legend is needed to appreciate it. If you haven’t read it yet, get your ass of the internet and go to a bookstore right now. You’ll thank me. (But then come back to the internet. We need you.)
The Harry Potter Series
I resisted this series for a long time. I was one of those cantankerous twenty-somethings who utterly refused to indulge in a series of books meant for children. I was WAY too highbrow for that sort of thing. But then a friend of mine, one whose opinion I greatly respect, read the first few books and told me they were actually pretty good. I told her that although I value her input, I wasn’t about to cave. But then my late grandfather, a greatly distinguished writer and very literate fellow, told me he read them and they were delightful, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least peek at the first one. I did, and was hooked.
I loved how the characters grew over the course of the books, truly maturing and changing as the stories evolved, and how J.K. Rowling carefully crafted Harry to slowly evolve into a true literary hero of the old school. Does the Potter saga borrow liberally from Lord of the Rings? Yes, but what fantasy literature doesn’t?
At the end of the day, there’s some real art to be found in the bajillion pages of text that Rowling puts down, but none more so than in the conclusion to her epic, Harry Potter and the The Deathly Hallows.
The Iliad
I know it sounds like pretentious garbage to put The Iliad as one of my favorite fantasy novels, and perhaps even erroneous, as it isn’t technically a novel. And if I wasn’t such a foaming-at-the-mouth Greek myth nerd, I probably wouldn’t be too interested. But as it happens, I Greek-geek out with the best (or worst) of them, and The Iliad takes place during one of the most exciting and action-packed moments in all of Greek mythology.
One of the reasons that 2004’s Troy, which claimed it was based on The Iliad, felt so weak is that it ignored the best part of the story — the gods. Sure, the mortals in the film talked about the gods, prayed to the gods, worried about offending the gods, but it all came across as religious hooey that had no dramatic stakes, because for all we knew, the gods didn’t really exist, and these were just silly people running around in skirts.
Homer’s epic makes for great reading — if you’re a devoted fan of Greek myths. If not, and if you somehow got through school without having to read it, I’d say don’t bother.
The Lord of the Rings
Like you didn’t see this one coming.
Okay, listen closely, because I’m going to admit something incredibly shameful to you. It’s very embarrassing, and I only ask that you don’t judge me too harshly.
Okay, here we go.
When Peter Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring came out in 2001, I went in cold.
Because I hadn’t read the book.
I hesitate to admit that, because I feel like it may compromise my integrity as the Associate Editor of a fantasy website. But when that first film came out, I just hadn’t read the books. I can’t give you any reason. I had read The Hobbit and loved it. I had read other fantasy works. I’ve always loved the genre. It just seemed like such a big undertaking, and it was always something I had meant to do, but I had just never got around to.
But then the cinematic version, which is a masterpiece in its own right, washed over me, and I knew I had to read the books before the next film came out. And I did. Twice, actually. And The Silmarillion.
By the time I sat in the theaters to watch The Two Towers, I was a Tolkien expert, and have read the books at least half a dozen times since then.
The Lord of the Rings is, quite frankly, my favorite book of all time. Every sentence is a pleasure. If I could read no other book for the rest of my life, it would be that.
Okay, well, that’s enough out of me. I want to hear what YOUR favorite fantasy novels are. I know you’ve got them. Now it’s your turn.
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Interesting list.
THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT changed my life. Lately, I’ve loved to YA novels: AIRBORNE (and its sequel SKYBREAKER) and the BARTAMAEOUS TRILOGY.
I know they probably don’t hold up, but I certainly enjoyed MARJIPOOR.
George R. R. Martin is truly a master.
At some point, we should do an “under-rated novels” list (but that would probably just piss people off…)
Don’t be deterred by the possibility of pitchforks. I’d love to see that list!
(And I agree, the Bartarmaeous trilogy is pretty damn great).
The Lord of the Rings
A Song of Fire and Ice (except the last book, which sucked)
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Wheel of Time
The Chronicles of Pyrdane (sp?)
Are you thinking “The Chronicles of Prydain” by Lloyd Alexander?
They’re an old favourite of mine too. I loved my English teacher for making “The Book of Three” a part of our curriculum.
I actually like The Hobbit more than Lord of the Rings. Yes, I know that’s a more impressive achievement, but there’s something about the simplicity of The Hobbit that is just very charming!
Although it might not be my number one, I do agree with you that The Hobbit does something for me that LoTR doesn’t.
“If I could read no other book for the rest of my life, it would be [LotR].” YES Tim, I feel exactly the same way.
And it’s eerie, but true: your entire excellent list is also my list.
Of course, so that I don’t sound like a complete sycophant, there are a couple other works I’d like to cram in there:
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake (I know it’s not to everyone’s taste, but I will defend with ferocity my personal opinion that this is very nearly tied with LotR, and that Peake was an utter genius.)
I realize I left out an obvious one on my list, which is Gregory Maguire’s ‘Wicked.’
I tried to list my favorite fantasy books but the list got too long lol In addition to the books mentioned above, I love most books by the following authors:
Stephen Donaldson
David Eddings
Jack Chalker
Raymond Feist
Terry Brooks
Christopher Stasheff
Piers Anthony
Margaret Weis/Tracy Hickman
Edgar Rice Burroughs
For me, most of the writing done by these authors allows me to quickly escape into other worlds and forget the one I’m in. Some days that can be the only stress relief one can get and so I continually return to these worlds.
Anything by Neil Gaiman, although Neverwhere is my favourite. I love fantasy that retains elements of the real world, like Gaiman’s books so often do.
Lord of the Rings is an obvious one. The Inkheart trilogy. The Dark Is Rising sequence is brilliant. The Stravaganza trilogy, which is somewhat obscure but just wonderful. And of course, Harry Potter.
The Princess Bride is a great book, but if it came down to a choice, I’d give my love to the movie.
It IS a great movie, true. Sigh…I want to watch it now.
My favorite fantasy works:
The Bas-Lag “trilogy” by China Mieville
The Iliad and the Odyssey
Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Morte D’Arthur
Book One of the Faerie Queene
David Gemmell - The Drenai Saga (http://www.drenai.com/)
Ellen Kushner, Swordspoint
Yes! Another great one. The first fantasy I read with gay characters. Kushner has another great one (co-authored with Delia Sherman) called The Fall of Kings, set in the same world as Swordspoint but in the past.
The Fall of the Kings is great, as is their latest in that world, The Privilege of the Sword. (As a slight correction, Chuck, both FotK and PotS fall chronologically after Swordspoint.) As a bonus, there are also some great short stories set in the world of Riverside that were published in various magazines over the years, and most in-print versions of Swordspoint now include them.
Deverry series by Katharine Kerr
Harry Potter
Thursday Next series by Jaspar Fforde
Green Rider series by Kristen Britain
Charmed Sphere by Catherine Asaro
Beowulf
The Last Unicorn
Bard by Morgan Llywelyn
Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan
Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carrey
Others I would add:
The Last Herald Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey
Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay, but especially the Lions of Al-Rassan
Anything by Robin Hobb
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams
Mithgar series by Dennis McKeirnan
Mordant’s Need by Stephen R. Donaldson
The Golden Key by Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson & Kate Elliot
The list could go on and on so I’ll stop now.
The Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte. If you like the Camelot story even a little, this series is amazing. A fresh new take, and one I would love to see somebody tackle as a television show. There’s just too much for a movie, in my opinion. Much like George R.R. Martin.
Many that have been mentioned, but also Guy Gavriel Kay’s Tigana. Probably my favorite.
My first favorites were definitely Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain series. And later, I did the LOTR thing, too.
At this point, I’m more about fantasy at the ground level: that is, not the (same old) ultimate battle between Good and Evil, but character-driven stuff where the stakes are less cosmic. My recent favorite author of this sub-genre is Scott Lynch, author of The Lies of Locke Lamora and its first sequel Red Seas Under Red Skies. Both amazing, two of the best fantasy read of recent years for me.
Also quite fond of fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, like the works of Steven Brust. Fun stuff.
The first book of Enoch is fairly interesting, although it wasn’t meant to be read as fiction.
God Bless,
I have a great deal of fondness for the Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey–especially the original trilogy and the Harper Hall trilogy. I also loved The Wrinkle in Time trilogy and the sequel trilogy with Meg and Calvin’s children.
And while I loved the Hobbit when I was young–we had a teacher read it aloud to us when I was in 5th grade–I struggled with the LotR trilogy (I quit reading it after Boromir died) so I went in to the 2nd and 3rd movies cold. Throughout high school and college, I knew so many people who adored the series and re-read it every year and I was ashamed to admit that I had never finished them. After seeing the movies, I finally overcame the shame that bound me and read the trilogy.
Let’s see, the two novels that really got me into fantasy (not surprising since I read them the same week as a 12 year old under duress) were Tamora Pierce’s Alanna: the first adventure and Patrica Wrede’s Dealing with Dragons. They both had such strong female leads and I loved them (actually, Pierce’s newest series about Beka Cooper may be one of my favorite series of all time). Also loved D.J. MacHale’s Pendragon series because of how all the characters grew in it and I do really enjoy Robin McKienly’s The Blue Sword, plus some of the books that other people have mentioned (it’s late, I can’t think and can’t spell right now so I appologize).
And I would love to see a list of under rated books!
Tamora Pierce is my absolute favourite author.
Before reading her books, I staunchly refused to re-read a book, but since I have read them, I haven’t stopped. She makes them not just about the fantastical elements, she makes them about the people. (Though the fantasy and sword fights were what dragged me in)
Also deserving a mention:
Terry Goodkind
City of Bones (My sister got me hooked on this one)
Dreamwings
I only have one series I have re-read several times. Is it fantasy? Is it Sci-fi? Who knows…The Earth’s Children by Jean Auel. It falls somewhere in there, I think.
Some other notable books I love; The Towers of Babylon (a short story), Eragon, The Potter books, TLOtR, and On a Pale Horse. And even though it’s shameless self-promoting, my novel: Origination. Sorry, I couldn’t help it!
Haha, I was waiting for you to plug your book. What took you so long?
I contemplated not saying anything… I mean, how many times can I possibly write it on this site alone? But, you know, after working hard for years, editing it for so long and ripping large amounts of hair out in the process (maybe that’s where this alopecia is coming from), I would be a fool to let great opportunities like this pass me by. I can’t remember what movie it was (Anne Bancroft is in it), but one of the characters says something like, “I can pat myself on the back when needed.”
If I don’t plug my book, Origination, who is going to? However, I am glad you found it amusing.
Ahaha! I could fill a book with all of my favorite books. Let’s see…
Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
This is a brilliant book that creates an entirely new universe that’s something in between post-apocalyptic and urban fantasy. The vampires are some of the most truly terrifying and though it seems like a world that’s been visited more than once by an author who can’t stop going back, it’s the only book of hers that uses that universe.
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
I believe this is what some have called literary fantasy, a novel that’s so full of heavily researched myths and symbolism and yet easy to read - it acts like the meat and potatoes of my reading list. I love the subtlety used in this book, for if you didn’t know it was fantasy, you probably wouldn’t catch on until the end.
The Furies Series, by Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher is a great author - his first series, The Dresden Files, is wonderful and totally different from this one. However, when forced to choose, The Furies gets put on this list for one reason - I have never read another series that I was so entranced by. I had had the first book for a while before I finally decided to pick it up and read it, and then I couldn’t stop. I had to have them all, had to read them all. Absolutely stunning series!
A College of Magics, by Caroline Stevermer
All of these books have something in common: many of their authors have a very smart, witty and sarcastic voice. This book, for me, will always be the origin of my love for such books. The characters are believable and the plot is entertaining. Love!
The Discworld Series, by Terry Pratchett
I bow down to the genius that is Terry Pratchett. This is a series that takes place in another universe in which the world is actually flat, a great disc carried on the backs of four elephants who are standing on a giant sea turtle (or, space turtle I guess) as it swims through space. Comic genius, he has a way of commenting on his own world that makes it nearly impossible not to laugh out loud. If you never read any of these books, pick up the first in the Discworld series - it won’t make any sense, but then, in the Discworld, things rarely do.
Aaaaaand that’s all I’m going to say. :0D
The list could go on and on but my number one favorite (though the film was awful) is A Wrinkle in Time!
Number two on that list would have to be the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony
I read The Complete Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelanzy about once a year.
Like a lot of people anything Neal Gaiman especially American Gods and Anansi’s Boys
The Serpentwar Saga and The Conclave of Shadows by Raymond Feist I think the death of Duke James aka Jimmy is among the best ever. I have to set the book aside for a few moments and collect myself everytime.
The fantasy books I can read over and over (and have read over and over, haha) are
Tamora Pierce’s “Song of the Lioness” quartet (ALL TIME FAV!) plus “Protector of the Small”, “The Immortals”, and her “Circle of Magic” books. Oh, and Terrier and Bloodhound. OK, so pretty much all her Tortall books. haha.
Mercedes Lackey’s “Heralds of Valdemar” series, especially “The Last Herald-Mage” trilogy.
Kristian Britain’s “Green Rider” series (currently in the midst of re-reading that one now, actually)
Anne McCaffrey’s “Dragonriders of Pern” (I even have played through the crappy computer game twice, haha)
Susan Cooper’s “Dark Is Rising” series. (and yes, I watched The Seeker. Even though it kinda sucked.)
Lynn Flewelling’s “Nightrunner” series, and also “The Bone Doll’s Twin” and the other books that go with that series.
Gail Carson Levine’s “Ella Enchanted”. (which the movie absolutely butchered, unfortunately)
Garth Nix- Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen.
Trudi Canavan’s “Black Magician” trilogy.
I could go on, but I’ll curtail my enthusiasm there, lol.
****takes notes on what everyone else is recommending and runs to amazon’s kindle store****
Seconding most of the above, especially Lord of the Rings and Lynn Flewelling’s “Nightrunner” series. I’m going to be booed off stage for this, but when I was a teen I really loved all the “Forgotten Realms” books from TSR, as well.
Great lists! I love:
George RR Martin
Kim Harrison
Terry Pratchett
Laurie J. Marks
Thomas Harlan and I just discovered,
Joe Abercrombie.