Fantasy

The essential fantasy reads, curated and ranked. How many have you read?

1

The Fellowship of the Ring

J.R.R. Tolkien

2

A Game of Thrones

George R.R. Martin

3

The Name of the Wind

Patrick Rothfuss

4

The Way of Kings

Brandon Sanderson

5

The Final Empire

Brandon Sanderson

6

The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien

7

American Gods

Neil Gaiman

8

Good Omens

Terry Pratchett

9

The Eye of the World

Robert Jordan

10

Assassin's Apprentice

Robin Hobb

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Essential Fantasy

Fantasy is the oldest form of storytelling — myths, legends, and tales of impossible things have been with us since before writing. The modern genre stretches from Tolkien's foundational world-building to Joe Abercrombie's brutal deconstruction of its tropes.

For epic fantasy: Begin with Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, then move to Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings for modern world-building at its most ambitious.

For grimdark: Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself is the genre's defining text. Follow it with Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns or John Gwynne's Malice.

For character-driven fantasy: Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice is one of the finest character studies in any genre. Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind is stunning prose in a fantasy setting.

For short fantasy: Ursula K. Le Guin's The Wind's Twelve Quarters remains the benchmark for short-form fantasy.

Fantasy Writing Prompt Generator

Stuck on a story? Generate a prompt to get you started.