Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels

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Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels (Book), 102 Books

This collection of 100 brief (2-3 page) essays by British sf magazine editor Pringle offers an informed and admittedly subjective guided tour of a genre that encompasses such widely divergent titles as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (1954-55), Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman (1967), and Stephen King's Salem's Lot (1975). Following the format of his earlier collection, Science The 100 Best Novels (LJ 7/86), Pringle presents his selections in chronological order and includes a synopsis of the story, a discussion of the author's overall contribution to fantasy literature, critical commentary on the title's significance, and a brief publishing history. An introductory essay tackles the difficulty of defining fantasy, while a "Brief Bibliography" directs readers to other discussions of the genre. By no means a definitive subject guide, this entertaining volume should serve as a solid introduction to the elusive field of imaginative literature.

This list was originally published in 1988 and was added to this site over 2 years ago.

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Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
6327 The Day Of Creation J. G. Ballard 1987 British English
4101 Aegypt John Crowley 1987 American English
3443 The Summer Tree Guy Gavriel Kay 1984 Canadian English
5949 The Wandering Fire Guy Gavriel Kay 1986 Canadian English
6078 The Darkest Road Guy Gavriel Kay 1986 Canadian English
6204 The Bridge Iain Banks 1986 Scottish English
5014 The Hungry Moon Ramsey Campbell 1986 British English
4175 Replay Ken Grimwood 1986 American English
6215 The Unconquered Country Geoff Ryman 1986 Canadian English
1551 Hawksmoor Peter Ackroyd 1985 British English
6075 The Dream Years Lisa Goldstein 1985 American English
3159 Who Made Stevie Crye? Michael Bishop 1984 American English
5773 The Digging Leviathan James P. Blaylock 1984 American English
628 Nights At The Circus Angela Carter 1984 British English
5770 The Businessman Thomas M. Disch 1984 American English
2142 Mythago Wood Robert Holdstock 1984 British English
4750 The Glamour Christopher Priest 1984 British English
2192 The Witches Of Eastwick John Updike 1984 American English
1373 Winter's Tale Mark Helprin 1983 American English
5657 Soul Eater K. W. Jeter 1983 American English
5657 Tea With The Black Dragon R. A. MacAvoy 1983 American English
4614 Cold Heaven Brian Moore 1983 British English
2229 The Anubis Gates Tim Powers 1983 American English
4473 Nifft The Lean Michael Shea 1982 American English
3395 Cities of the Red Night William S. Burroughs 1981 American English
1173 Little, Big John Crowley 1981 American English
1166 Lanark Alasdair Gray 1981 Scottish English
5252 The War Hound And The World's Pain Michael Moorcock 1981 British English
2029 The Land Of Laughs Jonathan Carroll 1980 American English
5317 The Vampire Tapestry Suzy McKee Charnas 1980 American English
5328 A Storm Of Wings M. John Harrison 1980 British English
5328 White Light Rudy Rucker 1980 American English
4401 Ariosto Chelsa quinn yarbro 1972 American Unknown
3849 The Unlimited Dream Company J. G. Ballard 1979 British English
5240 Sorcerer's Son Phyllis Eisenstein 1979 American English
3549 Gloriana Michael Moorcock 1978 British English
2060 The Passion Of New Eve Angela Carter 1977 British English
7943 The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever Stephen R. Donaldson 1977 American English
400 The Shining Stephen King 1977 American English
4949 Fata Morgana William Kotzwinkle 1977 American English
2630 Our Lady Of Darkness Fritz Leiber 1977 American English
4820 The Malacia Tapestry Brian Aldiss 1976 British English
3542 The Dragon And The George Gordon R. Dickson 1976 American English
4820 Hotel De Dream Emma Tennant 1976 British English
1293 Salem's Lot Stephen King 1975 American English
3487 The Great Victorian Collection Brian Moore 1975 Canadian English
4711 Grimus Salman Rushdie 1975 British English
1975 Peace Gene Wolfe 1975 American English
3214 The Forgotten Beasts Of Eld Patricia A. McKillip 1974 American English
3240 Sweet Dreams Michael Frayn 1973 British English
224 Watership Down Richard Adams 1972 British English
2067 The Infernal Desire Machines Of Doctor Hoffman Angela Carter 1972 British English
3571 The Day After Judgement James Blish 1971 American English
1836 Grendel John Gardner 1971 American English
3208 Briefing For A Descent Into Hell Doris May Lessing 1971 British English
4258 Jack Of Shadows Roger Zelazny 1971 American English
3165 Red Moon and Black Mountain Joy Chant 1970 British English
1676 Time and Again Jack Finney 1970 American English
2157 The Green Man Kingsley Amis 1969 British English
3951 The Phoenix And The Mirror Avram Davidson 1969 American English
4066 A Feast Unknown Philip José Farmer 1969 American English
3850 Fourth Mansions R. A. Lafferty 1969 American English
1793 The Last Unicorn Peter S. Beagle 1968 American English
3377 Black Easter James Blish 1968 American English
278 A Wizard Of Earthsea Ursula K. Le Guin 1968 American English
1831 The Swords Of Lankhmar Fritz Leiber 1968 American English
1537 The Owl Service Alan Garner 1967 British English
894 Rosemary's Baby Ira Levin 1967 American English
494 The Third Policeman Flann O'Brien 1967 Irish English
3839 Gog Andrew Sinclair 1967 British English
441 The Crying of Lot 49 Thomas Pynchon 1966 American English
3619 Day Of The Minotaur Thomas Burnett Swann 1966 American English
3614 The Eyes Of The Overworld Jack Vance 1966 American English
2803 Stormbringer Michael Moorcock 1965 British English
3457 Glory Road Robert A. Heinlein 1963 American English
2701 Witch World Andre Norton 1963 American English
3268 The Girl, The Gold Watch And Everything John D. MacDonald 1962 American English
3047 Three Hearts And Three Lions Poul Anderson 1953 American English
3258 A Fine And Private Place Peter S. Beagle 1960 American English
2835 The Unpleasant Profession Of Jonathan Hoag Robert A. Heinlein 1942 American English
215 The Haunting of Hill House Shirley Jackson 1959 American English
1953 Titus Alone Mervyn Peake 1959 British English
286 The Once and Future King T. H. White 1958 British English
758 Dandelion Wine Ray Bradbury 1957 American English
2012 Pincher Martin William Golding 1956 British English
3141 The Shrinking Man Richard Matheson 1956 American English
17 The Lord Of The Rings J. R. R. Tolkien 1959 English English
2915 The Broken Sword Poul Anderson 1954 American English
1196 Conjure Wife Fritz Leiber 1943 American English
3054 The Sinful Ones Fritz Leiber 1953 American English
1535 The Sound Of His Horn Sarban 1952 British English
2925 The Castle Of Iron L. Sprague de Camp 1950 American English
2137 Conan The Conqueror Robert E. Howard 1935 American English
381 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe C. S. Lewis 1950 British English
526 Gormenghast Mervyn Peake 1950 British English
1919 The Dying Earth Jack Vance 1950 American English
2893 Seven Days In New Crete Robert Graves 1949 British English
2893 Silverlock John Myers Myers 1949 American English
2347 The Well Of The Unicorn Fletcher Pratt 1948 American English
1848 Darker Than You Think Jack Williamson 1948 American English
2845 The Book Of Ptath A. E. van Vogt 1943 American English
629 Titus Groan Mervyn Peake 1946 British English