The Greatest Fantasy Books of All Time

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 759 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
8387 All Systems Red Martha Wells 2017 American English
8387 Caliban's War James S. A. Corey 2012 American English
8399 The Bear And The Nightingale Katherine Arden 2017 American English
8399 On A Sunbeam Tillie Walden 2018 American English
8399 The Empress Of Salt And Fortune Nghi Vo 2020 American English
8399 The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, And Five Doris May Lessing 1980 British English
8399 Otherland Tad Williams 1996 American English
8468 Mrs. Caliban Rachel Ingalls 1982 American English
8551 Paladin of Souls Lois McMaster Bujold 2003 American English
8551 The Obelisk Gate N. K. Jemisin 2016 American English
8551 Bridge of Birds Barry Hughart 1984 American English
8551 Thomas the Rhymer Ellen Kushner 1990 American English
8551 Ombria in Shadow Patricia A. McKillip 2002 American English
8551 Anansi Boys Neil Gaiman, Lenny Henry, Mónica Faerna 2005 British English
8551 A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking T. Kingfisher 2020 American English
8586 Wolf Brother Michelle Paver 2004 British English
8611 Lord of Misrule Rachel Caine 2008 American English
8611 Stations of the Tide Michael Swanwick 1991 American English
8611 Powers Ursula K. Le Guin 2007 American English
8611 ...And Call Me Conrad Roger Zelazny 1965 American English
8611 The Sword in the Stone T. H. White 1938 British English
8611 The Years of Rice and Salt Kim Stanley Robinson 2002 American English
8611 The Song of Rhiannon Evangeline Walton 1972 British English
8611 The Hollow Hills Mary Stewart 1973 British English
8611 A Midsummer Tempest Poul Anderson 1974 American English
8611 Unfinished Tales Christopher John Reuel Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien 1980 British English
8611 The Firelings Carol Kendall 1981 American English
8611 When Voiha Wakes Joy Chant 1983 British English
8611 Cards of Grief Jane Yolen 1984 American English
8611 The Folk of the Air Peter S. Beagle 1986 American English
8611 Seventh Son Orson Scott Card, Patrick Couton 1987 American English
8611 Unicorn Mountain Michael Bishop 1988 American English
8611 The Stress of Her Regard Tim Powers 1989 American English
8611 A Woman of the Iron People Eleanor Arnason 1991 American English
8611 Briar Rose Jane Yolen 1992 American English
8611 The Porcelain Dove Delia Sherman 1993 American English
8611 Something Rich and Strange Patricia A. McKillip 1984 American English
8611 Waking the Moon Elizabeth Hand, Elisabeth Hand 1994 American English
8611 The Wood Wife Terri Windling 1996 American English
8611 The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye A. S. Byatt 1994 British English
8611 Tamsin Peter S. Beagle 1999 American English
8611 The Innamorati Midori Snyder 1998 American English
8611 The Curse of Chalion Lois McMaster Bujold 2001 Japanese English
8611 Solstice Wood Patricia A. McKillip 2006 American English
8611 In the Night Garden Catherynne M. Valente 2006 American English
8611 In the Cities of Coin and Spice Catherynne M. Valente 2007 American English
8611 Flesh and Spirit Carol Berg 2007 American English
8611 Lifelode Jo Walton 2009 British English
8611 Redemption in Indigo Karen Lord 2010 Barbadian English
8611 The Uncertain Places Lisa Goldstein 2011 American English
8611 Digger, Vols.1-6 Ursula Vernon 2005 American English
8611 Tales from Rugosa Coven Sarah Avery 2013 American English
8611 Kingfisher Patricia A. McKillip 2016 American English
8611 Ka John Crowley 2017 American English
8611 Snow White Learns Witchcraft Theodora Goss 2019 American English
8611 Or What You Will Jo Walton 2020 British English
8611 Knight's Wyrd Debra Doyle 1992 American English
8611 The Kingdom of Kevin Malone Suzy McKee Charnas 1977 American English
8611 Owl in Love Patrice Kindl 1993 American English
8611 The Crown of Dalemark Diana Wynne Jones 1993 British English
8611 Passager Jane Yolen 1996 American English
8611 Hobby Jane Yolen 1996 American Unknown
8611 Merlin Jane Yolen 2004 American English
8611 Dark Lord of Derkholm Diana Wynne Jones, Magali Mangin 1998 British English
8611 The Folk Keeper Franny Billingsley 1999 American English
8611 Aria of the Sea Dia Calhoun 2000 American English
8611 The Ropemaker Peter Dickinson 2001 British English
8611 Summerland Michael Chabon 2002 American English
8611 The Hollow Kingdom Clare B. Dunkle 2003 American English
8611 A Hat Full of Sky Terry Pratchett 2004 British English
8611 The Golem's Eye Jonathan Stroud 2004 British English
8611 Ptolemy's Gate Jonathan Stroud 2005 British English
8611 Corbenic Catherine Fisher 2002 British English
8611 The Thief Megan Whalen Turner 1996 American English
8611 The Queen of Attolia Megan Whalen Turner 2000 American English
8611 The King of Attolia Megan Whalen Turner 2006 American English
8611 A Conspiracy of Kings Megan Whalen Turner 2010 American English
8611 The Freedom Maze Delia Sherman 2011 American English
8611 Vessel Sarah Beth Durst 2012 American English
8611 Doll Bones Holly Black 2013 American English
8611 A Snicker of Magic Natalie Lloyd 2014 American English
8611 Castle Hangnail Ursula Vernon 2015 American English
8611 The Inquisitor's Tale Adam Gidwitz 2016 American English
8611 Frogkisser Garth Nix 2017 Australian English
8611 Bob Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass 2018 American English
8611 Dragon Pearl Yoon Ha Lee 2019 American English
8611 Pahua and the Soul Stealer Lori Lee 2021 American English
8611 Root Magic Eden Royce 2021 American English
8611 Bold As Love Gwyneth Jones 2001 British English
8611 Iron Council China Miéville 2004 British English
8611 Doctor Rat William Kotzwinkle 1976 American English
8611 Watchtower Elizabeth A. Lynn 1979 American English
8611 The Dragon Waiting John M. Ford 1983 American English
8611 Madouc Jack Vance 1989 American English
8611 Only Begotten Daughter James K. Morrow 1990 American English
8611 Last Call Tim Powers 1992 American English
8611 Glimpses Lewis Shiner 1993 American English
8611 Towing Jehovah James K. Morrow 1994 American English
8611 Godmother Night Rachel Pollack 1996 American English
8611 The Physiognomy Jeffrey Ford 1997 American English
8611 The Antelope Wife Louise Erdrich 1998 American English
8611 Thraxas Martin Scott 1999 British English
8611 Galveston Sean Stewart 1997 American English
8611 The Other Wind Ursula K. Le Guin 2001 American English
8611 The Facts Of Life Graham Joyce 2002 British English
8611 Tooth And Claw Jo Walton 2003 British English
8611 Soldier Of Sidon Gene Wolfe 2006 American English
8611 Ysabel Guy Gavriel Kay 2007 Canadian English
8611 Osama Lavie Tidhar 2011 British English
8611 Trouble The Saints Alaya Dawn Johnson 2020 American English
8611 The Jasmine Throne Tasha Suri 2021 British English
8611 Saint Death's Daughter C. S. E. Cooney 2022 American English
8611 A Little Hatred Joe Abercrombie 2019 British English
8611 The Trouble With Peace Joe Abercrombie 2020 British English
8611 The Wisdom Of Crowds Joe Abercrombie 2021 British English
8611 Jade Legacy Fonda Lee 2021 American English
8611 The Kingdom Of Copper S. A. Chakraborty 2019 American English
8611 The Empire Of Gold S. A. Chakraborty 2020 American English
8611 The Just City Jo Walton 2015 Canadian English
8611 The Philosopher Kings Jo Walton 2015 Canadian English