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Best Fantasy Novel




This list reflects only my personal reading experience, not necessarily corresponding with the impact on fantasy field in general, critical acceptance, etc. Plus my reading time is limited for long novels, so many of good (or new) writers would be absent.

ALSO SEE "BEST FANTASY SERIES"

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FIRST PLACE Best Fantasy Novel

J. R. R. Tolkien "Lord of the Rings''

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SECOND PLACE Best Fantasy Novel

China Mieville "Perdido Street Station"
Tim Powers "The Anubis Gates"
William Hope Hodgson "The House On The Borderland"

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THIRD PLACE Best Fantasy Novel

James Blaylock "The Elfin Ship"
Ray Bradbury "Dandelion Wine"; "The Halloween Tree"
"Something Wicked This Way Comes"
Richard Ford "Quest For The Faradawn"
Henry Kuttner "The Dark World"
Joe R. Lansdale "Zeppelins West"
George R. R. Martin "Fevre Dream"
George McDonald "Phantastes"
J. R. R. Tolkien "The Hobbit"
Jack Vance "Lyonesse"
Roger Zelazny "Amber novels"

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FOURTH PLACE Best Fantasy Novel

Peter S. Beagle "A Fine And Private Place"
Mary Brown "The Unlikely Ones"
Terry Bisson "Talking Man"
Hannes Bok "Beyond the Golden Stairs"
Charles DeLint "Greenmantle"
Stephen Donaldson "The Wounded Land"
Michael Ende "The Neverending Story"
John Farris "Wildwood"
Raymond E. Feist "Faerie Tale"
Stephen Gallagher "Rain"
Paul Hazel "Undersea"
James Herbert "Lair"; "The Rats"
Shirley Jackson "We Have Always Lived In The Castle"
Stephen King "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger"
"The Dark Tower: The Wastelands"
Henry Kuttner "The Portal in the Picture"
Ursula Le Guin "The Beginning Place"; "The Farthest Shore"
Fritz Leiber "Conjure Wife"
C. S. Lewis "Till We Have Faces"
Robert McCammon "The Wolf's Hour"
H. Warner Munn "Merlin's Ring"
Jack O'Connell "The Resurrectionist"
Anne Rice "The Witching Hour"
Michael Shea "Nifft The Lean"
Peter Straub "Shadowland"
A. &. B. Strugatskie "Skazka O Troike"
"
Monday Begins on Saturday"
Thomas Tryon "Harvest Home"
Jack Williamson "Darker Than You Think"; "Golden Blood"

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Also see: (full navigation tree)

BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL:
Best SF Novel (General Themes)
Best Space SF Novel
Best Time SF Novel
Best Apocalyptic SF Novel

BEST SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTIONS

BEST SCIENCE FICTION SERIES:
Best SF Series (general themes)
Best Space SF Series

BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVELLA:
Best SF Novella 1920-1960 (general themes)
Best SF Novella 1961-now (general themes)
Best Space SF Novella 1920-1960
Best Space SF Novella 1961-now
Best Time SF Novella
Best Apocalyptic SF Novella

BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORY:
Best SF Story 1920-1960 (general themes)
Best SF Story 1961-now (general themes)
Best Space SF Story 1920-1960
Best Space SF Story 1961-now
Best Time SF Story
Best Apocalyptic SF Story

BEST FANTASY NOVEL

BEST FANTASY COLLECTION

BEST FANTASY SERIES

BEST FANTASY NOVELLA

BEST FANTASY STORY:
Best Fantasy Story 1920-1960
Best Fantasy Story 1961-now

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COMMENTS:

2 Comments:

Blogger Scooter said...

I have personally read most of your list and agree most heartily with your superb tastes and judgement.

11:01 PM  
Blogger pecooper said...

This is an interesting list. I'm happy to see Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis and Merlin's Ring by H. Warner Munn on the list. They both so often get overlooked.

I'm sorry not to see Metropolitan and City of Fire by Walter Jon Williams on the list. To my mind, they are the most original fantasy novels out there. Unfortunately, they tend to get lumped in with SF, which doesn't know what to do with them. Give them a try if you get a chance.

6:44 AM  

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"SF&F Reading Experience" is part of "Dark Roasted Blend / Thrilling Wonder" family of sites. We try to highlight the most entertaining and rewarding science fiction and fantasy, with emphasis on memorable reader experience, not necessarily general acceptance by the critics. Have fun, and delve into our extensive ratings and reviews!

Most reviews are written by Avi Abrams, unless otherwise noted. Reviews also appear on our unique historical retrospective page Wonder Timeline of Science Fiction. Feel free to submit your own review, if a particular story is not listed here.


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