hardcover
Hardcover

The 31 Best Fantasy Books Everyone Should Read

WIRED's team has summoned some of the strangest creatures in the most fantastic worlds in this list of the best fantasy books everyone should read.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

#2 of 6 in A Court of Thorns and Roses

2014 • 2,536 Readers • 440 pages 3.7

A Game of Thrones

#1 of 7 in A Song of Ice and Fire

A Game of Thrones
ByGeorge R.R. Martin

1996 • 3,287 Readers • 819 pages 4.4

American Gods

#1 of 2 in American Gods

American Gods
ByNeil Gaiman

2001 • 2,613 Readers • 635 pages 4

Assassin's Apprentice

#1 of 3 in The Farseer Trilogy

1995 • 1,072 Readers • 400 pages 4.1

A Wizard of Earthsea

#1 of 6 in Earthsea Cycle

A Wizard of Earthsea
ByUrsula K. Le Guin

1968 • 1,478 Readers • 210 pages 3.9

Black Leopard, Red Wolf (The Dark Star Trilogy #1)

#1 of 3 in The Dark Star Trilogy

2019 • 549 Readers • 612 pages 3.1

Circe

Circe
ByMadeline Miller

2018 • 2,802 Readers • 409 pages 4.2

Dune

#1 of 8 in Dune

Dune
ByFrank Herbert

11 • 4,689 Readers • 704 pages 4.3

Earthlings

Earthlings
BySayaka Murata,Ginny Tapley Takemori(Translator)

2018 • 570 Readers • 247 pages 3.7

Gardens of the Moon

#1 of 10 in Malazan Book of the Fallen

Gardens of the Moon
BySteven Erikson

1999 • 1,180 Readers • 559 pages 4

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

1990 • 2,058 Readers • 432 pages 4.2

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

#1 of 1 in Strange & Norrell

2004 • 1,245 Readers • 865 pages 4

Kindred

Kindred
ByOctavia E. Butler

1979 • 927 Readers • 292 pages 4.3

La Belle Savage

#1 of 3 in The Book of Dust

La Belle Savage
ByPhilip Pullman

2017 • 429 Readers • 466 pages 4

Midnight Riot

#1 of 9 in Rivers of London

Midnight Riot
ByBen Aaronovitch

2011 • 208 Readers • 320 pages 3.8

Mort

#1 of 5 in Death

Mort
ByTerry Pratchett

7 • 942 Readers • 272 pages 4.1

Perdido Street Station

#1 of 3 in New Crobuzon

Perdido Street Station
ByChina Miéville

2000 • 627 Readers • 24h 9m 4

Riot Baby

Riot Baby
ByTochi Onyebuchi(Author, Narrator)

2020 • 176 Readers 3.8

Stone of Farewell

#2 of 3 in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn

Stone of Farewell
ByTad Williams

1990 • 212 Readers • 610 pages 3.9

Storm Front

#1 of 19 in The Dresden Files

Storm Front
ByJim Butcher

1997 • 1,260 Readers • 372 pages 3.7

The Eye of the World

#1 of 14 in The Wheel of Time

The Eye of the World
ByRobert Jordan

1990 • 1,948 Readers • 708 pages 4

The Fifth Season

#1 of 3 in The Broken Earth

The Fifth Season
ByN.K. Jemisin

2015 • 2,257 Readers • 421 pages 4.4

The Golden Compass

#1 of 3 in His Dark Materials

The Golden Compass
ByPhilip Pullman

1995 • 1,947 Readers • 399 pages 4

The Golem and the Jinni

#1 of 2 in The Golem and the Jinni

2013 • 529 Readers 4.2

The Gunslinger

#1 of 7 in The Dark Tower

The Gunslinger
ByStephen King

1976 • 1,620 Readers • 238 pages 3.6

The Iron King

#1 of 7 in The Accursed Kings

The Iron King
ByMaurice Druon

1955 • 105 Readers • 340 pages 4

The Lies of Locke Lamora

#1 of 7 in Gentleman Bastard

2006 • 1,885 Readers • 745 pages 4.3

The Power

The Power
ByNaomi Alderman

2016 • 703 Readers 3.7

Titus Groan

#1 of 4 in Gormenghast

Titus Groan
ByMervyn Peake

1946 • 257 Readers • 382 pages 3.3

Who Fears Death

#1 of 1 in Who Fears Death

Who Fears Death
ByNnedi Okorafor

2010 • 230 Readers • 386 pages 3.8