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

2014 • 2,094 Readers • 419 pages 3.8

A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones
ByGeorge R.R. Martin

1996 • 2,761 Readers • 819 pages 4.4

American Gods

American Gods
ByNeil Gaiman

2001 • 2,232 Readers • 558 pages 4

Assassin's Apprentice

1995 • 872 Readers • 400 pages 4.1

A Wizard of Earthsea

A Wizard of Earthsea
ByUrsula K. Le Guin

1968 • 1,248 Readers • 210 pages 3.9

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

2019 • 478 Readers • 612 pages 3

Circe

Circe
ByMadeline Miller

2018 • 2,386 Readers • 409 pages 4.3

Dune

Dune
ByFrank Herbert

1965 • 3,980 Readers • 704 pages 4.3

Earthlings

Earthlings
BySayaka Murata,Ginny Tapley Takemori(Translator)

2018 • 485 Readers • 247 pages 3.7

Gardens of the Moon

Gardens of the Moon
BySteven Erikson

1999 • 1,005 Readers • 559 pages 4

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

1990 • 1,768 Readers • 432 pages 4.2

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

2004 • 1,073 Readers • 1,028 pages 4

Kindred

Kindred
ByOctavia E. Butler

1979 • 799 Readers • 292 pages 4.3

La Belle Savage

La Belle Savage
ByPhilip Pullman

2017 • 359 Readers • 466 pages 4

Midnight Riot

Midnight Riot
ByBen Aaronovitch

2011 • 190 Readers • 320 pages 3.8

Mort

Mort
ByTerry Pratchett

7 • 789 Readers • 272 pages 4.1

Perdido Street Station

Perdido Street Station
ByChina Miéville

2000 • 539 Readers 4

Riot Baby

Riot Baby
ByTochi Onyebuchi(Author, Narrator)

2020 • 157 Readers 3.8

Stone of Farewell

Stone of Farewell
ByTad Williams

1990 • 184 Readers • 610 pages 3.9

Storm Front

Storm Front
ByJim Butcher

1997 • 1,069 Readers • 384 pages 3.7

The Eye of the World

The Eye of the World
ByRobert Jordan

1990 • 1,677 Readers • 708 pages 4

The Fifth Season

The Fifth Season
ByN.K. Jemisin

2015 • 1,938 Readers • 421 pages 4.3

The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass
ByPhilip Pullman

1995 • 1,650 Readers • 399 pages 4

The Golem and the Jinni

2013 • 464 Readers • 486 pages 4.2

The Gunslinger

The Gunslinger
ByStephen King

1976 • 1,374 Readers • 238 pages 3.6

The Iron King

The Iron King
ByMaurice Druon

1955 • 78 Readers • 340 pages 3.9

The Lies of Locke Lamora

2006 • 1,601 Readers • 745 pages 4.3

The Power

The Power
ByNaomi Alderman

2016 • 575 Readers 3.7

Titus Groan

Titus Groan
ByMervyn Peake

1946 • 223 Readers • 382 pages 3.3

Who Fears Death

Who Fears Death
ByNnedi Okorafor

2010 • 192 Readers • 386 pages 3.8