The Best Fantasy Books

Dark fantasy undermines certainty and reality – but that’s exactly what we need, argues author and academic Alex Pheby. He talks us through his five favourites, and how they allegorize loss of innocence, question the real, and re-awaken our awareness of the human condition.

A medieval flavour is common in fantasy books, but this can range from chivalric adventures and mythical beasts to grimdark realities. Here Robin Hobb, multi-award winning novelist of the Realm of the Elderlings series, introduces her five favourites, spanning the breadth of the genre.

What makes fantasy worlds so ripe for comedy? Hugo nominee Travis Baldree points toward our shared humanity, our love of anti-heros, and the power of back-to-front archetypes. He recommends the five best fantastical adventures to get us laughing – mostly at ourselves.

We tell ourselves fantastical stories to account for all that cannot be explained, says Seanan McGuire, the multi-award winning author of the October Daye, InCryptid, and Indexing series. Here, she selects five of the best urban fantasy books—fabulous novels that help us find the magical in the mundane.

There are over 370 books in the Warhammer 40k series. As veteran Warhammer author Graham McNeill explains, the books offer a chance to introduce complexity and depth, while respecting the Lore the fans know and love. There are no greater fans of the 40k world, says McNeill, than the writers themselves. He introduces his top five choices, and gives us a glimpse of the writers’ world - of group workshops, complicated timelines, constant correspondence, and friends for life.

Low-stakes 'cozy' fantasy is very popular right now, says the bestselling author TJ Klune—and as a result it's a very exciting time to be working in the genre. Here he recommends five cozy fantasy novels, all with magical worlds to get lost inside: from moving castles to coffee shops at the end of the world.

If you're looking for audiobooks that help books jump off the page, AudioFile magazine's best of 2024 lists are a great place to start. Here's their list of best audiobooks for 2024 in the science fiction and fantasy genres—from dark academia to a novel set in World War I.

Dragons can be found in the mythology of almost every culture, and today they are enjoying a surge in popularity – but these days they are portrayed as companions, not the enemy, says the bestselling author Taran Matharu. He talks us through his top five 'dragon fantasy' books, from classic heroes' journeys to emerging fantasy trends, and tells us how to spot if your dragon is actually a wyvern.

Fantasy and mystery blend beautifully because PIs and wizards occupy the same role, says Jim Butcher, bestselling author of The Dresden Files. He tells us about the inspiration for his own PI, Harry Dresden, and introduces us to his top five fantasy mysteries: stories where our modern urban fears can be explored, and where metaphorical and literal underworlds meet.

Whatever genre you love, it can be made steampunk, argues 'The Steampunk Scholar' Mike Perschon. He talks us through his top five choices, and shows how the core elements of the steampunk style are being recombined to create rollicking and original adventures – from alternate Civil War tales to flying whales.