The Best Fantasy Books

A fantasy series allows us to explore the complexities of characters, the far corners of their worlds, and the consequences of their actions - for best-selling author Samantha Shannon, this is "a privilege, and such a joy." Here she recommends five rich, sustained fantasy worlds, featuring old gods, spymasters, witches, plagues, and the land of the dead - and above all, characters who keep surprising us.

For many readers, the feel of a fantasy world lingers long after the plot has faded. The key ingredient, says author R.J. Barker, is that the characters really do inhabit their world in their thoughts and actions, so that we can believe in it too. He introduces us to his five favourite worlds, each with the power to convince, compel and surprise you.

In portal fantasy, characters leave one world for another – satisfying a yearning we all share, says fantasy novelist and Five Books fantasy editor Sylvia Bishop. She introduces us to five unforgettable doorways – through attics and out of dreams, via the liminal spaces between worlds, into the endless possibilities beyond.

'Afrofuturism' is a term that has come to describe books about the Black experience through a speculative lens. We asked Eugen Bacon, the award-winning fantasy author and member of the Sauúti Collective—who, together, have created a shared fictional universe—to recommend five key Afrofuturist books.

Fairy tale retellings are nothing new: the same stories have been told in various forms across centuries and cultures. Modern fantasy is making new use of these timeless tales, specialising in unlikely heroes and playful subversions. We asked Ursula Vernon, the Hugo Award-winning author, to recommend her top five fantasy books based on fairy tales.

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.

This year’s award-winning fantasy books offer something for every taste, from melancholic fairy tales to gripping horror. Our fantasy and sci fi editor Sylvia Bishop introduces the winning titles.

Gothic fantasy helps us explore what is hidden, disturbing and liminal in our own lives, explains author C.J. Cooke. She introduces her top five gloriously Gothic novels, featuring haunted houses, attic prisons, carrion crows, and ghost children – and an underlying exploration of personal and collective traumas.

A fantasy ‘classic’ is a book that enables a new kind of story to be written, says fantasy scholar Matthew Sangster. He introduces five classics, and explains how they both build on and subvert our shared stock of stories to create wonderful new worlds – worlds that are not made to be admired from a distance, but rather to be lived inside, and shared.

Every year, members of the World Science Fiction Society nominate writers for the Hugo Award, then vote for the winner. All speculative fiction is eligible – fantasy as well as sci-fi – and the shortlist is one of the most prestigious for both genres. Here, Sylvia Bishop introduces us to the nominees for the title of the best speculative novel of 2024 – and the page-turning champion. See all our best science fiction books, fantasy fiction, and best novels of 2024 recommendations.