The Best Fantasy Books

In recent years there has been a steady flow of JRR Tolkien books published posthumously. If you liked The Lord of the Rings and are wondering what to read next, 16 year old Valentin guides you through some of his other favourite books set in the vast world that Tolkien created.

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.

Grimdark fantasy is cynical about the righteous and the good – but it brings fantasy into line with historical reality, says author Anna Smith Spark. She explores why we want to read about flawed people doing terrible things, and introduces her top five choices: stories that charge gleefully beyond the bounds of sanity, offer a shock treatment for anxiety, and above all provide an honest mirror to reality.

Modern fantasy emerged out of the work of a group of Victorian writers, many of whom were medieval scholars and social justice activists. These three threads are intimately connected, explains literary scholar Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson. Here, she introduces us to the Victorian fantasy novels that shaped the work of 20th-century legends C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, and the beliefs that infuse those stories.

Graphic novels are ideally suited to fantasy worlds because they can immerse a reader completely, says author Mike Carey. He tells Five Books about his five favourite fantasy graphic novels, and their wildly fantastical worlds and characters – which range from embodied ideas to sentient beans.

Every year, members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association nominate and vote for the best works of speculative fiction published over the previous year. Here, Sylvia Bishop introduces us to the books shortlisted for the 2024 Nebula Award for the best new novel – and the "astonishing" debut that ultimately triumphed. See all our science fiction, fantasy and best novels of 2024 recommendations

Historical fantasy books intermingle real history with counterfactual and speculative elements. P. Djèlí Clark, historian and Nebula Award-winning novelist, talks us through his top five magical re-imaginings of past eras, taking us from fourteenth century Russia into the Washington D.C. of the Roaring Twenties.

The Hugo Awards, first presented in 1953, were originally known as the 'Science Fiction Achievement Awards.' But, in practice, their shortlists encompass speculative fiction as a whole, including fantasy—and is considered one of that genre's most prestigious prizes. Here, Sylvia Bishop offers an overview of this year's nominees in the 'Best Novel' category, which represent the most popular sci-fi and fantasy books of 2023.

We use 'science fantasy' when a book seems to be both science fiction and fantasy. What distinguishes the two, and what does it mean to combine them? These books are an opportunity to explore our ways of knowing, reflect changing cultures, and find humour in the unexpected, says award-winning fantasy and sci fi author Vajra Chandrasekera.

We're living through a golden age for fantasy, says Lev Grossman,  author of The Magicians. Here, he tells us what makes for a good fantasy novel, and who's staking out the future not just of fantasy but of fiction as a whole.