The 100 Most Popular Fantasy Books on Goodreads

13! I thought I had read more! However some lovely ones there to investigate. Big fan of Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (and the entire Sevenwaters series)

18/100 with a few on the to read list.

The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You by Dorothy Bryant is an underappreciated classic from the early 1970s that can be enjoyed by many. It speaks to our time as well as when it was written.

diana jeuda wrote: "Where is Ursula Le Guin: The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness? Extraordinary omissions."

Because they're science fiction. No argument. The question is why Anne McCaffrey is on this list because the Pern books are really science fiction too. Though I understand that they could have been heroic fantasy if not for the tweaking of the back story.

Sam wrote: "Dire list composed by non-fantasy readers it would appear. Where's The Sparrow for starters?"

Didn't that make the science fiction list?

For the record I've read more than two dozen of these.

An author that I would have liked to have seen represented is Genevieve Cogman and her "Invisible Library" series.

Also Robert Jackson Bennett's "Divine Cities" trilogy.

Do agree that there is an odd understanding of what constitutes YA and what does not on this list.

Read 31

A little surprised Rebecca Kuang's "The Poppy War" made this list. I think it's great but it's damn confrontational and Kuang pulls no punches in transmuting the horrors of modern Chinese history into a grimdark epic.

Roger Zelaney's Amber series is one of my favorites.

To Peter Leach: Gormenghast is an astonishing omission, along with Lord Dunsany and important others.

I suspect that most readers of the authors you mention simply tick of the book as read and leave at that as their reading of the book was too long ago that they feel comfortable rating it, let alone writing a review of it. Hence the book loses out when it comes to lists such as this.

Terry Goodkind
And his series starting with Wizards First Rule
Should be first 3.
Far superior to Potter and Game of Thrones which are to commercial.
And in the case of Potter children's books

What...no J.V. Jones?

David wrote: "To Peter Leach: Gormenghast is an astonishing omission, along with Lord Dunsany and important others."

Good point...

Peter wrote: "So no mention of Gormenghast, then."

Titus Groan and Gormenghast are two of my favorite fantasy novels. However, perhaps these books are far too challenging for this audience who keep clamoring to know why Harry Potter and A Court of Thorns and Roses aren't on the list?

BIG MISSES
Jonathan Stoud's books
The Tapestry series by Henry Neff
Laini Taylor books - Love Blackbringer audio!!

Forgot -
Christopher Moore books - Hilarious great fun books
David Wong books - may be sci-fi AND Fantasy

Are these books ranked from most popular to least popular?

No Brust, no Zelazny—makes me sad.

Echo en falta el ciclo de la puerta de la muerte o Drizzt, o la guerra de la reina araña... pero es difícil hacer una lista.
Me he apuntado muchos!
Gracias por hacer la lista!

FWIW, I've read 49 of these. Clearly I need to read least one more soon!

Holly wrote: "Peter wrote: "So no mention of Gormenghast, then."

Titus Groan and Gormenghast are two of my favorite fantasy novels. However, perhaps these books are far too challengin..."

Excuse me but just because one likes Harry Potter does not mean they can not read what you consider "more challenging". Also, being challenging does not equate to being entertaining. I have not read the trilogy you mention but if I can read Karl Barth, Hans Kung and Paul Tillich, to name a few authors I have read, then I am sure I can handle whatever an author of fantasy wants to throw at me. And yes, I am one of those who thinks the Potter books should have been represented, though I favour the last book in the series.

I've read 24.

I've read and/or listened to 18 of the top 100 fantasy novels. I've got my bluetooth headphones charged and it's time to get started on new one. I can't pick just one favorite, so I will limit my list to 5 in no specific order:
1. HARRY POTTER (Come on, of course Harry Potter should be on this list!)
2. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings
3. Chronicles of Narnia
4. Anything Terry Pratchett and/or Neil Gaiman wrote. I still celebrate Terry Pratchett day in March listening only to Terry Pratchett stories for 18 hours, and I love that Neil Gaiman reads so many of his books for audio.
5. Dark Tower Series. Not always a fan of Stephen King, but this series really caught my imagination. Love it!

I'm seeing the question formed in many ways about whether children's books should be on this list. My thoughts on children's books not being allowed on a fantasy book list is this: I have been an avid reader since I was 8 years old and I worked at a library for 15 years. I have found a greater percentage of children's books have some of the most profound meaning of all. The books I read as a child are far more a part of who I am today than ANY adult book I've ever read. For me, the whole point of stories is to explore who we are as human beings, discover who we want to be, and learn to become better. So, Yes! I definitely think children's books should be on the list, and children should be allowed to read their favorites over and over again! And adults would do well to re-familiarize themselves with stories that explain honor, bravery, kindness, good and evil, acceptance, never give up, and so on. Fantasy books are a great source of who we are as human beings and what we would like (or not like) our world to look like in the future.

Here are a few that really qualify to 100 best: Patricia McKillips trilogy that begins with "Harpist in the wind"; Fritz Leiber's Faffhrd and the Grey Mouser stories; Stephen Donaldson's epic series about "The Land" (the only world builder in the same class as Tolkien, Steven Erikson, and Frank Herbert). Also Sheri S Tepper's "True game" books. Weis and Hickman's "Death gate cycle" are better than many here but does not really qualify. I could go on for pages, if I had a better memory or the time to spare.
Neil Gaiman's novels are over hyped mediocrity, and appeals to those with a cultural inclination where name dropping and references are important.

R. wrote: "Here are a few that really qualify to 100 best: Patricia McKillips trilogy that begins with "Harpist in the wind"; Fritz Leiber's Faffhrd and the Grey Mouser stories; Stephen Donaldson's epic serie..."

Those books could very well qualify for a list of the best 100 Fantasy books. However this list is, as the heading says, the 100 Most Popular. Popular and best are two completely different kettles of fish.

The number 1 listed book, The Hobbit, was on the syllabus for the Childrens' Literature course I took in university. 'Nuff said about children's books on this list. They belong.

Dikshita wrote: "Where is Harry Potter?"

I wondered the same thing!

I have read 20 of these. I added a bunch to my list, but many were already there. I also wondered why the Harry Potter books weren't here. The other series that I loved and don't see here is Super Powereds. Maybe they are all considered Young Adult by Goodreads?

In regards Mr. Potter, perhaps Goodreads will get the message and include him next year if he meets the criteria of average rating and number of reviews.

Adrian wrote: "Terry Goodkind
And his series starting with Wizards First Rule
Should be first 3.
Far superior to Potter and Game of Thrones which are to commercial.
And in the case of Potter children's books"

That is impossible under the rules. Only one book from a series is allowed.

How is Lord Foul's Bane/Chronicles of Thomas Covenant not on this list?

Eric wrote: "How is Lord Foul's Bane/Chronicles of Thomas Covenant not on this list?"

Probably because it has less than 1,700 reviews.

Did someone forget Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave? Egads! What an oversight! Mary Stewart's Arthurian Saga was something I couldn't put down, unlike a number of these. I'd have to put The Crystal Cave in the top 5 and the rest of the saga would fill out spots 6 through 8... If you haven't read it then you need to drop everything, find a copy and start reading.

David wrote: "my favorite fantasy are the Dying Earth books and the Lyonesse Trilogy by Jack Vance; the Majipoor Chronicles by Robert Silverberg; and the Prince Corum books by Michael Moorcock."

Majipoor is science fiction, not fantasy. I've read most of Silverberg's vast output and I don't recall any fantasy

I’ve read 30/100 on this list. When GR posts these, it isn’t the list’s contents that matters to but the comments. That’s where I get my info on books I want to read. Thank you all for the great book suggestions!

Read 19 on the list. Can't believe that Joel Rosenberg, Piers Anthony, Fred Saberhagen and R.A. Salvatore never even made the list. I don't know about others that like Fantasy, but they, along with Terry Brooks and Weis/Hickman made up a good chunk of the fantasy books I read when I was younger. Those books are what got me into reading fantasy in the first place.

The first fantasy I can recall reading were The Lord of the Rings and Conan. Both were read when I was in high school. I really can't recall anything before then, though there might have been. It just doesn't stick in my memory banks.

27 + 2 I have not finished.
Also surprised HP not on the list

9
Taliesin / Stephen Lawhead

I don't want to pile on, but I think your data got messed up when you did it. I reviewed it, and it just doesn't match what you say the criteria is. I could list out examples if that would be helpful.

Remember people that this list would have been compiled some time before it was posted here. This is because doing these things is not an overnight job. I worked in retail at one time and I know that our sales flyers were set up six months before the sale started. The same thing applies to lists like this one. Problem is that books are being read, rated and reviewed while this is being done and after the list is finished. Thus the standings at the time the list is published might be different from what they appear in print (so to speak). The people who do these lists for us to discuss, ruminate on and complain about put in a lot of work. I think we should cut them a bit of slack.

I have read 30 of these books... considering I say I basically only read Sword and Sorcery/ Fantasy, I am surprised its not more, because I do read a lot. The plus side is though that now I have a bunch to look forward to reading. :-)

The top 100 is subjective, people have different tastes. If I was compiling it I would also add these titles...

A Spell for Chameleon Piers Anthony
On a Pale Horse Piers Anthony
Lord Foul's Bane Stephen R. Donaldson
The King's Buccaneer Raymond E. Feist
Pawn of Prophecy David Eddings
The Diamond Throne David Eddings
The Demon Awakens R.A. Salvatore
Dragon Prince Melanie Rawn
The Elfin Ship James P. Blaylock
The Anubis Gates Tim Powers
Dragon Wing Margaret Weis
Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold Terry Brooks
Abarat Clive Barker
The Briar King Greg Keyes

So glad to see I have read most of the top 10 ones, but equally surprised to find there are so many titles and authors I haven't read yet!! Guess I have my work cut out for me :)

Also surprised that Harry Potter does not feature here.

Vi wrote: "27 + 2 I have not finished.
Also surprised HP not on the list"

I hope I'm wrong, but the pessimistic side of me is suspecting, giving the recent controversy with JK Rowling, that Goodreads are practicing the good ole' tradition of 'book censoring' and the article writer’s biases are getting in the way of what should be an impartial subject (in that this is supposed to be the ‘readers/Goodread’s members choice’ and not that of the article writer’s)
“we went on a quest for the 100 most popular fantasies of all time on Goodreads, as determined by your fellow members”
It just seems coincidental.

Dikshita wrote: "Where is Harry Potter?"

Probably is in the kids/ young adult books.

Scott wrote: "The top 100 is subjective, people have different tastes. If I was compiling it I would also add these titles...

A Spell for Chameleon Piers Anthony
[book:On a Pale Horse..."

To show how subjective your list is I have heard of only one of those books and read none of them.

I had read the daughter of the forest. It has very inspired me and a knowledgeable book. Thank so much for your uploaded the book.