- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien expands the world and mythic history of The Hobbit into a larger journey with a similarly vivid company of travelers.
- by C. S. Lewis
A hidden passage leads into a richly imagined world of talking creatures, magic, and a perilous struggle.
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Its young wizard’s voyage through an intricately made world offers classic fantasy adventure with a more contemplative tone.
- by Richard Adams
A band of rabbits seeking a home gives readers the fellowship and journey of epic fantasy in a natural world.
- The Book Of Three by Lloyd Alexander
A spirited young hero joins an eccentric band on a quest in a fantasy world inspired by Welsh legend.
- by Terry Pratchett
A hapless traveler and an unlikely companion tour a fantastical world in a comic take on classic quest conventions.
- The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
A peaceful rural community is swept into a vast journey through a world of ancient powers and looming danger.
- by Robert Holdstock
An uncanny forest that gives form to ancient myths offers a more mysterious counterpart to Tolkien’s enchanted landscapes.
- by David Eddings
A young farm boy leaves home with a colorful company in a clear, classic quest-driven fantasy.
- Magician by Raymond E. Feist
Its young protagonist’s rise from humble beginnings opens into a broad adventure across an imagined world.
- Eragon by Christopher Paolini
A young farm boy, a dragon, and a dangerous journey give this accessible fantasy a familiar heroic sweep.
- by Mervyn Peake
Its immense, strange castle replaces the open road with an intricately imagined world of eccentric inhabitants.
- by Anne McCaffrey
Its bond between human riders and dragons makes it a natural pick for readers drawn to Tolkien’s dragon lore.
- by T. H. White
A boy’s magical education combines legendary adventure with playful episodes and memorable animal transformations.
- The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
A unicorn’s journey through a strange world offers folkloric creatures, humane humor, and a lyrical sense of wonder.
- The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
An older couple’s journey through a mist-covered Britain offers a thoughtful, quieter echo of mythic travel.
- by Michael Ende
A reader is drawn into an endangered fantasy realm filled with unusual companions and imaginative landscapes.
- by William Goldman
This playful fairy-tale adventure pairs daring journeys and fantastical encounters with a knowingly comic voice.
- by L. Frank Baum
A traveler and her companions cross a vividly imagined land in search of help and a way home.
- by Hope Mirrlees
Its orderly town unsettled by the neighboring realm of Faerie makes for an inventive, early alternative to epic quest fantasy.
- by Lord Dunsany
Its faerie realm and old-world storytelling offer a bridge to the folkloric roots of modern fantasy.
- by E R Eddison
This early high fantasy builds an elaborate invented world around bold quests and legendary rivalries.
- by Gordon R. Dickson
A modern man’s unexpected arrival in a medieval fantasy world makes for an offbeat dragon-centered adventure.
- by Hans Christian Andersen
This classic tale’s far-reaching journey through enchanted places offers a compact route into the folklore behind modern fantasy.