Top 25 Best Fantasy Books ?

[slobake]

I am always looking for a good read. I was searching for some good fantasy books and ran across this:

Invalid Link Removed

Here is the list of their pick for top 25 fantasy books.

1. Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin
2. The Blade Itself -Joe Abecrombie
3. Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson
4. The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
5. Lord of the Rings –J.R.R. Tolkien
6. The Black Company –Glen Cook
7. Heroes Die – Matthew Woodring Stover
8. The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson
9. Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb
10. A Shadow in Summer – Daniel Abraham
11. Lies of Locke Lamora –Scott Lynch
12. Gormenghast - Mervyn Peake
13. The Wheel of Time –Robert Jordan
14. Prince of Thorns – Mark Lawrence
15. Black Sun Rising – C.S. Friedman
16. The Troupe- Robert Jackson Bennett
17. Engineer Trilogy – K.J. Parker
18. The Darkness That Comes Before – R. Scott Bakker
19. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell – Susanna Clarke
20. Lord Foul’s Bane – Stephen R. Donaldson
21. American Gods – Neil Gaiman
22. The Amulet of Samarkand – Jonathan Stroud
23. The Dragonbone Chair – Tad Williams
24. Daughter of the Empire - Raymone E. Feist & Janny Wurts
25. The Dresden Files – Jim Butcher

What do you think? I haven't read too many of these and I am always open to suggestions.
A couple of comments on the link. First of all I am suprised Ursua Le Guin wasn't included here. I thought the Earthsea series was amazing. But it has been a while since I read it.'
On the link they compare the Wheel of Time Series to Tolkien. I have only read a little bit of the first book but so far I don't see it.

 

[fisticuffs]

Needs more Sanderson. Mistborn Series I would rank higher than Way of Kings simply because Way of Kings has barely started (new on in March I think).

 

[slobake]

Needs more Sanderson. Mistborn Series I would rank higher than Way of Kings simply because Way of Kings has barely started (new on in March I think).

That is one I have read. I loved the Mistborn series.

 

[slobake]

Here are some of my favorites that are not on the list:
The Auralia thread by Jeffrey Overstreet
The Once and Future King - T H White
The Song of Albion Trilogy - Stephen R Lawhead

And I just discovered The Cast of Stones by Patrick W Carr. I loaded the first book in the series to my Kindle for free.

I also have to mention Frank Perretti and Ted Dekker. Both write more or less from a christian perspective (Peretti more than Dekker) but I think they are both great writers.

 

[elgecko]

The only fantasy books I've read are the Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. I enjoyed them.

 

[Dave W]

How is The Dark Tower not on the list?

 

[aborgman]

I am always looking for a good read. I was searching for some good fantasy books and ran across this:

Invalid Link Removed

Here is the list of their pick for top 25 fantasy books.

1. Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin
2. The Blade Itself -Joe Abecrombie
3. Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson
4. The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
5. Lord of the Rings –J.R.R. Tolkien
6. The Black Company –Glen Cook
7. Heroes Die – Matthew Woodring Stover
8. The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson
9. Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb
10. A Shadow in Summer – Daniel Abraham
11. Lies of Locke Lamora –Scott Lynch
12. Gormenghast - Mervyn Peake
13. The Wheel of Time –Robert Jordan
14. Prince of Thorns – Mark Lawrence
15. Black Sun Rising – C.S. Friedman
16. The Troupe- Robert Jackson Bennett
17. Engineer Trilogy – K.J. Parker
18. The Darkness That Comes Before – R. Scott Bakker
19. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell – Susanna Clarke
20. Lord Foul’s Bane – Stephen R. Donaldson
21. American Gods – Neil Gaiman
22. The Amulet of Samarkand – Jonathan Stroud
23. The Dragonbone Chair – Tad Williams
24. Daughter of the Empire - Raymone E. Feist & Janny Wurts
25. The Dresden Files – Jim Butcher

What do you think? I haven't read too many of these and I am always open to suggestions.
A couple of comments on the link. First of all I am suprised Ursual Le Guin wasn't included here. I thought the Earthsea series was amazing. But it has been a while since I read it.'
On the link they compare the Wheel of Time Series to Tolkien. I have only read a little bit of the first book but so far I don't see it.

No LeGuin, no McCaffrey, no Zelazny, no Asimov... Seems VERY focused on things written in the last 20 years.

 

[slobake]

Did Asimov write some fantasy books? I would love to read those.

 

[slobake]

I just realized there is no Harry Potter on the list.

 

[bkbirge]

These should be on there...

The Colour of Magic
The Hobbit
Chronicles of Narnia
The Once and Future King
Ill met in Lhankmar
The Incomplete Enchanter

I think lists like this are more of a litmus test of the person's age than anything else. Besides the few token classics they always seem to be skewed to the more recent offerings.

I have quite enjoyed the Dresden Files though I wouldn't call them classics by any stretch, more like a literary equivalent of a fun action movie.

 

[BawanaRik]

No LeGuin, no McCaffrey, no Zelazny, no Asimov... Seems VERY focused on things written in the last 20 years.

You can't have a list like this with out Amber.

I like Julian May also. Some of Heinlein might even qualify.

 

[slobake]

I like all the comments about what/who was not mentioned. Helps me make a list for future reads. More, more.

 

[aborgman]

Did Asimov write some fantasy books? I would love to read those.

Asimov wrote just about EVERYTHING.

Fantasy (Azazel), science (An Easy Introduction to the Slide Rule, ABC's of Space, Biochemistry and Human Metabolism), history (Constantinople: The Forgotten Empire, The Birth of the United States), religion (Asimov's Guide To The Bible), literature (Asimov's Annotated "Paradise Lost"), humor (A Grossery of Limericks)...

 

[Basshappi]

I'm not impressed with that list.

 

[Selta]

RA Salvatore's Drizzt series is pretty good. I have a lot of catching up to do... I think he's at like 15 books in the series now.

 

[Selta]

No LeGuin, no McCaffrey, no Zelazny, no Asimov... Seems VERY focused on things written in the last 20 years.

Yeah... lots missing, but I don't think I could put together a list of "best 25 fantasy authors", let alone books/series.

 

[blue4]

No LeGuin, no McCaffrey, no Zelazny, no Asimov... Seems VERY focused on things written in the last 20 years.

The author of the link says he's been reading for 20yrs. I think those other authors you're talking about kind of go without saying at this point. Those who read fantasy have already read them, and those just getting into reading fantasy probably would read more recently written books anyway.

 

[4Mal]

Seems like he bought most of his list on lay overs at airport book stores... Or maybe Walmart... Game of Thrones a 20 best ? Number 1 Really?

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" books, well, just have to read them!
Mary Gentle's "Secret History" books are excellent (though she has written a number of other fantasy and sci-fi).
Terry Brook's "Shannara" series, simply good epic fantasy.
Robert E. Howard is another must (Conan).

 

[slobake]

Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" books, well, just have to read them!
Mary Gentle's "Secret History" books are excellent (though she has written a number of other fantasy and sci-fi).
Terry Brook's "Shannara" series, simply good epic fantasy.
Robert E. Howard is another must (Conan).

Yes, I forgot about the Shannara series. Great stories.