10 Popular Fantasy Book Series' That Impacted the Genre Forever

It would beryllium hard for maine to database galore much literate works that person had a greater interaction connected the artform and mean than John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, amended known arsenic J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of The Lord of the Rings and its associated works. With reportedly much than 150 millions copies sold of conscionable these 3 books, not counting the monolithic amounts of income of his different works specified arsenic The Hobbit, these books immoderate of the astir recognizable pieces of media contiguous (thanks successful nary tiny portion to the Peter Jackson movies arsenic well) arsenic good arsenic immoderate of the champion selling novels of each clip arsenic well. This classical communicative of however adjacent the smallest and astir unsuspecting 1 of america tin emergence up successful times of request and beryllium to beryllium the champion of us. It’s hard to ideate things similar Dungeons & Dragons existing without The Lord of the Rings, and without that, possibly the full RPG genre wouldn’t beryllium either!

2. Twilight Saga - Stephanie Meyer

Joke each you privation astir sparkly vampires, but it’s hard to contradict conscionable however overmuch of a taste interaction that Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga has had since the books were archetypal released backmost successful the mid 2000s. This series, featuring the emotion triangle betwixt the vampire Edward (who yes, sparkles successful the sunlight), the werewolf Jacob, and a mean quality teen Bella gone connected to merchantability implicit 160 cardinal books (as of autumn 2022) crossed the 4 mainline novels, and 2 further ones, with the latest, Midnight Sun which retells the communicative of the archetypal publication but from Edward’s perspective. From precocious schoolhouse romance to warring disconnected against a vampire coven, Twilight is inactive going beardown adjacent now, 20 years later, and it’s hard to representation the modern-day Romantasy country being rather the aforesaid had it not been for Twilight.

3. Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan

I wonderment conscionable however galore stories person been told oregon whose DNA could beryllium traced backmost to the aged tales of Greek Mythology? Struggles of the gods against titans, and the mortals you rise up to go heroes. Rick Riordan’s beloved Percy Jackson franchise is 1 specified example, acceptable successful the modern time with Percy being the demigod lad of Sally Jackson, a mortal woman, and Greek deity Poseidon. While much geared towards the younger teen crowd, this hasn’t stopped the bid from spawning movies, games, and streaming shows, successful summation to the pantheon of books that signifier the ground of the series, consisting of aggregate arcs and adjacent spinoff bid that further soma retired the world, pulling successful implicit 180 cardinal books sold (as of 2021) .

You tin cheque retired our broad speechmaking usher to the Percy Jackson bid for much information. The 2nd play of the Disney+ bid wrapped up play 2 and play 3 has already finished filming.

4. Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis

Talking Lions, magical wardrobes and truthful overmuch much capable the pages of the 7 books that constitute C.S. Lewis’ beloved Chronicles of Narnia series. The archetypal published work, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which released backmost successful 1950 revealed the magical satellite of Narnia to readers done the eyes of the Pevensie children Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, precocious evacuated to the English countryside during World War II and stumble connected a magical way into the fantastical alternate world, wherever they would turn to go kings and queens of the realm. Lewis would spell connected to soma retired some the legacies of the children and the past of Narina implicit the people of the series, resulting successful a classical communicative with an underlying thread of Christian ideas, bewitching much than 120 cardinal readers (as of 2023), and a fewer movie adaptations too, which unluckily didn’t beryllium palmy capable to origin the full bid to beryllium adapted, though determination is simply a caller adaptation successful the works from Netflix, releasing this year! If you privation to work the bid yourself, determination are 2 advisable ways to bash so: Publication Order and Chronological Order.

5. Discworld - Terry Pratchett

A level satellite sitting connected apical of 3 elephants riding a elephantine turtle - that is Discworld. The largest bid connected this list, encompassing 41 books from 1983 to 2015, is simply a darling successful the phantasy genre with its peculiar marque of whimsy and drama mixed with staples of the genre similar wizards and magic. While determination is immoderate facet of continuity done the room of works, Discworld could beryllium amended viewed arsenic a postulation of aggregate sub-series each nether writer Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” Umbrella. Characters similar Rincewind (the wizard with nary skill, nary wizardly qualifications, oregon involvement successful heroics) and Death (the seven-foot robed skeleton) with his equine Binky proceed to delight readers to this day, offering a quirkiness successful the oversea of different phantasy books, with immoderate of the books adjacent receiving video and committee crippled adaptations. To day this bid has managed to merchantability much than 100 cardinal copies, but it each began with the Colour of Magic backmost successful 1983, which archetypal gave america a sensation of what tin hap connected a satellite that is sailing done abstraction connected the backmost of a elephantine turtle.

6. Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan (& Brandon Sanderson)

First released backmost successful 1990 with The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan’s epic precocious phantasy Wheel of Time bid has delighted readers ever since, weaving the communicative of the Dragon Reborn and the looming Last Battle. While it whitethorn beryllium a spot much recognizable presently arsenic the ground of the unluckily cancelled Amazon bid based connected the 14-book epic, the Wheel of Time is 1 of the astir beloved examples of the genre successful modern times. These books travel a ample formed of characters see Rand, Perrin, Matt, Egwene, and Nynaeve from the tiny colony of Two Rivers, who, aft being whisked distant by the Aes Sedai Moraine (Wheel of Time’s mentation of a magic idiosyncratic basically) and their protector Lan, are thrust into an lawsuit that volition find the destiny of the world. While Robert Jordan did walk backmost successful 2007 earlier helium was capable to decorativeness the books, moving with his widow, Harriet McDougal, who besides served arsenic his editor, on with Jordan’s notes, the bid was finished by Brandon Sanderson - different prolific phantasy writer whose enactment besides appears connected this database - who wrote the last 3 books. More than 100 cardinal copies sold (as of 2023).

For a much in-depth breakdown of the bid and its books, cheque retired our speechmaking guide.

7. A Song of Ice and Fire - George R.R. Martin

George R.R. Martin’s phantasy behemoth, A Song of Ice and Fire, helped usher successful the caller renaissance of the genre, peculiarly truthful successful regards to TV adaptations with HBO’s Game of the Thrones show. Set connected the continents of Westeros and Essos, Ice and Fire features much governmental backstabbing than spell slinging, but inactive features immoderate classical magic-y staples similar dragons. In summation to the show, Martin has further expanded connected the lore and past of this satellite implicit the years with aggregate spin-off shows and books including the House of the Dragon which adapts the 2018 book, Fire & Blood, telling of the diminution of House Tagaryian 200 years earlier the archetypal Ice and Fire book. There's besides the caller A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms TV bid which uses Martin’s The Hedge Knight novella arsenic its base. Even with lone 5 of the bid 7 books having released truthful far, with readers having waited astir 15 years for Winds of Winter, Martin’s works person sold much than 90 cardinal copies of his books. Even if A Song of Ice and Fire ne'er concludes, determination is small denying the interaction that these books and shows person done to revitalize the epic phantasy genre into the 21st century.

8. Shannara - Terry Brooks

First released successful 1977 with The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks’ bid present spans implicit 40 books acceptable successful the Four Lands, a satellite some acquainted and overseas to our own. Divided into galore connecting arcs, each composed of aggregate books, Shannara arsenic a full encompasses aggregate thousands of years from commencement to finish. Common characters, and their bloodlines, similar the Ohmsfords, are cardinal to the lore of the Four Lands, with different notable aspects specified arsenic the druids - this world's signifier of almighty magic users and historians - the elfstones, and different artifacts look throughout, helping necktie it each together. An endeavor that’s proven alternatively successful, considering the fig of books that Brooks has released, selling much than 25 cardinal copies, and adjacent with him pulling backmost from the writer’s seat past year, the reins person been handed implicit to Delilah Dawn arsenic Shannara’s superior writer. While Shannara whitethorn not person received the aforesaid prime of attraction others person had with its adaptations, fans tin look guardant to continued adventures ahead, with caller mysteries of the Four Lands being exposed and revealed for years to come.

For speechmaking order, Terry Brooks himself provides 2 recommendations: For caller readers, work order, and for returning re-reads, chronological order.

9. Cosmere - Brandon Sanderson

Whether it’s finishing the Wheel of Time series, dropping 5 astonishment books connected fans, oregon present moving connected the screenplay for the upcoming Apple TV adaptation, if you told maine Brandon Sanderson was a sentient keyboard, I would judge you. But extracurricular of the unthinkable output of works Sanderson manages to accomplish, it's the prime of those books that has pulled successful readers from crossed the satellite astir his expansive and interconnected beingness known arsenic the Cosmere. Constructed from antithetic worlds, each featuring its ain peculiar magic systems, characters, and lore, the Cosmere has continued to turn ever since Sanderson’s archetypal published novel, Elantris, was released backmost successful 2005. Some of the astir fashionable of the cosmere-related stories instrumentality spot connected Roshar, the satellite of the Stormlight Archive, which volition beryllium getting a tv series, and Mistborn’s Scadrial, which is getting the movie attraction (and that Sanderson is presently moving connected the screenplay for). Along with a marque caller tabletop RPG, these books person garnered a ample capable pursuing to warrant having its ain convention, Dragonsteel Nexus, wherever conscionable this past year, Sanderson’s 50 millionth publication was sold.

For a afloat breakdown of however you whitethorn privation to attack tackling the Cosmere, cheque retired our broad speechmaking guide.

Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling

Perhaps the biggest spot connected this list, which has go its ain multimedia empire successful the astir 30 years since the archetypal book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone released, this seven-book communicative astir the lad who lived defined a full procreation of readers backmost successful the aboriginal 2000s. And I’m consenting to stake that you whitethorn ain a transcript of 1 of the books yourself, arsenic the bid (as of 2018) had already gone connected to merchantability much than 500 cardinal copies. While the writer and their views proceed to beryllium a taxable of contention among fans, these books stay an endearing communicative of bully lasting their crushed against a rising tide of evil. The wizarding world, with memorable locations similar Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and, of course, the schoolhouse of Hogwarts itself, continues to enchant readers, with each caller game, broadside story, oregon adaptation adding much richness and lore for fans to uncover. With a caller HBO TV bid arriving successful 2027 and WB Games investing heavy successful games acceptable successful this universe, looks similar the satellite volition beryllium boarding the bid for Hogwarts for a bully agelong portion yet.

Scott White is simply a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and usher coverage. Follow him connected X/Twitter oregon Bluesky.