My Favorite Fantasy and Science Fiction Books

Why am I devoting an entire list to fantasy and sci-fi? Basically because I’ve always found imaginative fiction to be the most enjoyable. (You may have already noticed that most of the children’s literature books I listed are also fantastical.) I love how anything can happen and how these tales stretch the mind’s grasp of reality and possibility. What I like best when I immerse myself in a book is a story—and fantasy delivers in spades.

As mentioned in the previous book list, these recommendations aren’t current. Rather, I’m focusing on books that I grew up with—ones that might even be overlooked by today’s readers. I also do not mean these are books you should read—I enjoyed very few of the books I was forced to read in various English and literature classes. These are simply books I loved reading (and re-reading). I think you’ll enjoy them too.

Fantasy and Science Fiction Favorites

Adams, Douglas

• The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide trilogy

Anthony, Piers

• The Tarot trilogy
• The Xanth series (first 6 or 7 books)
• The Split Infinity trilogy
• The Incarnations of Immortality series
• Prostho Plus

Asimov, Isaac

• The Robot series
• The Foundation series

Asprin, Robert

• The Myth Adventures series (first 5 or 6 books)

Beagle, Peter

• A Fine and Private Place
• The Last Unicorn

Bester, Alfred

• The Demolished Man

Bradbury, Ray

• The Martian Chronicles
• Something Wicked This Way Comes
• Many other short stories

Burroughs, Edgar Rice

• The John Carter of Mars series (first 3 books)

Chalker, Jack L.

• The Well of Souls series (first 5 books)

de Camp, L. Sprague and Fletcher Pratt

• The Compleat Enchanter

Donaldson, Stephen R.

• The First and Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

Eddings, David

• The Belgariad series

Ellison, Harlan

• Dangerous Visions

Farmer, Philip José

• The Riverworld series

Forward, Robert L.

• Dragon’s Egg

Gaiman, Neil

• The Sandman series

Galouye, Daniel F.

• Simulacron-3

Goldman, William

• The Princess Bride

Heinlein, Robert A.

• Time Enough for Love

Herbert, Frank

• The Dune series (first 3 or 4 books)

Leiber, Fritz

• The Big Time
• Conjure Wife

MacAvoy, R.A.

• Tea with the Black Dragon

May, Julian

• The Saga of the Exiles series
• The Galactic Milieu series

Miller Jr., Walter M.

• A Canticle for Liebowitz

Moore, Alan

• V for Vendetta
• Watchmen

Munn, H. Warner

• Merlin’s Ring

Myers, John Myers

• Silverlock
• The Moon’s Fire-Eating Daughter

Powers, Tim

• The Anubis Gates

Robinson, Spider

• Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon

Saberhagen, Fred

• The New Dracula series (first 3 or 4 books)

Stallman, Robert

• The Book of the Beast trilogy

Stewart, Mary

• The Merlin trilogy

Tolkien, J.R.R.

• The Lord of the Rings

Wangerin, Walter

• The Book of the Dun Cow

Wolfe, Gene

• The Book of the New Sun series

Young, Robert E.

• Eridahn

Zelazny, Roger

• The Chronicles of Amber series

…and a special shout-out to Famous Science Fiction Stories: Adventures in Time and Space, edited by Raymond J. Healy and J. Francis McComas. This anthology of Golden Age stories includes 5 of the greatest sci-fi tales ever told:

• “By His Bootstraps”, by Robert A. Heinlein
• “Who Goes There?”, by John W. Campbell Jr.
• “Nightfall”, by Isaac Asimov
• “Farewell to the Master”, by Harry Bates
• “He Who Shrank”, by Henry Hasse