1985: Mythago Wood

The Mythago Wood series explores a magical wood that has produced every mythical and legendary character that ever existed in any culture. The wood is a place where space and time don't follow the usual rules. It's a place of sheer unbridled brutality blended with wondrous and everlasting love. Mythago Wood tells the story of Steve Huxley, a young man who returns to his childhood home and renews his obsession with the nearby wood. He discovers that the wood creates magical creatures, called mythagos, that are ingrained in the mythic classics from various unique cultures. Entangled in a romantic quarrel with his brother, who has also in his own way merged with the wood, Steve embarks on a quest to rescue his love, an exotic being whose history dates back to Roman times.Why it's on the listMythago Wood is quite simply one of the best Fantasy novels ever written, a story refreshingly different to the usual suspects in this genre (no orcs, no wizards, no dwarves or elves), gripping from the beginning to the end. Holdstock manages to create an atmosphere that is immersing: you can almost see the green of the leaves, smell the forest scents and touch the softness of the moss as if you were strolling amongst the trees with the heroes. These engrossing qualities captivate the reader, bind them up in living branches of wonder and mystery, and keep them guessing long after the book is finished. What you have here is a journey that can't be missed, a trip that absolutely must be taken.Read if you likeBritish mythology