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1. The Princess And The Goblin
by Macdonald, George
- On the same lists
This classic is written in a similar manner as Brother's Grimm and is a magical fairy tale about an independent, yet innocent, eight-year-old princess who discovers that her mysterious great-grandmother...
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2. Weird Tales Magazine
by Krimes, Kurtis
- On the same lists
Weird Tales had a seminal impact on Fantasy and Science Fiction. First published in March 1923, it was a pulp magazine aimed at readers who would enjoy "the weird, the...
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3. Fafhrd And The Gray Mouser
by Leiber, Fritz
- On the same lists
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are the titular characters of a collection of sword-and-sorcery stories. Originally they were created as more human counterpoints to larger than life characters like Tarzan...
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4. The Broken Sword
by Anderson, Poul
- On the same lists
The Broken Sword tells the story of a human baby stolen at birth and raised by elves. It is a rock-solid bit of writing and a truly fantastic dark fantasy...
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5. The Call Of Cthulhu And Other Weird Stories
by Lovecraft, Howard Phillips
- On the same lists
Lovecraft's tales of cosmic dread, including the title story where something ancient sleeps beneath the sea.
This is one of those books that if you give any plot lines – you give away the story. Suffice it to say that this dark and enticing set of...
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6. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland & Through The Looking-glass
by Carroll, Lewis
- On the same lists
A story that needs no introduction! The classical tale of Alice, who falls down a rabbit hole and into Wonderland. Filled with nonsense rhymes, songs, and puns, this is a...
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7. Peter Pan
by Barrie, J. M.
- On the same lists
What can I say to introduce a character as renowned as Peter Pan? Originally Peter Pan was an ensemble character in "The Little White Bird". Eventually, Peter Pan grew up...
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8. Lud-in-the-mist
by Mirrlees, Hope
- On the same lists
Lud-in-the-Mist is one of the genuinely overlooked classics, a striking piece of fantasy that, for almost 100 years, has been ignored and forgotten. Amazingly, when reading it, you wouldn't realize...
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9. The Picture Of Dorian Gray
by Wilde, Oscar
- On the same lists
This cautionary tale of morals, psychology, and poetic justice has become one of the greatest fantasy and horror works in recent history. After a young man makes a Faustian wish,...
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10. A Midsummer Night's Dream
by Shakespeare, William
- On the same lists
Arguably Shakespeare's best-known comedy, A Midsummers Night's Dream contains a tremendous amount of fantasy, romance, and folly. The story concerns itself largely with four individuals who, while entwined in a...
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11. One Thousand And One Nights
- On the same lists
Aladin, Sinbad, Genies, Flying Carpets, Ali Baba… One Thousand and One Nights has left us with some enduring characters. The European version was first introduced (in French) in 1707. For...
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12. The Ship Of Ishtar
by Merritt, Abraham
- On the same lists
This thrilling adventure story is jammed with as much true fantasy as any other writers 3 book series. It's such a pity that this book is not praised more. The...
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13. The Complete Fairy Tales
by Macdonald, George
- On the same lists
If C.S. Lewis and Tolkien say that Macdonald is their master and that they build on his foundation in every story they write… The Complete Fairy Tales must be a...
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14. The Iliad / The Odyssey
by Homer,
- On the same lists
Gripping listeners and readers for more than 2 700 years, The Iliad is the story of the Trojan War and Achilles. Written by an author we call Homer, both books...
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15. Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales
by Grimm, Jacob
- On the same lists
First of all – I'm not talking about the Disney version here. I'm talking about the real Grimms Fairy Tales – filled with rape (Sleeping Beauty), murder (Pinocchio), self-mutilation (Cinderella)...
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16. Jirel Of Joiry
by Moore, C. L.
- On the same lists
Jirel of Joiry was a character that featured in a series of short stories in Weird Tales. Ruling her own fictional kingdom somewhere in medieval France, her stories usually revolve...
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17. Conan The Barbarian
by Howard, Robert E.
- On the same lists
Conan – the name conjures up images of swords, bare chests, sweat, blood and lots of furs (like a non-campy version of Dolf Lungren's He-Man). It's hard to believe that...
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18. Dracula
by Stoker, Bram
- On the same lists
Though this book is not the first instance of vampires in literature, it is a defining story. It features more than just chilling storytelling; elements of horror, the gothic novel, sexual conventions, colonialism/post-colonialism, and immigration are all woven into this classic epistolary tale.
Dracula will always reign as the true master vampire, the one creature in horror and fantasy who can simultaneously seduce and terrify. And don't let yourself think this is an...
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19. The Once And Future King
by White, T. H.
- On the same lists
An Arthurian retelling and is also very much a coming of age story.
This classic is the Arthurian tale standard by which modern iterations are measured. Or blatantly ripped off ('cough' Disney 'cough'). While the first section is a bright and comical depiction...
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20. The King Of Elfland's Daughter
by Dunsany, Lord
- On the same lists
The King of Elfland's daughter tells the tale of a human prince who is dispatched by his father to woo and wed the elf princess of a mystical land.Why it's...
Matches come from series and authors, from the lists the books share, and from the books readers open together. They are rebuilt every night. Back to Beowulf.
The shortlist
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