100 Must-read Fantasy Novels (100 Must Read)
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Review
'The selections are both diverse and a good mix between the obvious and the less so. An informed and stocking-friendly book like this is enjoyable and entirely welcome.'
--Totalscifionline.com (September 2009)
'...an extremely helpful introduction.'
--Good Book Guide (December 2009)
'I really can't recommend this book too highly for anyone who wants to explore the world of The Fantastical and is looking for a knowledgeable and dependable guide (9.9/10)'
--Moorcock's Multiverse, multiverse.org (September 2009)
--Totalscifionline.com (September 2009)
'...an extremely helpful introduction.'
--Good Book Guide (December 2009)
'I really can't recommend this book too highly for anyone who wants to explore the world of The Fantastical and is looking for a knowledgeable and dependable guide (9.9/10)'
--Moorcock's Multiverse, multiverse.org (September 2009)
Product Description
Fantasy is one of the most visible genres in popular culture - we see the creation of magical and imagined worlds and characters in every type of media, with very strong fan bases in tow. This latest guide in the successful Bloomsbury Must-Read series covers work from a wide range of authors: Tolkien, Philip Pullman, Terry Pratchett, Michael Moorcock, Rudyard Kipling and C.S Lewis to very contemporary writers such as Garth Nix and Steven Erikson. If you want to expand your range of reading or deepen your understanding of this genre, this is the best place to start.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I got "100 Must-Read Fantasy Novels" last Saturday and spent the rest of the weekend deriving great pleasure from reading Nick Rennison & Stephen E. Andrew's excellent choices within. As Mr Andrews says in his introduction, it isn't a list of the 100 best or the 100 greatest or the 100 most literary or even (that dreaded catch-all) '100 favourite' fantasy novels; but rather a selection of fantasy novels that any discerning reader ought to be familiar with.
As lists go, although I've not been a huge reader of fantasy novels since my teens, I honestly couldn't disagree with any of the authors' selections. Some are great, some are mediocre but all have a significance that makes them required reading. A particular novel might not have any great literary or artistic merit but its significance in the field of fantasy literature can't be ignored nor underestimated and so it's entirely proper that it should be included as a 'must-read' book. (And no, I'm not talking about "Eragon"!)
Neither do Messrs Rennison & Andrews restrict their definition of 'fantasy' to just Tolkien-esque Orcs and Elves but rather spread their net further afield to include novels without obvious fantasy tropes but which nonetheless embrace 'The Fantastical' - in much the same way that Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorne did in "Fantasy: The 100 Best Books" - although Messrs Rennison & Andrews' selection is better focused on the casual fantasy (or non-fantasy) reader than Messrs Moorcock & Cawthorne's 1988 text, which now feels a little archaic and esoteric in its choices. The present authors also score highly by selecting titles that are easy for the reader to get hold of, since there's no point recommending books which will then prove next-to-impossible to acquire.
In addition to the main list of 100 Must-Read fantasy novels, the authors provide 'Read on' recommendations for each of their selections (a kind of 'if you loved that you'll like this' thing) thus expanding the choice of material for the reader by some additional 400 titles, thus providing a well-rounded reading experience.
All in all, I can't recommend this book too highly for anyone who wants to explore the world of The Fantastical - whether they're a newcomer or veteran to the world of Fantasy - and is looking for a knowledgeable and dependable guide to steer their path. In that respect, Nick Rennison and Stephen E. Andrews are your men.
As lists go, although I've not been a huge reader of fantasy novels since my teens, I honestly couldn't disagree with any of the authors' selections. Some are great, some are mediocre but all have a significance that makes them required reading. A particular novel might not have any great literary or artistic merit but its significance in the field of fantasy literature can't be ignored nor underestimated and so it's entirely proper that it should be included as a 'must-read' book. (And no, I'm not talking about "Eragon"!)
Neither do Messrs Rennison & Andrews restrict their definition of 'fantasy' to just Tolkien-esque Orcs and Elves but rather spread their net further afield to include novels without obvious fantasy tropes but which nonetheless embrace 'The Fantastical' - in much the same way that Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorne did in "Fantasy: The 100 Best Books" - although Messrs Rennison & Andrews' selection is better focused on the casual fantasy (or non-fantasy) reader than Messrs Moorcock & Cawthorne's 1988 text, which now feels a little archaic and esoteric in its choices. The present authors also score highly by selecting titles that are easy for the reader to get hold of, since there's no point recommending books which will then prove next-to-impossible to acquire.
In addition to the main list of 100 Must-Read fantasy novels, the authors provide 'Read on' recommendations for each of their selections (a kind of 'if you loved that you'll like this' thing) thus expanding the choice of material for the reader by some additional 400 titles, thus providing a well-rounded reading experience.
All in all, I can't recommend this book too highly for anyone who wants to explore the world of The Fantastical - whether they're a newcomer or veteran to the world of Fantasy - and is looking for a knowledgeable and dependable guide to steer their path. In that respect, Nick Rennison and Stephen E. Andrews are your men.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a lapsed fantasy fan who thought they'd read everything worthwhile, I found this book extremely useful, even inspirational. I have for a while been on the lookout for quality, non sword-and-sorcery fantastic fiction (the likes of Tim Powers, Jonathan Carroll, and Haruki Murakami exemplify this kind of literature and they are all here along with many that I have never come across before). Rennison and Andrews' book is a fine, informative guide and absolutely hits the spot.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For anybody that have read some fantasy books and enjoyed them I recommend this little volume. Of the 100 books it turned out I had read 27. This means I can compare the authors' comments with my own views. I do not always agree, but I understand what they say and why. So I am sure I will find a number of really good reads here among books and authors I had not heard about.
Having said that, I object to one inclusion and two exclusions. Inclusion: why this glorification of Michael Moorcock? I have read one of his books and it was a continuous insult to all women that left a really bad taste in the mind, one that I never want to experience again. (His last name is too appropriate for chance - is it a nom du plume that carries a warning?) Exclusions: Vonda McIntyre's "Dreamsnake" and Susan C. Petrey's Varkela stories should be on any top-20 fantasy list!
Having said that, I object to one inclusion and two exclusions. Inclusion: why this glorification of Michael Moorcock? I have read one of his books and it was a continuous insult to all women that left a really bad taste in the mind, one that I never want to experience again. (His last name is too appropriate for chance - is it a nom du plume that carries a warning?) Exclusions: Vonda McIntyre's "Dreamsnake" and Susan C. Petrey's Varkela stories should be on any top-20 fantasy list!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brilliant pocket book
It's hard to fault this. It's readable, wide-ranging, easy to slip in your pocket for when you're browsing, and has essential references for further reading. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Archy
Andrews / Rennison rocks
I adore these Andrews / Rennison list books. Always so much more substantial than all the others that seem to have been compiled from old Virgin film 'annuals. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Jack Lawrence
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