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Fantasy books transport readers into fictional worlds unknown. This book genre in particular is imaginative.
Good fantasy books are engaging with every turn of the page and keep readers wondering what happens next.
Many classic fantasy stories can't be told in just one book. Fantasy books are often part of a longer series.
18 MUST-READ CLASSIC BOOKS THAT HAVE REMAINED POPULAR YEARS AFTER THEIR ORIGINAL PUBLICATION
The most popular fantasy books are usually made into blockbuster movies or hit TV shows, making their reach grow even further.
Take a look at these must-read fantasy books that have remained popular year after year.
"The Lord of the Rings" books were adapted into movies. (New Line/WireImage)
- "The Lord of the Rings," J.R.R. Tolkien
- "The Chronicles of Narnia," C.S. Lewis
- "Harry Potter," J.K. Rowling
- "A Song of Ice and Fire," George R.R. Martin
1. "The Lord of the Rings," J.R.R. Tolkien
"The Lord of the Rings" is one of the bestselling book series ever written.
The main "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is comprised of "The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King."
This trilogy begins with the character Frodo, who inherits a ring from his older cousin Bilbo, which happens to be sought by Dark Lord Sauron to gain ultimate power.
"The Hobbit" is a book that predates this core trilogy and provides more backstory on Bilbo.
After the author's death in 1973, there were other books published, mainly edited by his son Christopher, that offer even more stories for "Lord of the Rings" fans.
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"The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit" have been adapted for the big screen. There have been three movies made based off the original saga, and an additional three "Hobbit" movies, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" in 2012, "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" in 2013 and "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" in 2014.
New fans were brought to "The Lord of the Rings" universe with the television series "The Rings of Power" in 2022. The show predates the events of "The Hobbit" by thousands of years.
2. "The Chronicles of Narnia," C.S. Lewis
The first book of "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" begins with a young girl named Lucy, who finds that an old wardrobe is a magic portal to the land of Narnia. The snowy land is full of talking animals, mysterious creatures and an evil witch.
As it turns out, Lucy, along with her siblings Peter, Susan and Edmund, are very important to the well-being of Narnia.
"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" gives readers an introduction into the magical world of Narnia. (E. Charbonneau/WireImage for Disney Pictures)
Fans of the first "Narnia" novel didn't have to wait long for a second because it was released just a year after the first, in 1951. The second book in the series is titled "Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia."
The following year came "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and "The Silver Chair" in 1953. "The Silver Chair" is the first in the series not about the siblings.
In 1954, a prequel to the series was released called "The Magician's Nephew." The last book released in 1956, "The Last Battle," falls back into the chronological timeline, about 200 years after "The Siver Chair."
There were movies made of the first three books in the fantasy series. The films taking the names of the books they were adapted from came out in 2005, 2008 and 2010.
3. "Harry Potter," J.K. Rowling
"Harry Potter" is a timeless story about a boy whose life completely changes when he finds out he is a wizard.
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Many major storylines throughout the "Harry Potter" series take place at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where witches and wizards learn about the power they possess.
The main characters of the books are Potter, along with his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
The "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The first book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," was released in 1997.
The remaining books in the series are as follows: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
In 2016, J.K Rowling released an eighth book, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," which is focused on Potter's son Albus. This book wasn't made into a movie like the rest of the series, but it is the only one that was made into a Broadway play.
If that's still not enough "Harry Potter" for you, there are even more books you can read.
The "Fantastic Beasts" series was released after the original "Harry Potter" books but takes place before.
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There are three books in this series: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" and "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore." All three of these books have been made into movies.
Fans of the franchise can visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a theme park based on the fictional universe at Universal Orlando or Hollywood. In 2025, guests of the Orlando-based park can also visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic inspired by the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise.
4. "A Song of Ice and Fire," George R.R. Martin
"A Song of Ice and Fire" is a widely popular book series by George R.R. Martin.
Originally intended as a trilogy, there have been five volumes of the series released, with two more reportedly on the way. Although "The Winds of Winter" and "A Dream of Spring" are the books meant to conclude the series, many fans have grown impatient, believing the series will never be fully complete. The last book released by Martin was "A Dance with Dragons" in 2011.
"A Game of Thrones" is the first book in the fantasy series. (Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The first book of the series is "A Game of Thrones," released in 1996. The next two books, "A Clash of Kings" and "Storm of Swords" followed fairly quickly, with 1998 and 2000 publish dates.
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Five years after "Storm of Swords" came "A Feast of Crows." This led to the very last book released so far, "A Dance with Dragons." There was one additional book published in 2014 called "The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones," but this doesn't continue the story. Instead, it provides the history of the Seven Kingdoms.
This series sparked the highly successful "Game of Thrones" television show that ran for eight seasons and the prequel series, "House of the Dragon."
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