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Best Fantasy Series, Trilogies, and Duologies
Vote for your favorite fantasy series, trilogies, and duologies. Please do not add science fiction or supernatural-romance series. If not in an omnibus or boxed set, please only vote for the first book in the series.
See also:
Best Fantasy Series Hidden Gems.
See also:
Best Fantasy Series Hidden Gems.
1,949 books ·
12,008 voters ·
list created July 17th, 2008
by Rora.
Comments Showing 1-50 of 79 (79 new)
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Luke
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Dec 09, 2008 07:34PM
The Riftwar Saga
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Wheres the book of the new sun? i thought that was supposed to be a great series.
The book of the new sun is there, currently #76. (Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe)
Deleted The Sunbird by Elizabeth E. Wein as it is the third book in the series. Please re-submit your vote as the first book, The Winter Prince.Removed The Witchwood Cradle by Esther M. Friesner as it is the third book in the series. Please re-submit your vote as the first book, Mustapha and His Wise Dog.
Removed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling as it is the third book in the series.
Removed The Unicorn Creed by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough as it is the second book in the series. Please re-submit your vote as the first book, Song of Sorcery.
Removed both Arrow's Flight and Arrow's Fall by Mercedes Lackey as they are the second and third books in the series. Please re-submit your vote as the omnibus Queen's Own: Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight, Arrow's Fall.
Removed The Shadow of Albion by Andre Norton, Rosemary Edghill as the Carolus Rex series does not meet the three book minimum for the list.
Removed I,Q by Roland Smith as the Carolus Rex series does not meet the three book minimum for the list, and is not fantasy.
Removed Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist as it is not part of a series.
Removed Kit's Wilderness by David Almond as it is not part of a series, his books are all stand-alone.
Removed Silverfin by Charlie Higson as it and the rest of the Young James Bond series are not fantasy.
Removed Spy X: The Code by Peter Lerangis as it and the rest of the Spy X series are not fantasy.
there are quite a few books on here that I don't believe should be. Vampire Romance? Please.
What about THE
TWILIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SAGA
Heather wrote: "What about THE
TWILIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SAGA"
Quote: (No science fiction or supernatural series)
Twilight = vampires = supernatural
MAXIMUM RIDE IS THE F*****G BOMBhi guys
I can understand the instinct to keep the Twilight series off the list, but by excluding the supernatural from fantasy, you have rendered your list bogus.
On Basilisk Station and Uglies are sf, not fantasy. People have voted for the LoTR trilogy, Fellowship, Two Towers, and Return, each separately. The same problem has befallen several other series, most notably GRRMartin's Game of Thrones. Can we either delete the extras, or combine them into one?
Vanyalmeida, I do not believe that Sherlock Holmes counts as fantasy.
Xenophon wrote: "I can understand the instinct to keep the Twilight series off the list, but by excluding the supernatural from fantasy, you have rendered your list bogus."I can't see why it would be bogus.
Some of the best work in fantasy these days is being done in series excluded from the list. For example, The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, if it maintains its quality through completion, is going to be one of the finest fantasy series ever written. The Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs are also quite good, and The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris and The Hollows series by Kim Harrison are a lot of fun. They are certainly better than Terry Goodkind or L.E. Modesitt's books. But all four series are excluded, if I am interpreting "supernatural" correctly. If I'm not, someone should clarify.
you know i say what people like is what people like you can't change what people think. do i like the twilight saga no but whatever whatever floats your boat
What about adding Jennifer Roberson with her "Tiger and Dell" series, Sword Singer, Sword Dancer etc. Very good and VERY popular in it's time.
The form to add books to the list is over at the right hand side of the page.
Dorothy Dunnett is historical fiction, not fantasy.
Added: Son Of Avonar - Book 1 of The Bridge Of D'Arnath
Transformation - Book 1 of the Rai-Kirah trilogy
both by Carol Berg
Also added the first of the Thieves World series of anthologies and the introductory novel of the Merovingen Nights anthologies- Angel With A Sword by C.J. Cherryh.
Transformation - Book 1 of the Rai-Kirah trilogy
both by Carol Berg
Also added the first of the Thieves World series of anthologies and the introductory novel of the Merovingen Nights anthologies- Angel With A Sword by C.J. Cherryh.
I deleted several Harry Potter books that weren't the first book in the series.
Noted that the votes will probably be diluted in a few titles by various editions.
There are two titles that I think any reasonable definition would count as science fiction and should thus be removed:Dune, by Frank Herbert
The Silver Metal Lover, by Tanith Lee
And there are a few titles that I would quibble with, but know that others probably disagree with me:
Archangel, by Sharon Shinn, implies that it is science fiction in the first book and is explicitly science fiction in the second book and all books set later in the timeline.
Same goes for Anne McCaffrey's Pern series, though in that case the majority of the books written fall in the part of the timeline where the only science fiction element is the prologue (which does EXPLICITLY make the books science fiction, however!)
Same also goes for Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover series, and in that case the majority of the titles are set in the part of the timeline where the low-tech planet is in contact with the high-tech empire and it is explicitly set in a science-based future.
My two cents; I wouldn’t have those series on this list, but that’s just me.
Crank shouldn't be on this list. It isn't fantasy at all. . .
Wow,there are hardly any votes for The Dresden Files.
Maybe some people aren't thinking Urban Fantasy? Even though the heading includes all fantasy. I voted for them/it.
There are SF&F fans prepared to argue that Dune is really an epic fantasy in disguise, and I can see their point. The Darkover novels feel like fantasy, no matter their thin SF rationale, and that's how I categorize them, especially when I'm recommending books to people.
A series of Unfortunate Events? In a fantasy list? Confusion??????
Some of the books on this list are laughable. We need to start culling some of the nonsense.
Nathan wrote: "A series of Unfortunate Events? In a fantasy list? Confusion??????"I've not read them, but the Wikipedia article indicates a fantastic setting, so they are fantasy.
Xenophon wrote: "Nathan wrote: "A series of Unfortunate Events? In a fantasy list? Confusion??????"I've not read them, but the Wikipedia article indicates a fantastic setting, so they are fantasy."
The books are set in fictional places but that doesn't make them fantasy. Nothing fantastic occurs in the series other than the children's fantastic bad luck.
Wikipedia says that the setting mixes times and technologies.
this list is a sad, desperate mess. it is so strange to me that folks can't even follow this list's very clear instructions and just have to give in to the urge to ADD, ADD, ADD, whether the novel is scifi, paranormal romance, or numbers 2 through a billion of the series. fans of Thomas Covenant, Warhammer, and The Dresden Files seem to be the most oblivious to the list's basic rules. and then other folks just jump in and start VOTE VOTE voting away. ah well. this could have been a great resource.personally, i'd say that science fantasy should be on the list (Dying Earth, Book of the New Sun). same with series in fantastic settings with no actual fantasy occurring(like, say, the strange versions of england in Gormenghast & A Series of Unfortunate Events). on the other hand, Dune & Darkover are clearly science fiction. but that's just my opinion. and what the heck is The Tick doing here? that was funny to see that one listed.
I deleted several books that clearly aren't the first volumes of a series, but I confined my efforts to the items that are higher up on this list. I don't have the time and patience to go through the whole thing. I am also unwilling to delete a book for being science fiction, for I believe the difference between the two genres is an ongoing debate among readers.
thank you xenophon for even making the effort of trimming this list down!
Thanks for making this list, even if it has imperfections...what's perfect after all? I'm an avid reader and am always looking for another awesome book to read, so thanks! Just thought you needed some positive feedback :)
Where is "The Death Gate Cycle"? :(Dragon Wing
Elven Star
Fire Sea
Serpent Mage
The Hand of Chaos
Into the Labyrinth
The Seventh Gate
harry potter as #1? seriously?! hail the pottertards!
Harry Potter sparked a world-wide re-insterest in book reading. I don't think anything that gets the general populace so involved in reading once again should be taken lightly.The list isn't for the single best fantasy series over time, but your favorite. The HP books are actually quite well written, with a believable hero who isn't perfect (often lacking in both children and adult books). They create a magnificent, consistent, world.
And sometimes its your favorite because you didn't have to struggle a lifetime through it. Favorite books aren't necessarily life shattering.
That being said I didn't vote for it, I merely take offense to your snootish "Hail the Pottertards" comment. As if someone reading one set of books is actually better than someone reading another. Ridiculous. I'm just happy when people are reading. Its not a pissing contest.
If you love the books on this list and are looking for people to discuss them with, join the http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/6...
Glad to see a list without The Twilight series, thank you.
Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 doesn't belong here, as it is neither fantasy nor part of a series. Same goes for Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.
The Hobbit should not be on this list as it is not part of a series, unless you count Tolkien's whole Middle Earth saga, but that is already represented by LOTR.
Xenophon wrote: "Some of the best work in fantasy these days is being done in series excluded from the list. For example, The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, if it maintains its quality through completion, is going ..."What it actually says is "please do not add supernatural-romance series." That doesn't mean urban fantasy such as the Dresden Files series is excluded from the list, since there's nothing in the rules that says "no urban fantasy."
However, something like the Twilight saga, which is primarily a high school romance with a few supernatural creatures thrown in to ramp up the drama, is not fantasy (in my opinion at least), but romance, and therefore shouldn't be on this list.
That's my interpretation of the rules, anyway.
Only two Pratchett Discworld books? The Entire series deserves to be here!!
Deleted a bunch of books further down the list that are later books in a series. Also The Catcher in the Rye.... how someone thought that was a fantasy series I don't even....
On Basilisk Station is science fiction.I noticed a tendency to put in the 1st book of a series (Dealing with Dragons) and also the entire series as boxed set/omnibus (Enchanted Forest Chronicles). Fairly confusing, but don't know if anything can be done.
Wouldn't it be better to say no paranormal romance instead of supernatural? Any book with magic is technically supernatural. That being said, I would consider both Sci Fi and paranormal romance to be sub-genres of fantasy, though I understand the inclination to exclude them.
Becky wrote: "Harry Potter sparked a world-wide re-insterest in book reading. I don't think anything that gets the general populace so involved in reading once again should be taken lightly.Damon wrote: "harry potter as #1? seriously?! hail the pottertards!"
Agreed, Becky, for the most part. But HP in front of LotR is just disgraceful.
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