The Best Fantasy Novels Released In the 20th Century That You Have To Read

The fantasy genre contains thousands of amazing novels and you won’t get around to reading most of the. With that in mind, we decided to make a list of the best fantasy novels released in the 20^th Century that you have to read. Keep reading to see which novels made our list!

The 20^th century includes some of the most famous fantasy novels ever published. The century started off with one of the most iconic fantasy novels ever written; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. That was shortly followed by J.M. Barrie’s The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.

And yet, these novels are just a few of the names that changed the fantasy genre. Fantasy novels were almost always written for children but that soon changed. J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series redefined the genre and created the format that many authors would go on to use.

The Best Fantasy Novels Released In the 20^th Century

• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
• The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up by J.M. Barrie
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
• A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
• A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 
• The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
• Watership Down by Richard Adams 
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle 
• The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley 
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones 
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 
• The Once and Future King by T.H. White 
• Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Published in 1900, the novel went on to become one of the most popular fantasy novels ever written. The success of the novels led to Baum writing 13 more in the series. In 1956, it entered the public domain. It is a story about a girl from Kansas named Dorothy who is transported to the world of OZ along with her dog and must find her way back home.

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

Like many fantasy lovers, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit made me a lifelong fan of fantasy novels. The world building, fantastical creatures, and the good versus evil plot is a magical and it is an adventure. And If you have read other fantasy novels, then you will notice the influence that Tolkien had on the genre.

A Game of Thrones

When I think of fantasy novels, a series that always comes to mind is George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. The world building is detailed and with so many characters, the series should not work. But Martin’s attention to every little thing makes this series one of the best works of fiction there is. And if you have only watched the show, then you are missing out because the novels are even better.

Watership Down

Watership Down by Richard Adams is a children’s fantasy novel that I fell in love with. You may be hesitant because the novel is centered around rabbits. But once you start reading it, you won’t be able to put it down. It is a brilliant and well written novel that has aged well over the decades.

Conclusion

These are the best fantasy novels released in the 20^th Century that you have to read. They helped shape the genre to what it is today. How many of these fantasy novels have you read? Let us know in the comments below!

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