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 novel is iconic and it is one that many people who have never read the book know because it is just that popular.

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.

Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, is hosting a party that he had no idea he was going to host. Galdalf the wizard tricks Bilbo to host Thorin Oakenshield and his twelve companions whom are all dwarves. 

During the party, Gandalf tells the dwarves that Bilbo should be their “burglar” for the hunt for the dragon Smaug’s guarded treasure. Bilbo decides to tag along despite hobbits not being the adventures type.

As the group enters the wild, they face many challenges. Bilbo and his friends have to navigate across the country with some help from Gandalf. But Gandalf comes and goes as urgent matters call him. Thus, Bilbo must use his wit to survive and not be killed by Goblins or worse.

I love this classic fantasy novel and love revisiting the amazing world that Tolkien built. It is no surprise that many authors have borrowed Tolkien’s format for their own fantasy novels. And no matter how much the genre changes, this novel will always be relevant. 

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.

After Jon Arryn’s death, King Robert Baratheon approaches Eddard “Ned Stark,” the “King of the North” to become the next “Hand of the King.” After discussing it with his family, Ned decides to take the position. But tragedy befalls Bran Stark when he is pushed out the window of a tower after seeing Queen Cersei Lannister having sex with her twin brother Jaime Lannister.

Bran does not remember what happened before he falls and cannot use his legs anymore. Ned travels to the capital city of Westeros, King’s Landing with his daughters Arya and Sansa. When they arrive in King’s Landing, Ned learns that Jon Arryan’s death was not an “accident.

After learning how bad it has gotten in King’s Landing, Ned uses all his power to try to fix the problems at hand. The King is irresponsible and Queen Cersei is plotting something. Can Ned hold the kingdom together or will it tear his friendship and his family apart?

A Wizard of Earthsea

 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the best fantasy novels and series that I have read. Considering that this was Le Guin’s first attempt at writing a fantasy novel, it came out pretty well. This novel has helped shape the fantasy genre into what it is today.

The novel is about a young wizard named Duny as he learns magic. What follows is a journey to learn magic and to correct his own mistake while journeying across the world. Le Guin’s novel introduced the idea of a young wizard and it avoided the usual tropes of a fantasy novel.

Many people have credited Le Guin of influencing Harry Potter but J. R. Rowlin has never publicly admitted it. The idea of a young wizard and a school for wizards are in a Wizard of Earthsea and people have connected the dots.

Le Guin’s novel has influenced many books including creating a magic system based on knowing the true name of a person or thing. One popular work that uses this magic system is Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki.

This novel is up there with The Lord of the Rings in influencing the fantasy genre. And it is just as good. If you haven’t read this novel, then now is the time. Because you can’t call yourself a fan of fantasy books without reading this novel and series!

Watership Down

An underrated fantasty novel that I really enjoyed was Watership Down by Richard Adams.It is a children’s fantasy novel that Adams wrote after his children convinced him to publish his bedtime stories. And we are all thankful that he did.

It all starts when a fragile rabbit has a vision of the destruction of the warren where and other rabbits reside. Not every rabbit heads his warning but a few including his brother do and leave the warren on bad terms. What follows is adventure, new friends and enemies and stories told in burrows about a revered rabbit of legend.

Adams used to tell his two daughters this story and was told to write them down and he finally got around to it. It took a few publishers but Adams was able to finally get it published and his daughters were right; his stories were great.

He went on to win the Carnegie medal along with a bunch of others. The publisher Rex Collings was a one-man publishing company and was not able to pay an advance on the book but made sure it reached the right people in London.

Watership Down is a place in Hampshire, England, and was near where Adams lived. The rabbits journey to Watership Down and their adventures at that place are wild and will keep you hooked. They may be just rabbits but as we find out, that just barely scratches the surface.

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. I can’t imagine not reading these incredible novels. And they have all aged like fine wine since publication.

How many of these fantasy novels have you read or plan to read? What other books from the 20th century would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!

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