The mere mention of fantasy conjures images of dragons, knights, elves, and magic spells. There’s a lot more to speculative fiction than that, however. To that end, I’ve picked books from across the genre, including epic fantasy quests, urban fantasy adventures, and tales that blur the line between fantasy and science fiction. In addition, this selection spans more than 40 years of fantasy publishing and represents a broad spectrum of cultures — from Viking Norway to the contemporary Chinese diaspora. This is all to say that, no matter how wide your reading net has been cast, you’ll likely find something new-to-you to love here. Keep scrolling to find some new names for your bookshelf, and a few titles from fan-favorite fantasy authors to boot. Want more under-the-radar reads? Check out this list of must-read horror books you’ve never heard of and these overlooked SFF books from 2020.
