SFFWorld's unofficial Top 20 Fantasy Series List

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1. J.R.R. Tolkien - Lord of the Rings
2. Stephen Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
3. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter
4. G.R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire
5. Patrick Rothfuss - Kingkiller Chronicle
6. Roger Zelazny - Chronicles of Amber
7. Fritz Leiber - Lankhmar
8. Ursula K. Le Guin - Earthsea
9. Joe Abercrombie - First Law
10. Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn

Honourable mentions go to: Dying Earth (Jack Vance), Saga of the Exiles (Julian May), and Book of the New Sun (Gene Wolfe), which just missed the cut.
 
1. G.R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire
2. Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel's Legacy
3. Adrian Tchaikovsky - Shadows of the Apt
4. LE Modesitt - Imager Portfolio
5.KJ Parker - The Scavenger Trilogy
6. Brent Weeks - Lightbringer
7. David Hair - Moontide Quartet
8. Sean Russell - Moontide and Magic Rise/River Into Darkness
9. LE Modesitt - The Recluce Saga
10. Joe Abercrombie - The First Law

Honorable mentions: A Land Fit for Heroes (RK Morgan), The Chartrand Voyages (R. Redick), The Engineer Trilogy (KJ Parker), The Prince of Nothing (S. Bakker - the original trilogy as I strongly dislike the sequel), Night Angel (B. Weeks), Farseer (R. Hobb)
 
chris777 said:
Need more voters! 9 posts in 3days isn't going to get much of a list. I see 170 views of this thread!
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I'm thinking about voting but not sure I can make it to 10 to be honest. I'd be more inclined to vote if it was single books rather than series. I don't read a lot of series, but I am very interested in some of the lists going up, particulary those that expand my horizons in terms of authors unfamiliar to me. Nickee's and Ntschotschi's lists are very interesting to me.
 
suciul said:
5.KJ Parker - The Scavenger Trilogy
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I was very close to adding this one to my list.

Luke_B said:
Nickee's and Ntschotschi's lists are very interesting to me.
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Psst! Just so you know. . . I'm stretching it with my first choice. It's a duology and then a series of short stories set in the world, but I hold it dear. There's definitely a nostalgia factor in me choosing it.
 
Alright, I'll play. One personal caveat: I prefer not to list uncompleted series (but I know others feel differently).
1. The Book of the New Sun – Gene Wolfe
2. The Earthsea Cycle – Ursula Le Guin
3. The First Law – Joe Abercrombie
4. Farseer Trilogy – Robin Hobb
5. The Dragon Griaule – Lucius Shepherd
6. Gormenghast – Mervyne Peake
7. Drenai Series – David Gemmell
8. The Bas-Lag novels – China Mieville
9. Viriconium – M. John Harrison
10. Tales from Flat Earth Series - Tanith Lee
 
I've only got about seven series for my list at this point so I will have to wait until I knock out a few more series before I post it
 
N. E. White said:
What if I don't have 10 I'm willing to put on my list?
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Each ranking gets a certain amount of points. So put them in whatever order, however many you want. (Just not more than 10)

Luke_B said:
I'm thinking about voting but not sure I can make it to 10 to be honest. I'd be more inclined to vote if it was single books rather than series. I don't read a lot of series, but I am very interested in some of the lists going up, particulary those that expand my horizons in terms of authors unfamiliar to me. Nickee's and Ntschotschi's lists are very interesting to me.
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I would urge you to put your favorite series on the list. I think we will make another list soon with single novels. You don't have to put a full 10, just no more than 10.

NickeeCoco said:
I was very close to adding this one to my list.


Psst! Just so you know. . . I'm stretching it with my first choice. It's a duology and then a series of short stories set in the world, but I hold it dear. There's definitely a nostalgia factor in me choosing it.
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So I never heard of your #1 and I looked it up. A Children book then Malazan for #2?! That's some taste range.
 
chris777 said:
Need more voters! 9 posts in 3days isn't going to get much of a list. I see 170 views of this thread!
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When's the voting deadline?

This'll take a bit of thought. Series that pop into my head -- NOT my final list:

Lord of the Rings -- Tolkien
Earthsea -- LeGuin
Riyria -- Sullivan -- it's just so stinkin FUN
A Land Fit for Heroes -- Morgan
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant -- Donaldson
Farseer -- Hobb
First Law -- Abercrombie
Book of the New Sun -- Wolfe
 
For this, I'm going to include only adult epic fantasy (as that seems to be what others are doing). So no Dresden Files or Harry Potter, though I'd definitely put them in my list of all-time favorite series.

For the most part, I picked the series that have most influenced my own writing. Basically, these are the kinds of stories I'd like to tell.

1. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson (because I trust Sanderson to keep the high quality throughout)
2. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (yeah, I like Sanderson a bit)
3. The Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher (I couldn't put Dresden according to my rules, so I had to give Butcher some love. To be honest, I actually liked this even more than I like the Dresden Files.)
4. The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks
5. The Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan
6. The Eli Monpress series by Rachel Aaron
7.. The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks
8. The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
9. The Stormlord trilogy by Glenda Larke (this one tends to get weaker reviews, but I loved it)
10. The Raven's Shadow trilogy by Anthony Ryan (contrary to most people, I actually liked the second book)

Honorable mentions (because there are so many I wish I could list here).

The Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding (this one isn't so epic, but it's a lot of fun)

Chronicles of the Unhewn Thrown by Brian Staveley

The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

The Acts of Caine by Matthew Woodring Stover

Memory, Sorrow, Thorn by Tad Williams

The Shadow Campaigns by Django Wexler

Gentlemen Bastard series by Scott Lynch

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

The Coldfire trilogy by C.S. Friedman

The Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb

The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett (The Warded Man is top ten worthy; The Desert Spear and The Daylight War knocked it out of the top ten)


Yes, my list does not include GRRM, Tolkien, Joe Abercrombie, and Steven Erikson.
 
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Ryan Mueller said:
For this, I'm going to include only adult epic fantasy (as that seems to be what others are doing). So no Dresden Files or Harry Potter, though I'd definitely put them in my list of all-time favorite series.

For the most part, I picked the series that have most influenced my own writing. Basically, these are the kinds of stories I'd like to tell.

1. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson (because I trust Sanderson to keep the high quality throughout)
2. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (yeah, I like Sanderson a bit)
3. The Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher (I couldn't put Dresden according to my rules, so I had to give Butcher some love. To be honest, I actually liked this even more than I like the Dresden Files.)
4. The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks
5. The Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan
6. The Eli Monpress series by Rachel Aaron
7.. The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks
8. The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
9. The Stormlord trilogy by Glenda Larke (this one tends to get weaker reviews, but I loved it)
10. The Raven's Shadow trilogy by Anthony Ryan (contrary to most people, I actually liked the second book)

Honorable mentions (because there are so many I wish I could list here).

The Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding (this one isn't so epic, but it's a lot of fun)

Chronicles of the Unhewn Thrown by Brian Staveley

The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

The Acts of Caine by Matthew Woodring Stover

Memory, Sorrow, Thorn by Tad Williams

The Shadow Campaigns by Django Wexler

Gentlemen Bastard series by Scott Lynch

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

The Coldfire trilogy by C.S. Friedman

The Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb

The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett (The Warded Man is top ten worthy; The Desert Spear and The Daylight War knocked it out of the top ten)


Yes, my list does not include GRRM, Tolkien, Joe Abercrombie, and Steven Erikson.
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Nice list! The Ravens Shadow was up there for me as well, but was just out of my top 10. I'm a big fan of The Powder Mage Trilogy as well. Out of curiosity, where you saying that you left out The Dresden Files because it's urban fantasy or because you don't consider it adult?
 
william.shumate said:
Nice list! The Ravens Shadow was up there for me as well, but was just out of my top 10. I'm a big fan of The Powder Mage Trilogy as well. Out of curiosity, where you saying that you left out The Dresden Files because it's urban fantasy or because you don't consider it adult?
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Because it's urban fantasy.
 
chris777 said:
So I never heard of your #1 and I looked it up. A Children book then Malazan for #2?! That's some taste range.
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I like variety, what can I say? And there's implied sex in the second book! It's not all children-y. Actually, the author did not intend for it to be YA. The publisher did that. And, McKinley has sex in a picture book too. A picture book you often find with children's books in public libraries.
 
Oooooo... how about The Once and Future King?

I'm going through my GR ratings. Looks like I'm not very original in my preferences. ;-) I may have to add Dresden and Potter to my list. Maybe Pern, for historical value to the genre if nothing else. And the Joe Pitt books by Charlie Huston might be good for an honorable mention. And nobody's mentioned Narnia!
 
The Broken Empire - Mark Lawrence
Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
A Song of Ice and Fire - GRR Martin
Dark Tower - Stephen King
Farseer trilogy - Robin Hobb
Earthsea - Ursula LeGuin
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - Stephen Donaldson
Sandman - Neil Gaiman
Deverry - Katherine Kerr
Amber - Roger Zelazny
 
Okay, I don't have ten, but here's my list (in order of preference):
  1. Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
  2. Lord of the Rings by Tolkien
  3. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (magical realism)
  4. A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
  5. His Dark Materials by Philip PUllman
  6. Peter Grant Series by Ben Aaronovitch (urban fantasy)
  7. Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix (young adult)
  8. Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson
(EDIT - added that last one when I saw John_PQ's list.)
 
So guys, I thought about waiting to tally the results. Setting a deadline and then not adding any more results. Because I feel that would be the most fair way. I hate to see someone change their list so as not to give more points to a book at the top or something. Not that anyone here would do that! But where the fun in fair? I think it's neat to watch the list evolve, I am anxious to see the results now, and every so often I will just update with the newest entries. It's all for fun... So with out further ado, I am currently adding up the scores!

EDIT: I am trying to come up with a spreadsheet to display, possibly link it through an HTML page. Taking a bit longer than expected.
 
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Ntschotschi said:
1. Lord of the Rings Tolkien
2. Terry Pratchett Discworld
3. Julian May Many-Colored Land
4. Robin Hobb Liveship Traders
5. George Martin Song of Ice and Fire
6. Steven Erikson Malazaan
6. Michell West Sunsword
7. Kate Elliott Crown of Stars
8. Daniel Abraham Dagger and Coin
9. Joe Abercrombie First Law
10. Juliet Marillier Sevenwaters

I find it really difficult to chose so I opted for a broad range
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I appologize Ntschotschi, but you have two #6's. Until told otherwise, I am just not including your 10th series.
 
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