Adams, Richard
Watership Down

One of the few books I've read three times, Richard Adams' story of rabbits (yes, rabbits) has its own mythos, legends and even language in some areas. Very well-done and even somewhat believable because of the extent to which Adams' prepared and populated his world with legends... a rabbit version of Middle Earth in the sense that it is well-researched and documented. You can easily tell that Adams wrote this during the Cold War: the socio-economics and control of the populace are very intrinsic to governments of that period. - Marcus Pan

Bishop, Anne
The Black Jewels Trilogy

Daughter of the Blood
Heir to the Shadows

This is a trilogy (as of this writing, 12/99, the third book, Queen of the Darkness, has not yet been published) of books about the coming-of-age of a messianic woman named Jaenelle in a fantastic world somewhat similar to our own, and the three men who are fated to be, respectively, her father, brother, and lover: Saetan SaDiablo (the demon-dead Lord of Hayll - basically, a vampire who watches over the netherworld) and his bastard sons Lucivar and Daemon. Despite the uberspooky names, the novels have a sweet, magical tone and are drenched with equal parts humour and pain. Being dead in Bishop's world has very little to do with a character's personality or motivations, and the readability of the book mostly has to do with her ability to make you care about the characters. I could barely set down the first novel, which covers Jaenelle's childhood and the foundation of her relationship with Daemon. It is quite a bit better (and entirely different in tone) than the second, which drops into some "standard fantasy clichés" in places (talking. animals.), and definitely shows the weak points in Bishop's style (watch for the phrase "her midnight voice", because you'll be seeing a lot of it). Both books deal with some heavy topics, as many of the major characters have been sexually abused in some way, or are otherwise emotionally scarred: a lot of the subplots address characters coming to terms with these traumas. Still, every woman I know who has read them shares my raging crush on Daemon, and if you're into this kind of reading, they will rock your world. - ed.

Bradley, Marion Zimmer
The Mists of Avalon

Feminist Paganist Arthurian novel, HOTLY debated, another love-it-or-hate-it. - ed.

Brust, Steven
Agyar
The Gypsy
Jhereg
The Phoenix Guard

Bull, Emma
Finder

Constantine, Storm
Wraeththu

Science fiction dealing with magic, sexual ambiguity, and the reconciliation of the shadow self. - blueviolet

Here because it's more likely to be found as "Fantasy" and doesn't really have a SF "feel"... debatable. - ed.

The Grigori Trilogy

Stalking Tender Prey, Scenting Hallowed Blood, etc.
Said to far surpass the Wraeththu books; have been hard to come by in the US but are now available after a long wait. - ed.

Cooper, Louise
The Time Master Trilogy

The Initiate, etc.
Sweetness and light doesn't win out. Very well portrayed sympathetic "dark" characters. - ~E.V.

Cooper, Susan
The Dark Is Rising sequence

DeLint, Charles
Memory and Dream

okay, look. ;) It's shlocky fantasy, I know... but it was just un-shlocky enough to remind me of myself and feed my fantasies. It's a damn good day-read. - Leanan Sidhe

Donaldson, Stephen R.
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

Six books - Lord Foul's Bane et al.

Mordant's Need

The Mirror of Her Dreams
A Man Rides Through

Ende, Michael
The Neverending Story

A unique fantasy for readers of all ages, and perhaps a particular delight for those of us who preferred exercising our imaginations to excelling in gym class. The story stars Bastian Balthazar Bux, a chubby and unpopular boy who "borrows" a mysterious storybook. He holes up in the attic of his school, and begins reading about the adventures of bold Atreyu, a young native of Fantastica who is sent on a quest to save the dying Childlike Empress. Bastian himself becomes involved in the fate of Fantastica in ways beyond his imagination. The Neverending Story has been a worldwide bestseller for many years, and I'd particularly recommend finding a hardcover copy printed in red and green ink--it adds even more magic to the tale. - Merciful

Feist, Raymond
Faerie Tale

Gaiman, Neil
anything, but particularly
Good Omens (w/ Terry Pratchett)
Neverwhere
The Sandman

Another goth favorite and general must-read. A series of graphic novels about "anthropomorphic personifications" of universal concepts - Destiny, Death, Dream, the Prodigal, Desire, Despair, Delirium - this story mostly focuses on Dream. Several miniseries have been released focusing on the other Endless. - ed.

Stardust

Gaiman's most successful legit literary work so far; has won several major awards including the Mythopaeic Award. About a young man living on the borders of Faerie who aims to catch a falling star for his sweetheart, and finds instead a cranky young lady with a broken leg. Has a delicate, luminescent beauty reminiscent of 19th century fantasy stories. - ed.

Gentle, Mary
Golden Witchbreed
Rats and Gargoyles

Mary Gentle is one of my favourite authors and I wish she was more prolific, though seeing the work and apparent research she puts into her novels it's not surprising they take a long time. See Rats & Gargoyles (medieval alternate world fantasy) or Golden Witchbreed (alien contact SF). - Scott Promish

Goldman, William
The Princess Bride

Hand, Elizabeth
Winterlong

I cannot recommend this book enough. It would probably be found in fantasy, but it has distinctly sci-fi elements as well as mythic themes. I really love the way that she can mix the mythic with the science fiction feel. Also, I can really identify with the main character, who is quite tragic. - ~E.V.

Kay, Guy Gavriel
A Song for Arbonne
Tigana

King, Stephen
Eyes of the Dragon

King's first attempt at fantasy, [written] long before the Dark Tower trilogy. Eyes of the Dragon was extremely well written and showed the experimentation that King was doing at the time: going from horror to a more fantasy type of novel. I highly recommend it and quite enjoyed the different twists and turns. There are a few cliches in it, of course (aren't there always?), but they're not as blatant [as they might be] in other fantasy series, adding an other-worldly feel to the novel. - Marcus Pan

Martin, George R.R.
A Game of Thrones
Fevre Dream

McKillip, Patricia A.
The Book of Atrix Wolfe
Winter Rose

This is just so wonderfully written that I got absolutely lost in it. Very poetic, and just confusing and dream-like enough to completely enthrall me. - ~E.V.

McKinley, Robin
Beauty
The Hero and the Crown
Deerskin

Moon, Elizabeth
The Deed of Paksenarrion

It is actually a trilogy, but I had the compiled edition. If I remember correctly the three books were Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold. This is the best fantasy book I have ever read, far better than any of the Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms crap. - imx

Moorcock, Michael
The Elric Saga
- Elric of Melniboné
- Sailor on the Seas of Fate
- The Weird of the White Wolf
- The Vanishing Tower
- The Bane of the Black Sword
- Stormbringer
- The Fortress of the Pearl
- The Revenge of the Rose
Gloriana

Moorcock won the World Fantasy Award for this tribute to Mervyn Peake based on an alternate Elizabethan England and/or Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" - ed.

Peake, Mervyn
The Gormenghast Trilogy

Titus Groan
Gormenghast
Titus Alone

Recommendations too numerous to mention, may be *the* definitive "goth novel". About a bizarre isolated castle and its eccentric inhabitants. Begins with the birth of its hero, Titus Groan; the first book covers the first year of his life, the second takes him through childhood. Mervyn Peake was very ill during the writing of Titus Alone, and the majority consensus is that it is inferior in quality to the first two books. In the US, the trilogy is available as a large trade paperback from Tusk/Overlook Press for $25. People from Robert Smith to Michael Moorcock have in some way paid tribute to Peake in their work. - ed.

Powers, Tim
The Anubis Gates
The Stress of Her Regard

Tolkien, J.R.R.
The Lord of the Rings

White, T.H.
Mistress Masham's Repose
The Once and Future King

MANY recommendations, probably the classic Arthurian novel of the 20th century, basis for Disney's The Sword in the Stone and for the musical Camelot. There is an alternate version of The Sword in the Stone, which is published in a slim volume under its own name, and a sequel, called The Book of Merlyn; the version of The Sword in the Stone which makes up the first volume of The Once and Future King is a combination of the two.
- ed.

Zelazny, Roger
A Night in the Lonesome October

A familiar's eye view of the Secret Doings of two rival Cabals. The plot culminates in a ritual combat on October 31st, the outcome of which will determine the fate of the world. The canine protagonist, Snuff, and his master Jack (knife collector), meet and interact with such characters as The Great Detective, The Mad Monk, and The Count. Great campy fun. Interesting illustrations by Gahan Wilson. - Buboe the Rat