10 classic fantasy books you must read in 2026

The fantasy genre has delivered several of the greatest books ever written. Whether it's a collection of short stories, a sweeping epic giving way to a series, or a standalone masterpiece, many fantasy classics are still very much worth reading in 2026 ("classic" defined here as any book published before the 21st century).

There can be a wide variety of reasons why a fantasy classic is still essential reading today, aside from being an exceptional work of literature. Perhaps there's a movie or show adaptation currently in production, or maybe its timeless themes reflect the issues of the modern day surprisingly well, or it could simply be an absolutely timeless piece of written fantasy. Whatever the case, these are books which should all be considered a must-read even today.

'Nine Princes in Amber' (1970)

Three-time Nebula Award and six-time Hugo Award winner Roger Zelazny was one of the greatest speculative fiction writers of his generation, author of some of the best sci-fi and fantasy books of the 20th century. Many of these books belong to his legendary Chronicles of Amber series, whose inaugural chapter, Nine Princes in Amber, is one of those fantasy books that are perfectly written.

The book was a pioneer of multiverse fiction, an element that has become essential to oh so many media franchises in the modern day. On top of that, its masterful blend of noir elements with epic fantasy influences works surprisingly well, making for a trope-subverting gem which still reads as an unexpectedly modern piece of fantasy fiction today.

'The Last Wish' (1993)

Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcherseries gained almost immediate popularity in Poland upon the release of 1992's Sword of Destiny, but it would take years for it to become the international pop-cultural phenomenon that fantasy fans know it as today. Sword of Destiny was followed by The Last Wish, a collection of short stories now considered the first installment in the series, which wasn't translated into English until 2007.

But regardless of what language it's read in, The Last Wish is one of the best dark fantasy books of all time, perfect for those looking to expand their fantasy literature horizons beyond the realm of the novel. Anyone who has fallen in love with the world of The Witcher thanks to CD Projekt Red's video game series and Netflix's TV show ought to consider The Last Wish one of those books they should read at least once in their lives.

'A Wizard of Earthsea' (1964)

There are very few speculative fiction authors with a bibliography more timeless than Ursula K. Le Guin's, whose work is composed of several books that seem to never get old. One such masterpiece is A Wizard of Earthsea, the first chapter of her Earthsea Cycle, which is almost universally recognized as one of the best and most influential classics of children's fantasy literature.

It is, in fact, one of those fantasy books that are better than most movies, one whose masterful prose and philosophically sharp thematic work make it just as much of a delightful read for adults as it is for kids. Whether the A24 and Jennifer Fox television adaptation that was announced all the way back in 2019 will ever happen remains to be seen; but even if it doesn't, AWizard of Earthsea is one of those fantasy classics whose charm and beauty are so ageless that it's always worth reading—2026 being no exception.

'Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women' (1858)

It's fascinating to track the history of the fantasy genre, arguably one of the oldest and most influential genres in the history of fiction. That tracking will always inevitably lead back to Scottish writer George MacDonald's Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women, also known simply as Phantastes, which most literary scholars refer to as the first modern fantasy novel ever written exclusively for adults.

Saying that Phantastes has proven immensely influential over the years, having had a direct impact on the imagination of literary giants of the stature of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, would be an understatement. Its spiritual themes and surrealist dream logic make it read as an entirely unique sort of fantasy gem even today, and the fact that it bears the DNA that most other fantasy masterpieces for adults would bear going forward also makes it a must-read.

'A Game of Thrones' (1996)

A whopping 15 years after the publication of the latest installment in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, it doesn't really feel like we're much closer to The Winds of Winter finally seeing the light of day. But with the franchise continuing to grow in popularity after the unparalleled success of HBO's Game of Thrones, it's about as good a time as any to get into the book series that started it all.

Is the original A Game of Thrones the best Song of Ice and Fire book? Perhaps not, but it's still one of the greatest fantasy classics of the '90s, and that's a testament to the tremendous quality of this whole series of novels. The TV side of the franchise is the perfect excuse to get into A Game of Thrones, but what's guaranteed to get readers to stay is the rich, vibrant worldbuilding, the powerfully mature tone, and the gripping political intrigue.

'The Lord of the Rings' (1954–1955)

J. R. R. Tolkien initially conceived of The Lord of the Ringsas a simple enough sequel to his classic children's book The Hobbit, one that he was actually pressured into writing by his publisher. But as the task progressed, the novel kept expanding into something far larger, more epic, and more grown-up than Tolkien could have ever possibly imagined. Today, The Lord of the Rings (which was published in three volumes but is technically all one massive book) is widely remembered as the most important fantasy book of the entire 20th century.

There really aren't very many fantasy books quite like Lord of the Rings. From Tolkien's highly deliberate and rhythmic prose, to his unprecedentedly vast worldbuilding, to his masterful understanding of plot and character development, the book is still wildly entertaining today even for those who have never seen a single minute of Peter Jackson's movie adaptations. And with the franchise of movies and shows set in Middle-earth only set to expand going forward, there are few fantasy reads more relevant in 2026.

'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (1950)

Portal fantasy is a genre all unto itself, and heavily inspired by Phantastes and how it awoke his imagination, C. W. Lewis further revolutionized the subgenre by writing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was the first Chronicles of Narniabook ever published, the children's novel that saw the birth of one of the coolest fantasy worlds everyone wants to visit.

With Greta Gerwig's film adaptation of The Magician's Nephew (the first book in the series chronologically) set to become Netflix's first film ever to receive a wide theatrical release earlier next year, it's the best possible time for those who haven't gotten into Narnia to do so this year. Full of cozy worldbuilding, profound moral themes, and a universally nostalgic story, it's undoubtedly still one of the most relevant fantasy books of the 20th century.

'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' (1997)

Nearly three decades after its publication, J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stonein the United States) is still the fourth-highest-selling fiction book ever published. All fans rank the Harry Potter books differently, but in terms of historical importance and impact on the pop-cultural mainstream, there's no room for debate that the original has no equal.

Knowing that it has sold over 120 million copies to date, it should be no surprise that Philosopher's Stone instantly made Potter a cornerstone of late-'90s and 21st-century pop culture. While Rowling's inflammatory political views may understandably lead some to opt out of ever visiting Hogwarts, those interested in the modern history of fantasy literature simply have to check this classic out at least once in their lives.

'The Once and Future King' (1958)

There are very few—if any—figures in the history of fantasy literature more impactful than King Arthur. Arthurian legend as a whole is foundational to Western culture and Western literature, the birth of the "Chosen One" and "Hero's Journey" tropes that have characterized fantasy books since times immemorial. Fantasy fans looking to get into Arthurian legend who are confused regarding where they can start ought to take a look at T. H. White's The Once & Future King.

It's actually technically a collection of shorter novels published between 1938 and 1940, but it's the definitive way to read White's Arthurian work. These are the sorts of tales that are always relevant, not only because each of these five short novels is incredibly entertaining, but also because the book's meditation on authority, power, and the ethics of politics rings awfully true even today.

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (1890)

No fantasy classic from the 19th century is more delightfully readable today than Oscar Wilde's magnum opus, the philosophical fiction and Gothic horror masterpiece The Picture of Dorian Gray. Whereas many classics from its era can read somewhat tediously today, Dorian Gray is one of those classic horror books that are still perfect in 2026, one that all fans of the fantasy genre should consider essential reading material.

Why read The Picture of Dorian Gray now? For one, because it's an absolutely perfect novel, perfectly blending psychologically-intense horror with razor-sharp social satire in ways that have aged like fine wine. But as if its timeless entertainment value weren't enough, there's also the way its meditation on themes of the dangers of prioritizing public image and physical vanity reflects the modern obsession with social media, influencer culture, and the online world. No classic fantasy book is more relevant to 2026 than this one.