Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time The 10 Best Fantasy Books and Series of all time!
Jun 10, 2025
Gordon Burroughs, a resident expert on fantasy literature and contributor to surveys for audience input, shares his profound knowledge of the genre. He discusses the top ten fantasy novels as voted by fans, exploring intricate tales like 'The Way of Kings' and transformative journeys in 'Earthsea.' The conversation dives into themes of language in 'Babel' and the complexity of characters in the 'First Law Trilogy.' Personal anecdotes enrich the discussion, showcasing the lasting emotional impact of these beloved stories on readers.
58:48
The Way of Kings' Unique Setting
- Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings features characters adapting to intense storms powering magic and technology.
- The story follows Caledon, a man in slavery, striving to help others, and Shalon, an apprentice thief.
Sanderson's Hard Magic Systems
- Brandon Sanderson writes hard magic systems with strict rules.
- Characters creatively manipulate magic within these rules, making the system feel dynamic and logical.
Earthsea Cycle's Timeless Appeal
- Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle is beloved, featuring Ged, a young sorcerer who unleashes a shadow upon the world.
- Brent considers it a classic and a great reading experience to share with children.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Ranking the Best Fantasy Novels: A Dive into 'The Way of Kings'
01:51 • 4min
Exploring Classic and Contemporary Fantasy: Earthsea and Babel
05:54 • 4min
Exploring Standalone Tales and Grimdark Complexity
09:52 • 3min
Exploring Grimdark and Fantasy Nostalgia
12:31 • 15min
Exploring the Enigmatic World of 'Piranesi'
28:00 • 2min
Exploring Fantasy Realms
30:06 • 24min
Exploring Tolkien's Legacy
53:59 • 5min
The fellowship of the ring
J.R.R Tolkien
In this epic novel, Frodo Baggins inherits the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo and learns from the wizard Gandalf that it must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom to prevent Sauron's return to power.
Joined by a fellowship of eight other members, including Gandalf, Sam Gamgee, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and Merry and Pippin, Frodo sets out on a treacherous journey across Middle-earth.
The Fellowship faces numerous challenges, including treacherous landscapes, ferocious enemies, and internal conflicts, as they strive to complete their mission and save their world from darkness.
A Storm of Swords
George R.R. Martin
A Storm of Swords is the gripping third book in George R.R.
Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.
It follows the ongoing War of the Five Kings, with Joffrey, Stannis, Robb Stark, and Balon Greyjoy vying for power.
Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen seeks to reclaim her throne, and Jon Snow faces threats beyond the Wall.
The novel is renowned for its complex characters, epic battles, and shocking plot twists.
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, written by J.R. R.
Tolkien, is an epic high fantasy novel set in Middle-earth.
The story follows Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who inherits the One Ring from his uncle Bilbo.
The Ring, forged by Sauron, holds the power to control all other Rings of Power and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom to prevent Sauron's return.
Frodo is joined by a fellowship of other characters, including Gandalf the Grey, Samwise Gamgee, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir, as they embark on a dangerous quest across Middle-earth.
The novel explores themes of good vs.
evil, the corrupting influence of power, and the struggle between fate and free will.
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling
The Harry Potter series, written by J.K.
Rowling, follows the journey of Harry Potter, an orphan boy who discovers he is a wizard.
The series spans seven novels, each corresponding to one year of Harry's life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry, along with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, navigates the magical world, confronts various challenges, and ultimately faces off against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who murdered Harry's parents and seeks to dominate the wizarding world.
The series explores themes of friendship, love, and the struggle between good and evil.
The Last Unicorn
Peter S. Beagle
In this fantasy novel, a unicorn learns she is the last of her kind and sets out on a journey to discover the fate of the other unicorns.
Along the way, she encounters various characters, including a bumbling magician named Schmendrick, a wicked old witch named Mommy Fortuna, and a butterfly who provides her with vital information.
The story is a blend of comedy, tragedy, pathos, literary allusions, and contemporary culture, and it has been credited with breathing new life into the fantasy genre.
Piranesi
Susanna Clarke
In *Piranesi*, the protagonist lives in a world called the House, a labyrinthine structure filled with thousands of statues, tides that surge through staircases, and clouds in the upper halls.
Through his meticulous journals, Piranesi reconstructs the story of his arrival and explores the House, only to discover messages indicating the presence of another person.
As he delves deeper, he uncovers secrets and confronts the possibility of a world beyond his known reality.
Perdido Street Station
China Miéville
Babel
Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
Michel Pagel
Rebecca Kuang
In this novel, R. F. Kuang explores a fantastical version of Oxford in the 1830s where Britain's dominance is fueled by magical silver bars that capture the power of 'lost in translation' between languages.
The story follows four students at the Royal Institute of Translation, their growing awareness of the imperialist system they are part of, and their eventual rebellion against it.
The book delves into themes of imperialism, academia, and the moral dilemmas faced by those caught in the system.
The Hobbit
or There and Back Again
J.R.R Tolkien
Published in 1937, 'The Hobbit' is a children's fantasy novel that introduces readers to the richly imagined world of Middle-earth.
The story follows Bilbo Baggins, a home-loving hobbit, who is persuaded by Gandalf to join Thorin and his twelve dwarves on a quest to reclaim their treasure from the dragon Smaug.
During the journey, Bilbo encounters various creatures, including trolls, goblins, and the mysterious Gollum, and discovers a magical ring that renders the wearer invisible.
The novel is a prequel to 'The Lord of the Rings' and explores themes of personal growth, courage, and unexpected heroism.
The Fifth Season
N.K. Jemisin
The Fifth Season is set in the supercontinent of Stillness, where periodic catastrophic events known as Fifth Seasons cause widespread destruction.
The story follows three female orogenes: Essun, Damaya, and Syenite, each living in different time periods.
Essun, a middle-aged orogene, embarks on a journey to find her daughter after her son is murdered and her daughter is taken away.
The novel explores themes of racial and religious intolerance, environmental calamities, and the moral complexities of power and identity.
It is the first book in The Broken Earth trilogy, which has won numerous awards, including the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016.
The Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss
The Name of the Wind is a heroic fantasy novel that tells the life story of Kvothe, an infamous adventurer and musician.
The story is presented in a 'story-within-a-story' format, where Kvothe recounts his life to a scribe named Chronicler.
The narrative spans from Kvothe's childhood in a troupe of traveling performers to his years as a student at a prestigious school of magic, and through various trials and hardships.
The book is renowned for its vivid world-building, rich dialogue, and the emotional depth of its characters.
Mistborn
The Final Empire
Brandon Sanderson
In this epic fantasy, Brandon Sanderson introduces a world called Scadrial, where ash constantly falls from the sky, plants are brown, and supernatural mists cloak the landscape every night.
The story follows Vin, a young half-Skaa orphan with the rare ability to become a Mistborn, and Kelsier, a charismatic thief who recruits Vin to join a group of Allomancers in a high-stakes plan to overthrow the divine despot, the Lord Ruler.
The novel explores themes of rebellion, trust, and the complexities of a well-crafted magical system based on metals.
The world-building is rich and detailed, with a focus on the political intrigue and the harsh realities of a dystopian society.
The Way of Kings
Brandon Sanderson
The Way of Kings is an epic fantasy novel that introduces the world of Roshar, where powerful magical forces known as Surgebinding and Shardwielding shape the destiny of its inhabitants.
The story primarily follows three characters: Kaladin, a former surgeon turned soldier who is now a slave; Shallan, a young woman seeking to apprentice under the scholar Jasnah Kholin; and Dalinar Kholin, a highprince troubled by visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant.
The novel explores themes of honor, loyalty, and the struggle for power in a world torn apart by war and the looming threat of the Desolation and the Voidbringers.
The book is known for its detailed worldbuilding, complex characters, and the slow but intense build-up to a dramatic climax.
As sci-fi lovers who are looking to read more fantasy we could not be more excited to know what's good. Thanks to all y'all Hugonauts who filled out the survey, this list rocks. And a special thank you to Gordon Burroughs for joining us as our resident expert on the books we haven't read, plus for putting the whole survey together in the first place!
- Join the Hugonauts book club on discord to see the full survey results, including the undiscovered gems
- Or you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer video
If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books / series we talked about:
- 00:00 Intro
- 2:58 Novel #10 - The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
- 6:11 Series #10 - The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
- 7:57 Novel #9 - Babel by R.F. Kuang
- 10:30 Series #9 - The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
- 13:33 Novel #8 - The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
- 15:40 Series #8 - His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
- 19:18 Novel #7 - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
- 21:20 Series #7 - Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
- 23:50 Novel #6 - A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
- 25:37 Series #6 - Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
- 28:16 Novel #5 - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
- 30:36 Series #5 - The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson
- 34:18 Novel #4 - The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
- 37:18 Series #4 - The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin
- 38:38 - Our 3 favorites that didn't make the list
- 43:46 Novel #3 - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
- 46:19 Series #3 - Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
- 47:37 Novel #2 - Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
- 50:04 Series #2 - The Dark Tower by Stephen King
- 53:55 Novel #1 - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- 55:32 Series #1 - The Lord of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien