Amazon.com: The Best Fantastical Fiction

The Best Fantastical Fiction
A Listmania! list by M. Castle (PA, USA)
The list author says: "The term "fantastical fiction" refers to any work that is set in a reality distinct from our own. This includes science-fiction, fantasy, magical realism, and various books that most simply call "literature." I'm an avid reader of all styles, but I've always found fantastical works to be the most engaging. This a compilation of my favorite books in the genre (well, 40 of them, at least--Amazon sets the limit there). Feel free to drop me a line with feedback or thoughts: amazonlist.50.castlemj@spamgourmet.com"

1. The Gormenghast Novels (Titus Groan / Gormenghast / Titus Alone) by Mervyn Laurence Peake

The list author says:
	"A collection of 3 severely underappreciated novels that revolve around an ancient castle and the Dickensian characters that inhabit it. The language is majestically intricate. Be warned: these are long books with a slowly paced plot that will swallow up weeks of your life."

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2. Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings by Jorge Luis Borges

The list author says:
	"Borges is perhaps the most important influence on contemporary fantastical fiction. This is more or less his "greatest hits." So to speak. Many of the works in this list draw heavily from these stories, which are astounding in their creativity and ingenuity."

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3. Mockingbird (Del Rey Impact) by Walter Tevis

The list author says:
	"I'll skip over _1984_ and _Brave New World_; these 2 books are the seminal works in dystopian fiction, but I'm sure you've heard of them already and most likely read them. Tevis' dystopian work, _Mockingbird_, lacks the biting satire of these two but makes up for it with vivid imagery of a crumbling society and a fast-moving plot. A great, quick read."

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4. Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner

The list author says:
	"Speaking of quick reads, this book is the exact opposite. A huge and formally complex novel that builds a much more believable satire. The plot is not as dramatic as the aforementioned dystopian books, but the real interest here is in the world Brunner creates and the manner in which he represents it to us."

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5. Pavane (Del Rey Impact) by Keith Roberts

The list author says:
	"A collection of short stories tied together by a common world: an alternate history in which the Catholic church holds all power and represses technology, but magical and religious forces flourish. Not nearly as absurd as it sounds. "The Signaller" is my favorite: I have no doubt that I'll still remember it and think about it 20 years from now."

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6. Nova by Samuel R. Delany

The list author says:
	"Vintage has been reissuing much of Samuel Delany's best writing. This novel is a good intro to Delany: fast moving with a lot of "hard" sci-fi elements, but also packed full of allegory, symbolism, and beautiful writing."

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7. Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany

The list author says:
	"Delany's masterpiece. An enormous book about a city gone mad. A tough, long read, but immensely rewarding."

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8. Aye, and Gomorrah: And Other Stories by Samuel R. Delany

The list author says:
	"A collection of Delany's short stories. Several gems in here, including "The Star Pit" (his first published work), "Aye, and Gomorrah," "Time as a Helix of Semiprecious Stones", and many others. Other Delany to check out: _Triton_, _Babel 17/Outlaw Star_, and _Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand_."

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9. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The list author says:
	"Another oft-read dystopian work. This one is heavy on the satire, but like _1984_ isn't bogged down by it."

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10. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

The list author says:
	"A unique take on the postapocalyptic novel. Read it alongside _The Road_ for two very different modern approaches (both great). Not-to-be missed if you're in modern science (especially genetics)--Atwood's take on the apocalypse is quite novel and interesting."

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11. One Hundred Years of Solitude (P.S.) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The list author says:
	"Genre-defining and absolutely enthralling. The quintessential work of magical realism, and a novel that everyone should read (especially hispanic readers--it's also available on Amazon in its original Spanish text)."

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12. Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer

The list author says:
	"Vandermeer is one of the best activewriters in fantastical fiction. This reads like the Orpheus myth turned into an action movie and set in the future. Full of wonderfully vivid imagery and swirling with myth."

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13. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer

The list author says:
	"More Vandermeer. This is likely his most highly-regarded book."

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14. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel by Haruki Murakami

The list author says:
	"Murakami has been gaining popularity lately with his unique novels that encompass all the magic and banality of modern Japan. This is his best work: it'll hypnotize you, and the 700 pages will feel like 200. An easy read but also immensely satisfying."

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15. Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami

The list author says:
	"Murakami has written a lot of books. This is my second favorite. Has the same mystical enchantment and a more satisfying conclusion than Wind-Up Bird, but lacks the depth and wide cast."

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16. Galaxies Like Grains Of Sand by Brian W. Aldiss

The list author says:
	"A science fiction classic (not enough of those in here yet). A collection of short stories, each set progressively further in the future. This novel bursts with creativity."

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17. Light by M. John Harrison

The list author says:
	"A crazy science fiction novel that revolves around the concepts of quantum physics. M. John Harrison is spectacular, and this novel is him in top form."

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18. Nova Swing by M. John Harrison

The list author says:
	"The sequel to _Light_. Surprisingly, it manages to be even better...Harrison is really emerging as a fantastic writer. This tale is reminiscent of Tarkovsky's Stalker in its depiction of the "Event Site" (ie, the zone), but has Harrison's unique take and style."

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19. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Les Martin

The list author says:
	"Another sci-fi classic. Dick used to be underappreciated, but he seems to be gaining a wider audience lately, even to the point that some of his unpublished fiction is being released (unpublished because it wasn't science fiction)."

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20. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

The list author says:
	"It's hard to decide which of Dick's many, many works is his best, but if pressed this is the one I might choose."

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21. The Crying of Lot 49 (Perennial Fiction Library) by Thomas Pynchon

The list author says:
	"Most associate Pynchon with dense tomes like _Gravity's Rainbow_, but _Lot 49_ is short, easy to read, and frequently hilarious. A great way to test the waters."

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22. Otherwise: Three Novels by John Crowley

The list author says:
	"Crowley writes slow, thoughtful fiction. _Engine Summer_ is the real highlight here--a layered novel brimming with nostalgia, as deeply emotion-provoking as it is thought-provoking."

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23. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

The list author says:
	"When I first started reading I expected this to be a long, challenging read, but it came together/caught its stride quickly and proved immensely entertaining. Nabokov handles the dual narrators/dual formats wonderfully. Full with ideas and meaning and humor."

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24. Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle by Vladimir Nabokov

The list author says:
	"Only Nabokov could make an alternate universe seem more real than our own. Stick with it through the obtuse opening--this one's stunning. _Transparent Things_, also by Nabokov, is recommended as a chaser."

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25. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

The list author says:
	"Yet another dystopian satire, but this one is lent extra force by the fact that the author actually lived in the repressive society of 1920s Russia. Although the brevity and journal format left the plot feeling somewhat jumpy and incomplete, I was repeatedly struck by the conjunction of beautiful language/imagery and the fullness of the society Zamyatin creates."

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26. Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino

The list author says:
	"Marco Polo describes to Genghis Khan the cities to which he has traveled in a series of beautiful little vignettes."

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27. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler (Everyman's Library Classics & Contemporary Classics) by Italo Calvino

The list author says:
	"More classic Calvino."

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28. Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel by Kurt Vonnegut

The list author says:
	"A short and thrilling read that serves as a great introduction to Vonnegut, but don't stop here."

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29. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The list author says:
	"Like all of McCarthy's novels, _The Road_ is relentless and dark. McCarthy's vision of a shattered world is written in beautiful, lucid prose and is immensely convincing in its tale of finding hope in hopelessness."

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30. Black Hole by Charles Burns

The list author says:
	"One of the best graphic novels I've read."

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31. The Complete Stories of J. G. Ballard by J. G. Ballard

The list author says:
	"A new release, and it's an amazing one! More than 1,000 (very large) pages of stories by a master of short fiction. That's 7-8 books for the price of one. Ballard is one of my favorite short story writers (_Memories of the Space Age_ used to be on the list). He's one of the great pioneers of modern sci-fi and speculative fiction, and these stories are not to be missed."

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32. Lanark (Canongate Classic) by Alasdair Gray

The list author says:
	"A seminal Scottish novel. Gray's vivid depiction of everyday Scotland in the mid-20th century in contrast with his wildly imaginative and otherworldly "hell" reminds me of Murakami. Only the most talented of writers could pull off something so ambitious."

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33. Dangerous Visions by Harlan Ellison

The list author says:
	"The classic collection of "dangerous" (i.e. bold and literary) sci-fi finally back in print! At a fairly exorbitant price, unfortunately--but much cheaper if you've got a Kindle."

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34. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The list author says:
	"The less you know about this novel going in, the better. Ishiguro is a master at stringing the reader along and slowly assembling his world. Read it before watching the movie! Better yet, read it before watching a trailer for the movie..."

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35. Neuromancer by William Gibson

The list author says:
	"The quintessential cyberpunk novel, but also a book that is read far too rarely by people that aren't sci-fi aficionados (likely because of its strong association with that divisive subgenre). Gibson's prose is electric and the story engrossing, though, and this is a work that deserves to be read by everyone."

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36. Burning Chrome by William Gibson

The list author says:
	"Short stories by Gibson. Nearly every one is a classic. These may be his best works."

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37. Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy (Public Works Trilogy) by Matt Ruff

The list author says:
	"A rollicking and very funny satire set in near-future New York City. Full of memorable characters and hard to put down."

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38. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny

The list author says:
	"I've always thought Zelazny's prose is vastly underrated. He wrote a lot, but this is one of his best--a Hugo-winning novel about a group of people that recreate themselves as the Hindu pantheon. Guaranteed to be utterly unlike anything you've read before"

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39. Creatures of Light and Darkness by Roger Zelazny

The list author says:
	"A nice companion to _Lord of Light_. Another (much shorter) meditation on the concepts of religion and divinity."

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40. A Clockwork Orange (Restored Text) by Anthony Burgess

The list author says:
	"A classic that's been regrettably overshadowed by Kubrick's (admittedly also very good) film. Definitely worth a read even if you've seen the movie."

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Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings

Mockingbird (Del Rey Impact)

Stand on Zanzibar

Pavane (Del Rey Impact)

Galaxies Like Grains Of Sand

Lanark (Canongate Classic)

Dangerous Visions

Never Let Me Go

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Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
Oryx and Crake forum How do you think it ended?	4	Feb 17, 2013
Oryx and Crake forum Crakes motivation	6	Dec 20, 2012
The Handmaid's Tale forum Welcome to the The Handmaid's Tale forum	5	Nov 24, 2012
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? forum Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Kindle Question)	0	Aug 23, 2012
One Hundred Years of Solitude (P.S.) forum Problem with the kindle version of A Hundred Years of Solitude	0	Oct 20, 2011
Oryx and Crake forum I will not pay the Kindle price for this book	1	Mar 25, 2011
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel forum Murakami Junkie	4	Oct 24, 2010
Oryx and Crake forum This book really isn't that ground-breaking.	1	Sep 18, 2010
The Handmaid's Tale forum Sequel	1	Jul 11, 2009
City of Saints and Madmen forum Book recommendations with mechs/giant robots!	0	Oct 20, 2007