The son of a librarian, Chris M. Arnone's love of books was as inevitable as gravity. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri - Kansas City. His cyberpunk series, The Jayu City Chronicles, is available everywhere books are sold. His work can also be found in Adelaide Literary Magazine and FEED Lit Mag. You can find him writing more books, poetry, and acting in Kansas City. You can also follow him on social media (Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, website).
I love a good genre mashup, and one of my favorites is literary fantasy. If I want to talk about the best literary fantasy books ever, then we have to dive into these two separate genres and how they mash up so well.
Fantasy as a genre is pretty straightforward. It’s a story that involves supernatural elements or magic. That can be big, hard magic systems. Think Dungeons and Dragons with fireballs, wizards, dragons, and the like. These stories can take place in far-fetched, fictional worlds (second world fantasy) or in worlds very much like our own, but with magic (first world fantasy).
For many, literary fiction is harder to define. Just let me dust off my MFA, and here we go. My simplest definition is that literary fiction prioritizes characters and themes over plot. Nobody would describe literary fiction as a popcorn novel or a beach read. They’re trying to say something important, and character arcs are at the forefront. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a plot, but it’s just not as important.
So, literary fantasy? The characters are at the forefront. The author has something important to say in the story. And there’s magic. Got it? Okay, here are eight of the best literary fantasy books.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Sometimes, fantasy novels go literary. And sometimes, like with this great book, a literary writer turns to fantasy. After winning multiple awards for A Brief History of Seven Killings, James kicked off his fantasy trilogy with this book. Tracker has an uncanny ability to hunt, and now he’s been tasked to find a missing boy. The motley crew he’s with may prove harder to work with than the very task at hand, though.
Swords and Spaceships
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The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
Here’s another author who traditionally writes literary fiction, then turned his brilliant gaze to fantasy. Set during a time when Saxons and Britons have finally settled into an uneasy peace, Axl and Beatrix are an elderly couple who leave the comforts of their village to find their adult son. A strange mist covers the land, though, causing amnesia, and making it harder to find their son, or even remember who he is. This tale of memory and love blends with Arthurian legend in the strangest and most beautiful ways.
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
I did mention that the magic is sometimes of the supernatural nature, right? Here you go. Alma Cruz doesn’t want to end up like her friend, who went mad over all the characters she didn’t see to publication. So when Alma inherits some land in the Dominican Republic, she creates a small cemetery for these characters of hers. But once they’re in the ground, they start speaking to her, and they don’t necessarily have kind things to say.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Books that win the Hugo award generally have some literary qualities. When every book in the trilogy pulls off that feat, they’re something special. In the Broken Earth series, the world has ended many times, and it will again. Orogens are at the center of it, people with the power to manipulate the earth. Most of them are enslaved, but not all. How far will one go when her husband murders one of their children and takes the other?
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
This book is part history, part romance, and all magical. 1899, New York City: immigrants are coming through Ellis Island in droves, bringing their culture and their mythologies with them. Chava is a golem, born of Jewish mysticism. Ahmad is a jinni, smuggled in from the Syrian desert. As human lives struggle around them, Chava and Ahmad meet, finding powerful commonality in their magical differences.
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
Kelly Link is sometimes called the queen of literary fantasy, and for good reason. In this collection of short stories, she weaves human stories of suffering and survival with brilliant magical touches. There’s humor to balance the humanity, and her prose will keep you turning from story to story.
Ninetails by Sally Wen Mao
Here’s another short story collection, this one more recent and blending Chinese folklore with brilliant tales of humanity. There’s the story of a fox spirit who seduces an abuser for revenge. There’s another fox who haunts 1900s Angel Island. Each of these stories involves a fox spirit, but like all of the best literary fantasy books, they center on people.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Last up is an esoteric book that is mysterious, harrowing, and full of surprising magic. Piranesi’s house is unlike any other. Its myriad rooms and staircases are flooded, an ocean imprisoned. Twice a week, The Other visits Piranesi, always asking for help with some great research project. But the more Piranesi helps, the more he uncovers a terrible and dark secret.
What are some of your favorite literary fantasy books? Do you like your fantasy blended with other genres? Because we can help you find more of those, too.
English (US) · 