Rune S. Nielsens favorite fantasy authors

While you are waiting for me to release my next novel, you might consider buying the works of some of my favorite fantasy authors.

There is little reason to cover those you already know and love, and my guess is that you previously read all of the following, right?

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Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien), Narnia (C.S. Lewis), Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling), Game of Thrones (George R.R. Martin), The Dark Tower (Stephen King), The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman), and The Witcher (Andrzej Sapkowski).

If not, I recommend you begin there, but if not, buy a novel written by one of these other great authors (sorry, if you love some other author, I neglected to put on my list, but it is my personal subjective opinion and not the eternal objective truth. No, I don’t read everything, and there are simply so many fantastic authors out there.)

TOP 20 Fantasy Authors

• Robert Jordan - The Wheel of Time series (my favorite fantasy author of all time - also check out Brandon Sanderson who co-wrote the last novels of the series)

• Brent Weeks - The Lightbringer Series & Night Angel Trilogy (my second most favorite)

• Patrick Rothfuss - The Kingkiller Chronicles (a writing style so unbelievably poetic)

• C.S. Friedman - Cold Fire Trilogy (loved the main character. As much villain as a hero)

• Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman - DragonLance Chronicles (brilliant AD&D series)

• Stephen Donaldson - Mordant’s Need series (smooth like a velvet glove)

• Raymond E. Feist - Magician and a ton of other novels (some great worldbuilding)

• Lawrence Watt-Evans - The Misenchanted Sword (a much-underappreciated writer)

• David Eddings - The Elenium series (Church Knight’s rule)

• Robin Hobb - The Farseer Trilogy (the main character, Fitz, is truly well crafted)

• Katharine Kerr - The Deverry Cycle (a blend of “real world & fantasy” via prior incarnations)

• Ursula K. Le Guin - Earthsea Cycle series (read this when I was young. Still sits with me)

  
  Don’t mind science fiction mixed in with your fantasy?

• Jack Campbell - Pillars of Reality series (luckily for us the undisputed Master of Military Science Fiction decided he wanted to be a fantasy author)

• Julian May - The Saga of Pliocene Exile (starts of as science fiction but soon becomes fantasy)

• Frank Herbert - Dune (every ten years or so a movie or show based on Dune sees the light. It’s just that good!)

• Piers Anthony - Incarnations of Immortality series (captured my imagination and then some)

  
  

  For young adults

• Astrid Lindgren - The Brothers Lionheart (a great book to read aloud)

• Michael Ende - Never Ending Story and Momo (two great novels)

• Lene Kaaberbøl - The Shamer Chronicles (do you dare to look in her eyes?)

Wait, that was only 19 authors
You promised a TOP 20

Who should I add to complete the list?

Please send me your suggestion for an author. Include either your favorite series or book by her/him.

Your great suggestions I include in the list below:

Your Favorite Fantasy Authors

Karen Miller - Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series
Anne McCaffrey - Dragonriders of Pern series
Lois McMaster Bujold - The Mountains of Mourning and many other works
Terry Brooks - The Sword of Shannara Trilogy
Terry Goodkind - The Sword of Truth series
Terry Pratchett - Discworld
Roger Zelazny - The Chronicles of Amber

/Rune S. Nielsen