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CLASSIC FANTASY LITERATURE
Gary Gygax's Inspirational Reading List
Last updated 4/10/07 by Michael Falconer (ulmo@middleearth.net)
Here is a guide to some of the greatest fantasy ever written. Gary Gygax, the original author of the Dungeons & Dragons game, lists inspirational reading in the appendices of his monumental 1979 Dungeon Masters Guide (view the original list). Here, I have made an attempt to list works by those authors which are currently in-print and available via Amazon.
In cases in which Mr. Gygax lists specific works, I have listed those works. Where he lists only the authors' names and recommends "all their fantasy writing," I have attempted to select the most well-known of their pre-1980 fantasy works, particularly when the author has a large bibliography! I have also made a reasonable attempt at listing an author's works in the order that they were written.
As I am an American, U.S. publishers have been my first recourse. The exception is one particular British publisher, Gollancz, who publishes an excellent (and matching) series called "Fantasy Masterworks" which includes many books on the list (and continues to add more and more). In selecting editions for this list, therefore, where more than one are available, I have preferred Gollancz, and then whatever I feel to be the best, most authentic, most complete, or sometimes (but not always) cheapest version.
I have read some of these, but not all, and so I look forward to reading through the entire list over time, and possibly even posting full reviews as I go. This list is the result of much research, but I will try to keep it up-to-date as much as possible. Any help is appreciated, and "good reading" to you, as well!
| Anderson, Poul |
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The Broken Sword |
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£6.99 |
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Gollancz |
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(The High Crusade |
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$3.95 |
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Baen Books) |
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Three Hearts and Three Lions |
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£6.99 |
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Gollancz |
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| Brackett, Leigh |
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Martian Quest: The Early Brackett |
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$40.00 |
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Haffner Press |
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Sea-Kings of Mars: And Otherworldly Stories |
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£9.99 |
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Gollancz |
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| Brown, Fredric |
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From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown |
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$29.00 |
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NESFA Press |
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Martians and Madness: The Complete SF Novels of Fredric Brown |
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$29.00 |
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NESFA Press |
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| Burroughs, Edgar Rice |
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Under the Moons of Mars |
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$11.53 |
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Bison Books |
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Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
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$10.39 |
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Quiet Vision |
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The Chessmen of Mars |
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$9.74 |
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Quiet Vision |
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At the Earth's Core |
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$2.00 |
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Dover Publications |
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Pellucidar |
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$6.26 |
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Dover Publications |
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Pirates of Venus |
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$10.47 |
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Bison Books |
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| Carter, Lin |
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The Warrior of World's End |
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$14.95 |
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Wildside Press |
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The Enchantress of World's End |
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$14.95 |
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Wildside Press |
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The Immortal of World's End |
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$14.95 |
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Wildside Press |
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The Barbarian of World's End |
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$14.95 |
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Wildside Press |
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The Pirate of World's End |
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$14.95 |
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Wildside Press |
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| de Camp, L. Sprague |
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Lest Darkness Fall |
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$5.39 |
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Baen Books |
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| de Camp, L. Sprague and Fletcher Pratt |
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The Mathematics of Magic (Hardcover) |
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$26.00 |
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NESFA Press |
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| Derleth, August |
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The Lurker at the Threshold |
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$7.50 |
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Carroll & Graf |
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Quest for Cthulhu |
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$10.50 |
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Carroll & Graf |
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| Dunsany, Lord |
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Time and the Gods |
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£6.39 |
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Gollancz |
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Don Rodriguez: Chronicles of Shadow Valley |
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$13.99 |
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IndyPublish.com |
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The King of Elfland's Daughter |
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£6.99 |
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Gollancz |
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The Charwoman's Shadow |
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$12.92 |
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Del Rey |
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| Farmer, Philip José |
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The World of Tiers, Volume 1 |
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$20.95 |
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Tor Books |
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The World of Tiers, Volume 2 |
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$13.57 |
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Tor Books |
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| Howard, Robert E. |
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The Conan Chronicles, Volume 1 |
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£6.39 |
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Gollancz |
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The Conan Chronicles, Volume 2 |
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£6.39 |
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Gollancz |
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| Leiber, Fritz |
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The First Book of Lankhmar |
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£7.19 |
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Gollancz |
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The Second Book of Lankhmar |
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£7.19 |
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Gollancz |
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| Lovecraft, H. P. |
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The Best of H. P. Lovecraft |
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$10.46 |
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Del Rey |
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The Dream Cycle of H.P. Lovecraft |
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$10.46 |
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Del Rey |
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The Transition of H. P. Lovecraft |
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$10.50 |
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Del Rey |
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| Merritt, A. |
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The Moon Pool |
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$8.21 |
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Bison Books |
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The Face in the Abyss |
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$30.00 |
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Donald M. Grant Publishers |
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| Moorcock, Michael |
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Elric |
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£5.59 |
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Gollancz |
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The History of the Runestaff |
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£7.19 |
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Gollancz |
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| Norton, Andre |
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The Gates to Witch World |
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$12.21 |
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Tor Books |
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Lost Lands of Witch World |
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$18.45 |
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Tor Books |
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| Saberhagen, Fred |
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Empire of the East |
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$12.21 |
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Tor Books |
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| Tolkien, J. R. R. |
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The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings |
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$19.77 |
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Del Rey |
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| Vance, Jack |
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Tales of the Dying Earth |
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£7.19 |
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Gollancz |
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| Wellman, Manly Wade |
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Owls Hoot in the Daytime and Other Omens |
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$29.75 |
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Night Shade Books |
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| Williamson, Jack |
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The Legion of Time |
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$27.95 |
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Thorndike Press |
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The Humanoids |
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$10.46 |
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Orb Books |
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Darker Than You Think |
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£5.59 |
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Gollancz |
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| Zelazny, Roger |
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The Chronicles of Amber |
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£6.99 |
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Gollancz |
Please send any comments to Michael Falconer at ulmo@mux.net.
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