Dune by Frank Herbert
An all-time sci fi classic – the politics giving rise to a galactic crusade play out against an incomparable setting
The Lord of the Rings
The monolithic forefather of high fantasy, a huge tale that picks a thread of a larger history, beautifully told in Tolkein’s stately, literary prose.
The Malazan Book of the Fallen
Complex and rewarding, grown up fantasy. Think Conan the Barbarian crossed with Elric of Melniboné crossed with Alien, with the tone of Apocalypse Now!
The Wheel of Time
A flawed masterpiece that scales the highest heights of fantasy, a vast cast centred on one man who stands as the balance between good and evil, creation and annihilation.
A Song of Ice and Fire
Warring aristocratic families tear their country apart, while monsters lurk on the edge of the kingdom.
Tigana
Beautifully written and highly emotive political and epic fantasy.