Fantasy literature has been extremely popular all over the world for years. Which names have become part of its history?
Extraordinary stories, alternative worlds, magical places and characters with superpowers – fantasy books transport readers into a vast world of imagination and are able to draw them in completely. No wonder they have enjoyed an ever-growing fan base for several decades. Which authors are most valued by fantasy fans and which of them have made their mark on the history of the genre?
Who else would top this list? John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is considered the greatest fantasy author of all time. His Lord of the Rings trilogy has been one of the most widely read books in the world for 50 years. It has been translated into almost 50 languages and is considered the most important novel of the 20th century in England.
George Raymond Richard Martin became famous for his “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series, which was originally intended to be a trilogy. However, readers loved Martin’s story so much that the writer decided to continue it. The worldwide fame of Martin’s novels was brought by the series adaptation “Game of Thrones”. Fans appreciate his works especially for their unpredictable twists and thrilling plot.
He became famous for his “Chronicles of Narnia” series, which won the hearts not only of the youngest readers. The series of seven fantasy novels by Lewis has been translated into 41 languages and has been published continuously since 1954. So far, “The Chronicles of Narnia” have sold more than 100 million copies.
Trudi Canavan, the author of “The Black Mage Trilogy” cannot be missing among the names of the most prominent fantasy authors. This three-part series became a world bestseller and entered the list of classics of the genre for good. The Polish premiere of the first part took place in 2007 and the next two parts were published a year later.
The author of one of the most popular series of fantasy books for children and teenagers. Joanne Kathleen Rowling began creating the Harry Potter universe in 1990. Since then, plans for a seven-part story about the young wizard were created for another 5 years. By 2022, over 500 million copies had been sold worldwide, making “Harry Potter” the best-selling book series in history.
On the list of the most famous fantasy writers there is also a Polish author. The author of “The Witcher” enjoys popularity among fantasy fans not only in our country. The series adaptation of the novel released by Netflix platform became one of the most watched productions worldwide. Similarly, computer games based on Sapkowski’s novels have gained a lot of fans.
Herbert’s works oscillate between fantasy and science fiction, also presenting themes related to philosophy, theology and ecology. Frank Herbert is best known for his series of novels “Dune”, the film adaptation of which won the most number of Academy Awards this year. An interesting fact not present in the film, which may help to better understand some of the themes of “Dune”, is that Herbert was inspired by the history of Islam while writing his novel.
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