1934 MARY POPPINS
BY P.L. TRAVERS
Travers’ classic story introduces
one of the most intriguing
protagonists in the history
of children’s literature: the
peculiar and magical nanny Mary
Poppins—and the book is a
captivating adventure that
has inspired movies and music
for generations.
1950 THE LION, THE WITCH
AND THE WARDROBE
BY C.S. LEWIS
Stuck in a lonely house, a band
of children stumble upon a
door into a secret world behind
that most prosaic of furniture
items: a wardrobe. This is the
irresistible setup of Lewis’
children’s classic. The most
famous book of the seven-volume
Chronicles of Narnia, its embers
gleam in dozens of contemporary
fantasies about the sudden
discovery of magical worlds, from
The Magicians to Harry Potter.1952 THE PALM-WINE
DRINKARD
BY AMOS TUTUOLA
At the time of its publication,
Nigerian writer Tutuola’s debut,
about an alcoholic who sets off
on a mission to procure more
palm wine, was unlike anything
English-language readers had
ever read; today it remains
bracingly original in its voice
and ideas. Tutuola, writing at a
moment when the Yoruba culture
he was born into was colliding
with that of British colonialismTOMI ADEYEMI
Author of Children of Blood and
Bone and Children of Virtue
and VengeanceCASSANDRA CLARE
Author of the Mortal
Instruments, Infernal Devices
and Dark Artifices seriesDIANA GABALDON
Author of the Outlander series,
the inspiration for the hit
Starz dramaNEIL GAIMAN
Author of more than 40
books, including Neverwhere
and American Gods1954
THE FELLOWSHIP
OF THE RING
BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN
Tolkien’s epic was
heavily influenced by
his experiences as a
British soldier during
World War I. The Lord of
the Rings, while a story
about wizards, elves
and hobbits, is also a
meditation on hope.
That one so small as
Frodo Baggins should
undertake a quest to
carry the Ring to the
realm of Mordor is one of
Tolkien’s greatest marks
on the high-fantasy
subgenre—of which
he’s widely considered
the father. The first
installment launches
the fellowship on their
treacherous quest.1954 MY LIFE IN
THE BUSH OF GHOSTS
BY AMOS TUTUOLA
Tutuola’s second book tells the
story of a West African child who
is forced for 24 years to navigate
an incomprehensible wilderness
filled with fantastical beings,
most of whom are some form
of ghost. It’s a striking work of
syncretism that went on to inspire
Talking Heads front man David
Byrne and super producer Brian
Eno to record a 1981 album by
the same title.1954 THE TWO TOWERS
BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN
The archetypal fantasy epic
that is The Lord of the Rings
continues in a second installment
that masterfully ups the ante
in Frodo’s quest to destroy the
One Ring while simultaneously
fleshing out the rich history
and languages of Tolkien’s
Middle-earth—and bypasses
the dreaded middle-of-the-saga
slump, a common problem for
fantasy series.1955 THE RETURN
OF THE KING
BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN
The powerful conclusion to the
Lord of the Rings adventure not
only earned the three-part novel
the 1957 International Fantasy
Award and the top spot in a 2003
survey conducted by the BBC
to determine British readers’
best-loved novel of all time; it
also cemented its present-day
standing as the gold standard
of the fantasy genre. It’s both
triumphant and heartbreaking.1957 A HERO BORN
BY JIN YONG
The Chinese wuxia genre
typically follows martial artists’
adventures while exploring the
intersection between supernatural
abilities, otherworldly creatures
and China’s long history. One
of the greatest wuxia worksand Christian proselytism,
seamlessly weaves in aspects of
the new West African modernity
with myth and oral storytelling.1952 THE VOYAGE
OF THE DAWN TREADER
BY C.S. LEWIS
No longer strangers to the land
of Narnia, the youngest Pevensie
children, Edmund and Lucy, get
whisked back there with their
irritating cousin Eustace Scrubb.
With more relaxed stakes, the
book takes the children and the
reader on a delightfully creative
adventure, where each new stop
along the way only deepens the
fantasy and mystery.