10 Fantasy Books George R.R. Martin Says You Have To Read

Published Sep 19, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT Hannah is a senior writer and self-publisher at ScreenRant. There, she focuses on writing news, features, and list-style articles about all things comics, books, anime, and manga. She works as a freelance writer in the entertainment industry, focusing on video games, anime, and literature. Her published works can be found on Screen Rant, FinanceBuzz, She Reads, and She Writes. George R.R. Martin is best known for creating Westeros, but his own reading habits reveal just how wide his fantasy interests really are. His recommendations range from foundational classics to modern epics, historical adventures and stories that deliberately turn familiar fantasy traditions upside down. Several of his favorites also help explain the influences behind A Song of Ice and Fire. From foundational works that helped define the genre to more unconventional stories that approach fantasy from unexpected angles, Martin's recommendations cover a shockingly broad range of styles. Some are about immense worlds and ancient conflicts, while others focus on character, politics, mythology, or the messy reality behind heroic adventures. For readers looking to expand their shelves, these are the fantasy books Martin has specifically encouraged others to experience. 10 The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, published in 2007, begins the Kingkiller Chronicle and introduces Kvothe, a legendary figure whose own account of his life forms the novel's central narrative. The book moves between his childhood, his education at the University and the older version of himself telling the story, creating a fantasy built around memory and reputation. Martin's appreciation for modern fantasy has often extended beyond the genre's established classics, and Rothfuss represents exactly that newer tradition. The Name of the Wind is unusually interested in storytelling itself with Kvothe's intelligence, musical talent, magical education, and tendency to embellish his own legend all raise questions about how much of the story can be trusted. The Name of the Wind is available to purchase now through this link 9 Banewreaker by Jacqueline Carey Jacqueline Carey's Banewreaker, published in 2004, is the first half of The Sundering, followed by Godslayer in 2005. Martin reviewed both books on his own website and praised Carey's decision to retell familiar epic-fantasy ideas from the perspective traditionally associated with the villain. He specifically compared the structure to The Lord of the Rings, with Satoris occupying a role analogous to Tolkien's Sauron. Martin was particularly taken with Tanaros Blacksword, the main antihero whose position forces readers to question which side of an ancient conflict actually deserves sympathy. That reversal fits naturally with Martin's interest in characters who do not fit neatly into heroic or villainous categories. Carey transforms recognizable fantasy archetypes into a morally complicated tragedy rather than simply repeating Tolkien's formula. Banewreaker is available to purchase now through this link 8 The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora, released in 2006, introduces Locke and the Gentlemen Bastards, a gang of thieves operating in the wealthy city of Camorr. Rather than focusing the story on a traditional quest, Lynch builds his low fantasy series around elaborate cons, criminal rivalries, and a friendship between Locke and Jean Tannen. The city's Venetian influences also give the setting a distinctive identity. Martin has included Lynch among the contemporary fantasy writers he recommends, and The Lies of Locke Lamora reflects several qualities familiar to readers of A Song of Ice and Fire. The characters are ambitious, funny, violent, and frequently outmatched. Schemes collapse, loyalties shift, and cleverness does not guarantee safety, giving the book a very different route to the tension that defines Martin's work. The Lies of Locke Lamora is available to purchase now through this link 7 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin Published in 1968, Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea follows Ged, a gifted young wizard whose arrogance unleashes a dangerous shadow. His journey through the islands of Earthsea becomes a story about responsibility, fear and self-knowledge. Martin has explicitly recommended the novel to Game of Thrones fans through the New York Public Library's reading campaign. The book is also a reminder that spectacular fantasy does not require an enormous cast or sprawling page count. Le Guin's magic revolves around true names and balance, while Ged's greatest challenge is ultimately understanding himself. Martin's recommendation shows a quieter form of fantasy storytelling, one where psychological growth matters as much as battles, kingdoms, and supernatural threats. A Wizard of Earthsea is available to purchase now through this link 6 The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams Tad Williams' The Dragonbone Chair, published in 1988, opens the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series and follows Simon, a young kitchen boy whose life changes as political upheaval and ancient supernatural forces threaten the kingdom of Osten Ard. Martin has been unusually direct about the book's influence, saying it helped inspire him to write his own epic fantasy series. Martin has also called Williams' fantasy series one of his favorites and credited The Dragonbone Chair with showing him that the traditional fantasy form could still be transformed. That connection makes the novel essential reading for anyone interested in A Song of Ice and Fire. It contains familiar fantasy ingredients, but uses them to build a darker and more politically textured story. The Dragonbone Chair is available to purchase now through this link 5 Ivanhoe by Walter Scott Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, first published in 1819, predates modern fantasy by more than a century, yet Martin has included it among his recommended reading. Set in medieval England during the reign of Richard the Lionheart, the novel mixes tournaments, political conflicts, romance, and clashes between Saxon and Norman identities. Its historical setting makes it different from Martin's invented Westeros, but the connection is clear. Scott's influence also shows why Martin frequently draws from historical fiction. Ivanhoe treats medieval society as something shaped by competing loyalties rather than a simple backdrop for heroic adventure. Knights, nobles, outlaws and political factions all pursue different interests, creating the kind of social tension that Martin later adapted into a completely fictional world. Ivanhoe is available to purchase now through this link 4 The Gormenghast Novels by Mervyn Peake Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast novels center on the enormous, decaying castle of Gormenghast and the Groan family. The sequence begins with Titus Groan in 1946, continues with Gormenghast in 1950, and follows with Titus Alone in 1959. Martin's reading recommendations have repeatedly included Peake's work, marking it as an important example of fantasy outside the conventional quest tradition. Instead of focusing on magical battles or a journey across a map, Peake builds tension through rituals, personalities, and an almost claustrophobic atmosphere. The castle itself becomes a character, while Titus grows up surrounded by traditions whose original purpose has largely been forgotten. For readers accustomed to Martin's emphasis on elaborate courts and dysfunctional noble families, the appeal is easy to understand. The Gormenghast Novels is available to purchase through this link 3 The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes, published in 2011, is set in the world of his First Law series and compresses a brutal military campaign into just three days. The story revolves around figures including Bremer dan Gorst, Curnden Craw, Calder, and other soldiers and commanders caught in a battle where victory rarely feels clean. Martin has included the novel among his fantasy recommendations. Abercrombie's approach to warfare makes The Heroes especially relevant to Martin fans. The novel is interested less in glorious victories than in fear, confusion, politics and the enormous cost paid by ordinary people. Its title is deliberately complicated by the story itself, which repeatedly asks what actually makes someone a hero when nearly everyone is capable of selfishness, cowardice or cruelty. The Heroes is available to purchase through this link 2 Watership Down by Richard Adams Richard Adams' Watership Down released in 1972 with a premise that sounds deceptively simple about a group of rabbits leaving its warren after Fiver receives a terrifying vision of destruction. Hazel, Bigwig, and their companions then search for a new home while encountering predators, hostile rabbits and unfamiliar societies. Martin has specifically recommended the novel to Game of Thrones fans. What makes the recommendation especially revealing is that Watership Down does not resemble conventional medieval fantasy. Adams creates mythology, politics, warfare, and competing cultures through rabbits rather than kings and knights. The result is a story about leadership, survival and power that can feel surprisingly close to the human conflicts Martin explores, despite its very different cast. Watership Down is available to purchase through this link 1 The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien Few fantasy recommendations carry the weight of The Lord of the Rings, and Martin has repeatedly pointed readers toward Tolkien's masterpiece. Published in three volumes between 1954 and 1955, the story follows Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship as they attempt to destroy the One Ring. Martin's own fiction frequently pushes against Tolkien's heroic traditions, but that makes his admiration more interesting, not less. Tolkien's influence can be seen throughout modern fantasy, but the trilogy remains more than a historical landmark. Middle-earth combines invented languages, detailed cultures, ancient history and enormous stakes with intimate character moments. George R.R. Martin's recommendation makes sense for anyone wanting to understand the foundations that later fantasy writers, including Martin himself, chose either to embrace or challenge. The Fellowship of the Ring is available to purchase through this link