Greatest Fantasy Authors

Pretty much defined the genre for western civilization with his Lord of the Rings series, Tolkien was a linguist and scholar of Finnish mythology who spent over ten years constructing an alternate mythological history of Europe complete with fully realized languages for his amusement. No fantasy author has ever matched the scholarship, realism and depth Tolkien imbued his world with.

Considered "High Fantasy" and more cerebral than many of his peers, critics of the genre place his "Song of Ice and Fire" series high on the list of best ever.

Some may be turned off by the Christian imagery Lewis injected into his tales but he remains one of the most popular children's writers of all time and his Chronicles of Narnia remains one of the towering achievements of modern fantasy.

He made the quintessential fantasy book in the Wizard of Oz. Many fantasy writers cite that book as the very first modern fantasy book. However, he also followed that up with 13 sequels as well as 3 books related to lands surrounding Oz. He has developed his world just as well as J.R.R. Tolkein developed Middle Earth, including one of the most detailed and consistent maps ever made. Many of Baum's innovations laid the foundations for many fantasy stories following him.

His "Alice" series set the benchmark for fantasy.

Starting with Magician, I have never read a series of books where I have come to know the characters so well. This guy should be in the upper half of the top ten.

A newcomer to the fantasy scene - having only written one series of three books with a fourth due out at the end 2010. Nevertheless, his skill at creating characters, his intricate plot, and his ideas warrent him a place on this list.

Genre snobs criticize this duo as "low fantasy" because they worked with a fantasy world that was little more than fodder for a Dungeons and Dragons game. However Weiss and Hickman made Dragonlance their own and in the process created one of the most entertaining and engaging worlds ever penned.

This author is generally considered to be the greatest influence on the some of the best loved modern fantasy writers including Lewis, Tolkien, and L'engle. In his own right, MacDonald wrote several timeless classics that have declined in popularity in the last hundred years due to a drift in fantasy away from fairy tales and towards more realistic and grounded arenas. Works like Phantastes, Lilith, and his short stories such as Photogen and Nycteris should still be considered among the greatest fantasy works ever written.

Gemmell has a wide variety of completely separate fantasy worlds that are completely engaging. His stories go well beyond what you would expect from a fantasy author and the books are amazing.

Whatever your opinions of her work or ability may be, no one can deny that the Harry Potter series are the most successful fantasy books ever created and made an entire generation fall in love with the genre for the first time.

The Kingkiller Chronicle

The impact of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy on fantasy genre is enormous. It still remains arguably the most beautifully written piece of fantasy of all time.

Has written several good series and definitely needs to be in the list. A writer who i would recommend to everyone!

Probably the most influential fantasy writer ever (Yes, Tolkien had a huge impact on genre, but he was a fan of Dunsany). King of Elfland's Daughter is one of the great classics.

The Well at the World's End is as compelling and original fantasy as anythng Tolkein or Donaldson have produced

The Black Company series is one of the best works in the genre and is far to frequently underappreciated.

Another newcomer with only 3 books, but loved by many, and has a wide range of fans crossing many genres .