THE TOP 7 FANTASY BOOK SERIES Get Lost in Middle Earth

A large part of the ManScore ethos is getting off your butt and getting out into the world. But there’s also a place for getting cozy and escaping into the gripping fantasy of another world. Here’s our top 7 fantasy book series’ that every man should read.


A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
The basis for the hit HBO show, Game of Thrones, this series is quickly becoming a must-read for fantasy enthusiasts. I mean, there were 370 girls named Khaleesi last year alone (which, let’s remember, is a title not a name). Beloved by critics and authors alike, the books are swift and engaging novels with a truly visceral world that has popularized its own sub-genre of “gritty fantasy.” I recommend reading the books since there’s obviously so much more that couldn’t be explored in the TV show’s limited running time. If you start now, you’ll probably be able to just catch up in time for the release of the sixth book, The Winds of Winter.


The Lord of The Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
One of the greatest trilogies in all literature, The Lord of The Rings is nearly essential reading for any modern adult. In fact, the 2003 study by the BBC named the trilogy as the #1 most beloved book in all of Britain. The epic movie adaptation directed by Peter Jackson took the world by storm in 2001, reintroducing the world to Tolkien’s beloved cadre of hobbits, trolls, dwarves, wizards, men, and elves. In true Tolkien fashion, the books are rife with added details and appendices that the true aficionado won’t want to miss.


The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
I have a soft spot for The Chronicles of Narnia ever since my Dad read the entire series to one of my brothers and me every night before we went to bed as kids. These books shaped my understanding of fiction, the real world, and what living a good and honorable life could mean. Originally published in 1950 with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, the series would go on to be adapted in whole or in part into numerous different mediums. There’s significant disagreement as to which order to read the seven books in since they weren’t published in chronological-story order (The Magician's Nephew features the birth of Narnia, while The Last Battle chronicles its end); I highly recommend reading them in the order of initial publication.


His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Almost in direct rebuttal to The Chronicles of Narnia, Philip Pullman began his own fantasy trilogy with the express purpose of creating a secular humanist series to counteract the overt Christian metaphors in Lewis’ work. This coming of age story focuses on two children traveling between parallel universes in the singular quest to overthrow “the Authority.” The series combines the best of a childhood imagination with a rigorous study of philosophy, Miltonian theology, and physics.


Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
I’m not entirely sure what to say here other than that you should probably read them if you haven’t? I almost missed this boat initially: I picked out the first book from a Schoolastic Reading catalogue long before it was a big thing. I remembered liking it and forgetting about it and then suddenly it was a huge craze with three other books already written. Needless to say, I had to do some quick recovery reading.


The Magicians by Lev Grossman
A friend once described the Magicians to me as “Harry Potter, if everyone were using their wizardry for actual purposes like constantly screwing people - figuratively and literally.” Taking the Ring of Gyges thought experiment to a whole new level, The Magicians tells the story of a Hogwarts-like American school for magic and the Beast that begins to tear it apart. This beloved book trilogy has been adapted to a Syfy series that is currently shooting its third season.


The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
Unfortunately, the only way many people have heard of this beloved pentalogy of books is by the title of the series second book, The Black Cauldron, which was adapted by Disney into a box office bomb that nearly bankrupted the animation department. Nevertheless, the book series is an incredible coming of age fantasy in the Bildungsroman tradition based primarily off of Welsh folklore. The books are incredibly readable, and are a great suggestion for people who are interested in the story of a hero facing truly dark and gripping monstrosities, but without a lot of dry world-building.

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