Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels: in English Language Selection, 1946-1987

by David Pringle

This collection of 100 brief (2-3 page) essays by British sf magazine editor Pringle offers an informed and admittedly subjective guided tour of a genre that encompasses such widely divergent titles as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (1954-55), Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman (1967), and Stephen King's Salem's Lot (1975). Following the format of his earlier collection, Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels (LJ 7/86), Pringle presents his selections in chronological order and includes a synopsis of the story, a discussion of the author's overall contribution to fantasy literature, critical commentary on the title's significance, and a brief publishing history. An introductory essay tackles the difficulty of defining fantasy, while a "Brief Bibliography" directs readers to other discussions of the genre. By no means a definitive subject guide, this entertaining volume should serve as a solid introduction to the elusive field of imaginative literature. Recommended for most libraries.

Genres: Fantasy, Books About Books, Reference, Literary Criticism, Science Fiction, Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels, 1946-1987: Introduces many lesser-known fantasy works
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
Following on the success of Science Fiction: 100 Best Novels, An English-Language Selection, 1949-1984, it made sense that David Pringle would tackle the wide-ranging and ill-defined field of fantasy with Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels, An English-Language Selection, 1946-1987. It’s actually an amazing effort, since Pringle would have had to read extensively in both genres for almost 4 decades, and I think it’s quite unusual for someone to do that for both genres. Moreover, though the borders of SF are defined differently by each person you ask, this is even more so for the fantasy genre, which can include horror, epic fantasy, hallucinatory trips, magic realism, contemporary fantasy, and things that don’t fit any convenient categories. It’s almost impossible to narrow this down to a mere 100 works, so I’m sure people would disagree with many of his choices, but that’s the fun of “Best of” lists.

David Pringle did not shy from the task, and produced a fascinating and wide-ranging list. I dare anyone to claim to have read 75% of these books, let alone all. There are so many unfamiliar books and authors that dedicated fantasy fans will immediately feel a desire to fill in all the gaps and take up the challenge. It’s another task that may take a lifetime, but I have discovered and enjoyed many lesser-known writers here that I would never have known about otherwise. There are so many writers that you might not have heard of or didn’t consider part of the genre. I can’t imagine even our most widely-read fantasy fans have read more than two-thirds of this list. And there could be no consensus on which books are the best – it’s all a matter of taste, but what incredible variety.

Each entry is two pages long – they are written succinctly and give the all-important historical and literary context for each book, along with a basic outline of the plot. Occasionally he will include some spoilers in the last few paragraphs, so be careful! But his reviews are surprisingly entertaining to read. He is also very honest is describing what type of books they are, so you can immediately eliminate books that don’t fit your taste. I really took away a better understanding of the history and development of the genre, something that informs my reviews today. It’s amazing how broadly and deeply he’s read in the genre.

For many years I used this book and Science Fiction: 100 Best Novels as guides to track down the more obscure titles in various used bookstores. I managed to get quite a few of them, but even 30 years later I’ve only read around 27 to my chagrin. I consider it a point of pride to read as many as I can before this mortal coil expires. Here is the list in chronological order – how many of them have you read already? I’ve put an asterisk next to those I’ve read.

1. Titus Groan* by Mervyn Peake
2. The Book of Ptath by A. E. van Vogt
3. The Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt
4. Darker Than You Think by Jack Williamson
5. Seven Days in New Crete by Robert Graves
6. Silverlock* by John Myers Myers
7. The Castle of Iron by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt
8. Conan the Conqueror by Robert E. Howard
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe* by C. S. Lewis
10. Gormenghast* by Mervyn Peake
11. The Dying Earth* by Jack Vance
12. The Sound of His Horn by Sarban
13. Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber
14. The Sinful Ones by Fritz Leiber
15. The Broken Sword* by Poul Anderson
16. The Lord of the Rings* by J. R. R. Tolkien
17. Pincher Martin by William Golding
18. The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson
19. Dandelion Wine* by Ray Bradbury
20. The Once and Future King* by T. H. White
21. The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag by Robert A. Heinlein
22. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
23. Titus Alone* by Mervyn Peake
24. A Fine and Private Place* by Peter S. Beagle
25. Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson
26. The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything by John D. MacDonald
27. Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein
28. Witch World by Andre Norton
29. The Magus by John Fowles
30. Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock
31. The Crying of Lot 49* by Thomas Pynchon
32. Day of the Minotaur by Thomas Burnett Swann
33. The Eyes of the Overworld* by Jack Vance
34. The Owl Service by Alan Garner
35. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
36. The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien
37. Gog by Andrew Sinclair
38. The Last Unicorn* by Peter S. Beagle
39. A Wizard of Earthsea* by Ursula K. Le Guin
40. The Swords of Lankhmar* by Fritz Leiber
41. Black Easter by James Blish
42. The Green Man by Kingsley Amis
43. The Phoenix and the Mirror by Avram Davidson
44. A Feast Unknown by Philip José Farmer
45. Fourth Mansions by R. A. Lafferty
46. Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant
47. Time and Again* by Jack Finney
48. Grendel by John Gardner
49. Briefing for a Descent into Hell by Doris Lessing
50. Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny
51. Watership Down* by Richard Adams
52. The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman by Angela Carter
53. Sweet Dreams by Michael Frayn
54. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
55. Salem's Lot by Stephen King
56. The Great Victorian Collection by Brian Moore
57. Grimus by Salman Rushdie
58. Peace* by Gene Wolfe
59. The Malacia Tapestry by Brian Aldiss
60. The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson
61. Hotel de Dream by Emma Tennant
62. The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter
63. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever* by Stephen R. Donaldson
64. The Shining by Stephen King
65. Fata Morgana by William Kotzwinkle
66. Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber
67. Gloriana, or, The Unfulfill'd Queen by Michael Moorcock
68. The Unlimited Dream Company by J. G. Ballard
69. Sorcerer's Son by Phyllis Eisenstein
70. The Land of Laughs* by Jonathan Carroll
71. The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas
72. A Storm of Wings* by M. John Harrison
73. White Light by Rudy Rucker
74. Ariosto by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
75. Cities of the Red Night by William S. Burroughs
76. Little, Big by John Crowley
77. Lanark: A Life in Four Books by Alasdair Gray
78. The War Hound and the World's Pain by Michael Moorcock
79. Nifft the Lean* by Michael Shea
80. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin
81. Soul Eater by K. W. Jeter
82. Tea with the Black Dragon by R. A. MacAvoy
83. Cold Heaven by Brian Moore
84. The Anubis Gates* by Tim Powers
85. Who Made Stevie Crye? by Michael Bishop
86. The Digging Leviathan by James P. Blaylock
87. Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter
88. The Businessman: A Tale of Terror by Thomas M. Disch
89. Mythago Wood* by Robert Holdstock
90. The Glamour by Christopher Priest
91. The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike
92. Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd
93. The Dream Years by Lisa Goldstein
94. The Summer Tree* by Guy Gavriel Kay
95. The Bridge* by Iain Banks
96. The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell
97. Replay* by Ken Grimwood
98. The Unconquered Country by Geoff Ryman
99. The Day of Creation by J. G. Ballard
100. Ægypt by John Crowley

[Graham P · Rating 3 out of 5]

The quality of his selections is top notch, and after flipping through these 100 entries, I must admit that my 'wish list' fattened up a few more pounds. David Pringle has done wonders writing about the classics of genre fiction, some well-known, others nearly forgotten, and here he keeps his analysis minimal, giving the reader brief synopses and brief rhetoric to what makes the novels so important in modern fantasy. However, there's one thing that gnawed on me was his willingness to drop spoilers, not minute ones, but conclusive ones that may spoil the read entirely. I don't know if he was assuming most readers of this book would have already read his selections, but it was a bit grating. For me, these type of 'best of' books are great for discovering gems, not revisiting them. Anyhow, it's all about his diverse scope of entries. Ramsey Campbell's 'The Hungry Moon' alongside Tolkein and Poul Anderson, rubbing shoulders with Michael Shea's 'Nifft the Lean' and Ken Grimwood's 'Replay', this is a near-must for bookworms, and thankfully one that rises above the stereotypical fairyland tales and sword & sandal epics. Truly shows how the genre label of 'fantasy' has an incredibly wide scope. So close to a 4-star read.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books about novels of the Fantasy genre. Belongs on every Fantasy fan's bookcase. Simply must reading.

[Steve LaForest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very highly recommended! How should you go about finding out what you "should" read. Why - let David Pringle tell you, of course!

I must admit that I am a great fan of books "about" science fiction and (to a lesser degree) fantasy. I have read so many of the general ones that it does become quite predictable, what will they say as they wander through the history of the genre.

Pringle avoids all of this predictable stuff. He jumps straight to the actual "best" books themselves, and dispenses with all of that historical analysis. He does limit himself to the years 1949 to 1984, which does make the whole approach somewhat more manageable. If you like an author, or have heard of a particular book you want to check out, this is the book for you.

If you enjoy this approach, and you like fantasy, you will want to check out his book "Science Fiction: The best 100 novels".

And if you really really like David Pringle's analysis - look for The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction. Unfortunately, that book has not yet made the cut to be listed on this website. The Guide lists 3,000 books of SF, including both novels and collections, with a rating from zero stars to 4 stars. Hmm - zero stars - what a great idea for warning poor unsuspecting readers from unreadable schlock! I'm afraid I got a bit obsessed with the Guide, etc. and bought a lot of SF & F that I will probably never find time to read.

My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.

[Toni Cifuentes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunque tal vez la repitición de ciertos autores es sospechosa, el libro ofrece un abanico interesante de novelas que todo amante del género debería leer. En los tiempos que corren, además, es una forma de recuperar ciertos clásicos ya olvidados y emprender la búsqueda de esos libros en librerías de segunda mano. Es curioso como algunos de los libros que Pringle refiere siguen todavía sin haberse traducido ni haberse publicado en nuestro país. Los resúmenes a veces profundizan en la trama y otras solo se quedan en la superficie, pero encienden la chispa que seguro que animará a muchos a buscar y leer algunas de las novelas de esta curiosa selección. Aunque es difícil de encontrar, todavía hay librerías de segunda mano que venden ejemplares de este y de muchos de los libros que Pringle reseña.

[Jesus Gerardo Rodríguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

A diferencia de su libro sobre las 100 mejores novelas de ciencia ficción, que fue muy bueno y con una excelente selección de titulos, éste correspondiente a literatura fantástica deja mucho que desear.
Las obras de fantasía que seleccionan tiene una mezcla entre lo que un lector entiende de fantasía y algunas novelas más de tipo mainstream con algún elemento fantástico. El libro a ratos se torna aburrido, aunque no puede negarse que algunas recomendaciones de libros valen la pena.

[S S]

Some nice choices in here especially from the pulp era; kinda skimmed the end as they're the usual suspects. Wish there was a new edition going to present day. Some picks were just repeats, could have been better done by author

[Squirek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saggio fondamentale sul fantastico letterario. Attraverso la scheda di 100 romanzi della seconda metà del novecento, Pringle ha definito il canone del fantastico moderno. Memorabile!

[Muzzlehatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book uses the exact same formula as the author's previous Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels : An English-Language Selection, 1949-1984, and as with that volume Mr. Pringle has come in for some unjust criticism in my view for having an alleged "British bias". He states upfront that the selection is going to be purely his own, and that he is restricting himself entirely to English-language writers. By my count he offers 26 books by 20 English writers (one South African born, and one born in China), 3 books from 2 Canadians, and a book apiece by writers from Scotland, India, and Ireland - leaving space for 70 works by Americans. We're hardly getting short-changed, especially in a genre so powerfully influenced throughout it's history by Britons, including Tolkien, Lewis, Peake and Moorcock within the boundaries of this survey, and William Morris, Lewis Carroll, and J.K. Rowling from outside it. Surely the English contribution to the field has been enormous.

Enough nit-picking. Brian Aldiss writes a sweet, brief foreward; Pringle's 11-page introduction attempts to define the genre, to justify his selection of a starting date (in part to be in sympathy with the 1949 beginning of his SF book, and in part to start with a particularly powerful work, Peake's "Titus Groan"), and to mention a few titles and authors that have been left out, and why they have failed to make the cut. The author's methodology and biases are similar here to those he exhibits in his SF volume: choices are weighted towards literary quality, he often chooses for range rather than trying to fit any narrow "sword and sorcery" or "quest against the dark lord" type story paradigms; all to the good, I say, as it allows the appearance of such great fantasists as Aldiss, Peake, John Crowley and Salman Rushdie - none of them noted for playing in Tolkien's sandbox.

Rather than list every book included (which you can find out readily enough from a variety of places - and which I think might spoil your fun in browsing the book, so please don't!) I'll just give a rundown of the most-named writers, which should give you some idea as to whether this book might be still interesting or not:

Fritz Leiber - 4 works chosen

J.G. Ballard, Angela Carter, Michael Moorcock, Mervyn Peake - 3 works each chosen

Poul Anderson, Peter S. Beagle, John Crowley, M. John Harrison, Robert A. Heinlein, Stephen King, Brian Moore, Fletcher Pratt, Jack Vance - 2 works each chosen

I should note that Pringle considers Peake's "Gormenghast" books as individual novels, whereas he includes series by Tolkien, Donaldson and Gene Wolfe among others as single works. And as with his SF volume, short stories and collections are excluded - unless, as in the case of Vance's "Dying Earth", they can be justified as forming some kind of semi-cohesive narrative.

The fantasy genre has seen an enormous explosion in the 22 years since this book was published; you won't, obviously, see "Harry Potter" here, nor "A Song of Ice and Fire", nor Robert Jordan or Terry Goodkind. With so much new work of every shape and variety and even some new subgenres that really didn't exist - or at least hadn't been named (e.g. steampunk and urban fantasy) just a couple of decades ago, it's easy for many of the less famous works listed herein to get lost in the shuffle. Do yourself a favor, then, if you're interested in the byways and the history of the genre as it started to take hold in the popular imagination, and grab hold of Pringle's list. There aren't many more interesting, or wide-ranging guides around, even in this era of fantasy-gone-mainstream.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Pringle's taste and mine don't align perfectly, I've used this guide as a reading list for years. Every time I open it, I see a dozen or so books I'd like to read.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent source of ideas and suggestions, not all his views are perfect but its a great starting point. However be aware it does discuss plots

[Jose Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

quizás excesivamente centrada en el mercado anglosajón, como no podía ser de otra manera para un género netamente anglo.

[Fantasy Literature]

A great resource! http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...