# Best Stand Alone Fantasy Novel? (no spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494 "2013-11-22T03:25:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/21 "2013-11-22T11:15:58Z")
While it’s open to debate whether _The Lord of the Rings_ counts as one book, there’s no debate over _The Hobbit_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/22 "2013-11-22T11:48:37Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’m looking for what everyone thinks are the best stand alone fantasy books. Books that begin and end between two covers. > > I would guess that **Lord of the Rings** is an automatic since I consider it one book and read it as one book when I was younger. By that logic, **The Once And Future King** deserves mention. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/23 "2013-11-22T12:01:24Z")
I refuse to choose one, but will second a few and first a few: **Perdido Street Station**. It opened a new wing of the library, bringing Weird Fantasy back into the forefront. There’s a kitchen-sink attitude toward fantasy in it, and folks feel strongly about it one way or another; I happen to love it. **Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell** : it’s kind of on the opposite end of the spectrum. Perdido is punk and weird and gritty; Strange/Norrell is prim and traditional and witty. I love them both, though, and think Strange/Norrell deserves all the praise it gets. Maybe I should retry Little, Big someday. I tried it, and somewhere in the 500-page-long description of a house that, like, had weird **angles** , man, I got bored and wandered off. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/24 "2013-11-22T12:28:31Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Although it was a set-up for a long running series of uneven, (generally poor) work, Raymond Feist’s _Magician_ remains one of my favourite novels. Love that one as well. The first three books are very good, the rest… ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/25 "2013-11-22T12:41:28Z")
Just to prove YMMV, **Tigana** was a letdown for me after reading so much hype about it. I’d probably go with **LOTR** and then T.H. White’s **The Once and Future King**. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/26 "2013-11-22T12:56:01Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > Just to prove YMMV, **Tigana** was a letdown for me after reading so much hype about it. I’d probably go with **LOTR** and then T.H. White’s **The Once and Future King**. I came in here specifically to suggest T.H. White’s **Once and Future King**. You could, I suppose, make the argument that it is also a collection (_The Sword in the Stone_ was separately published, although it was substantially changed when incorporated into TOaFK, and _The Book of Merlin_, intended as the last book, was excised before finally being printed on its own many years later). Most fantasy I’ve read has been in the form of short stories, or part of a series. A few other stand-alone novels: **The Hour of the Dragon** (AKA _Conan the Conqueror_) by Robert E. Howard. Part of his Conan stories, but can stand on its own as a novel. **The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mister Hyde** by Robert Louis Stevenson. I was pleasantly surprised to find what a good read this is. It really is better than any of its screen adaptations. **The Case of Charles Dexter Ward** by H.P. Lovecraft – one of his few novels, and a perennial favorite of mine. Is it “Horror” or “Fantasy”? **Silverlock** by John Myer Myers – the ultimate fantasy meta-novel, cobbled together from lots of prior literature. You really do need a guide to all its references. There used to be one online, but it got taken down. Now you have to buy the NESFA Press edition to get them all. This guide outdoes Alan Moore in the “lets use up as much older literature as possible to construct a novel” department. **a Christmas Carol** by Charles Dickens. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read this – easily more times than I’ve read any of his other works. Dickens tried four more times to recreate the experience with “Christmas” books, but I find his other such efforts unreadable (having read them). And they’re not connected directly with ACC. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/27 "2013-11-22T13:09:26Z")
Since we are including trilogies read in one sitting, I’m going to choose _The Illuminatus! Trilogy_ by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. Great postmodern fantasy, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/28 "2013-11-22T13:28:58Z")
If we’re counting children’s books it’s _Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland_. Otherwise, I have to mention _The Princess Bride_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/29 "2013-11-22T13:58:08Z")
Depending on how you define fantasy (and it did win a World Fantasy Award), Ken Grimwood’s **Replay**. **Chimera** , by John Barth is also spectacularly good. (It won a National Book Award) ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/30 "2013-11-22T14:46:30Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Since we are including trilogies read in one sitting, I’m going to choose _The Illuminatus! Trilogy_ by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. Great postmodern fantasy, in my opinion. True story. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/31 "2013-11-22T16:04:21Z")
My all-time favorite is _Tam Lin_, by Pamela Dean, which is barely a fantasy novel because 98% of the action is about the very real world experience of maturing into one’s intellectual life while at college. But the other 2% is about faeries, and it’s really critical to the story. Other good ones: _Kraken_ by China Miéville is a more recent title that knocked me out. _Tender Morsels_, by Margo Lanagan, is harrowing and sad and also very good. ---
**Author:** ![Donegal\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Donegal\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donegal_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/32 "2013-11-22T16:11:46Z")
Took the words right out of my mouth. “Little, Big” by John Crowley one of the best fantasy books ever. I think I have given away at least a dozen copies. ---
**Author:** ![Donegal\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Donegal\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donegal_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/33 "2013-11-22T16:19:37Z")
I have to agree with anything by China Mieville. I would also recommend Charles DeLint. But I am surprised no one has mentioned “Gormenghast” by Mervyn Peake ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/34 "2013-11-22T16:21:33Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > The very first Tad Williams novel I ever read, and the one that hooked me on the author, was the standalone, “[The War of the Flowers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Flowers)”. I came on here to recommend this. Outstanding handling of the subject matter. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/35 "2013-11-22T16:26:50Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > My all-time favorite is _Tam Lin_, by Pamela Dean, which is barely a fantasy novel because 98% of the action is about the very real world experience of maturing into one’s intellectual life while at college. But the other 2% is about faeries, and it’s really critical to the story. > > Other good ones: > > _Kraken_ by China Miéville is a more recent title that knocked me out. > > _Tender Morsels_, by Margo Lanagan, is harrowing and sad and also very good. I tend not to read Fantasy - well, not true; I’ve read a lot of the books mentioned, but don’t think of myself as a Fantasy guy (I favor hard Sci-Fi and dystopian/speculative fiction). But I haven’t read any Mieville although I have heard good things, although I hear he can be over-ambitious and not focus enough on _telling the story_. You like Kraken, eh? I need to check that out. For the OP, I guess I would nominate **Charlie and the Chocolate Factory** , but I am not sure that counts as “classic” Fantasy. Just so interesting, funny and well-written. Oh, and if we can keep the criteria somewhat broad, **Haruki Murakami’s Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World** is fantastical and very, very well done. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/36 "2013-11-22T19:25:02Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Oh, and if we can keep the criteria somewhat broad, **Haruki Murakami’s Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World** is fantastical and very, very well done. Similarly, his **Kafka on the Shore** , which did win the World Fantasy Award. Also surprised that **Watership Down** hasn’t been mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/37 "2013-11-22T19:35:17Z")
I’d choose **Watership Down**. However, it has a sequel called **Tales from Watership Down**. Does that disqualify it? **Gormenghast** is part of the **Titus Groan** trilogy or I’d include it. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/38 "2013-11-22T19:40:04Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > I’d choose **Watership Down**. However, it has a sequel called **Tales from Watership Down**. Does that disqualify it? **Tales From Watership Down** isn’t a true sequel, more of a companion book full of El Ahrairah tales. As a high-schooler, I adored Watership Down, so when Tales came out in college, I was ecstatic–until I read it and realized the stories in it ranged from mediocre to dreadful, lacking all the charm and wit of the original stories. I don’t acknowledge its existence :). In the field of children’s literature, **The Tale of Despereaux** is a strong contender. I’ve got a lot of kidlit that I love ( **The Neverending Story** , for example, is a great book), but Despereaux is just phenomenally well written, delicious to read aloud, full of complex characters, symbolism, foreshadowing, and wit. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/39 "2013-11-22T19:46:16Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > If we’re not to mention _The Lord of the Rings_, there’s _The Last Unicorn_ by Peter Beagle. THIS is what I was going to say. Kinda disappointed by some of the other recommendations in here though, honestly. Magician was…well, I guess it wasn’t bad. Good Omens was typical Gaiman fare, in that it was a good idea that wasn’t nearly as good as it should’ve been (in this case, in spite of some valiant effort by Mr. Pratchett) and War of the Flowers was… kinda interesting, but I felt something was missing. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494/40 "2013-11-22T19:49:49Z")
I don’t think it’s as good as some of the others mentioned already, but I at least wanted to mention **The Face in the Frost** by John Bellairs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stand-alone-fantasy-novel-no-spoilers/674494.md?page=3)