Everyone loves a good fantasy book recommendation list, especially when it comes from a legendary writer like George R.R. Martin. While fans continue waiting for The Winds of Winter, Martin has already shared plenty of recommendations to keep fantasy readers busy, from genre-defining classics by J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert E. Howard to more modern favorites from authors like Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch. Here are the fantasy books Martin recommends adding to your reading list.

If you’re a fan of George R.R. Martin, then you’re likely familiar with his personal blog, “Not a Blog,” where the author shares personal updates, thoughts on his books, progress, and other commentary. One of his most notable posts for fantasy lovers came on March 13, 2013, when he shared his personal “reading recommendations” for fans waiting for his next book.

In the post, Martin highlighted several classics of the fantasy genre, noting how “it never ceases to amaze [him] to discover that some of [his] own fans have never heard of all the great fantasists who came before [him].” He then recommended some of his favorite contemporary reads. Screen Rant has now compiled a list of twelve of George R.R. Martin’s top fantasy book recommendations.

12

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Published 1954–1955 (High Fantasy / Epic Fantasy)

For an author known for his elaborate world-building, it should come as no surprise that Martin would recommend the King of High Fantasy himself, J.R.R. Tolkien. While nearly everyone and their dog has likely heard of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, it would be remiss of Martin not to include it on a list of his top recommendations. So, whether you just haven’t gotten around to reading it or are only starting your fantasy journey, take it from Martin: you’ll want to read Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King).

11

The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard

Published 2002 (Sword and Sorcery / Fantasy)

Robert E. Howard, another one of the greatest fantasists of all time, also unsurprisingly got a callout from Martin, with him recommending The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, the first volume of the modern three-volume collection of Howard’s original Conan stories. Readers should note that Howard’s original Conan stories were primarily published in Weird Tales, an American pulp magazine, between 1932 and 1936, with the modern collections coming much later.

10

Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore

Published 1969 (Sword and Sorcery / Dark Fantasy)

C.L. Moore, another absolute giant in the fantasy genre, also received her due recognition from Martin, who recommended Jirel of Joiry, which introduced Jirel, who is widely recognized to this day as the first major female protagonist in the sword-and-sorcery subgenre. Like Howard, Moore’s work was originally published as a series of short stories in Weird Tales magazine between 1934 and 1939, including “Black God’s Kiss,” “Black God’s Shadow,” “Hellsgarde,” “The Cold Gray God,” and “The Dark Land.”

9

The Dying Earth by Jack Vance

Published 1950 (Science Fantasy)

Next up comes another trailblazer of the fantasy genre, Jack Vance’s The Dying Earth, which deviates from Martin’s previous recommendations of High Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery and dives into the wild subgenre of Science Fantasy. The Dying Earth is the first book in Vance’s Dying Earth series, which comprises a collection of interconnected stories, including The Dying Earth (1950), The Eyes of the Overworld (1966), Cugel’s Saga (1983), and Rhialto the Marvellous (1984).

8

Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber

Published 1970 (Sword and Sorcery / Fantasy)

Adding to the list of Martin’s must-read classics is Fritz Leiber’s Swords and Deviltry, the first volume in the famous Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series, which helped popularize the term “sword and sorcery.” In addition to Swords and Deviltry, the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series includes Swords Against Death, Swords in the Mist, Swords Against Wizardry, The Swords of Lankhmar, Swords and Ice Magic, and The Knight and Knave of Swords (Leiber may have really liked swords).

7

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Published November 1972 (Fantasy / Animal Fiction)

If you love fantasy stories starring anthropomorphic animals, then you’ll want to add Martin’s recommendation of Richard Adams’ Watership Down to your TBR. This standalone epic adventure novel follows a small band of wild rabbits as they flee the destruction of their home and chronicle their journey to find a safe haven. Probably didn’t expect the King of Grimdark Fantasy to recommend a story about bunnies, did you?

6

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Published 1968 (High Fantasy / Coming-of-Age Fantasy)

Before J.K. Rowling came Ursula K. Le Guin, who gave us Ged and a school of wizardry long before Harry ever set foot in Hogwarts. No list of must-read fantasy would be complete without fantasy giant Ursula K. Le Guin, and it seems that even Martin agrees, as he recommended Le Guin’s Earthsea Trilogy, which includes A Wizard of Earthsea (1968), The Tombs of Atuan (1971), and The Farthest Shore (1972).

5

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

Published 1946 (Gothic Fantasy / Dark Fantasy)

Want something a little darker? Then you’ll want to take note of Martin’s recommendation of Mervyn Peake’s masterful gothic fantasy, the Gormenghast trilogy. The original trilogy includes Titus Groan (1946), Gormenghast (1950), and Titus Alone (1959), while Peake also published the related work Boy in Darkness (1956). Also noteworthy is Titus Awakes, which was published posthumously in 2011 and based on Peake’s unfinished manuscript.

4

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

Published 1958 (Arthurian Fantasy / Historical Fantasy)

It should come as no surprise that one of the founding fathers of twentieth-century fantasy also captured the heart of George R.R. Martin, with Martin recommending T.H. White’s The Once and Future King. It’s important to note that The Once and Future King is the completed four-part Arthurian novel, comprising The Sword in the Stone (1938), The Queen of Air and Darkness (1939), The Ill-Made Knight (1940), and The Candle in the Wind (1958). This novel is perhaps the greatest remix of traditional Arthurian mythology ever told and will make readers feel every emotion on the emotional spectrum.

3

A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham

Published 2006 (Epic Fantasy / Political Fantasy)

Kicking off George R.R. Martin’s more contemporary fantasy recommendations is Daniel Abraham’s A Shadow in Summer, the first book in his epic fantasy series, The Long Price Quartet. The 2006 release of A Shadow in Summer was quickly followed by A Betrayal in Winter in 2007, An Autumn War in 2008, and The Price of Spring in 2009. Considering this was a debut novel makes it all the more impressive.