012208 Update

I've updated the list and it's sorted in alphabetical order by author then title. I've included changes and corrections from members of LibraryThing plus several additions from the World Fantasy Awards and Fantasy 100. There are now 530 title/series recommendations for a total of 1,257 books.

I'm wishy-washy on horror. I've included some of the classics and some of the more popular works, but have tried to stay away from popular hack 'n slash. Also, I'm using "executive privilege" when defining fantasy. For instance, I don't consider time travel, in and of itself, fantasy. I think it is more speculative fiction. I don't know how to categorize "superheros", but again, I don't really consider them fantasy unless there is some type of fantastic or magical element. I know some people would argue with me, but my project, my definitions!

When all else failed, I checked out the tags for the work in LibraryThing. If the fantasy tag was prominent, it was put on the list.

My next step is to get this into survey form so people can start voting.

Nominated Books

I've published the spreadsheet of all books nominated so far so everyone can take a peek.

Please go to the Nominations: 1001 Fantasy Books thread at LibraryThing.com to make additional nominations.

I Had a Dream...

I've been trying to find a means of making a contribution. Even after reading many books on discovering your passions and purpose in life, I couldn't figure out how to combine making lists, gathering data and reading - some of my favorite things - into something that would help others. In the past, I've created and maintained websites for a MUD, a non-profit and a spiritual path and I knew I wanted an online presence for whatever I decided.

At LibraryThing.com, a social book cataloging site, there is a reading challenge for 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die and many of us reference 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Why not a list of fantasy books?

So, I appealed to fellow members of the Green Dragon, a group of fantasy book lovers over a thousand strong, to help me with this labor of love.

Nominating fantasy books was the first step. In less than a week, there have been over 377 book/series title nominations for a total of over 987 books. My next step will be to make sure that all World Fantasy Awards have been included as well as sneaking a peek at some other fantasy lists for comparison.

Additional steps:

• Determine how to publish lists on the blog (downloadable file?)


• Research published dates of nominated titles for sorting purposes


• Find a survey app to vote on nominations. I'm probably going to go with SurveyGizmo.


• Create survey


• Tally votes


• Determine categories for lists within the list, i.e. urban fantasy, high fantasy.


• Create descriptions. This will take the longest, probably several months, and will require the assistance of Green Dragon members.


• Categorize books (same time as description writing.)


• Make category lists