Fantasy For Beginners: 10 Books To Get You Started

My second post for FriendsOfBooks is up! This time I explore a genre that has hit popular fancy in the recent years, on account of blockbuster movies based on classic books. Think dragons, think talking trees, think wizards, I’m talking about Fantasy. I’m looking at my bookshelf and the ten most striking stories that I think fall under this. Genres are difficult to classify so this of course, is my take. But I think it’s a good enough introduction to Fantasy, if you’re a newcomer to the genre. Welcome in and happy reading!

Fantasy is the world between children’s storybooks and geeky-cool sci-fi. Fairies, dragons, elves, talking objects, witches, vampires and warlocks are some popular Fantasy characters. The genre draws liberally from folklore and fairytales but goes beyond with more intricate plots, complex characters and often, life lessons. By its very definition, Fantasy involves stories, characters and situations that don’t really exist. It overlaps seamlessly with science fiction on one end and fairy tales on the other. Thus you are never too old for a fantasy story. Let’s look at some of the books on my Fantasy bookshelf.

Click here to read ‘Fantasy For Beginners – 10 Books To Get You Started’ on FriendsOfBooks.

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Peter Jackson may have set out to make a great movie but he also ended up kicking  off a new movement. After the massive success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the annual Harry Potter movies (racing to keep up with the book releases), fantasy has become a genre to be contended with. Book sales for the above stories went through the roof and carried with them a number of other stories from the Fantasy realm.

Fantasy is the world between children’s storybooks and geeky-cool sci-fi. Fairies, dragons, elves, talking objects, witches, vampires and warlocks are some popular Fantasy characters. The genre draws liberally from folklore and fairytales but goes beyond with more intricate plots, complex characters and often, life lessons. By its very definition, Fantasy involves stories, characters and situations that don’t really exist. It overlaps seamlessly with science fiction on one end and fairy tales on the other. Thus you are never too old for a fantasy story.

Let’s look at some of the books on my Fantasy bookshelf.

1. The Hobbit – J R R Tolkien

A prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, J R R Tolkien’s story of a hapless hobbit caught in a band of adventurous dwarves is an ideal introduction. Through The Hobbit, you encounter most of the LOTR life-forms like dwarves, trolls, orcs, wargs and wizards. The story is lighter and easier to read than LOTR as it skips from cosy hobbit-holes to troll dinners to forest saviors and mountain orcs. There isn’t a forbidding evil force as in LOTR but there is a formidable dragon called Smaug waiting atop a mountain of treasures. Bilbo Baggins’ shenanigans keep the reader chuckling as he negotiates good food and security in these troublesome situations.

2. Eragon – Christopher Paolini

Eragon hit the top of reader lists, catapulting its fifteen-year-old writer to instant fame. Sequels followed soon after – Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritence – locking in fan attention. However the movie version didn’t captivate audiences as well as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings franchises did. The story begins with a teenager named Eragon who finds a blue stone from which hatches a dragon called Saphira. Shortly after, strangers appear in the village making inquiries of the dragon and then they kill Eragon’s family. Eragon’s flight with Saphira and his ensuing adventures make up this popular book.

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Often authors don’t write with specific genres in mind so classifying a story becomes tricky. On occasion, fantasy may overlap with children’s books. I enjoyed some of these as a kid but I think they also fit on my Fantasy shelf.

3. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe – C S Lewis

The basis for the popular Chronicles of Narnia movies, this book begins when a young girl opens a wardrobe to find a gateway to the magical realm of Narnia. Lucy and her siblings in and out before getting caught up in Narnia’s adventures. At the end of it all, they are crowned Kings and Queens of the land. Many years later, as adults, they come to the portal again and find themselves back on the other side of the wardrobe as children.

4. The Wizard of Oz – L Frank Baum

“I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore, Toto!” says Dorothy Gale when she’s swept away by a tornado and right into the magical land of Oz. Along the way, Dorothy frees a Scarecrow, mobilizes a Tin Man and finds a Cowardly Lion. Together they set out to find the Wizard of Oz who, they hope, will help them find what they need. Their journey is beset by adventures with strange animals, deadly plants and wicked witches. They must bring together their brains (but the Scarecrow has none) and courage (sadly lacking in the Cowardly Lion) and passion (the Tin Man has no heart). Will they reach the Wizard and will he give them what they need? Will Dorothy ever get home?

5. Peter Pan – J M Barrie

This story of a boy who never grew up and who led a band of lost boys in Neverland has captivated readers and viewers alike for ages. Peter Pan is set in the grim reality of early twentieth century London where children were often kidnapped and sent on to gristly fates. The story weaves a lovely fantasy about what happens to those kids later. The main characters, Peter Pan and Wendy Darling are torn between the joys of freedom and the warmth of love. So this is also a story about different choices and how lives turn out in consequence. And finally it is also a thrilling tale of pirates, fairies, flying boys and magic.

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In talking about worlds that don’t exist, fantasy could take the form of predictive stories and merge with science fiction. Some modern fiction that doesn’t carry Science Fiction’s serious, high-brow tones, could fit into Fantasy.

6. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

This book finds a home in every geek’s heart, right next to the Star Wars mania. What started as a BBC radio series, caught popular sentiment so hard that it didn’t take the story long to make it into print. Due to its orgins, there is a reckless pace and rambling flow to the story, that curiously only makes it even better. The book starts with the Earth getting blown up to make way for a hyperspace
bypass, an event that, typical of governmental procedures, no one on the planet knows anything about. Steeped in British humour, the Guide lists such useful tips such as the importance of towels, how to make a Pan-Galactic Gargle-Blaster (which feels like having your head smashed with a golden brick that has a slice of lemon wrapped around it) and the danger of listening to Vogon poetry (‘Ode to a lump of green putty I found in my armpit this morning’).

7. Discworld – Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett paints a picture of Discworld as a flat world, carried on the backs of four elephants, which themselves stand together atop a giant turtle. The stories feature fantasy favorites like vampires and witches and glide from modern pop references to current political events to sheer funny fiction. My favorite Discworld books are not by title since every single one I’ve read is a real gem, but the ones with brightly illustrated covers since they capture the madness of
Discworld beautifully.

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Then there are the stories that really don’t sit comfortably in the genres they should seem to belong to, at a glance (Science-fiction, Horror etc). I think they’ll all find a home in Fantasy too.

8. Harry Potter – J K Rowling

No modern list of fantasy can be complete without a reference to the world’s most famous schoolboy. The story of a 11-year-old orphan who discovers that he is actually a wizard, has enthralled readers across the world. Harry Potter is undoubtedly the cult classic of our times and brought an entire generation of children back to the world of books. The series successfully combines two very popular genres – boarding school stories and fantasy. It draws liberally from
earlier fantasy references like trolls, dragons and wizards but also adds more contemporary facets like time travel, sports matches and subtle political satire. Turn your nose up at the pulpiness of the story or ravage it like it’s the last food on earth, you haven’t lived in our times if you haven’t read Harry Potter.

9. Twilight – Stephenie Meyer

Possibly the second most popular teen cultural reference after Harry Potter is the love story of a human being and a vampire. These books have also been categorized as horror and teen fiction. But the story’s origins are pure fantasy, right from the blood-thirsty ‘bad’ vampires to the boy next door who turns into a ferocious werewolf.

10. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass – Lewis
Carrol (Charles Dodgson)

Rumour has it that Alice was based on a nine-year-old girl that Charles Dodgson (who wrote under the name of Lewis Carroll) befriended. One afternoon, while out boating with Alice Liddell and her equally young sisters, Dodgson set about telling them a story to amuse them. The story began with Alice noticing a rabbit in a waistcoat who kept glancing at a pocket watch and muttering, “I’m late!”. Alice followed the rabbit down a rabbit hole and began a series of adventures ranging from changing in size, attending a mad tea-party, listening to a mind-twisting story and meeting all kinds of creatures, fictitious and otherwise. Dodgson was a professor of mathematics and perhaps that’s why there are hidden references to logical and mathematical conundrums. Also, the first book ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ is based on pack of playing cards while the second traces a chess game through the movement of the key characters in the book. Read the books for these hidden gems or just for the story – Alice is a delightful read for children
and adults, either way.

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If you liked this post, also read another of my FriendsOfBooks posts: ‘10 Great Vacation Reads For Children‘.

Friends Of Books 1: 10 Great Vacation Reads For Children

Remember the Bournvita Quiz contest with Derek O’ Brien with its jingle that went ‘Ba-ba-luba-ba-ba-books-books-BOOKS!’?

Much of a person’s attitude to reading depends on the books they’ve experienced, especially early in life. I was fortunate enough to meet a number of stories, early in my childhood. I think the best thing my parents ever did for me was to surround me with a lot of books. They opened up my mind, shaped my thinking and in general, made me a
better person.

I’m sharing ten of my most cherished memories from childhood reading in my first post over at Friends of Books. If you’ve loved books too or have a child who does, leave a comment telling me about your favorite books too!

Click here to read ‘10 Great Vacation Reads For Children’ at Friends of Books.

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1. One Thousand And One Nights:

A Sultan believing that all women are unfaithful, takes a new wife each night and has her executed the following morning. One of these wives, is Scheherazade, the daughter of his Vazir, who offers to entertain him by telling him a story. Her tale intrigues him enough to pardon her for another night,provided she has another story to tell. And thus begins a ritual where each story buys Scheherazade another day of life. When she finally runs out of stories, nearly three years later, the Sultan pardons her and installs her as his queen. Scheherazade’s stories are compiled as Alif Laila, more popularly known as the Arabian Nights. The collection includes classics like Ali Baba, Aladdin and Sindbad. I was also intrigued by stories of the wise Caliph of Baghdad, simple-minded Abu Sir and his greedy friend Abu Kir and several others. Any child really should be introduced to the colourful, exotic world of the Arabian Nights.

2. The Just So stories – Rudyard Kipling

I received this short story collection as a gift and I assumed that it had been given to me as ‘meaningful reading’. So I was pleasantly surprised to find it full of nuggets like ‘How the leopard got his spots’, ‘How the camel got his hump’, ‘How the alphabet was made’ and ‘The butterfly that stamped’. What’s more, the book was interspersed with beautiful illustrations of the stories. Each picture was accompanied by a caption, half a page long, which described the picture but also a conspiratorial note from the author on why he drew it in a certain way, what he was thinking and where the pencil slipped, causing mistakes. This last will tickle children who are constantly dodging the perfect world of adult admonitions to ‘stay within the lines’.

3. Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne – Upendrakishore Roychoudhury

Upendrakishore Roychoudhury created the tale of two struggling musicians, ostracized because their music annoys everyone else to distraction. Goopy Gyne and Bagha Byne, have since crept into contemporary folklore through songs and dramatic enactments of their stories. Roychoudhury’s vibrant story was later made into a film by his grandson, the noted film-maker, Satyajit Ray. I found an English translation of this book, well into my adult years but I immensely enjoyed
meeting Goopy and Bagha.

4. Swami and Friends – R K Narayan

R K Narayan’s tales of a quaint, fictitious little town called Malgudi situated on the banks of the Cauvery river have charmed Indian audiences for many years. Those who grew up in the 80s will remember the television series based on Malgudi Days (featuring Anant Nag). Swami, one of the most popular characters of R K Narayan’s quaint universe, is a 10-year-old boy growing up in British Raj India. He dodges bullies in the school playground, leaves a special offering to God before his examinations, listens to his grandmother’s stories and tries to avoid school and his father’s scolding. Even with the historical setting, Swami’s endearing antics make his stories relatable and thoroughly enjoyable.

5. The Wind In The Willows – Kenneth Grahame

A serious Badger, an earnest Mole, a laidback Rat and a troublesome but lovable Toad are the four characters that make up this funny story of friends. Toad is the richest of the four and most inclined to fall into problems but never learn from them. The other three embark on a quest, led by Badger, to reform Toad of his bratty ways. It’s usually a young children’s book that uses animals as key characters. However the characters, their relationships, conversations and the episodes in their lives are so human that this story is extremely relatable, not to mention entertaining for much older readers.

6. Heidi – Johanna Spyri

From the Swiss Alps, comes the story of Heidi, a five-year-old girl left in the care of her gruff grandfather. The early chapters of Heidi depict rural life as seen through the eyes of a child. Later, Heidi is taken to Frankfurt to be a companion to a rich, crippled girl called Klara. Heidi grows to love Klara but struggles with the city life, so different from her past. Eventually she returns to her home, her grandfather and her shepherd friend, Peter. Heidi is a simple tale of childhood, of friendship, of fear and loss. The beautiful descriptions of the mountains of Switzerland and the bustle of European cities leave the reader spellbound.

7. Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain

Whether you read this in original or an abridged pocket book (like I did), Tom Sawyer’s antics will appeal to the little rascal in every one of us. The most famous anecdote in this young scamp’s story involves Tom convincing other boys to pay him (in sweets, marbles, knobs, dead insects and other objects of strange curiosity to the boy-child) for the honor of doing his chores – painting the house fence. Tom is constantly in trouble with his strict (and harried) aunt, resents his good-boy brother, falls in love with the new girl in town, defies the town convention by befriending social outcast Huckleberry Finn (who has a book of his own), fakes his death and does everything and anything that a naughty boy possibly could.

8. Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing – Judy Blume

Judy Blume writes some of the most popular books for young people today. Her stories are set in urban/suburban America but have a certain universal appeal because the stories are about sibling rivalry, playground bullies, school problems and adolescent friendships. Peter Warren is the narrator of all the ‘Fudge’ books. In Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing, we meet nine-year-old Peter who lives in New York City with his parents and his younger brother ‘Fudge’ (who Peter says is his biggest problem). Fudge swallows Peter’s turtle, ruins his school project, misbehaves in public and embarrasses Peter. Anybody who has ever had a sibling will relate to Peter’s troubles and love how he approaches life.

9. Pippi Longstocking – Astrid Lindgren

I met Pippi in an excerpt in the Childcraft books. I must have been roughly nine (Pippi’s age) and my mind was instantly filled with visions of living in a mansion by myself and having a horse on the back porch just like the young heroine herself. Pippi loses her mother at birth and then her father, a ship captain is lost at sea. He leaves her a suitcase full of gold coins, a monkey named Mr.Nelson and shoes twice her size, for her to grow into. Pippi is also the strongest girl in the world so she can lift her horse into the dining room when she feels like company, defeat the strong man in the circus and do many other wonderful things. But Pippi having spent most of her life at sea, is unfamiliar with local norms and social customs. A comedy of errors ensues; her adventures followed by her neighbors Tommy and Anika. The high-spirited Pippi is part super heroine and part comic relief in her own story which will appeal to young readers of both sexes.

10. The Little Prince – Antonie St.Exupery

My sole saving grace about the start of school, was a new English textbook. Among the many memorable stories, I was captivated by a young artist who drew a picture of a elephant inside a boa constrictor, which was mistaken for a hat by the adults. Years later, I worked with the college magazine. Its editor, the Literature professor gifted me this book for my efforts. When I turned the page, sure enough there was the picture of the elephant within a boa constrictor. In the story, the child artist becomes a pilot who, on crashing into a desert, meets a solemn lad who demands that he draw him a sheep. The Little Prince goes on to regale the author with stories of his own life on a tiny planet with three volcanoes (which he cleans out meticulously every day), baobab trees and a single rose. The Little Prince is a class fairytale, layered with many meanings. Read it as a child and enjoy the sunset world of the Prince. Or read it as an adult when you need a little perspective on life, love and inspiration.