The Most Influential Fantasy Books of the 1980s

Yes, Butler is better known for Kindred (1979) and her Earthseed series (1993), but in the middle of the 1980s, she was inspiring a whole generation of fantasy novels with characters we did not have to like. In fact, I will go so far as to say you are likely to hate Doro, but his role in the story is so essential for a deeper understanding of how the world builds around him and the main character, Anyanwu. It was the first of the Patternmaster series, blending fantasy with some very science-fiction concepts and giving us an opportunity to see how the two can work together under the deft hand of talented writers like Butler.

Winner of the 1981 Booker Prize, the English Speaking Union Literary Award, and the James Tait Prize…and yet none of them want to categorise it as “fantasy.” Instead, they call it historical fiction with fabulism. This was a turning point for fantasy in the 1980s; Rushdie showed us how we can be more vocal, more blatant, more direct in our political commentary within our fantastical escapism. This was always a loose allegory for the partition of India in 1947, but ignoring the fantasy elements of telepathic powers and supernatural powers denies the power of escapism in helping us understand complex social situations.

If you ever read Magician and thought, “This has D&D vibes” — you were right. Feist and his friends originally created the fantasy world “Midkemia” during their college years. It’s that same camaraderie that permeates the entire series and subsequently inspired 1980s fantasy books. By the way, there are really two parts to this: Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. Feist’s world-building grows from the first to the second, so make sure you read both. Most fantasy fans will strongly proclaim Magician as a defining moment in fantasy novels in general.

Queen of the gender-role-reversal, many girls in the 1980s dreamed of being just like Alanna. There are a few problematic issues (such as with 15/17-year-olds in love with an 11-year-old girl ), which reflect what we accepted with the time. Revisiting this book, it is filled with many tropes from 1980s fantasy books, but then again, they weren’t tropes when this was first published. Instead, Pierce wrote the book she saw was missing from young girls’ lives and inspired us to look for more.

Can you really have any list of 1980s fantasy books and not have Sir Terry Pratchett on this list? The first of the first books to rise from the back of a giant turtle, The Colour of Magic, introduces us to Discworld under the (mis-) guidance of the inept wizard Rincewind as our tour guide. This is the best of Comic Fantasy and clearly one of the most influential fantasy books of the 1980s (and forever more). Pratchett was the king of one-liners and socio-commentary. For more great Discworld reading, check out Priya’s guide for Your Discworld Reading Order.

Normally, I recommend reading the original before the translated version if you can. But in all honesty, Le Guin is the perfect partner for this because she understands the same storytelling techniques and subtle magic of Gorodischer. Thanks to fellow Rioter Margaret for this recommendation; I devoured it and then lamented for not reading it during the 1980s. This is one of the best examples of how stories build a city. It is not one single work of worldbuilding but an intricate collection of connected stories linked by an Empire that begins to shine as a character itself. If this is your thing, you’ll love our 9 Books About Cities list.

Eiko once said, “I believe all of us have at least one special magic power.” In a world filled with witches on broomsticks, Eiko’s Kiki stood out as a focal point for finding one thing you are good at and making it work for you. Seeing a fantasy book where the main protagonist did not have to be good at everything was refreshing. Being a witch did not instantly make you good at everything magical. Kiki could fly, and that was it. It was so good it was picked up almost immediately by Studio Ghibli to be made into a full anime film that is now a classic in its own right.

You know a book has had mega-influence when your main character has its own certified and nationally recognised celebration day. Seriously, May 9th is Goku Day, in honour of the main character from Dragon Ball. Let’s face it: this manga series is one of the driving forces behind the rise in popularity of manga during the 1980s, and it is still going strong. You can see the fantastic elements of Dragon Ball that have influenced many other fantasy stories since the 1980s. Thanks to Dragon Ball, we have power scaling, character transformations, power beams, and — let us not forget — shonen hairstyles.

This collection of 24 folktales was a turning point for reading children’s stories of enslaved Africans. Hamilton was praised for her ability to write the tales in “The Black English of the slave storytellers.” While the fantasy tales were not Hamilton’s own work, her retelling made them accessible to young people across the United States in a manner that did not hide the history of the people. This has always been one of the best examples of sharing original fantasy storytelling in a new format without removing anything from the original work.

We all love the movie from Studio Ghibli, but this is definitely one of those moments where the book is better than the movie. Diana Wynne Jones has always been admired for her social observations, weaving them into her writing with wit and insight. Her works, including the Howl’s Moving Castle series, have been compared with Robin McKinley and Neil Gaiman, both of whom are good friends and have openly expressed Jones as an inspiration. This particular book became a keystone for Studio Ghibli, inspired by Jones’s storytelling and her fantastical portrayal of the main character, Sophie.

Jacques originally wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool. This was one of the biggest motivations for the highly descriptive writing style, using his words to paint the mental imagery of every single scene. Redwall offered the complete package for fantasy storytelling. Jacques included action, poetry, songs, and brave characters who seriously didn’t know what they were doing half the time — except that it was the right thing to do. While later books in the series began to feel a little repetitive, there is no denying the impact of the original Redwall, serving up a fantasy book so influential in the 1980s that even the repeated storylines still feel good.

Tamora Pierce (mentioned above) once described this book as a “dream date” with a broad collection of characters who often expressed conflicting interests. Some critics commented on the aloof nature of the main protagonist; however, many fan groups have pointed out the reflection of neurodivergence in the characters. These conflicting interests were a break from fantasy stereotypes and showed the potential of having characters who did not fit social norms. It is one of the earliest books to depict a neurodivergent protagonist in an empowering way. Yes, they are classified as misfits, but they are also considered for great opportunities. This is also possibly the birthplace of YA Dystopia, or at least before YA Dystopia was “cool.”

If you’re a fan of the Fantasy of Manners, then you have Ellen Kushner to thank. We’re talking about the fantastical school of etiquette, where highly regimented social settings dictate every step of the road that lies before our humble characters. It’s an eloquent dance of magic and melodrama — and no one did it better than Kushner with her groundbreaking Swordspoint. You can see the influence flow through fellow Rioter Alex and their 8 Takes on a Fantasy of Manners.

Originally published in Japanese in 1988 as Sorairo Magatama, Dragon Sword and Wind Child was later translated into English in 1993 and became a huge influence across the world. Fans of the latest Legend of Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom, may recognise the symbolic magatama featured on the cover from prehistoric Japan. Ogiwara was influential in her ability to take all the fantasy tropes of the 1980s and flip every single one.