Epic Fantasy Books of the 1980s
The 78 most-read epic fantasy books first published between 1980 and 1989, led by The Drawing of the Three (1987), Speaker for the Dead (1986) and The Crystal Shard (1988).
This list collects 78 books from the 1980s by 33 authors, published between 1980 and 1989. Books are ranked by how many readers have shelved, rated or downloaded them.
The Drawing of the Three
Stephen King
Speaker for the Dead
Orson Scott Card
The Crystal Shard
R. A. Salvatore
Pawn of Prophecy
David Eddings
Magician
Raymond E. Feist
Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth
J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien
The Dragonbone Chair
Tad Williams
Enchanters' End Game (The Belgariad)
David Eddings
Streams of Silver
R. A. Salvatore
A Darkness at Sethanon
Raymond E. Feist
Silverthorn
Raymond E. Feist
Moreta
Anne McCaffrey
Dragonsdawn
Anne McCaffrey
The Wishsong of Shannara
Terry Brooks
Arrows of the Queen
Mercedes Lackey
Wild Seed
Octavia E. Butler
The Renegades of Pern
Anne McCaffrey
Windhaven
George R. R. Martin, Lisa Tuttle
Daughter of the Empire
Raymond E. Feist, Janny Wurts
Adulthood Rites
Octavia E. Butler
The Fall of Gondolin
J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien
Prince of the Blood
Raymond E. Feist
Nerilka's Story
Anne McCaffrey
Queen of Sorcery
David Eddings
The Black Company
Glen Cook
Shadows Linger
Glen Cook
The Elfstones of Shannara
Terry Brooks
The White Rose
Glen Cook
Castle of Wizardry
David Eddings
Magic's Pawn
Mercedes Lackey
Sheepfarmer's Daughter (The Deed of Paksenarrion)
Elizabeth Moon
Taliesin (Pendragon Cycle #1)
Stephen R. Lawhead
Arrow's Flight (Heralds of Valdemar #2)
Mercedes Lackey
Magician's Gambit
David Eddings
War for the Oaks
Emma Bull
The Kingdom of Gods
N. K. Jemisin
The Black Company / Shadows Linger / The White Rose
Glen Cook
Shadow Games
Glen Cook
Shadow & Claw
Gene Wolfe
Merlín
Stephen R. Lawhead
The Girl Who Heard Dragons (Pern #8.5)
Anne McCaffrey
Helliconia Spring
Brian W. Aldiss
Forging the Darksword
Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Demon Lord of Karanda
David Eddings
Triumph of the Darksword
Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
The Oathbound (Vows and Honor #1)
Mercedes Lackey
Doom of the Darksword
Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
The Silver Spike
Glen Cook
Arthur
Stephen R. Lawhead, Frederick Davidson
Arrow's Fall (Heralds of Valdemar #3)
Mercedes Lackey, Christa Lewis
The Treason of Isengard
J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien
Divided Allegiance (The Deed of Paksenarrion, Book 2)
Elizabeth Moon
The king of Ys
Poul Anderson, Karen Anderson
The Weird of the White Wolf
Michael Moorcock
The Legend of Huma
Richard A. Knaak
The Riftwar Saga
Raymond E. Feist
The Sword and the Flame
Stephen R. Lawhead
'Ware Hawk
Andre Norton
Helliconia Summer
Brian W. Aldiss
The Warlords of Nin (The Dragon King #2)
Stephen R. Lawhead
A Man Rides Through
Stephen R. Donaldson
King Gilgamesh
Robert Silverberg
Oathbreakers (Vows and Honor #2)
Mercedes Lackey
Keeper of the Keys (Cycle of Fire, No 2)
Janny Wurts
The Fortress of the Pearl
Michael Moorcock
King's Dragon (Crown of Stars, Vol. 1)
Kate Elliott
Yarrow
Charles de Lint
Free Amazons of Darkover
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Elric at the End of Time
Michael Moorcock
Oath of Gold
Elizabeth Moon
Helliconia Winter
Brian W. Aldiss
Dragons of Darkness
Orson Scott Card
The Drawing of the Dark
Tim Powers
The Darkest Day
Dennis L. McKiernan
Wizardry and Wild Romance
Michael Moorcock
The Copper Crown
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
The Brega Path (Silver Call Duology)
Dennis L. McKiernan
The Pendragon cycle
Stephen R. Lawhead