Fantasy is one of the most profitable literary genres out there, one which has produced several of the bestselling books the world has ever seen. Who could possibly be surprised? After all, few stories are rarely more universally entertaining than when they explore these sorts of immensely imaginative premises and are full of magic, wonderful fictional worlds, and fascinating mythological creatures.
Whether it's part of a huge book series, like the many installments of Harry Potter which feature among the bestselling fictional books of all time; or a groundbreaking standalone novel like Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, these exceptional works of masterful speculative fiction demonstrate just how hugely profitable the genre has proven to be throughout the years. As fantasy continues to be a behemoth of the publishing industry going into the 21st century, it's always worth checking out these incredible books.
10 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' (2003)
Image via Bloomsbury PublishingIt's absolutely no secret that J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series sold like hot cakes from its first installment until its last, so it's also entirely unsurprising that several of the bestselling fantasy books of all time are Harry Potter books. The fact that a novel as commercially successful as the fifth installment in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, somehow still sits near the bottom of the pack is a testament to the universal appeal of this whole multimedia franchise.
While the first four books in the series were written at a rapid one-book-per-year pace, Rowling spent three years working on Order of the Phoenix, and it's abundantly easy to see why. It's one of the biggest and most complex fantasy books in the history of middle grade and young adult literature, and that's why it isn't the least bit surprising that the novel has sold over 65 million copies worldwide—5 million of those sold in its first 24 hours of publication alone.
9 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' (2000)
Image via Bloomsbury PublishingWith the benefit of hindsight, many fans of MG and YA fantasy nowadays confidently say that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the best book in the series, and it isn't difficult to see why. With Rowling distancing herself from the usual structure provided by Hogwarts' school year and instead offering something entirely different in the premise of the Triwizard Tournament, she created what has aged as one of the most fun fantasy books of all time.
The book has sold over 65 million copies wolrdwide, and with 3 million of those sales coming from its first weekend in the United States alone, it smashed previous industry records for a book's opening weekend. It should come as no surprise that Goblet of Fire did as well as it did, because it really is a universally entertaining piece of fantasy literature that anyone and everyone who loves the genre should check out at least once in their lives.
8 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (1999)
Image via Bloomsbury PublishingOnly one Harry Potter book ever won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and that was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Fittingly, many casual fans would rank it as their favorite book in the series, and that wouldn't be a crazy take at all. Inspired by her own battles with severe clinical depression, Rowling wrote Prisoner of Azkaban, the darkest and most emotionally mature book in the series up to that point.
With time, the novel has only gotten better with age in the field of MG fantasy. With its having sold over 65 million copies worldwide, it contributed greatly to the Harry Potter series eventually becoming the bestselling book series in history by a pretty decent margin. With its compelling character-driven narrative, its unprecedentedly grown-up themes, and the many riveting ways in which it expands the series' lore, it's the book where Harry Potter firmly established itself as a fantasy book series that anyone—not just kids—could enjoy.
7 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' (1998)
Image via Bloomsbury PublishingJ. K. Rowling always planned for Harry Potter to be a seven-book series, but after the first book had a level of success that absolutely no one—certainly not even Rowling herself—could have ever predicted, the author found it difficult to write Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets while hoping to live up to the expectations set by its predecessor. In the end, the sequel absolutely did live up to the hype, and the numbers prove that.
Chamber of Secrets has sold an estimated 77 million copies worldwide, and it made Rowling the first author ever to win the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year Award two years in a row. Even though fans nowadays tend to rank Chamber of Secrets among the weaker Harry Potter books, it's still an undeniably fantastic piece of children's literature, one whose profitability makes it unsurprising that the series continued to do as well as it did going forward.
6 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (1865)
Image via MacmillanThere are remarkably few fantasy books more influential than The Lord of the Rings, and Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is arguably among them. This classic cornerstone of English-language children's literature was the world's introduction to Alice and Wonderland, and is generally regarded as one of the greatest works of Victorian literature. It helped end the era of children's literature being purely didactic, bringing in a style of books for children whose main aim was to entertain and tickle the imagination.
The book has sold over 100 million copies worldwide since its publication, and has been the reason why many a kid has fallen in love with reading from an early age. But though it's aimed at younger audiences, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is the sort of fantasy classic so enchantingly creative and unique that anyone who loves fantasy, regardless of their age, should be able to enjoy it thoroughly.
5 'The Hobbit' (1937)
Image via George Allen & UnwinBack in the early 1930s, an opening sentence came to J. R. R. Tolkien in a flash of inspiration: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." From that flash of inspiration came a children's novel that would spark a book series which would completely revolutionize fantasy literature forever: The Hobbit, far and away one of the most influential adventure books of all time.
Has continued to age as one of the most beloved pieces of children's literature in history.
The book has sold over 100 million copies worldwide as a single standalone volume, and has continued to age as one of the most beloved pieces of children's literature in history. The novel's unique fairytale style and the timeless beauty of Tolkien's prose turned The Hobbit into an instant cultural phenomenon, and now, no matter one's age, it's still a must-read for anyone who claims to be a lover of the fantasy genre.
4 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' (1997)
Image via Bloomsbury PublishingThe world nowadays tends to take the whole Harry Potter franchise for granted, which makes it easy to forget just how unprecedented of a smash hit Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) really was. Far more than just one of the best low fantasy books of all time, and far more than just one of the most important pieces of children's literature of the 20th century, it's the kind of book that everyone should read at least once in their lives.
Several publishers rejected Rowling's manuscript before Bloomsbury finally took on the project, and in the years following that fateful decision, Sorcerer's Stone has sold more than 120 million copies worldwide. The wonderfully immersive world-building, strong character work, and enrapturing sense of imagination that make the book so special have all aged like fine wine. Even in spite of Rowling's condemnable personal views, there's no denying how impressive it is that a whopping half of the 10 highest-selling fantasy books in history are Harry Potter books.
3 'The Alchemist' (1988)
Image via HarperOneBrazilian writer Paulo Coelho is one of the biggest and most widely-read authors in the history of Brazilian literature, mostly thanks to The Alchemist. This paragon of Latin American literature earned Coelho a Guinness World Record for the most translated book by a living author, having been translated to over 80 different languages since 1988. It's not often that a fantasy book originally written in a language other than English gains this level of international mainstream prominence.
How, then, is it possible that a Brazilian fantasy adventure has thus far sold over 150 million copies around the world? It was all thanks to incredible word-of-mouth, the book's powerfully spiritual and universally appealing themes, and Coelho having kept fighting hard to make the novel a success despite its initial failure in Brazil. The rest is history, as The Alchemist is now one of the most widely-read fiction novels in history.
2 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954–1955)
Image via HarperCollinsTalking about The Lord of the Rings' sales is complicated, because even though Tolkien wrote it as a single book, it was published (and has generally been sold) as three separate volumes. But from The Fellowship of the Ring to The Two Towers to The Return of the King, this quintessential fantasy epic has been nothing but a smash hit in every sense imaginable, now being widely remembered as the most important, groundbreaking, and influential fantasy book of the entire 20th century.
There are many adventure books more exciting than most movies being made today, and Lord of the Rings is certainly one of them. The book has now sold over 150 million copies worldwide, and fantasy fans around the world continue discovering, re-discovering, and falling in love with the absolute literary wonder that is the story of Frodo, the One Ring, and Middle-earth.
1 'The Little Prince' (1943)
Image via Reynal & HitchcockHistory has never seen a fantasy book that has sold more copies worldwide than the French novella The Little Prince, written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It's a classic which has been translated into 600 different languages and dialects worldwide, making it the second most translated literary work in history, right behind the Bible. It was penned by de Saint-Exupéry while in exile in New York during World War II, as a way to find comfort from his distress over the war and his distance from home.
The Little Prince is a children's book so wonderfully magical and charming that it could be a perfect way for young readers to transition into reading more "grown up" books, but it also delivers such universally resonant messages on life, humanity, adulthood, and growing up that anyone—regardless of their age—should find it enthralling. Indeed, it's one of those fantasy books that are perfect from the first page to the last, and a must-read for anyone who loves books.
Collider Exclusive · Middle-earth Quiz
Which Lord of the Rings
Character Are You?
One Quiz · Ten Questions · Your Fate Revealed
The road goes ever on. From the green hills of the Shire to the fires of Mount Doom, every soul in Middle-earth carries a destiny. Ten questions stand between you and the truth of who you are. Answer honestly — the One Ring has a way of revealing what we most want to hide.
💍Frodo
🌿Samwise
👑Aragorn
🔥Gandalf
🏹Legolas
⚒️Gimli
👁️Sauron
🪨Gollum
BEGIN YOUR QUEST →
01
You are handed a responsibility that could destroy you. What do you do? The weight of the world falls on unlikely shoulders.
AAccept it. Someone has to, and running changes nothing. BStay by the side of whoever carries it. They shouldn't go alone. CStep forward and lead. This is exactly what I was made for. DIt's mine now. I won't let anyone else have it.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
Your closest companion is heading into terrible danger. You: True loyalty is revealed not in comfort, but in crisis.
AFollow them without hesitation. I'd rather die beside them than live without them. BRally others and forge a plan to help — strength in numbers. COffer wisdom and guidance. My counsel may save them where swords cannot. DLet them go. Only the strong survive, and sentiment is a weakness.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
Enormous power is within your reach. Your instinct is: Power corrupts — but only those who reach for it.
ADestroy it. Nothing good comes from power this absolute. BUse it to protect those I love — just this once. CWield it wisely. I have the will and the knowledge to do good with it. DSeize it. I have waited long enough. It belongs to me.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
What does "home" mean to you? Where we long to return reveals who we truly are.
AA simple, peaceful place — green hills, good food, no adventure required. BWherever the people I love are. Home is a feeling, not a place. CA kingdom I must earn before I can truly claim it as mine. DI lost it long ago. That loss is what drives everything I do.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
When a battle is upon you, your approach is: War reveals what we are made of — whether we like it or not.
ASurvive by any means. I'm not a fighter — but I'll do what I must. BFight for the person beside me, not for glory or honour. CLead the charge. Nothing inspires an army like a king at the front. DStrike from range, fast and precise — never let them get close.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
Someone comes to you for advice in their darkest hour. You: Wisdom is not knowing all the answers — it's knowing which questions to ask.
AListen, then offer honest encouragement. Sometimes people just need belief. BGive them practical help — words are fine, but action is better. CSpeak carefully. I have seen much, and I know what counsel can cost. DTell them what they want to hear. Trust is a tool like any other.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
How do you see yourself, honestly? Self-knowledge is the most dangerous kind.
ASmall and ordinary — but perhaps that's exactly why I was chosen. BDefined entirely by who I serve and love. I am nothing without them. CForged by hardship into something the world has not yet fully seen. DDiminished from what I once was — and consumed by the need to reclaim it.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
Which of these best describes your relationship with the natural world? Middle-earth speaks to those who know how to listen.
AI find peace in it — forests, rivers, open skies. Nature restores me. BI prefer the earth underfoot — stone, mines, solid and real things. CI have watched the world change for longer than most can comprehend. DNature offers hiding places, cold water, raw fish. That's enough for me.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
You encounter a wretched, pitiable creature who has done terrible things. You: How we treat the fallen reveals the height of our character.
AShow mercy. Even the most broken souls deserve a chance at redemption. BPity them — but never trust them. They made their choices. CSee them as a tool. Their knowledge or skills may still serve a purpose. DDestroy them before they can cause more harm. Mercy is a luxury we cannot afford.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
When the quest is over and the songs are sung, what do you hope they say about you? In the end, we are all just stories.
AThat an ordinary person did an extraordinary thing — and came home. BThat I never abandoned the person who needed me most. CThat I was worthy of the crown — and everything it demanded. DNothing. I don't need songs. I needed it, and now it's gone.
REVEAL MY FATE →
The Fellowship Has Spoken Your Place in Middle-earth
The scores below reveal your true character. Your highest number is your match. Even a tie tells a story — the Fellowship was never made of simple people.
💍 Frodo
🌿 Samwise
👑 Aragorn
🔥 Gandalf
🏹 Legolas
⚒️ Gimli
👁️ Sauron
🪨 Gollum
You carry something heavy — and you carry it alone, even when you don't have to. You were not born for greatness, and that is precisely why greatness chose you. Your courage is not the roaring, sword-swinging kind; it is quiet, stubborn, and terrifying in its refusal to quit. The Ring weighs on you more than anyone can see, and still you walk toward the fire. That is not weakness. That is the rarest kind of strength there is.
You are, without question, the best of them. Not the most powerful, not the most celebrated — but the most essential. Your loyalty is not a trait; it is a force of nature. You would carry the person you love up the slopes of Mount Doom if it came to that, and we both know you'd do it without being asked. The world needs more people like you, and the world is lucky it has even one.
You were born to lead, and you have spent years running from it. The crown is yours by right, but you know better than anyone that right means nothing without the will and the worthiness to back it up. You are tempered by loss, shaped by long roads, and defined by a code of honour you hold to even when no one is watching. When you finally step forward, the world shifts. Because it was always waiting for you.
You have seen more than you let on, and you say less than you know — which is exactly as it should be. You are a catalyst: you do not fight the battles yourself, you ignite the people who can. Your wisdom comes not from books but from an age of watching what happens when it is ignored. You arrive precisely when you mean to, and your presence alone changes what is possible. A wizard is never late.
Graceful, perceptive, and almost preternaturally calm under pressure — you see things others miss and act before others react. You do not need to make a scene to be remarkable; your presence speaks for itself. You are loyal to those you choose to stand beside, and that choice is not made lightly. You have lived long enough to know that the most beautiful things in this world are also the most fragile, and that is why you fight to protect them.
You are loud, proud, and absolutely formidable — and beneath all of that is one of the most fiercely loyal hearts in Middle-earth. You don't do anything by half measures. Your friendships are forged like iron, your grudges run as deep as mines, and your courage in battle is the kind that makes legends. You came into this fellowship suspicious of everyone and ended it willing to die for an elf. That is not a small thing. That is everything.
You think in centuries and act in absolutes. Order, dominion, control — not because you are cruel by nature, but because you have decided that the world left to itself always falls apart, and you are the only one with the vision and the will to hold it together. You were not always this. Something was lost, or taken, or betrayed, and the version of you that stands now is the answer to that wound. The tragedy is that you're not entirely wrong — just entirely too far gone to course-correct.
You are a study in contradiction — pitiable and dangerous, cunning and broken, capable of both cruelty and something that once resembled love. You are defined by loss: of innocence, of self, of the one thing that gave your existence meaning. Two voices war inside you constantly, and the tragedy is that the better one sometimes wins, just not often enough, and never at the right moment. You are a warning, yes — but also a mirror. We are all a little Gollum, given the right ring and enough time.
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