Best Fantasy Books of 1978

Below you will find a list of the fantasy books published in 1978 that we enjoyed most. Click on a book title to read the full review.

The Stand by Stephen King

If you call yourself any kind of reader of speculative fiction and can appreciate a truly rich and complex book, The Stand is a must read. Even if you’ve never read Stephen King before, even if neither horror nor post-apocalyptic are your usual genre choice, you won’t be disappointed. The writing is excellent, the imagery horrifying and the atmosphere hypnotic. After the first few pages you will either find yourself hooked or repelled… it’s that kind of book. But if you want to read one of the greatest examples of dystopian fiction with a healthy dose of fantasy thrown in then look no further.

Published: 1978

The Illearth War by Stephen Donaldson (Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever: Book 2)

Thomas Covenant finds himself once again summoned to the Land. The Council of Lords needed him to move against Foul the Despiser who holds the Illearth Stone, ancient source of evil power. But although Thomas Covenant has the legendary ring, he doesn't know how to use its strength, and risks losing everything...

"The Illearth War is an excellent continuation of the Thomas Covenant series, consistently compelling and full of great battle scenes. Those who enjoyed Tolkien's The Two Towers will be in their element here as similarities can be found with the epic defence of Helm’s Deep as the Land’s forces face almost insurmountable odds in the form of an army fuelled by hate, and changed by the dread powers of the titular illearth stones." Floresiensis, Fantasy Book Review

Published: 1978