Fantasy awards have given us some incredible winners over the years.
But what about the books that didn’t win?
In this episode of Fantasy for the Ages, we’re counting down the 30 greatest fantasy novels ever nominated for major fantasy awards that never actually took home the trophy. These are the bridesmaids of fantasy literature—the books that earned Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, or British Fantasy Award nominations, captured the hearts of readers, sold millions of copies, and became genre classics… yet somehow never heard their name called on awards night.
From epic fantasy giants and beloved dragon adventures to urban fantasy masterpieces and modern classics, this list is packed with books that many readers would argue deserved a win.
Which fantasy masterpiece was the biggest awards snub of them all?
Let’s find out.
📚 Featured authors include:
George R. R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, J. K. Rowling, Anne McCaffrey, Naomi Novik, Jim Butcher, Joe Abercrombie, Lois McMaster Bujold, Guy Gavriel Kay, Patrick Rothfuss, Steven Erikson, Katherine Addison, Susanna Clarke, N. K. Jemisin, Scott Lynch, Rebecca Roanhorse, and many more.
💬 Which books on this list surprised you most?
💬 Which fantasy novel do YOU think was the greatest awards bridesmaid of all time?
💬 Which books were robbed?
Let us know in the comments!
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Want to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?
All the Werys of Pern: https://t.ly/N53p9
Black Sun: https://t.ly/Xaz3w
The City of Brass: https://t.ly/3wbMz
The City We Became: https://t.ly/a3ymF
A Clash of Kings: https://t.ly/UYaFH
The Curse of Chalion: https://t.ly/0jYJM
A Dance With Dragons: https://t.ly/cmOLN
A Feast for Crows: https://t.ly/wrXyl
A Game of Thrones: https://t.ly/oxs6I
Gardens of the Moon: https://t.ly/k7X6a
Gideon the Ninth: https://t.ly/Yssfk
The Goblin Emperor: https://t.ly/bXshN
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: https://t.ly/_SxSW
The Heroes: https://t.ly/yJe-n
His Majesty’s Dragon: https://t.ly/BrOkW
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: https://t.ly/rGQj3
Iron Council: https://t.ly/zYEoT
The Iron Dragon’s Daughter: https://t.ly/dcrcs
The Killing Moon: https://t.ly/TK77T
The Lies of Locke Lamora: https://t.ly/1UV3h
Piranesi: https://t.ly/gI34O
The Poppy War: https://t.ly/d6CIF
Skin Game: https://t.ly/MEvPw
Spinning Silver: https://t.ly/SI3Q7
A Storm of Swords: https://t.ly/FEoNc
Tea with the Black Dragon: https://t.ly/7bupt
The Ten Thousand Doors of January: https://t.ly/6a8Hh
Tigana: https://t.ly/VVxzk
Trail of Lightning: https://t.ly/EOozg
The Wheel of Time: https://t.ly/vmGYt
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0:00 - Opening
1:47 - List Criteria
3:31 - Still Waiting by the Punch Bowl (#30-21)
16:19 - Perpetually Stuck at the Head Table (#20-11)
24:49 - The Ones Who Should’ve Caught the Bouquet (#10-1)
32:14 - Wrap-up & Conclusion
México