Young Adult Fantasy continued to enjoy popularity, with the publication of McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, Goldman’s The Princess Bride and McKinley’s Beauty (an early work of the currently popular sub-genre of YA Fairy Tale Retellings). Ballantine’s publication of Evangeline Walton’s 1936 novel The Island of the Mighty and its formerly unpublished sequels was an important in inspiring the sub-genres of Celtic Fantasy and Historical Fantasy. Launched in 1969 and edited by Lin Carter, the line consisted mostly of reprints of novels from earlier decades and brought many newfound popularity. Ballantine used it to launch their new subsidiary Del Rey Books, and its success further boosted the commercial expansion of the genre.Īnother significant development in the 70s was the publication of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. In 1977 Terry Brook’s The Sword of Shannara became the first fantasy fiction novel to make The New York Times bestseller list, appealing to readers who had fallen in love with The Lord of the Rings. The Neverending Story / Die Unendliche Geschichte, Michael Ende, 1979 The Sword of Shannara (Shannara Trilogy), Terry Brooks, 1977īeauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, Robin McKinley, 1978 Lord Foul’s Bane (Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever), Stephen R. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, Patricia McKillip, 1974Ī Spell for Chameleon (Xanth), Piers Anthony, 1977 Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles), Anne Rice, 1976

The Princess Bride, William Goldman, 1973 Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber), Roger Zelzany, 1970Įlric of Melniboné (The Elric Saga), Michael Moorcock, 1972

Another Fine Myth by Robert Lynn Asprin