Time compiled its list of the top 100 fantasy books of all time by gathering a panel of leading fantasy authors such as Neil Gaiman, Tomi Adeyemi, Cassandra Clare, George R.R. Martin, Marlon James, and Diana Gabaldon. These writers, who could not nominate their own work, joined with Time staff members to nominate their favorites. The group then ranked 250 nominees on the basis of “originality, ambition, artistry, critical and popular reception, and influence on the fantasy genre and literature more broadly.” The final list that resulted from their efforts emphasizes how imaginative fantasy fiction has developed from its early origins in oral storytelling to modern fantasy novels. According to Time magazine, these top 100 books help readers to trace human history and to better understand reality.
