The Greatest Fantasy Stories
This selection of fantasy stories is based on the continuing research carried out for The Greatest Literature of All Time and additional research into fantasy works acclaimed by the world's readers, writers, critics and scholars.
For The Greatest Fantasy Stories list, stories are defined as having fewer than 17,500 words, usually capable of being read in about an hour or less. You may also be interested in The Greatest Fantasy Literature or The Greatest Fantasy Series.
The list is continually updated as new works are discovered and appreciation of older works evolves. Please note the revision date when citing the list.
Latest update: September 7, 2025
The 55 greatest fantasy stories
1697
"Cinderella"
by Charles Perrault, France
Story, originally Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre
1812
"Snow White"
by Jacob and Wilhelm, Germany
Story
1816
"The Sandman"
by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Germany
Story
1819
"The Vampyre"
by John William Polidori, England
Story
"The Spectre Bridegroom"
by Washington Irving, United States
Story
1820
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
Story
First thing to remember about "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is that it's a short work. By word count it qualifies as a story, as opposed to a novella or a novel, which it is sometimes called. It's to the credit.... Critique • Quotes • At the movies • Buy
1828
"The Tapestried Chamber"
by Walter Scott, Scotland
Story
1834
"The Queen of Spades"
by Alexander Pushkin, Russia
Story, originally Pikovaya dama
1836
"Clarimonde"
by Théophile Gautier, France
Story, originally
La Morte amoureuse, also known as "The Dreamlad Bride", "The Dead Leman", or "The Vampire",
Even a reader who is not into horror can get something out of the supernaturally charged writings of Théophile Gautier, especially his story "Clarimonde"—also known in English translation as "The Dreamland Bride".... Critique • Quotes • Buy
"The Nose"
by Nikolai Gogol, Ukraine
Story
1839
"The Spectre of Tappington"
by Richard Harris Barham, England
Story
"The Fall of the House of Usher"
Story
1842
"The Masque of the Red Death"
Story
1843
"The Tell-Tale Heart"
Story
1844
"The Snow Queen"
by Hans Christian Andersen, Dednmark
Story, originally Snedronningen
1845
"The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar"
Story
1852
"A Terribly Strange Bed"
Story
1872
"Green Tea"
by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Ireland
Story
1893
"The Damned Thing"
by Ambrose Bierce, United States
Story
1865
"The Trial for Murder"
Story
1866
"The Signal-Man"
Story
1887
"The Horla, or Modern Ghostsn"
by Guy de Maupassant, France
Story
1898
"The Man Who Could Work Miracles"
by H.G. Wells, England
Story
1891
"The Bottle Imp"
Story
1902
"The Monkey's Paw"
by W.W. Jacobs, England
Story
"The Monkey's Paw" is a story so well known for its plot that its writing and style are sometimes forgotten. In fact, it seems not to have been written by anyone at all, but must have filtered down to us as folk tale or.... Critique • Quotes • Text • Buy
1904
"The White People"
by Arthur Machen, Wales
Story
1911
"Casting the Runes"
by M.R. James, England
Story
1906
"The Door in the Wall"
by H.G. Wells, England
Story
1912
"Laura"
by H.H. Munro, England
Story
1914
"The Open Window"
by H.H. Munro, England
Story
1922
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Story
1926
"The Rocking-Horse Winner"
by D.H. Lawrence, England
Story
D.H. Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner" is one of those stories frequently found in school anthologies and taught to English literature students. Or at least it used to be. For educators, part of the story's classroom appeal may be.... Critique • Quotes • Buy
1927
"The Colour Out of Space"
by H.P. Lovecraft, United States
Story
1928
"The Call of Chhulthu"
by H.P. Lovecraft, United States
Story
"The Dunwich Horror"
by H.P. Lovecraft, United States
Story
1935
"The Curfew Tolls"
by Stephen Vincent Benét, United States
Story
1939
"The Visit to thre Museum"
by Vladimir Nabokov, Russia
Story
1973
"Pages from a Young Girl's Journal"
by Robert Aickman, England
Story
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas"
Story
1975
"Belsen Express"
by Fritz Leiber, United States
Story
1977
"The Chimney"
by Ramsey Campbell, English
Story
1979
"Mackintosh Willy"
by Ramsey Campbell, English
Story
"The Snow Child"
by Angela Carter, English
Story
1980
"The Ugly Chicken"
by Howard Waldrop, United States
Story
1981
"The Reach"
by Stephen King, United States
Story
1983
"The Gorgon"
by Tanith Lee, England
Story
1987
"Buffalo Girls, Won't You Come Out Tonight"
Story
1988
"Winter Solstice, Camelot Station"
by John M. Ford, United States
Poem
1992
"This Year's Class Picture"
by Dan Simmons, United States
Story
1994
"The Man in the Black Suit"
by Stephen King, United States
Story
2010
"Fossil Figures"
by Joyce Carol Oates, United States
Story
2011
"The Paper Managerie"
by Ken Liu, United States
Story
2015
"Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers"
by Alyssa Wong, United States
Story
2017
"Das Steingeschöpf"
by G.V. Anderson, England
Story
"The Birding: A Fairy Tale"
by Natalia Theodoridou, Greece
Story
