The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones. In this ersatz guidebook, Wynne Jones hilariously skewers the worst cliches and gaffs we fantasy writers have wrecked upon our poor readers. Ever notice how prevalent stew is? Or how no one seems to wear socks? Or how horses seem to get at least 100 miles to the gallon with no rest? Long time fantasy fans will get a kick out of nailing their favorite writers, and I don't know a single fantasy author who has read this without the occasional "ouch!", self included. A real gem.

Wraeththu: The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit/the Bewitchments of Love and Hate/the Fulfilments of Fate and Desire/3 Books in 1 by Storm Constantine. An incredibly affordable one volume edition of Constantine's science fantasy trilogy. Androgyny, homoeroticism, sadism, lots and lots of sex and anguish. What more could you want?

Cauldron of Iniquity by Anne Lesley Groell. Third in her Cloak and Dagger series!

Door Number Three by Patrick O'Leary

The Gift by Patrick O'Leary

Mainline by Deborah Christian

Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop. At last, the conclusion to Anne's dazzling Dark Jewels Trilogy

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. Massive in length, massive in story, the beginning a classic series.

The Traitors of Irustan by Louise Marley. While this science fiction novel is reminiscent of works like The Handmaid's Tale, it is not as dark. The characters are wonderfully drawn, and while feminist in tone, Marley avoids vilifying any one group to make her point. I expect a Nebula nomination for this one.

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Years ago a very dear friend gave me this luscious leather-bound version. It's expensive, but beautifully made and a fitting format for one of the greatest fantasy trilogies ever. Often emulated, never topped, it is the seminal work of the genre.

Bored of the Rings: A Parody of JRR Tolkien's LOTR by Henry Beard and Douglas Kenney. Back in the late sixties, these two blasphemers, who were working at the Harvard Lampoon at the time, cooked up a drug-addled, sex-drenched, totally irreverent version of the The Great Classic. See boggies try to seduce elves! Trip out with Tim Benzedrine and his fair lady, Hashberry! Face off with the dread Ballhog! Extremely funny to those twisted enough to appreciate it.

Glorianna: or the Unfilled Queen. A Romance. by Michael Moorcock. Currently out of print, but available in used bookstores and libraries. Another classic worth searching for, I count this as another Influential Work.

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

What can I say? The man deserves a page to himself, and that's what it would take to list all his titles. As those who know me have heard ad nauseum, it was reading The Illustrated Man back in sixth grade that infected me with the writing bug in the first place. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Illustrated Man "The Veldt" is my favorite of the collection.

Something Wicked This way Comes - A very bad movie was made of this very good book. Let us never speak of it again. And don't let the awful new covers on the paperback editions fool you, either. This is not a kids' book, though it should be read by anyone from the age of 12 on. Aptly described by one reviewer as a "modern Gothic" this tale is frightening, evocative, and lyric all at once. This new hardcover edition features a moving new introduction by Bradbury himself.

The October Country - Many of these short stories have been made into teleplays by Bradbury himself. I still like the written versions better; his prose works better on the page than spoken aloud by actors. The eerieness just doesn't seem to translate.

I Sing the Body Electric - More short stories.