The best fantasy books to tickle your funny bone

Nearly any Terry Pratchett book will tickle your funny bone. He writes with that dry British wit that can be both understated and so over the top that you will be bowled over with laughter. And at the bottom of this particular story is rich characterization and a warm heart. Polly’s brother Paul is missing while at war. She dresses as a boy and joins the Monstrous Regiment, in the hope of finding her brother. But this isn’t any regiment, it truly is monstrous: including a vampire, a troll, and an Igor (named Igor!). Pratchett has the rare gift of making fun of religion, politics, human nature, and monster nature while telling an adventurous story directly from the heart. This is a book that brings me great comfort and escape.

What if there was a computer program that reduced every single thing in the world down to a set of numbers? Sounds mathematically boring. But what if by changing one number you could suddenly be six feet tall? Or levitate? Martin Banks has, by spending far too much time on the internet, discovered that program. And made himself rich. Which gets the authorities snooping around and next thing you know he’s fleeing to the middle ages, where several other mathematical types have taken up residence. They know the secret of the program and have made themselves wizards. And Martin becomes a wizard in training to learn these skills. Which is all well and fine, until one wizard starts to turn evil. I am a geek. I admit it. And this send up of geek culture had the perfect geekish vibe for me.

When I was around ten years old, I read everything I could get my hands on. This book fell into my mental lap and, though it was intended for an older audience, the puns and wit taught me how funny a fantastical world could be. I mean it has everything: a chameleon (who is actually three people), ghosts, zombies, witch battles, and more puns than you can shake a wand at. The protagonist, Bink, is born without an obvious magical talent, which is illegal in Xanth so he is exiled to Mundania where he is captured by an outcast wizard who wants to use him to invade Xanth. Written in the late 1970s, the book is a little dated but still immensely entertaining and the first of many Xanth books. It’s truly a cornucopia of wordplay.

This is, by far, one of my favorite fantasy series. It was also one of the first books I listened to on audio, and I couldn’t devour/hear/audibly ingest the story fast enough. Nathaniel, a young wizard, has captured the djinn Bartimaeus and can give him commands. Bartimeus does not go lightly into this servitude: It is a most embarrassing thing to be under the control of a twelve-year-old. Bartimeus’s caustic wit, his inflated ego (he’s only a 14th-level djinni!), and his ability to get out of increasingly sticky and dangerous situations are wonderfully entertaining. And though he has a hatred of all things mortal, at his center is a heart of gold. But don’t tell him that. He’d turn you into a moth and pull off your wings. 

Ok. First, you’re right. This isn’t a novel. In fact, it’s likely shorter than this review. But it is a book that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as many fantasy novels. This classic came out in 1980 and set the whole stereotype of what a prince, a princess, and a dragon are supposed to be, right on its head. Is it a feminist tome? Maybe. Is it funny? Yes. Does it do what the great fantasy books should do? Yes, it turns our ideas around, entertains and introduces us to the brightest, smartest, and most powerful character of all: the paperbag princess. And what gives her that power? The fact that she knows exactly who she is. There’s nothing more powerful than that.