The best young adult books about imaginary worlds

This, the first full-length fantasy ever written specifically for young adults, remains by far my favorite novel of its kind, both because of the unsurpassed beauty of its style and the depth of the ideas it expresses. I much prefer its conception of magic to that of the Harry Potter series. Magic, in this story, is integral to the world; it is never a mere casual pastime that depends on external paraphernalia. And it has serious consequences, both for the world and for the mage, or student-mage, who employs it unwisely at his peril. Though the story takes place in a vividly-portrayed imaginary world, it is not really about that world but about life, and though this is the aim of all good fantasy, rarely is it so successfully achieved.

I don't ordinarily care for stories about dragons or speaking animals, but this book's beautifully written descriptions of them and their world made it compelling, and the singing dragons remained in my memory long after the first time I read it. Moreover, the familiar elements of such fantasy–a hidden prince, animal companions, magical objects, imprisonment in a dungeon, and so forth--are here presented in unique and believable ways. The protagonists are heroic but vulnerable and the villains who seek to enslave the world are truly evil, so that the reader feels that what happens to them really matters. And looking it over recently, I was struck by the realization that in the years since its first publication in the 1980s the timeliness of the story has increased.

All of Robert Heinlein's YA novels are good (better, in my opinion, than his adult novels), but this one has special meaning for me because it was the first book I ever read about colonizing an uninhabited world. At the time it was published in 1950 I was sixteen and had been enthusiastic about the possibility of space travel for four years, since long before the general public was familiar with it; but all the space fiction I knew of was about mere adventure, usually adventure focused on fighting. The idea that families could someday settle a new planet--and, despite danger and hardship, accomplish something of immense importance to the future of humankind--made a strong impression on me and became one of my deepest convictions.

This is the first book in a series for adults that can also be enjoyed by teens. Unlike most space fiction, it's not about heroic exploits but about an ordinary young man coming of age while doing an ordinary job aboard a merchant starship. I like its portrayal of the human-settled part of the universe in the era of travel between stars. No aliens, no space battles–just a culture much like our own offering freedom and opportunity for personal achievement. The specific lifestyle described is anachronistic because cultures change over time; yet it's no further from realism than wildly-imagined changes would be. I believe fiction that shows significant future developments should let readers identify with its characters' experiences rather than depict differences merely for the sake of difference.

It may seem superfluous to recommend a book that everyone is already familiar with, yet I don't see how I could omit it from a list of my favorite books about imaginary worlds. After devouring the unauthorized paperbacks sold in 1965 before it became popular, I was thrilled to receive the hardcover set for Christmas. Though it’s intended for adults I would have loved it in my teens, as many teens do today. It was one of the few books that influenced my own writing, through inspiring the archaic language I used in sections of my book, and with references to it in a later novel. This trilogy and the quotable wisdom it contains are timeless, and will be read long after more recent fantasy sagas are forgotten.