The recent passing of Terry Pratchett has nothing to do with his placement on the list. His Discworld series, beginning with The Colour of Magic, is some of the funniest, most enjoyable reading you will come across. With elements similar to Alice in Wonderland and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, this zany series is part satire, part serious, and full of adventure. If there is a Mark Twain of fantasy, it is Pratchett, and his writing transcends mere humour, stumbling deep into whimsical social commentary without ever interfering with the telling of the story.

Readers are introduced to both Twoflower, the tourist, complete with his sentient luggage, and Rincewind, the hapless and hilarious wizard guide. Through their misadventures they encounter, of course, magic, as well as thieves, gods, dragons, and upside-down mountains. Even if that doesn't sound like your thing, just try out this short book, and I bet it won't be the last one of the series you read.

Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent, bestselling novels have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to the likes of Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen.

The Color of Magic is Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the now-legendary land of Discworld. This is where it all begins -- with the tourist Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind. More on Goodreads.