Books · 2011
Epic Fantasy, Dystopian Hits, and Publishing Phenomena
In 2011, the literary world bridged grand fantasy epics, breakout dystopian YA fiction, and unexpected viral sensations that dominated global bestseller lists. Readers embraced nostalgic retro-futurism alongside Booker Prize-winning introspective literary fiction.
- George R.R. Martin · Fantasy Classic
A Dance with Dragons
The long-awaited fifth installment in A Song of Ice and Fire deepened the political intrigue and dark magic of Westeros as Daenerys Targaryen struggled to rule Meereen.
- E.L. James · Romance · Phenomenon
Fifty Shades of Grey
Originating as online fan fiction, this erotic romance novel became an unprecedented global publishing phenomenon that rewrote bestseller records worldwide.
- Stephen King · Sci-Fi · Bestseller
11/22/63
A high school English teacher travels back in time to 1958 on a perilous mission to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
- Ernest Cline · Sci-Fi · Bestseller
Ready Player One
Set in a dystopian 2045, a teenager embarks on a pop-culture-infused treasure hunt inside a vast virtual reality universe called the OASIS.
- Julian Barnes · Fiction · Award-Winning
The Sense of an Ending
Winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize, this concise novel explores the unreliability of memory and how past choices resurface to redefine an aging man's life.
- Erin Morgenstern · Fantasy · Bestseller
The Night Circus
An enchanting story about a mysterious phantasmagorical competition between two young illusionists bound in a high-stakes duel within an ethereal black-and-white circus.
- Veronica Roth · YA Sci-Fi · Bestseller
Divergent
In a faction-based dystopian Chicago, Beatrice Prior discovers she does not fit into any single group, sparking a thrilling adventure that launched a massive YA franchise.
- Jesmyn Ward · Fiction · Award-Winning
Salvage the Bones
Winner of the National Book Award, this lyrical novel portrays a poor African American family in Mississippi preparing for the devastating arrival of Hurricane Katrina.
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