Fantasy for the Ages podcast

10 More SFFH Books Were Initially IGNORED but Later Changed Everything!

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Some stories are so bold they’re dismissed when they first appear. A Canticle for Leibowitz, Good Omens, The Blade Itself, and others on this list were mocked, ignored, or misunderstood—until they changed their genres forever.


In Part 3 of They Failed First, I explore how a mix of dark humor, post-apocalyptic reflection, and grimdark grit went from disappointing launches to full-blown fan obsessions.


📚 You’ll hear about rejected manuscripts, disastrous reviews, and the surprising twists that turned failures into milestones.


💬 Share your favorite “too weird to succeed” book in the comments—I may include it in a future follow-up!


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❤️ Great thanks to our Patreon supporters for fueling our passion here at Fantasy for the Ages. Check out how you can join them: https://www.patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges


#FantasyForTheAges #BookTube #SFFBooks #FantasyBooks #SciFiBooks #HorrorBooks #UnderratedBooks #GoodOmens #JoeAbercrombie #WatershipDown #HiddenGems #BookRecs


Want to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?

Annihilation: https://t.ly/Cb66F

The Blade Itself: https://t.ly/LSDn2

A Canticle for Leibowitz: https://t.ly/tch4I

Good Omens: https://t.ly/4Dpop

The Last Unicorn: https://t.ly/mH2k1

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: https://t.ly/U3WdA

A Scanner Darkly: https://t.ly/A04I7

The Shining: https://t.ly/Y530H

Something Wicked This Way Comes: https://t.ly/C3KgH

Watership Down: https://t.ly/Nx5-y


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0:00 - Opening

1:22 - Episode Explanation

1:38 - 10 More Mocked to Magnificent

7:59 - Conclusion & Wrap-up


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