
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Susanna Clarke · 2004
An alternate-history fantasy in which magic returned to England during the Napoleonic Wars, told as if by a Regency novelist. Clarke's footnotes are as good as the novel itself. The most formally accomplished fantasy debut of the 21st century.
Science Fiction & Fantasy · the Pro canon
The case for it, the case against, and the rest of the canon open with Pro.