Free Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books to Read in July 2026

Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene ushered in a new sensibility in English literature as the reunited country entered the seventeenth century. In his distinctive verse form—which came to be known as the Spenserian stanza—Spenser inspired his countrymen with tales of noble adventure, romance, and chivalry.

To escape the devastation of World War I, a group of young bohemians decamp to the remote southwestern coast of England. Among the close-knit circle are Scylla Taverner, her brother Felix, and her soon-to-be lover Picus, all of whom are determined to forge a new morality free of the repressive forces that nearly destroyed civilization.

When the group discovers an ancient chalice that may be the Holy Grail, they become obsessed with unleashing its spiritual power. But their quest leads them down a terrifying path of exhilarating possibility and violent consequence.

Andrew Lang was one of the most accomplished poets and literary scholars of thenineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. His classic collections of fairy tales have been enjoyed by generations of young readers. In Tales of Troy and Greece, he brings the same nuanced yet accessible style to the stories of Ancient Greek heroes, gods, goddesses, and monsters.

These three sci-fi novels from the dawn of the twentieth century are among the first works of fiction to imagine visiting other planets. From legendary authors George Griffith, John Jacob Astor, and Edgar Rice Burroughs come stories of flying ships, galactic police forces, and superhumans transported to Mars.