10 Authors Like Yann Martel Who Navigate the Realm of Fantasy Fiction

Discover our list of authors like Yann Martel who blend reality and fantasy, mirroring Martel’s signature storytelling style.

The genre of adventure fiction, or fantasy fiction, is open to many different variations, much to the delight of its fans. Adventure and fantasy fiction often include storylines with heroic exploits, perilous journeys, and thrilling escapades that take readers out of the everyday and into a fantasy world. It’s escapism at its finest for those who seek thrills from the comfort and safety of their homes.

Yann Martel’s genius lies in his ability to weave philosophical depth into seemingly simple narratives, creating stories that operate on multiple levels simultaneously. His work challenges readers to question the nature of truth, survival, and what it means to be human in extraordinary circumstances. The magical realism that permeates his writing—where the fantastical coexists naturally with the mundane—has inspired countless readers to seek similar literary experiences.

Table of Contents

Must-Read Authors Like Yann Martel

1. David Mitchell, 1969 -

British author David Mitchell tends to combine different genres to produce unique stories and unusual perspectives. His narratives often have multiple layers and intricate plots that withstand numerous reads; there is always something in there that might have been missed the first time. Two of his nine published books have been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and he has also written or co-written scripts for Netflix.

Mitchell’s approach to storytelling mirrors Martel’s in its ambitious scope and willingness to blur genre boundaries. Where Martel uses a single, focused narrative to explore vast themes, Mitchell employs interconnected stories across time and space to examine the human condition. His work demonstrates the same fearlessness in tackling big philosophical questions through seemingly impossible scenarios.

Cloud Atlas, a multiple-award winning book, is arguably Mitchell’s most well-known work, which was also adapted into a film. Typical of Mitchell’s style, the story has several plots and multiple timelines. This book demands focus to keep track of all the nuances and intricate layers and one that most likely requires more than one read-through to grasp fully. The novel’s six interconnected stories span from the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future, each written in a different style, yet all connected by themes of power, oppression, and the cyclical nature of human behavior.

Other notable works include The Bone Clocks, which blends fantasy elements with coming-of-age narrative, and Slade House, a supernatural thriller that showcases Mitchell’s ability to make the fantastical feel grounded and real. Like Martel, Mitchell uses genre elements not as escapism but as tools to examine deeper truths about humanity. You might be interested in exploring more fantasy books, such as best books by Kristin Hannah).

“In an individual, selfishness uglifies the soul; for the human species, selfishness is extinction.”

David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

2. Haruki Murakami, 1949 -

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese author who has received numerous awards, including the Jerusalem Prize, the Franz Kafka Prize, and the World Fantasy Award. His writing style has a surrealistic element that often blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Murakami was raised in Kobe and later attended Waseda University in Tokyo. Western culture heavily influenced and criticized him in his home country for writing too “un-Japanese.”

Murakami’s work shares with Martel’s a fascination with the liminal spaces between reality and dream, between the rational and the mystical. Both authors create worlds where extraordinary events unfold with matter-of-fact acceptance, inviting readers to question their assumptions about what’s possible. Murakami’s protagonists, like Pi Patel, often find themselves in situations that test not just their survival but their understanding of reality itself.

[The Wind-up Bird Chronicles](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XT605Y? tag=work089-20) has been described as dreamlike, the quintessential Murakami style. Beneath the haze, a detective story centers around a failing marriage. But it takes place against a backdrop of buried secrets from Manchuria during the Second World War, and mystical elements make this a compelling story that fans of Yann Martel are sure to appreciate. The novel follows Toru Okada as he searches for his missing cat and wife, journeying through a Tokyo where the mundane and surreal coexist in ways that feel both unsettling and strangely natural.

Murakami’s other masterworks include Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, which presents parallel narratives that gradually converge, and Kafka on the Shore, featuring a fifteen-year-old boy who can talk to cats and an elderly man with the ability to make cats disappear. These novels, like Martel’s work, use fantastical elements to explore themes of identity, memory, and the stories we construct to understand ourselves.

“You’ve got to spend your money for the things that money can buy, not worry about profit or loss. Save your energy for the things that money can’t buy.”

Haruki Murakami, The Wind-up Bird Chronicles

3. Italo Calvino, 1923 - 1985

Born in Cuba to Italian parents, Italo Calvino moved to Italy and joined the Italian Resistance during World War II. Throughout his writing career, he explored various literary styles, including neorealism, postmodernism, and magical realism. Calvino received numerous awards for his contributions to literature, including the prestigious French Legion of Honor. His body of work stands out for its use of inventive storytelling techniques, a quality that makes his narratives even more fascinating to read.

Calvino’s influence on contemporary magical realism cannot be overstated, and his approach to storytelling deeply resonates with Martel’s aesthetic. Both authors understand that the most profound truths often emerge through metaphor and allegory rather than direct statement. Calvino’s work demonstrates the same playful yet serious approach to literature that characterizes Martel’s best writing.

Invisible Cities is one of Italo Calvino’s most popular books (and for a good reason). It has a simple premise - the Kublai Khan is sitting in a garden discussing with the famous explorer Marco Polo, who describes a series of cities he has experienced during his travels. Each of the cities has unique qualities and characteristics, and as Polo speaks, the emperor, who is soon to lose his empire, begins to understand that there is more to the tale than the words themselves. The cities in the book serve as metaphors for human experiences, desires, and memories.

This framework allows Calvino to explore themes of communication, imagination, and the relationship between storyteller and audience—concerns that directly echo Martel’s interest in the stories we tell and why we tell them. Other essential Calvino works include If on a winter’s night a traveler, a novel about reading itself, and The Baron in the Trees, about a boy who climbs into the trees and never comes down, choosing to live his entire life in the canopy. These works share with Martel’s fiction an interest in characters who make extraordinary choices that illuminate ordinary human dilemmas.

“You take delight not in a city’s seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours.”

Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities

4. Paul Auster, 1947 -

After completing his studies at Columbia University, Paul Auster worked many jobs, including as a merchant mariner and translator, to support his writing. In the 1970s, Auster moved to France, where he immersed himself in French culture and literature. This continued to influence his writing and philosophical beliefs for the rest of his life.

Auster’s exploration of identity, coincidence, and the thin line between fiction and reality makes him a natural companion to Martel’s work. Both authors are fascinated by characters caught in extraordinary circumstances that force them to question their understanding of themselves and their world. Auster’s protagonists, like Pi, often find themselves in situations where the boundaries of the possible are stretched to their limits.

In [City of Glass](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071YHK23L? tag=work089-20), one of Auster’s most famous works, a reclusive crime writer named Daniel Quinn finds himself unexpectedly thrust into the heart of a mysterious and unsettling thriller. A late-night phone call seeking a private detective catapults Quinn into a world where the boundaries of fiction and reality blur. As he delves deeper into his mission, Quinn becomes increasingly consumed by his role, leading to an alarming unraveling of his own sanity. The novel explores themes of identity, language, and the stories we create to make sense of chaos—themes that resonate strongly with Martel’s concerns.

The New York Trilogy, of which City of Glass is the first part, established Auster as a master of postmodern detective fiction. His other notable works include The Music of Chance, about two men trapped in an increasingly surreal situation, and Moon Palace, a coming-of-age story that weaves together coincidence and destiny in ways that feel both magical and inevitable. If you like Paul Auster, you’ll be happy to know he’s releasing a new book with Faber).

“He had continued to write because it was the only thing he felt he could do.”

Paul Auster, City of Glass

5. Jonathan Safran Foer, 1977 -

Jonathan Safran Foer graduated from Princeton University, studying philosophy and literature. During his first year, he took a writing course taught by Joyce Carol Oates, who took a special interest in his writing. Foer later said that Oates was the first ever to make him think he should seriously pursue writing as a career. He has since received critical acclaim and several awards, including the National Jewish Book Award and the Guardian First Book Award.

Foer’s work shares with Martel’s an ambitious scope and a willingness to tackle profound historical and philosophical themes through innovative narrative techniques. Both authors understand that traditional storytelling methods may be inadequate for exploring the most significant human experiences, leading them to experiment with form and structure in ways that serve their thematic concerns.

In his debut novel Everything is Illuminated, Foer weaves two narratives. In one thread, a young man named Jonathan embarks on a journey to uncover his family’s history during World War II. Accompanied by a quirky translator named Alex and his grandfather, they navigate the complexities of the country’s past. The other narrative delves into the fictional history of Jonathan’s ancestors, showcasing the intertwined fates of Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. The novel’s structure, which alternates between historical fiction and contemporary quest narrative, creates a powerful meditation on memory, trauma, and the stories families tell to survive.

Foer’s follow-up novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, deals with a nine-year-old boy’s search for meaning after his father’s death in the September 11 attacks. Like Martel’s work, it uses a child’s perspective to examine adult themes of loss and survival, demonstrating how innocence can be both vulnerable and remarkably resilient. The book became a New York Times bestseller, putting Foer on the literary map.

“It was not the feeling of completeness I so needed, but the feeling of not being empty.”

Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated

6. Michael Chabon, 1963 -

Michael Chabon, a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, has led a distinguished literary career since he first became a writer at age ten. Interestingly, Chabon is also known for his work as an executive producer for a well-known television series, Star Trek: Picard. Chabon also holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California at Irvine.

Chabon’s approach to genre fiction—his ability to elevate seemingly popular forms into high literary art—mirrors Martel’s success in transforming an adventure story into profound philosophical inquiry. Both authors demonstrate that the most meaningful literature often emerges from the intersection of entertainment and enlightenment, showing that a story can be both thrilling and deeply thoughtful.

Chabon’s [The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070O5F4U? tag=work089-20) is set against the backdrop of the Second World War and tells about the journey of Josef Kavalier and Sammy Clay. Josef, a young artist who has escaped Nazi-occupied Prague, and Sammy, a Brooklyn native, create a comic book character called “The Escapist.” The narrative weaves around their endeavors, personal battles, and transformations in an America grappling with war. The novel brilliantly uses the comic book industry as a lens through which to examine themes of escape, identity, and the American Dream.

Chabon’s other works include The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, an alternate history novel set in a Jewish settlement in Alaska, and Telegraph Avenue, a sprawling novel about friendship, family, and music in Oakland, California. His short story collection Werewolves in Their Youth showcases his ability to find the extraordinary within ordinary suburban life. Like Martel, Chabon understands that the most powerful stories often emerge from the collision between the familiar and the impossible.

“Never worry about what you are escaping from,” he said. “Reserve your anxieties for what you are escaping to.”

Michael Chabon, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

7. Julian Barnes, 1946 -

Julian Barnes, a winner of the Man Booker Prize, is recognized for his significant contributions to contemporary literature. In addition to his acclaimed writing, Barnes has a background in lexicography and has utilized his linguistic expertise to translate various works from French into English. As a passionate Francophile, Barnes has also served as a member of the Anglo-French arts jury.

Barnes shares with Martel a fascination with the unreliability of memory and the stories we construct to make sense of loss and mortality. Both authors excel at creating narratives that question the nature of truth itself, suggesting that our understanding of events may be less important than the meaning we derive from our interpretations of those events.

The History of the World in 10-1/2 Chapters is like a collection of seemingly unrelated stories, all told in varying styles and perspectives. From an alternative account of Noah’s Ark to the journey of a woodworm to a contemporary story of love and loss, Barnes offers a unique perspective of history that challenges standard perceptions of truth and reality. The book’s structure allows Barnes to explore how stories evolve and change over time, how different perspectives can completely alter our understanding of events, and how the act of storytelling itself shapes history.

Barnes’s other significant works include The Sense of an Ending, which won the Man Booker Prize and explores how an elderly man’s understanding of his past shifts when new information comes to light, and Flaubert’s Parrot, a novel that blends biography, literary criticism, and personal reflection in ways that illuminate both Flaubert’s life and the narrator’s own obsessions. These works demonstrate Barnes’s skill at creating narratives that operate simultaneously as entertainment and philosophical inquiry.

“They put the behemoths in the hold along with the rhinos, the hippos and the elephants.”

Julian Barnes, The History of the World in 10-1/2 Chapters

8. Salman Rushdie, 1947 -

Salman Rushdie is a highly-respected author honored with the Man Booker Prize, among other writing awards. Aside from his literary accolades, Rushdie was famously involved in a global controversy, which resulted in him living in hiding and under police protection for several years while there was a price on his head. In recognition of his contributions to literature, Rushdie was knighted by the Queen of England in 2007. Rushdie has held several teaching positions, most recently at New York University.

Rushdie’s mastery of magical realism and his ability to weave political and personal narratives together make him perhaps the author most similar to Martel in ambition and scope. Both writers understand that the most powerful stories emerge from the intersection of the individual and the historical, the personal and the political, the realistic and the fantastical.

In [Midnight’s Children](https://amazon.com/dp/B003WUYQCS? tag=work089-20), Rushdie writes about Saleem Sinai, who is born at the exact moment India gains independence. He and the other 1,000 children born within that same hour are endowed with supernatural abilities. Saleem, who has telepathic powers, attempts to unite these midnight children. In paralleling the lives of the children with the political and social events in India, Rushdie weaves an intricate tapestry of the personal and the political, blurring the boundaries of fact and fiction. The novel serves as both a coming-of-age story and an allegory for the birth of modern India, demonstrating how individual lives are shaped by and shape historical forces.

Rushdie’s other masterworks include The Satanic Verses, the controversial novel that forced him into hiding, The Moor’s Last Sigh, a multigenerational family saga set in India, and The Ground Beneath Her Feet, a rock-and-roll reimagining of the Orpheus myth. These novels showcase Rushdie’s ability to blend high literary ambition with popular culture references, creating works that are both intellectually challenging and emotionally engaging.

“To understand just one life, you have to swallow the world. I told you that.”

Salman Rushdie, Midnight’s Children

9. Jeanette Winterson, 1959 -

An influential literary figure who writes in a way that may appeal to fans of Yann Martel, Jeanette Winterson has been awarded the Lambda Literary Award twice. Before becoming an acclaimed writer, Winterson worked in retail, once operating an organic food shop in London’s Spitalfields Market. She served as a professor of creative writing at the University of Manchester and has held the position of New York Public Library’s Library Lion.

Winterson’s work resonates with Martel’s in its willingness to tackle profound themes through apparently simple narratives, and in its understanding that the most important human experiences often transcend rational explanation. Both authors excel at creating characters whose journeys toward self-understanding involve encounters with the mystical and the inexplicable.

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a semi-autobiographical novel about Jeanette, a young girl adopted by a fiercely religious mother in a small English town. Jeanette’s mother intends for her to become a missionary, but as the young girl grows and eventually discovers her sexuality, she clashes with her mother’s expectations. This coming-of-age story is both heartfelt and humorous. The book covers themes of religion, love, and the search for self-identity. The novel’s structure incorporates fairy tale elements and biblical retellings that comment on Jeanette’s story, creating a rich, multilayered narrative that operates as both realism and allegory.

Winterson’s other notable works include The Passion, a historical novel set during the Napoleonic Wars that blends fact and fantasy, and Sexing the Cherry, a time-traveling narrative that spans centuries. Her more recent work includes The Stone Gods, a science fiction novel that explores themes of love and environmental destruction across multiple timelines. Like Martel, Winterson uses genre elements not as escape from reality but as tools to examine reality more deeply.

“Once, when I was collecting the black peas, about to about to go home, the old woman got hold of my hand.”

Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

10. Margaret Atwood, 1939 -

Margaret Atwood is a distinguished author, recipient of the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Governor General’s Award. Aside from her award-winning literary career, Atwood is a well-known environmental activist. She was a founding member of the Writers’ Trust of Canada, a non-profit organization that seeks to encourage Canada’s writing community. Atwood has taught at multiple universities and has served as the President of the International PEN, an association of writers.

Atwood’s work shares with Martel’s a deep concern with survival—both physical and spiritual—and an interest in how extreme circumstances reveal fundamental truths about human nature. Both authors excel at creating scenarios that seem impossible yet feel entirely plausible, forcing readers to confront uncomfortable questions about society, morality, and human potential.

The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a dystopian future where a totalitarian regime has overthrown the United States government; the novel follows Offred, a Handmaid assigned to bear children for elite couples that have trouble conceiving. It’s an exploration of gender, power, and the various ways in which women can resist oppressive systems. The novel’s success lies in its ability to make the unthinkable feel inevitable, demonstrating how quickly civilized society can collapse and how individuals adapt—or fail to adapt—to unimaginable circumstances.

Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy, beginning with Oryx and Crake, explores themes of environmental collapse and genetic engineering through the lens of speculative fiction. Her historical novel Alias Grace examines a real 19th-century murder case, blending fact and fiction to explore questions of memory, identity, and justice. Like Martel, Atwood understands that the most powerful literature emerges from the intersection of the personal and the political, the individual and the universal.

“Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some.”

Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale

Why These Authors Resonate with Martel Readers

The authors on this list share several key characteristics that make them appealing to fans of Yann Martel. First, they all demonstrate a willingness to blur the boundaries between realistic and fantastical elements, creating worlds where the impossible feels natural and the everyday becomes extraordinary. This magical realist sensibility allows them to explore profound themes through seemingly simple stories.

Second, these writers share Martel’s interest in characters who face extreme circumstances that test not just their physical survival but their understanding of themselves and their world. Whether it’s Pi adrift at sea, Saleem Sinai telepathically connected to the fate of India, or Offred navigating a dystopian society, these protagonists must find ways to maintain their humanity in inhuman situations.

Finally, all of these authors understand that the most important stories are often told through metaphor and allegory rather than direct statement. They create narratives that work on multiple levels simultaneously, offering both engaging surface stories and deeper philosophical inquiries into the nature of truth, identity, and human experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between fantasy and science fiction?

Fantasy typically involves magical elements, supernatural creatures, and worlds that don’t follow our natural laws, while science fiction explores futuristic technology, space travel, and scientific concepts. Fantasy often looks backward to myth and legend, while sci-fi looks forward to possibilities.

What makes a great fantasy or science fiction book?

Great fantasy and sci-fi books feature well-developed worlds, consistent internal logic, compelling characters, and themes that resonate beyond the genre elements. They should transport readers while telling meaningful stories about human nature and society.

Are fantasy and science fiction books just escapism?

While fantasy and sci-fi can provide escapism, the best books in these genres use their settings to explore real-world themes, social issues, and human nature. They can offer fresh perspectives on familiar problems through their unique contexts.

Why should I read fantasy or science fiction?

Reading fantasy and sci-fi expands your imagination, introduces new ideas and perspectives, and can provide insights into human nature and society through different lenses. These genres often tackle complex themes in accessible and entertaining ways.

Finding Your Next Read

If you’re drawn to Martel’s philosophical depth, start with Italo Calvino or Julian Barnes. If you prefer his magical realist elements, try Haruki Murakami or Salman Rushdie. For readers who appreciate Martel’s ambitious narrative structures, David Mitchell and Paul Auster offer similarly complex and rewarding reading experiences.

The key is understanding what specifically appeals to you about Martel’s work—whether it’s his ability to find the extraordinary in ordinary situations, his use of animal symbolism, his interest in survival narratives, or his philosophical approach to storytelling. Each author on this list offers a different entry point into similar thematic territory, ensuring that fans of Life of Pi and Martel’s other works will find new literary territories to explore.