Summary
For those still missingThe Magicians, the perfect book to fill the void actually came out more than half a century ago – and, fittingly enough, it inspired the later book series and TV show.The Magicians, adapted from Lev Grossman’s book series, ran on SyFy for five seasons, finally bowing in 2020. Despite five seasons being a good run for any show, fans were left devastated as it was truly one of the best genre shows on television, withThe Magicians' uniquely dark and grounded storytellingand incredible character development.
SinceThe Magiciansended after those five seasons, it’s been hard to find a show quite like it. Audiences who had never read the original books turned to those to fill the void left by the TV show, and then to the spinoff comic books after the books were finished. Those still searching for something to fillThe Magicians-shaped hole in their hearts, however,could do worse than to turn their attention to a 1968 novel that influencedThe Magiciansin countless ways:A Wizard of Earthsea.
This 2024 Fantasy Book Sounds Like The Magicians Replacement I’ve Been Waiting For
Lev Grossman’s The Magicians gave readers a spin on a classic fantasy series, and now, this new dark fantasy novel is doing the same thing.
The Dark Magic School Concept Is A Great Chaser
A Wizard of Earthseais a genuine classic of children’s literature, a beloved coming-of-age story that has influenced so many stories that came after. Sci-fi and fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin was one of literature’s most influential writers in general, andA Wizard of Earthseais indisputably one of her greatest works. The story follows Ged, a boy from a small village who starts exhibiting prodigious magical abilities at a young age. After learning a bit from a powerful wizard named Ogion, Ged decides to go to a renowned magical school. For fans of a darker “magic school” concept likeThe Magicians,A Wizard of Earthseais a great follow-up.
The Earthsea Books Inspired Lev Grossman’s Later Fantasy Series
The Influences Are Clear
In aRedditAMA,The Magiciansauthor Lev Grossman revealed thatA Wizard of Earthseastrongly influenced his own book series. When asked by a Redditor if there were any other “magic school” series that inspiredThe Magicians, Grossman, without hesitation, mentioned the Le Guin series – and admitted he was a fool for waiting so long to start writingThe Magicians. “100% Earthsea. That was where the idea began,” he said. “I actually started The Magicians in 1996 – pre-Harry Potter – inspired by Le Guin – but immediately gave it up. Because I’m an idiot.”
It’s good that Grossman made a point to mention that he had the idea forThe Magicianswell beforeHarry Potter, and reminded that Le Guin’s series came out decades before that, even. Thanks to the ubiquity of theHarry Potterfranchise and the stranglehold it had on pop culture for so long (even today),too many people automatically assume that if a story takes place in a magical school setting, it’s ripping offHarry Potter. In truth, J.K. Rowling owes virtually all of her story and setting to other, earlier works, with dozens of popular writers owing a debt of inspiration to the late Ursula K. Le Guin. It’s great to see Grossman acknowledge that.
Brakebills vs Hogwarts: Is The Magicians Or Harry Potter’s School Better?
The Magicians' Brakebills edges out Harry Potters' Hogwarts as the best overall magical school, though Hogwarts is a revered second choice.
What A Wizard Of Earthsea & The Magicians Have In Common
Both Embrace The Darkness Inherent In Magic
In readingA Wizard of Earthsea,one can see whereThe Magicianstook its influence.For starters, like thedarkest moments ofThe Magicians,A Wizard of Earthseais one of the rare books aimed at young adults or kids where magic is seen as inherently dangerous. WhileHarry Potter’s magic never had real stakes and the threat came only from those who would misuse it,The MagiciansandA Wizard of Earthseamake it clear that magic itself is a sharp-edged knife that can turn on you. There is always a balance; magic always exacts a price, and if that balance is upset, it can have a dire ripple effect.
Tonally, they’re also similar in ways.The Magicians, especially the TV adaptation, has at times a fantastical, trippy, dreamlike quality. The same is true ofA Wizard of Earthsea, with the story flipping back and forth between concrete reality and the more unreliable narrator of Ged’s inner thoughts. Likewise, while some of his adversaries are real, others are more ephemeral and spirit-like. And, while this isn’t uncommon in fantasy books,bothThe MagiciansandA Wizard of Earthseaincorporate themes of of mythmaking and legend, along with epic quests.
Lastly, protagonists Ged and Quentin Coldwater are very similar in ways. In exact personality beats, they differ greatly. What they share, however, is thatboth are not necessarily easy to love at first, or even like.Ged is arrogant and impetuous; Quentin is morose and depressed. Each is obsessed with magic but not yet equipped to wield it responsibly. They are both deeply flawed in the beginning, and their journeys to real wisdom and heroism are long and arcing. For readers who loved Quentin’s eventual development inThe Magicians, it’s well worth readingA Wizard of Earthseafor that same feeling of satisfaction by the end.
The Magicians
The Magicians follows a group of young adults who enroll at Brakebills University, a secretive institution devoted to teaching magic. As they engage in an unconventional education in spellcasting, they realize that a childhood fantasy world is indeed real and presents a significant threat to humanity.
