9. Joe Abercrombie So you think Game of Thrones is grimness personified? Believe me, its Disney compared to Abercrombies books. Taking bleak fantasy to a new level (gritty would be a step up) Abercrombies first novel "The Blade Itself" was released in 2006 and featured a torturer as one of the main characters. If that didnt warn you what was to come, well, you soon found out. Betrayal, cynicism, selfishness, and pain abound. There are no heroes here. And yet for all the darkness there is a level of sharp humour that stops it becoming the literary equivalent of a Smiths album. The characters are rich, the storytelling is intricate, and it has that compelling power of a pageturner meaning youll be up until the early hours if you dont force yourself to put it down. With six books out so far and a bright (or maybe dark) future ahead, Abercrombie is one who is forging his own path, but definitely one to follow.