The Fantastic Library – Fantasy & Sci-Fi Classics Advent Calendar

A hand-illustrated advent calendar for fantasy and sci-fi readers: find 24 hidden doors in a magical library and guess the classic book behind each one.

Product description

In a library where the candles float and a small dragon sleeps on a pile of books, Father Christmas sits under a starry window, reading a book that glows.

Hidden among the spiral staircase, the telescope, the potion shelves, the hot-air balloon and the grandfather clock are 24 little doors. Behind each one is the most famous scene from a classic of fantasy, myth or science fiction. Every morning in December, find the door, open it and guess the book.

A brass machine with a saddle that travels through time. A three-legged tripod over an English village. A hand rising from a lake with a shining sword. A monkey king riding a cloud. A man who wakes up as a giant beetle… These are the books that invented the genres we love today.

How it works

1. Find the door. Search the magical library for today's number, hidden on a bookshelf, the window, the balloon or the potion shelves.
2. Open it. A hand-drawn scene from a classic fantasy or sci-fi story is waiting inside.
3. Guess the book. Name the story, then the author for bonus points.
4. Check the answers on Christmas Eve. All 24 books, with their authors and dates, are listed on an illustrated answer sheet, sealed in its own envelope.

Why fantasy and sci-fi readers love it

• A puzzle, not just a countdown: 24 days of discovering where your favourite genres began.
• From ancient myths to early science fiction: Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Le Morte d'Arthur, Journey to the West, The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, The Metamorphosis and more.
• A Christmas finale: door 24 reveals the magical origin story of Santa Claus himself, from the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
• Hand-illustrated artwork: a detailed ink-and-watercolour library with an owl, a sleeping dragon, an orrery, a crystal ball and a starry night sky to explore.
• Screen-free and sugar-free: a December ritual for curious minds and dreamers.

Perfect for

Fantasy and science-fiction fans, gamers and worldbuilders, readers who love myths and legends, teenagers, science and English teachers, and anyone who has ever wished a book could glow.

What's included

• 1 illustrated advent calendar, A4 landscape (21 × 29.7 cm / 8.3 × 11.7 in), with 24 perforated doors
• 1 illustrated answer sheet listing all 24 books with their authors and dates
• 1 illustrated "The Answers" envelope to keep the solutions secret until Christmas Eve

Good to know

• The calendar contains no food or treats. The surprise behind each door is a story to guess.
• The answers are in English.
• Recommended for ages 12+, or younger readers with a grown-up.

24 doors, 24 fantastic worlds, and a truly magical December. 🐉🔭🎄