The Year that Was

Well, 2006 has certainly been an exceptional year in the fantasy genre. I can't recall a year that saw the emergence of so many new and exciting writers. Hot debuts were numerous, for which we are all extrmely grateful! Moreover, it sure looks as though authors like Scott Lynch, Naomi Novik, Hal Duncan and a few others will not be "one hit wonders," and will entertain us for years to come. Honestly, the future has seldom looked so bright.

For me personally, this year saw the Hotlist skyrocket in ways that I'd never envisioned, even in my wildest dreams. I was incredibly pleased with the site's performance of 2005. Frankly, I doubted that I could do much better. So you can easily understand my shock when I now realize that my hit and page view counts have increased by a margin of more than 400%. Crazy stuff, that!

To my complete surprise, I've just discovered that I've managed to review 44 novels this year. It is surprising when you consider that I've spent the better part of 2006 working and completing a novel, all this between work and life in general. For the life of me, I can't begin to comprehend how I was able to read so many books!

In terms of interviews, I racked up 24 of them. That, more than anything else, is truly amazing. Living in Montreal, I've never had the opportunity to meet my favorite authors. Hence, as a fan of the genre, it's really rewarding to have the chance to chat with authors such as Steven Erikson, George R. R. Martin, David Eddings, Robin Hobb, R. Scott Bakker, etc. Interacting with such people is pretty damn cool, let me tell you!;-) Another thing that turned out to be pretty neat is the fact that most of those interviews were translated in a number of languages. To all of you readers speaking a foreign tongue and wishing to translate a Q&A I've done with an author, just ask me and I'll be happy to oblige. As a French Canadian, I've developed very nice relationships with the communities of two great websites, www.elbakin.net and www.rivages-maudits.com. Un gros merci à Laure, Annabelle, Emmanuel et Thys (désolé, mais je ne connais pas ton nom!) pour leur bon travail!:-) I don't consider myself a particularly gifted interviewer, but most of you appear to enjoy the interviews. That's good enough for me! In addition, 2006 saw my interviews appear on www.sffworld.com, making them available to a much larger audience. Special thanks to Dag for inviting me to get on board!

Back in 2005, I was lucky enough to run a few contests. Nobody was doing it, and I was quite pleased with myself when months of waiting paid off and I was able to find some support from a couple of publishers in that regard. That got the ball rolling. . . This year saw these contests go through the roof! Indeed, in 2006 I ran 47 different contests which allowed you lucky bastards to get your hands on 153 books! Needless to say, I think I've made a few of you happy. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the editors, publicists and authors who have helped me make this a possibility. Their support is very much appreciated.

Last but not least, 2006 saw the blogosphere create some waves in the publishing world. And even though the legitimacy of online reviewers continue to be put in question, something finally dawned upon me. Respect is not owed to us out of hand. Respect must be earned. And I'm persuaded that 2006 proved that quite a few bloggers out there are doing a terrific job. That's exactly what we must continue to do. Respect will come in its on time, if it ever comes at all. . . Still, more and more people in the industry recognize the value of this medium, and the SFF online community has been behind us from the very beginning. In and of itself, that's proof that some of us are making enough noise to be heard and listened to.

I'm also pleased to see that more and more bloggers no longer see the others as competition. It's nice to see so many people linking articles/reviews/interviews/yada yada yada posted by other bloggers. United like this, I believe that we represent something bigger, something better. And the more we collectively allow readers to find out about what's good on the internet, the more, in the long run, we help our own cause. So to all you guys -- Jay, William, Rob, Ken, Race, Adam, Larry, Jake, and so many others -- keep up the good work!:-)

Many thanks to everyone -- in and out of the publishing industry -- who has helped Pat's Fantasy Hotlist become what it is today. To the visitors who stop by in such numbers every week, I'll continue to do my very best to deserve your loyalty.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!;-)