Top 10 Speculative Fiction Titles Published in 2007

I wasn't planning on revealing my Top 10 until my year-end awards were posted later this month, but many have been asking for it. I guess you guys want to include some of these novels on your Christmas shopping list!;-) Hence, I've decided to post the Top 10 now, with links to each review, and I'll include the 10 runner-up titles when I post the awards. So without further ado, here it is:

1- Black Man/Thirteen by Richard Morgan (Del Rey/Gollancz)
2- Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson (Tor Books/Bantam Press)
3- Ink by Hal Duncan (Del Rey/Pan MacMillan)
4- Brasyl by Ian McDonald (Pyr/Gollancz)
5- Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay (Penguin Books/Simon & Schuster)
6- The Terror by Dan Simmons (Little, Brown and co./Bantam Press)
7- Dreamsongs, Volume 1 by George R. R. Martin (Bantam Dell/Gollancz)
8- Red Seas under Red Skies by Scott Lynch (Bantam Dell/Gollancz)
9- Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson (Putnam/Gollancz)
10- Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik (Del Rey/Voyager)

As always, feel free to disagree. But remember that if you do agree with me, it means that you are a brilliant and discerning reader. If you don't, then you simply don't know shit!:p

So those are my picks for 2007. All right, have at it!
And remember that buying any of these novels via the Amazon links helps raise funds for breast cancer research. . .:-)

17 commentaires:

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with the top two! Then everything except Brasyl, which I have tried to read twice but failed.

Black Man is definitely the best of the year, and RKM and Steve Erikson are my favorite authors anyway, so it's nice to see both of them at the top of your list.

KP said...

I would swap the first two as I just can't get enough of the Malazan series. Surprised that Name of the Wind didn't make your list...

Larry Nolen said...

I disagree with the placement and/or the inclusion of virtually every single one on that list, Pat, but I like to think I know my shit ;)

Still am curious as to what you'd make of Michael Cisco's The Traitor, as that's one of the leading contenders on my own list. But that ranking won't be out until New Year's Eve :P

Anonymous said...

Brasyl did not do it for me, so I guess I suck.

The Terror bored me to tears, but I endured because I thought it was supposed to be awesome. It is Dude Lit, something to get dudes excited and leave women thinking "the hell?!".

I asked for all the Malazan books, since I haven't read them. Maybe Santa will be kind.

Gabriele Campbell said...

The link for Brasyl leads to an interview with R. Morgan.

Yeah, I could find the review myself, but I have a cold and I'm too lazy. :)

Unknown said...

Correct link for Brasyl is http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2007/05/brasyl.html

Joe said...

Pat: Have you read any Elizabeth Bear?

Also, something which I've been thinking about is that Dreamsongs was originally published a couple years back in a single volume edition by Subterranean Press as GRRM: A RRetrospective and I've been unsure whether or not if I wanted to count it as a true 2007 release. Haven't made up my mind yet on that.

Ed S. said...

The same thought occurred to me when I saw the GRRM title. It's essentially a reprint and does not belong on the list.

Anonymous said...

Before They Are Hanged is the book I most enjoyed; a bit surprised that didn't make it.

Patrick said...

Anonymous: Needless to say, it would have been impossible for me to come up with a list that didn't include Black Man/Thirteen and Brasyl!

kp: The Name of the Wind is one of the runner-up titles which will make their appearance in my year-end awards.

Larry: Funny how reading tastes evolve over the course of time. Way back when the Hotlist didn't exist, you and Rob were my main online sources for SFF materials. Though Rob and I still have more or less the same taste in books, you sort of drifted toward the more literary, the more elitist SFF clique. Man, where did you go wrong!?!:p

No but seriously, just like VanderMeer and MJH, you cannot expect the bulk of your picks to appeal to the masses... Nothing wrong with that, but that's the way love goes!

stormy70: Hopefully you were not too naughty this year, and Santa will bring you a lot of Malazan presents!:-)

Gabriele: What??? You couldn't find it in you to sift through the 1000-plus posts until you found the Brasyl book review!?! Slacker...:p

jak: You should be in charge of posting stuff around here!;-)

Joe and Ed: No Bear on my list yet.

And since Dreamsongs was only available as a limited edition on this side of the pond until this year, I elected to count it as a 2007 release...

Jonathan: Before They Are Hanged is another runner-up title.

Larry Nolen said...

It's more like I'm returning to my first loves, Pat. I was quite the radical in some ways when I was in grad school and I think now that I'm hitting my mid 30s, I want a reversion of sorts, back towards the things that challenge me.

Thing you have to remember about personal lists is that it has to be a reflection of where you stand at a particular time. I want something that captures a sort of a punk ethos more than ever, so naturally my choices are going to diverge from some of the others in the circles many frequent. Doesn't make it any more "right" or "wrong" - just a reflection of where one stands.

Besides, I bet you can't guess my #1 for the year even after the hints. RAFO time, right? :P

Anonymous said...

What happened to Patrick Rothfuss?
Joe Abercrombie?

I loved those and bought them on your recommendation.

BTW: Also have got into George R R Martin last month because of you. I even assigned a novel to read during class time to my students so I could continue reading them during the day.

Pat Made Me Read It.

Patrick said...

As I said before, both Rothfuss and Abercrombie are among the ten runner-up novels.

Anonymous said...

For those of you that didn't like Brasyl, I agree completely. If you like a story to move, then this is not the book for you. If you like a writer that takes several paragraphs of florid prose to describe what could be otherwise described with one sentence, then this book is for you.

Jeteraus

Anonymous said...

Jeteraus:

I happen to like a bit of "florid prose". If something is said economically, in one sentence, when it could have been described beautifully and added depth to the character or scene, I consider it worthwhile.

Otherwise, something said in "one sentence" is usually written for the lowest common denominator.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,

Consider me the lowest common denominator then. Although, a good writer should be able to evoke the mood and character without overindulgence. A few bites of a good dessert is a wonderful thing, several helpings is just gluttony.

Jeteraus

Anonymous said...

I suppose I post this a bit late. An excellant list with some fine reads. I spent an awkward month awake at night listening to the terror. I think a more apt title would of been abandon all hope. No floral prose, just a very stark style, which suited the landscape perfectly. Still I was very happy when it ended. I'm still not sure whether this was because the book was crap, or that the artic cold sucked the life out of me. I Just finished Before they are hanged and really enjoyed it! I think I will get a Hobb book next.