2007 was a very good year for fantasy and science fiction. I read lots of new releases from both new and old authors alike, and while more than a few of them would be better fitted for starting a fire, there were also some really good ones. Like, for example, my top ten.
What about 2008? Well, that’s harder for me to say. I did read some books that were published this year (more than I’ve reviewed here, all though I won’t go into every single one of them; there’s a reason why I didn’t bother plugging them), and I really fucking enjoyed three of them. But the general feeling of the year was that it was markedly weaker than 2007’s wide variety of big (Scott Lynch, Steven Erikson, Patrick Rothfuss) and small (Sapkowski, Joe Hill, Peadar Ó Guilín) releases.
The big releases of 2008 were all postponed to 2009, or in some cases (coughMartincough), maybe even 2010, save the ever-reliable Steven Erikson (and as much as I 2007’s “Reaper’s Gale”, 2008’s “Toll the Hounds” never reached the same heights for me. Hopefully “Dust of Dreams” will be a lot better, ’cause I’d hate to see the Malazan Saga go out with a whimper. These books deserve a most epic finale).
Scott Lynch’s “The Republich of Thieves”? Postponed indefinitely (people are saying next summer, but I remain sceptic). Patrick Rothfuss’ “The Wise Man’s Fear”, which was reportedly already done and just in need of some revising? You’ll be lucky if it’s even out by 2009. Hell, even Warren Ellis’ new novel was pushed back to 2010.
But even so, I wouldn’t say it was a horribly bad year for fantasy. We’ve had a good batch of nice films (Hellboy II, Benjamin Button, some would even call The Dark Knight fantasy), and the urban side of it seems to be gaining momentum by the second. We S&S guys will all soon be out-numbered a hundred-to-one by teenage girls with make-believe fangs and “Twilight” posters. At the very least, I don’t see a decline of the genre as such.
But enough chit-chat. These are the books of 2008 that deserve to be lauded, all summarized neatly into a awesome-packed top three:
Top Three Books of 2008
3. Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie (The First Law Trilogy)
Hells to yes. This was so bloody brilliant that the mere memory of it sent chills down my back. Joe Abercrombie started off just okay-ish with his début book, “The Blade Itself”. “Before They Are Hanged” was a near-home run, and incredibly well done for the middle volume of a trilogy. “Last Argument of Kings”, however… Suddenly sports metaphors seem inadequate when I try to describe just how well-written and executed this book is. It’s just something that has to be experienced I guess. You’re one lucky sonuvabitch if you haven’t done so already.
Look out for this guy on next year’s list. If “Best Served Cold” continues this trend, I’m not sure how I’ll fit it in on my list. I think I’d need a bigger blog.
2. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
I’ll start this off with a caveat: I am perfectly aware that this might not be the most well-written book ever published. Blaming it all on the fact that it’s aimed at a Young Adult audience seems a bit thin, really, so I won’t do that either. I’ll just say that I was blown away by this book in terms of the importance of the themes it tackles. I said in my review that I thought every teenage, or adult for that matter, even if they dismissed it out of hand afterwards. In “Little Brother”, Doctorow depicts a world that’s truly terrifying not because of what actually goes down there, but because it hits way too close to home.
Destined to become some sort of classic, I give this book my two thumbs up and my entire camel herd in dowry. Go read it, just don’t hack your Xbox afterwards. Nothing good can come of it!
1.
The Gone-Away World
by Nick Harkaway
I don’t think I can describe this book better than I did in my original review (which, in addition to being a spankingly fine review in and of itself, also has the best comment-thread on my blog):
As I turned the last page of this book late Sunday afternoon, I began to contemplate the glowing review I was going to write about it. I envisioned a vast array of hyperboles and interesting comparisons, and then I’d end it all with saying “Yes, this is definitely the début of the year. Read it or die!”
This would, of course, not do. I had to put the book review away for at least a few days so that I could come to my senses and see the many faults this book certainly had. The only thing is though, I’m sitting here, more than a few days after, and I haven’t been able to shake the giddiness that overtook me as I delved into “The Gone-Away World”. It was a most singular thing to experience; kind of like I imagine the people who first saw a Shakespeare play and thought, “Damn, he’s good!”. Not that Harkaway actually bears any kind of resemblance to old William, aside from the delightful feeling you get when you just have to acknowledge that what you’re holding in your hands isn’t some day-fly or a passing fancy of critics around the world. No sir, “The Gone-Away World” is much more than that.
It’s an instant classic. It’s going to be republished in every language there is. People are going to write theses on it; teachers are going to hand it out as an together with “To Kill a Mockingbird” or “1984″. Does that sound promising?
It damn well should!
Honourable Mentions:
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- Under My Roof by Nick Mamatas
21 Comments
Unsurprisingly, I haven’t read any of them. Even if I was up to date on my reading, I doubt I would have. Reading stuff the very year it is publishedt leads to little but stress and annoying hardcover-expenses.
I shall make a (what, fourteenth?) note of checking out Abercrombie, though.
And Harkaway. You promised to read Harkaway, remember?
I might’ve. I know that if I did, I certainly didn’t specify a timeframe, though.
*grin* wasn’t there mention of some species of quasi-religious purge? And/or taking over the world? I’m almost sure there was. I was definitely going to be raised to some kind of living God status and brought grapes. And, you know, worship stuff. I’m sure of it. Or I could just be going mad. I need my own inquisition. A Harkawegian Inquisition. They could wear special hats.
Wait, now I’m definitely remembering something about hats….
Happy New Year, guys.
NH
Don’t know about the quasi-religious purge, but there was definitely talk about some world-conquering, and for some reason, your hatred of naked people riding chocolate bicycles while eating chicken. You seriously need to talk to someone about that
Thanks ever so much for stopping by and for linking to my review (yet again). Let’s hope 2009 is just as good to you as 2008 was.
Only read Last Argument of Kings of these, and I wholeheartedly agree on that one. Gonna write down Harkaway’s right away (done!), so I don’t forget to pick up a copy when I’m in Trondheim after Easter. Or when I’m in Rome, if Outland doesn’t stock it.
I’m not too updated on the novels of 2008, having spent most of 2008 continuing my ages-old project of exploring what Gollancz still classifies as “Fantasy Masterworks”, all of which are written prior to 1990, and in any event primarily relying on you to provide me with up-to-date information on what’s hot and whatnot. (One of the reasons I lament the fact that you’ve cut back on your book reviews, but keep on reviewing what seems to be every Jack, Joe and Sally of a television show you run into.)
I did, however, read Toll the Hounds and Neuropath, but seeing as the former was a bit on the meh side and the latter only succeeded in depressing the fuck out of me and messing me up even worse than I was before (not to mention its atrociously bad plot and the stale, horrid prose and characterisations), neither really deserve a mention in such most august company as I’m sure this is.
Are you kidding me? He’s not reviewed a TV-show in AGES. The “quickie”-thing he did for The Sopranos is the only exception, and that, you know, was a so-called “quickie”. And it was for The Sopranos, which is probably as far away from “every Jack, Joe and Sally of a television show” there is…
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read The Gone-Away World, Terje. I would dearly love to hear someone else’s take on it. The only other person I know besides myself who’ve read it, called it the worst book he’d ever touched, but I’m *fairly* sure you’d swing my way. Seriously, it’s an awesome book in almost every sense of the word I know.
Dunno if it’s in Outland. Can’t remember seeing it there in February, but it ordering it via thebookdepository.co.uk is cheaper anyhow (I got the special lim. ed. myself).
As to the reviewing of novels and such like… Well, I could start that thing up again. It came to a point where I felt like posting here was only so much wind in the air. There’s no fun in recommending stuff if no one he’s here to take me up on it or argue about it. Hence, the TV-reviewing, ’cause at least Loki usually throws me a bone with those.
I’m cutting down on new books though, so don’t expect a lot of those. I have a vampire-novel lined up next (“Every Last Drop” by Charlie Huston, and then it’s two short-story collections in a row (Ted Chiang’s “Stories of My Life & Others”, Paolo Bacigalupi’s “Pump Six”). They’re both known as the best short-story writers in SFF right now, so I’m looking forward to ‘em. After that I’ll maybe try my hand at Gene Wolfe’s newest “Best of” collection, which looks very nice, though I might be turned off short-stories by then.
Other than that? Abercrombie and Wooding have new books out in June that are getting good reviews. I’ll probably read those. The second-to-last WoT book (aMoL is getting split in two) should be out before Christmas. Oh, and the Erikson book, of course.
If you want reviews of any of those, feel free to yell or shout or, alternatively, post a comment about it.
@Loki: There’s an easy explanation for that: I haven’t finished a new show since Sopranos. I tried B5 – but I never took to it, and since then I’ve just been keeping up with the latest episodes of my current shows.
Ah, okay. That explains that. ^^ I think you’d like B5, by the way, eventually, especially the Londo-G’Kar-stuff. It does suffer from the “lots of mediocre-to-bad-standalone episodes in early seasons”-syndrome like so many other shows like it. How far did you get? That said, it’s totally not on the top of my list of shows to recommend, and I’m sure I could find you something better to spend your TV-time on.
And I’m sorry for not being more interested in your book-reviews. Fact of the matter is, as often as not, they tempt me more than what’s healthy. I don’t _really_ have time for anything beyond keeping up with fantasy series I’m already reading – I barely have time for that, as it is – and you keep recommending me new ones. (I even took you up on Lynch)
Loki: Seems I’m stuck a bit in the past, as usual. You’re right about the recent frequency of TV show reviews, of course.
Amras: Ah, well, I can relate to that. One of the reasons I’ve always really preferred forums to blogs is that good discussion blogs tend to be rare as white clothes at a black metal concert; you get it at the big ones, of course, but if you have something to contribute yourself, without being as skilled with words and observations as the best of bloggers, a forum usually always has more opportunities for you than a blog. Of course, they also tend to eat your time like famined wolves glutting on the carcass of a dead elk.
And if I haven’t found The Gone-Away World before I return from Rome around June 1, I promise I’ll order it online. I reread your review of it yesterday, and was reminded just how much I wanted to read the novel after my first encounter with your review about a year ago or so. In fact, every time I’ve been to Outland since late August, I’ve been thinking about “that book”; the book that Amras recommended me so whole-heartedly, but which name I couldn’t bring myself to recall, always swearing to check it out as soon as I got back home. Obviously, having the memory of a senile goldfish, I never did. But I’m fairly sure I’ll be able to remember it now. And even if I don’t, I have jotted “harkaway (the gone-away world)” down on the to-buy list I keep on my cell phone.
Anyway, I can sort of understand why you didn’t quite take to B5. I mean, I love it and think it’s brilliant most of the time, but compared to the shiny and ridiculously well-produced shows you generally watch, I guess it can tend to look a bit camp. The actors aren’t always top-notch; the sets and props usually look cheap; the constant liberal moralising bugged even me, one of the biggest liberal moralists I know; and the stand-alone plots, as Loki said, were occasionally rubbish.
But, you know, the core of the thing, beneath all that ornamentation, is pure, stainless steel.
I’ve only stopped watching it about mid-way through because at first my computer crashed when I tried to play large video files, and when I’d been able to make them work on my DVD player, the second half of the third season turned out to be incompatible with the DVD player. And, of course, there’s a little thing called West Wing…
Rewatching West Wing myself these days. I find it hilarious how much the Donna-Josh-romance is played up in season 2 when I’m sitting here knowing what a ridiculous amount of years will go by before the characters act on it.
Heh, yeah. I thought they handled the CJ-Danny romance better, though. This in spite of the fact that they took Timothy Busfield away from us for what? Two seasons or so?
Something like that. Which I never understood the reasoning behind. Was he simply unavailable or something? I’m in early season three and haven’t seen him for over half a season – however they did mention him by name a few times to keep him alive as a character.
According to IMDb, he acted on and produced the show “Ed” between 2002 and 2004, which, if I’m not much mistaken, fits roughtly with his absence from WW. It seems he didn’t act in as many episodes as I’d thought, either; only 28 of them. Seems like he was in more… :\
On WW? Even when he was there, he was rarely present in two episodes in a row. They threw him in as a face-of-the-press-room-character when he was needed, that and his season 1-flirations with CJ was about it.
Yeah, now that I actually think about it I realise that, but for some reason, even though I watched the show way too much last term, I had the instinctive impression that he was on more often. A shame that he wasn’t really; his character was awesome and Busfield himself is one of the kosligste actors I know of. I usually start smiling sheepishly the second he shows up on the screen… :\
A triple hooray for Terje promising to read The Gone-Away World! ^^
Regarding B5: It’s not that I hated it or thought it was outright bad or anything (well, some of it was admittedly quite bad, but I’ve seen worse). I just never got into the groove of it; I’d watch a few, and I’d be quite happy with the show, and then I’d simply forget to watch the next until I felt a sudden urge to procrastinate. Normally I’ll be totally immersed in a show like B5, no matter the sfx and acting, but I just didn’t get there. Maybe I’ll give it another try when I’m not so stressed out about school and other crap.
I ask again, how far did you get before you lost interest?
As for the sense of cozy safety brought to the screen by Busfield, I can only concur.
I’m about six or seven episodes into season 2.
Ah. I believe you’ll have an easier time getting excited once you’re at the end of season 2 or in early season 3. I remember feeling similarly to what you describe up until at least half-way through season 2.