SFFWorld's Fantasy Review of 2009

[Hobbit]

Well, that's good, Winter. Doesn't have to be epic fantasy as such, but fantasy... feel free to spill the beans as it were.

I know I still haven't got to some, but read others: the Scholes I haven't read, for example, but it's on my Amazon list.

Thanks Cranky for the DiscWorld update. I understand one of the biggest changes this time around is the fact that Terry's has had his PA have to type it as he's dictated, I understand. But he may have done that anyway.

(And Thanks guys: Yes, those shelves do seem to be a little warped, hence the removal of most of the books earlier in the year to other realms and the putting there of the magazines... which is when I realised that some of shelves were a little unusual in their shape, though there is still a layer of books at the back that you can see in some of the photo (Probably holding the shelves up.)

Mark

[Rob B]

A question for all: what constitutes a good year for a/the genre?

If the majority of books one enjoys vs one reads is over 50%. If books in the genre sell well?

Personally, I liked a majority of the books I read so in that respect, it was good.

[Winter]

Well, that's good, Winter. Doesn't have to be epic fantasy as such, but fantasy... feel free to spill the beans as it were.

Finch - Jeff VanderMeer
Last Days - Brian Evenson (weird horror)
The Pilo Family Circus - Will Elliott
How to Make Friends with Demons - Graham Joyce
The Child Thief - Brom
The Angel's Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (possibly not, but can be interpreted as such)
The Other City - Michal Ajvaz
Green - Jay Lake
Lamentation - Ken Scholes
Canticle - Ken Scholes
Sandman Slim - Richard Kadrey
John Dies at the End - David Wong

There were more that I was very interested in, but sadly I was not able to get to them before the end of the year. If I had, no doubt I would have expanded this list. Eh, it was a good year for me in any case.

If the majority of books one enjoys vs one reads is over 50%. If books in the genre sell well?

Personally, I liked a majority of the books I read so in that respect, it was good.

I agree with this. In my case, I think I was only disappointed by three of the new releases I read this year. Definitely enjoyed over 50%.

[Rob B]

Rob - I guess my comment about "upbeat tone" was a reflection on your statement that it was "another good year for fantasy". People seem to say this every year and it has lost a bit of meaning for me. I know some got a lot out of fantasy this year, particularly epic fantasy with The Judging Eye, The Painted Man (US), another wieghty Erikson, and so forth, but none of this rocked my socks. So fo me - not a particularly good year. Sure, I found stuff to read, but nother superlative. Your upbeat tone doesn't surprise me because this sort of end-of-year round-up is something a celebration and a bit of a slap on the back, which is fine. It's not really a critical overview of the year that's been. I do prefer this format - you and Hobbit shootin' the breeze - to the way you've done it the last few years. And the review has given me renewed resolve to read the Magicians thanks to your endorsement and to pick up Mark Charan Newton’s Nights of Villjamur and The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington.

Fair point, Luke and it is a trite saying "another good year."

Did anything rock your socks this year? What disappointed you? I seem to recall that you were disappointed with The Warded Man.

BTW-how much does the beast that is your avatar weigh nowadays?

[molybdenum]

Now, I haven't read many books from this year yet, (I think Warbreaker and Gathering Storm might be the only ones), but just judging by the amount of books that have intrigued me enough to put on my "To read as soon as it comes out in paperback list" seems to be much, much bigger than last year.

Just in debut authors this year there is Brett (in the US/Canada), Newton, Grossman, Bullington, Scholes...compared to pretty well none last year. Also, there's a new Bakker book and a new WoT book on top of that.

Maybe it's because Morgan and Kearney don't interest me in the slightest, but I'm far higher (in the early stages, at least for me) on this year than I was on last.

[Seegee]

So, name the anthologies you liked, Seegee! I do think that a good anthology can be good at summarising what's going on, though they don't always give the full picture. Both Rob and I are impressed with the John Joseph Adams themed anthologies.

I must admit I have spent a lot of the year re/reading old stuff, though that's partly because of my acquisition of old Astounding/Analogs and F&SF.

Hobbit, I should have explained myself more clearly. I meant it was a decent year if you liked anthologies, seemed be a few of those out in this year. I personally don't like anthologies, one of the few I did read and enjoy was the Legends ones done by Silverberg. Hopefully Warriors, which seems to be taking over from those, will be able to live up to the hype in 2010.

I suppose my discontent stems from the fact that I haven't yet read Malazan and won't until Erikson actually completes his main story arc, from all accounts next year (yes, Wert I have read your comments about this not finishing the series as a whole, but from what everyone else who has read it says it does complete a major arc) I also gave up on WoT years ago, and while I do intend to reread it all and get the ones that came out after my disenchantment I'm not doing that until Sanderson has put out all of the last 3 volumes. Of the epics that I do read: no Dance (yet again), no new Lynch (happy to hear that he's back at work at least). The other thing I have working against me is that I prefer to get things when they come out in standard paperback, I can't afford hardbacks and the tpb's just mess up the look of the bookshelves, plus they cost more for essentially the same book in a larger format. I broke the rule with Retribution Falls and was glad I did, because that along with Best Served Cold were the 2 best 2009 releases I read. I've been rereading all sorts of stuff, not all genre. I've embarked on a rereading of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series and absolutely loving that.
We'll just have to see what 2010 brings. I want to rediscover the joy I felt when I first read A Game of Thrones or The Blade Itself or The Lies of Locke Lamora.

[Hobbit]

Thanks for making that clearer, Seegee!

I can see the point, which I think was made earlier, that you have as well: no Lynch, no Rothfuss, no GRRM, etc etc has made this a depressing year for some (and you seem to be one, Seegee!)

I think I tend to make a more positive view, in that just because there's not a big hitter released that a reader wants to read in a certain year, that leaves it wide open for lots of new stuff to be read, or older stuff to be caught up on. With more being published than ever before, there's a good chance you might read the new Rothfuss or the new GRRM... (But yes, you can also be disappointed as well! )

I actually think that sometimes it's that that makes reading more exciting: the fact that you are reading something new and you don't know where it's going... that can make a book for me.

But that's a personal view, and not necessarily something shared by everyone. I know I've tried quite a few 'new' writers this year - some have surprised, some have disappointed. But it can make reading fun!

Mark

[Seegee]

Hi Mark, thanks for responding with your thoughts. I don't just go to the bookstore, see no GRRM or Lynch and say 'Oh crap!' then walk out empty handed. I try new authors and like to get things that have been recommended or even pick something old that I may never have read, I also go out of genre. It's just that this year nothing really seemed to grab me the way the other 3 I mentioned earlier did and 2 of those were debut authors. I'm pretty 'meh' about Rothfuss. NotW really didn't impress me, it was readable because he is a genuinely talented author, and while I'd like to see the rest of the story it's not something I'll have to read until it comes out in standard paperback and even then it won't be on the top of my 'to buy' list.
Amanda Downum's first one has me interested, but I have other things to read before picking that up, encouragingly the 2nd one is listed for release sometime in 2010.

[Hobbit]

I don't just go to the bookstore, see no GRRM or Lynch and say 'Oh crap!' then walk out empty handed.

Hope I didn't give the impression that I thought you did, Seegee. Was thinking/typing aloud, and generally, as you do. You're not the only one to say that the year's been OK but nothing special.

Amanda Downum's first one has me interested, but I have other things to read before picking that up, encouragingly the 2nd one is listed for release sometime in 2010.

Here's an example of perhaps what you're talking about, for me anyway. Read and reviewed the first, thought it was an 'OK' debut, but hope the second one will be better.

Mark

[Seegee]

Hope I didn't give the impression that I thought you did, Seegee. Was thinking/typing aloud, and generally, as you do. You're not the only one to say that the year's been OK but nothing special.


Here's an example of perhaps what you're talking about, for me anyway. Read and reviewed the first, thought it was an 'OK' debut, but hope the second one will be better.

Mark

Thanks for the link and the review. It's one of those that I've picked up, read a bit of and then put it back for 'later'. I think 'later' will be in the new year. Thankyou.

[Hobbit]

No problem. As usual, please let us know what you think if/when you get around to reading it.

Mark

[Luke_B]

Fair point, Luke and it is a trite saying "another good year."

Did anything rock your socks this year? What disappointed you? I seem to recall that you were disappointed with The Warded Man.

BTW-how much does the beast that is your avatar weigh nowadays?

33kg - not sure what that is in lbs. My wife keeps him on a permanent diet otherwise he would be a lot bigger.

The Warded Man was not for me. I really triedto get into it. Not that much else disappointed me. It was more that nobody new grabbed me the way Abercrombie, Lynch and Rothfuss did when they debuted. I really liked Best Served Cold but was disappointed by the further delay of the next Lynch, Rothfuss, Morgan, and of course Martin. Those are the only series I am following these days. As I have said earlier in this thread and elsewhere on the forum, Bakker doesn't work for me and a posthumous Jordan book does very little to excite me. A new Mieville was great but and I think Pratchett's new one stands up well. In terms of debuts I really liked Kate Griffin. But not of this was enough to make more than another average year in the fantasy genre - not good, but not bad.

[Hobbit]

You know, I've realised that I've used an earlier edition of the review!

Consequently I missed my comment at the end that the Horror renaissance (or ressurrection, as it were) that Rob mentions has also been confirmed by my greatest anthology read of the year: the 2 volume set of Peter Straub's Library of America set, American Fantastic Tales, which is very very good indeed, and perhaps a sign that Horror is now seen as worthwhile by non-genre readers.

Consider it added!

Mark

[NickeeCoco]

Well, it's a good point. Do others think the same? I know that there's been no Rothfuss, no GRRM etc etc, but IMO there is good stuff out there.

I think the same way. I only read a couple of books that were new to this year, and I was a little disappointed. While I enjoyed Abercrombie's Best Served Cold, I found it to be a little more of the same [as the First Law]. I wanted him to bring something new into it, but he didn't. There's some interesting plot lines that were left dangling, so I'll continue with his next book to see what happens, but I wouldn't mind if he brought a little more thematic change to the table.

For the most part, this year was spent reading authors that were new to me, not new books.