*Unauthorized* Best SFF Books Read in 2004

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intensityxx

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This thread is for those of us who would like to share some favorite books read in 2004, including books which may not have been published this year.

Best SFF Books Read in 2004
Rules:
Post here books published in any year
Please keep the list short, comments short too

Please note: this is an unauthorized thread. Post at your own risk. ;)
 
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Not sure what "unauthorized" means, don't answer. A threads a thread.

Dragon Venom (Obsidian Chronicles) by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Pub. in 2004
Heh, read this series Wednesday and Thursday morning. Quite cool.
Revelation (Rai-kirah) by Carol Berg. Really good but depressing. Pub in 2001.
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. Pub in 1998 Fun.
 
ooh the less anal option for best books :D

Books I liked in 2004:

Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer
I liked the mix of fantasy and horror. It was a good story as well as being well written and a critical hit. He also was able to do a lot in a small amount of space - his writitng is very concise but it packs a lot in it.

The Court of the Midnight King by Freda Warrington
It is an historical fantasy about Richard III. I loved how she ended the story - which seems would be stuck in between two extremes (in terms of Richard's character) but she found another option

Voyage of the Shadowmoon by Sean McMullen
A thoughful fantasy that had the flavor of history.

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
One of the better LKH Anita Blake ripoffs.

Trash Sex Magic by Jennifer Stevenson
Wonderful tale of people and nature and magic with sex the glue that holds them together

Incubus Dreams by LKH
Flawed, but perhaps moving in the right direction, and it is Anita.

Lord of Snow and Shadows by Sara Ash
Loved the characters and the sweep and the settings.

Wreck of the River of Stars by Michael Flynn
An amazing book and one of the best of the year. Loved it

Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
One of the most interesting books I have ever read and I am still mulling

Maul by Tricia Sullivan
Very interesting, and thoughtful

So those are my choices.
 
The best book I read this year was Blade of Tyshalle by Matthew Woodring Stover, hands down. Each year, I discover a certain writer that I did not know about before, and this year it was Stover. I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the Acts of Caine on the strength of the incredible ending of Blade. I am sure it will be excellent.
 
I should list a few but I'll resist the temtation to do so !
The best book I read this year is has some of the finest story telling I'm ever likely to read !
The Book of The Short Sun by Gene Wolfe
Consisting of three volumes being , On Blue's Waters , In Green's Jungles and Return To The Whorl . The book is written in journal form telling both a recent past and the present story in unison to leave the reader plenty to puzzle over but at the same time not confused .

I must add that before reading The Short Sun , start with The book of The New Sun , Urth Of The New Sun then The Book of The Long Sun . Here I believe is some of the best writing to be found in any genre.
 
I also forgot an important book I really enjoyed in 2004:

Ilium by Dan Simmons

Loved the blend of science, fantasy, myth and history. Thought it should have won the Hugo. Can't wait for book 2.
 
Nevyn said:
Here I believe is some of the best writing to be found in any genre.
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Ditto. Wolfe is god. :)

As such, the best thing I've read this year is Wolfe's Wizard Knight series. I'm about half-way through The Wizard and I can honestly say it's the best Wolfe novel yet!

Also, I finally got around to reading the last book of Pohl's Heeche Saga this year. What a marvelous SF series, one of the best ever.
 
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I tend to choose my books carefully, maybe because I read slowly and don't want to waste my time on a book I won't like. The result is that I usually really like what I read, so I have lots of favorites this year. I'm obviously playing catch-up with some classics. Perfect Circle, by Sean Stewart, is the only one published in 2004.

Neuromancer, William Gibson

American Gods, Neil Gaiman

Trash Sex Magic, Jennifer Stevenson

Interview With a Vampire, Anne Rice

Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card

Perfect Circle, Sean Stewart

Coldfire Trilogy, C.S.Friedman

Agyar, Steven Brust

White Apples, Jonathan Carroll

Tamsin, Peter S. Beagle

Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
 
I'm glad you started this *Unauthorized* thread, because a ton of what I loved this year was published in 2003!

Chasm City, by Alstair Reynolds
The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill
The Wreck of the River of Stars by Michael Flynn
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
Ilium by Dan Simmons
The Thackery T. Lambshead Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases, ed. Jeff VanDerMeer and Mark Roberts
The Golden Transcendance by John C. Wright
Passage by Connie Willis
The Coyote Kings of the Space Age Bachelor Pad by Minister Faust

These are by far my favorites from this year's readings.
 
This year the best I read were the 2 published books of The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker and The Knight by Gene Wolfe. Gardens of the Moon promised a great series to be read in the New Year also.

Can I go out of genre? If so I just finished The Men of the Last Frontier by Grey Owl and it was one of the most interesting collections of stories and commentaries I've ever read.
 
FicusFan said:
The Court of the Midnight King by Freda Warrington
It is an historical fantasy about Richard III. I loved how she ended the story - which seems would be stuck in between two extremes (in terms of Richard's character) but she found another option
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Does that have another title? I love Richard III books, and I looked at Amazon but it wasn't on the Freda list.
 
AuntiePam said:
Does that have another title? I love Richard III books, and I looked at Amazon but it wasn't on the Freda list.
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No it is only published in the UK. You would have to check amazon.uk for it.


If you are interested you can order it from them or if you like I can check my local indy shop. They ordered mine for me and got some extra copies for their shelves. I think they still have some left. It is in a mass market format, but higher priced because of the currency conversion. PM me if you are interested. I am going to be in the shop for my next Reader's group meeting on 12/29.
 
Saint

You can vote for Bakker and Wolfe in Fitz's sticky thread for best release of the year.
 
I've actually been taking an extended break from sci-fi to catch up on my classics this year (currently reading "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by TE Lawrence), however, honourable mention goes to "Chasm City" be A. Reynolds. No small feat considering that he failed to sell me on his first book (was it Revelation Space?)!
 
BeardofPants said:
I've actually been taking an extended break from sci-fi to catch up on my classics this year (currently reading "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by TE Lawrence), however, honourable mention goes to "Chasm City" be A. Reynolds. No small feat considering that he failed to sell me on his first book (was it Revelation Space?)!
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I have a biography on Lawrence, which I have not read yet. What is his book like, any good ? Is it heavy on the mysticism ?
 
Thanks for the heads up Mith! That'll teach me to zone out the stickies.
 
FicusFan said:
I have a biography on Lawrence, which I have not read yet. What is his book like, any good ? Is it heavy on the mysticism ?
Click to expand...

I haven't actually read too far, so I really couldn't tell you, sorry. But I can say this: it is a beautifully written piece of work so far. Very easy to read.
 
Comparing 204 to 2003 there are less breathtakingly good novels I read - that means books I rated with 5 out of 5 points.

But there are - only looking at sff books, ignoring the rest - two:
Ash by Mary Gentle (even though I did not read the whole thing this year. Just the second half.)
Slow River by Nicola Griffith (cyperpunkish, science fiction not fantasy)

And then there are other books that are very good and I enjoyed them very much (4 out of 5 points):
The Golem's Eye by Stroud
A Fistful of Sky by Hoffman
Paladin of Souls by Bujold
Daughter of the Forest by Marillier
Something Rotten by Fforde
Banewreaker by Carey

There are a few more, but those are the most important (and in no particular order).

:)
 
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