ArmadilloCon: What You Should Have Read This Year
This is a traditional ArmadilloCon panel, where panelists recommend recently published science fiction and fantasy titles we might want to read. The people entrusted with this honor are usually ones whose work or hobbies cause them to read lots of recent fiction. This year, the team of "pundits" is Willie Siros (an Austin bookseller), Madeleine Dimond (an author), Eric Marin (editor of Lone Star Tales), and Thomas Martin Wagner (a SF/F reviewer). So without further ado, here are their lists of must-read fiction. (Note: some of the books in Willie's list are yet to come out later this year or early 2010; I guess Willie's opinion of them is formed from the ARC's he's read.)
Willie Siros' list
Science fiction
Nancy Kress: Steal Across The Sky
Iain Banks: Transition
Robert Sawyer: www:wake
Rudy Rucker: Hylozoic
Thomas Pynchon: Inherent Vice
Jack McDevitt: Time Travelers Never Die
China Mieville: City and the City
Paul McAuley: Gardens of the Sun
Ken MacLeod: Restoration Game (a search for this author and title combination on Amazon.com did not return any matches, but somebody named Ken (coincindence? :-)) commented on my other blog saying this book will come out in March 2010. Willie truly lives far in the future!)
Walter Jon Williams: This Is Not A Game
Bruce Sterling: Caryatids
Collections
J. G. Ballard: Complete stories
Lewis Shiner: Collected Stories
Poe: New Tales Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, edited by Ellen Datlow
Joe R. Lansdale: Son of Retro Pulp Tales
Greg Egan: Crystal Nights and Other Stories
Theodore Sturgeon: Slow Sculpture: Volume XII: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon
Fantasy
Lois Bujold: Horizon
Robin Hobb: Dragon Keeper
Ken Scholes: Lamentation
Joe Abercrombie: Best Served Cold
Nina Kiriki Hoffman: Fall of Light
Charles De Lint: Mystery of Grace
Steven Erikson: Dust of Dreams
Daniel Abraham: Price of Spring
Robert Holdstock: Avilion
Steph Swainston: Above the Snowline
Terry Pratchett: Unseen Academicals
John Crowley: Four Freedoms
Dan Simons: Drood
Eric Marin's list
of Nifty Short Fiction and Poetry Appearing in 2009 and Places to Find More
A few anthologies (and a collection) he's heard good things about:
We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter Beagle (recent fantasy fiction and poetry reprints)
Songs of the Dying Earth, eds. George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois (a Jack Vance tribute anthology)
Federations, ed. John Joseph Adams (original and reprinted science fiction)
The New Space Opera 2, ed. Gardner Dozois (original science fiction)
Clockwork Phoenix 2, ed. Mike Allen (original SF/F fiction)
Poe, ed. Ellen Datlow (original dark fantasy/horror fiction)
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Sixth Annual Collection, ed. Gardner Dozois (reprints of 2008 science fiction)
Year's Best SF 14, eds. David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer (reprints of 2008 science fiction)
The 2009 Rhysling Anthology, ed. Drew Morse (speculative poetry published in 2008 and nominated for the 2009 Rhysling Award)
Some Online, Nontraditionally Published Fiction:
Shadow Unit, Seasons 1 and 2, various authors such as Elizabeth Bear and Emma Bull (an ongoing series in a shared world):
http://www.shadowunit.org
Bone Shop by Tim Pratt (a Marla Mason fantasy novella posted online): http://www.marlamason.net/boneshop/
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (a YA fantasy novel posted online in weekly installments): http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/fairyland/
Some print magazines you have heard of and many you likely haven't but should have:
Analog (hard/traditional science fiction): http://www.analogsf.com
Asimov's (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry) http://www.asimovs.com
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (SF/F fiction): http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/
Realms of Fantasy (fantasy fiction): http://realmsoffantasymag.com/
Postscripts (SF/F fiction in a yearly anthology format) http://store.pspublishing.co.uk/acatalog/postscripts_magazine.html
Polyphony (SF/F fiction in a yearly anthology format-publisher on hiatus for the year, but books still available): http://www.wheatlandpress.com
Interzone (SF/F fiction): http://ttapress.com/interzone
Black Static (dark/strange speculative fiction): http://ttapress.com/blackstatic
Weird Tales (dark/strange speculative fiction): http://www.weirdtales.net/
Black Gate (Fantasy fiction): http://www.blackgate.com
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet (cross genre fiction and poetry): http://www.lcrw.net/lcrw
Electric Velocipede (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry): http://www.electricvelocipede.com
Zahir (literary SF/F fiction) http://www.zahirtales.com/currentissue.html
Shimmer (SF/F fiction): http://www.shimmerzine.com
GUD (cross genre fiction and poetry): http://www.gudmagazine.com/
Mythic Delirium (speculative poetry): http://www.mythicdelirium.com/
Dreams and Nightmares (speculative poetry): http://dreamsandnightmares.interstellardustmites.com/
Star*Line (speculative poetry--official magazine of the Science Fiction Poetry Association) http://www.sfpoetry.com/
Some online magazines you should explore, if you haven't already done so:
Strange Horizons (SF/F fiction, speculative poetry): http://www.strangehorizons.com
Tor.com (publishes new short SF/F on a regular basis) http://www.tor.com
ChiZine (dark fiction and poetry): http://www.chizine.com
Clarkesworld Magazine (SF/F fiction): http://www.clarkesworldmagazine.com
Fantasy Magazine (SF/F fiction): http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy
Subterranean Magazine (SF/F fiction): http://www.subterraneanpress.com/
Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show (SF/F fiction-requires subscription): http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com
Beneath Ceaseless Skies (secondary world fantasy fiction): http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com
Apex Magazine (dark science fiction): http://www.apexbookcompany.com/apex-online
Lone Star Stories (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry -- now closed but the site will remain up) http://literary.erictmarin.com
Ideomancer (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry): http://www.ideomancer.com
Abyss & Apex (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry): http://www.abyssandapex.com
Goblin Fruit (fantasy poetry): http://www.goblinfruit.net
Odds And Ends, And Other Panelists' Recommendations
Madeleine Dimond recommends Naomi Novik's "Victory of the Eagles", and Small Beer Press reprints of lesser known, but very fine authors, such as Carol Emshwiller. She also mentions some non-science fiction books that may be of interest to many fans of the genre. One of them is "Newton and the Counterfeiter: The Unknown Detective Career of the World's Greatest Scientist" by Thomas Levenson, which she heard described as science fiction that's neither science nor fiction. Another is "White Sands, Red Menace" by Ellen Klages, a sequel to "Green Glass Sea". It's historical fiction about children growin up in 1940s in Los Alamos. Because science figures prominently in this book, Madeleine recommends it to all SF fans.
Thomas Martin Wagner recommends "Ariel" by Steve Boyett, a post-apocalyptic novel about a boy and his unicorn, that's been reprinted this year. There's also a sequel coming out this fall, "Elegy Beach". Having been published 28 years after the first book, it's one of the longest-awaited sequels in history, says Martin. He also recommends China Mieville's "The City and the City" (that's two recommendations for this book, since it is also in Willie's list). According to Martin, it's shorter, more accessible, more to the point than Mieville's earlier works. He calls it "China's pulp novel".
Eric Marin recommends Haruki Murakami "Kafka on the Shore", and Jay Lake's "Green".
Willie Siros is glad some publishers are publishing standalone novellas. Some writers, he says, are excellent at novella-length works, but don't do novels well. He thinks Michael Bishop is the finest novella writer in the known universe, but after 30000 - 40000 words he loses focus. Of recently published novellas, Willie recommends "Shambling Towards Hiroshima" by James Morrow.
One of the panelists (I don't remember which one) recommends "Cardboard Universe", an exploration of life of a fictional SF novelist Phoebus K. Dank, loosely based on Philip K. Dick.
Pictures from ArmadilloCon 2009 are in my photo gallery.
Willie Siros' list
Science fiction
Nancy Kress: Steal Across The Sky
Iain Banks: Transition
Robert Sawyer: www:wake
Rudy Rucker: Hylozoic
Thomas Pynchon: Inherent Vice
Jack McDevitt: Time Travelers Never Die
China Mieville: City and the City
Paul McAuley: Gardens of the Sun
Ken MacLeod: Restoration Game (a search for this author and title combination on Amazon.com did not return any matches, but somebody named Ken (coincindence? :-)) commented on my other blog saying this book will come out in March 2010. Willie truly lives far in the future!)
Walter Jon Williams: This Is Not A Game
Bruce Sterling: Caryatids
Collections
J. G. Ballard: Complete stories
Lewis Shiner: Collected Stories
Poe: New Tales Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, edited by Ellen Datlow
Joe R. Lansdale: Son of Retro Pulp Tales
Greg Egan: Crystal Nights and Other Stories
Theodore Sturgeon: Slow Sculpture: Volume XII: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon
Fantasy
Lois Bujold: Horizon
Robin Hobb: Dragon Keeper
Ken Scholes: Lamentation
Joe Abercrombie: Best Served Cold
Nina Kiriki Hoffman: Fall of Light
Charles De Lint: Mystery of Grace
Steven Erikson: Dust of Dreams
Daniel Abraham: Price of Spring
Robert Holdstock: Avilion
Steph Swainston: Above the Snowline
Terry Pratchett: Unseen Academicals
John Crowley: Four Freedoms
Dan Simons: Drood
Eric Marin's list
of Nifty Short Fiction and Poetry Appearing in 2009 and Places to Find More
A few anthologies (and a collection) he's heard good things about:
We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter Beagle (recent fantasy fiction and poetry reprints)
Songs of the Dying Earth, eds. George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois (a Jack Vance tribute anthology)
Federations, ed. John Joseph Adams (original and reprinted science fiction)
The New Space Opera 2, ed. Gardner Dozois (original science fiction)
Clockwork Phoenix 2, ed. Mike Allen (original SF/F fiction)
Poe, ed. Ellen Datlow (original dark fantasy/horror fiction)
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Sixth Annual Collection, ed. Gardner Dozois (reprints of 2008 science fiction)
Year's Best SF 14, eds. David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer (reprints of 2008 science fiction)
The 2009 Rhysling Anthology, ed. Drew Morse (speculative poetry published in 2008 and nominated for the 2009 Rhysling Award)
Some Online, Nontraditionally Published Fiction:
Shadow Unit, Seasons 1 and 2, various authors such as Elizabeth Bear and Emma Bull (an ongoing series in a shared world):
http://www.shadowunit.org
Bone Shop by Tim Pratt (a Marla Mason fantasy novella posted online): http://www.marlamason.net/boneshop/
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (a YA fantasy novel posted online in weekly installments): http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/fairyland/
Some print magazines you have heard of and many you likely haven't but should have:
Analog (hard/traditional science fiction): http://www.analogsf.com
Asimov's (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry) http://www.asimovs.com
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (SF/F fiction): http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/
Realms of Fantasy (fantasy fiction): http://realmsoffantasymag.com/
Postscripts (SF/F fiction in a yearly anthology format) http://store.pspublishing.co.uk/acatalog/postscripts_magazine.html
Polyphony (SF/F fiction in a yearly anthology format-publisher on hiatus for the year, but books still available): http://www.wheatlandpress.com
Interzone (SF/F fiction): http://ttapress.com/interzone
Black Static (dark/strange speculative fiction): http://ttapress.com/blackstatic
Weird Tales (dark/strange speculative fiction): http://www.weirdtales.net/
Black Gate (Fantasy fiction): http://www.blackgate.com
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet (cross genre fiction and poetry): http://www.lcrw.net/lcrw
Electric Velocipede (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry): http://www.electricvelocipede.com
Zahir (literary SF/F fiction) http://www.zahirtales.com/currentissue.html
Shimmer (SF/F fiction): http://www.shimmerzine.com
GUD (cross genre fiction and poetry): http://www.gudmagazine.com/
Mythic Delirium (speculative poetry): http://www.mythicdelirium.com/
Dreams and Nightmares (speculative poetry): http://dreamsandnightmares.interstellardustmites.com/
Star*Line (speculative poetry--official magazine of the Science Fiction Poetry Association) http://www.sfpoetry.com/
Some online magazines you should explore, if you haven't already done so:
Strange Horizons (SF/F fiction, speculative poetry): http://www.strangehorizons.com
Tor.com (publishes new short SF/F on a regular basis) http://www.tor.com
ChiZine (dark fiction and poetry): http://www.chizine.com
Clarkesworld Magazine (SF/F fiction): http://www.clarkesworldmagazine.com
Fantasy Magazine (SF/F fiction): http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy
Subterranean Magazine (SF/F fiction): http://www.subterraneanpress.com/
Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show (SF/F fiction-requires subscription): http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com
Beneath Ceaseless Skies (secondary world fantasy fiction): http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com
Apex Magazine (dark science fiction): http://www.apexbookcompany.com/apex-online
Lone Star Stories (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry -- now closed but the site will remain up) http://literary.erictmarin.com
Ideomancer (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry): http://www.ideomancer.com
Abyss & Apex (SF/F fiction and speculative poetry): http://www.abyssandapex.com
Goblin Fruit (fantasy poetry): http://www.goblinfruit.net
Odds And Ends, And Other Panelists' Recommendations
Madeleine Dimond recommends Naomi Novik's "Victory of the Eagles", and Small Beer Press reprints of lesser known, but very fine authors, such as Carol Emshwiller. She also mentions some non-science fiction books that may be of interest to many fans of the genre. One of them is "Newton and the Counterfeiter: The Unknown Detective Career of the World's Greatest Scientist" by Thomas Levenson, which she heard described as science fiction that's neither science nor fiction. Another is "White Sands, Red Menace" by Ellen Klages, a sequel to "Green Glass Sea". It's historical fiction about children growin up in 1940s in Los Alamos. Because science figures prominently in this book, Madeleine recommends it to all SF fans.
Thomas Martin Wagner recommends "Ariel" by Steve Boyett, a post-apocalyptic novel about a boy and his unicorn, that's been reprinted this year. There's also a sequel coming out this fall, "Elegy Beach". Having been published 28 years after the first book, it's one of the longest-awaited sequels in history, says Martin. He also recommends China Mieville's "The City and the City" (that's two recommendations for this book, since it is also in Willie's list). According to Martin, it's shorter, more accessible, more to the point than Mieville's earlier works. He calls it "China's pulp novel".
Eric Marin recommends Haruki Murakami "Kafka on the Shore", and Jay Lake's "Green".
Willie Siros is glad some publishers are publishing standalone novellas. Some writers, he says, are excellent at novella-length works, but don't do novels well. He thinks Michael Bishop is the finest novella writer in the known universe, but after 30000 - 40000 words he loses focus. Of recently published novellas, Willie recommends "Shambling Towards Hiroshima" by James Morrow.
One of the panelists (I don't remember which one) recommends "Cardboard Universe", an exploration of life of a fictional SF novelist Phoebus K. Dank, loosely based on Philip K. Dick.
Pictures from ArmadilloCon 2009 are in my photo gallery.