Best of 2011

Trojan

As we come to the end of the year I've realised I haven't read many newly published books this year - most of my reading has been catching up with Malazan and ASOIAF.

Help me load my bookshelves and Kindle for the deep winter months - what's been the best sf&f of 2011 (so far)?

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

nesf

Seconding "A Wise Man's Fear," just finished it, lovely second book for a trilogy.

Trojan

Coincidentally enough, I just re-read both Rothfuss again recently. While I think The Name of The Wind could possibly be the best fantasy novel ever written, A Wise Man's Fear really lets it down. Don't get me wrong - it's not bad, and I'll be pre-ordering the 3rd book, but it is a long way from the heights of the first book.

nesf

Trojan wrote: »

Coincidentally enough, I just re-read both Rothfuss again recently. While I think The Name of The Wind could possibly be the best fantasy novel ever written, A Wise Man's Fear really lets it down. Don't get me wrong - it's not bad, and I'll be pre-ordering the 3rd book, but it is a long way from the heights of the first book.

Eh, it was satisfactory for me. Then, I've a broad tolerance in these things.

pH

Well as above A wise man's fear is worth a read.

I liked Ready Player One if you've played video games all your life and have some nostalgia for the 1980s it's unmissable - if not then I guess it would be pretty meh!

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie was a highlight, well written, if not perhaps quite as good a story as his earlier works.

Just about to start Reamde ...

OwaynOTT

Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I know it came out in 2010 but it was no near the end of the year. I enjoyed it a lot despite the fact it could of been slimmed down.

Sea of Ghosts by Alan Campell was also excellent, ending was a bit rushed and that's it.

One I would most defintely not class as the 'best of 2011' would be The Unremebered by Peter ORuillian. It was a complete rip off of Robert Jordan's Eye of the World.

IRL_Sinister

Jumping in on The Wise Man's Fear band wagon, for sure.

Manach

Seconding The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson and also Monster hunter alpha (It had a gracious blend of Soviet Werewolves and snowploughs).

gufnork

The alloy of law - brandon sanderson. The next 3 in the mistborn series are supposed to be set in this time period.

OwaynOTT

gufnork wrote: »

The alloy of law - brandon sanderson. The next 3 in the mistborn series are supposed to be set in this time period.

Actually they will be set in a setting further along in time.

the way of kings is brilliant

is there only two books out so far

OwaynOTT

bluewolf wrote: »

the way of kings is brilliant

is there only two books out so far

There's only one book out so far, it was split for paperback release. Doubt that we will see the next installement before autumn 2013.
Although with the pace Sanderson writes, who knows.

gufnork

OwaynOTT wrote: »

gufnork wrote: »

The alloy of law - brandon sanderson. The next 3 in the mistborn series are supposed to be set in this time period.

Actually they will be set in a setting further along in time.

Really? I thought the next 3 were to be set in that time period and then the following 3 were to be set in a more modern/futuristic setting?

Not that I'm too bothered actually since I love his books and am sure I'll enjoy whatever time period he sets them in.

I think he's definitely my new favourite author.

OwaynOTT

No Im fairly certain the next 3 are in a contempory setting and then we will have 3 in a futuristic setting.

Although if Alloy of the Law does well I'm sure we will see more in that setting. I may read it soon!

One of my fave new authors as well. Him and Scott Lynch. Oh and Joe Abercrombie.

gufnork

OwaynOTT wrote: »

No Im fairly certain the next 3 are in a contempory setting and then we will have 3 in a futuristic setting.

Although if Alloy of the Law does well I'm sure we will see more in that setting. I may read it soon!

One of my fave new authors as well. Him and Scott Lynch. Oh and Joe Abercrombie.

Yep, you're right. Found this quote,

"The new book will be set roughly halfway between the Mistborn trilogy and its planned sequel series, which will be set several centuries later when the people of Scadrial have achieved a level of technology similar to that of contemporary Earth, but with allomancy still in use."

here,

http://www.fantasyfolder.com/news/new-mistborn-book-next-year-new-sequel-series-to-come-as-well/

Am so looking forward to that.

Johnny Storm

Best book I read in 2011 was "Zero History" by William Gibson. Not SF but surely WG gets a pass...

ixoy

Well "The Crippled God" also - since nobody mentioned it! Very satisfying conclusion to the Malazan series.

Also, from the tail end of 2010 (so I'm putting it in here), "The Quantum Thief" was an excellent piece of hard science fiction. Imaginative (think Greg Egan), with a slice of detective noir (think Richard Morgan) and a dash of a high caper (think Scott Lynch).

Also China Miéville's "Embassytown" was an interesting read. It studied the concept of communication in a sci-fi setting. I felt my IQ had risen after readng it.

R. Scott Bakker's "The White-Luck Warrior" was an engaging follow-up to "The Judging Eye" and managed a sense of epic in a few hundred pages that many novels fail over thousands. Some interesting philosophical content here too. Looking forward to the next one.

Read lots of others but they're the ones that were published at the end of 2010 or during 2011 and haven't been mentioned above.

OwaynOTT

Liking the sound of Quatumn thief, might give it a shot. Haven't read The Crippled God but will get to it eventually.

How about best books read in 2011 but not necessarily released in 2011.

Scott Lynchs Red Seas Under Red Skies was maybe my favourite. I felt it was better than the first.

ixoy

OwaynOTT wrote: »

How about best books read in 2011 but not necessarily released in 2011.

In this case it'd be Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. Very enjoyable - the man really knows how to sustain pace and interest and do something original at the same time.

OwaynOTT

ixoy wrote: »

In this case it'd be Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. Very enjoyable - the man really knows how to sustain pace and interest and do something original at the same time.

Its a good book alright but for some reason I never bothered picking up the rest of them, go figure.
Your right i saying the ideas are original and interesting but its a pity a lot of the characters are paper thin and uninteresting.
His humour also leaves much to be desired, in this book anyway.

Way of Kings is a better series opener for Sanderson despite it not being as innovative or zipping along at such a brisk pace.

ixoy

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Your right i saying the ideas are original and interesting but its a pity a lot of the characters are paper thin and uninteresting.

They're not the deepest characters but I quite liked them and he does a good job of maturing them as the series goes on. There's nobody like Tyrion here or with the black humour of Abercrombie's Glokta but I still empathised with them.

Way of Kings is a better series opener for Sanderson despite it not being as innovative or zipping along at such a brisk pace.

Well he'd have matured his skills by this point. This too is on a "to buy" list at some point.