Saturday, 1 August 2020

Favourite Sci Fi novels for the last decade

I don't usually write much about Sci fi & Fantasy on this blog, however they have been a major part of my life since I was a kid watching Dr Who, Blade Runner & Star Wars and reading HG Wells, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert & Jules Verne. For me, there is symbiosis between this and electronic music.

I think watching these early TV shows subliminally implanted my love for synthesizers & technology .
Dr Who = EMS VCS 3 & the BBC Radiophonic workshop.
Star Wars = Arp 2600
Close Encounters = ARP 2500
Blade Runner = Yamaha CS 80
..... the list goes on, and on.
So if you are into synths, I think there is also a high probability, that you have an interest in Sci-Fi

The genre is huge, so where does one find the best books?
I think the Hugo & the Nebula awards are great places to look.

The finalists for the 2020 Hugo Awards, Lodestar Award For Best Young Adult Book, and Astounding Award for Best New Writer were announced by CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention, on the convention’s YouTube Channel on April 8, 2020 (NZST).

The winner will be announced on the 1st August, 2020.

http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2020-hugo-awards/

The Hugo was first awarded in 1953 and is considered the premier award in Science Fiction.
They are chosen by members of Worldcon and the event is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories.
 
Here is a list of the best novel category for the last decade (2019 to 2010).
I think if you only read just a few books per year, you can't go far wrong if you read any these titles.
I've also added a few of my personal favorites from the last decade (and before)


2019

The Calculating Stars

Novel by Mary Robinette Kowal

Originally published: 3 July 2018
 This also won the Nebula Award.
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  2018

The Stone Sky

Novel by N. K. Jemisin
Originally published: 15 August 2017

This book also won the Nebula Award. 
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 2017

The Obelisk Gate

Novel by N. K. Jemisin
Originally published: 16 August 2016
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  2016

The Fifth Season

Novel by N. K. Jemisin
Originally published: 4 August 2015
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2015 The Three Body Problem.
  

The Three-Body Problem was originally published in Chinese in 2008. 
The 2014 publication by Tor was the first English-language version.
It is the first novel of the Remembrance of Earth's Past (Chinese: 地球往事) trilogy.
The second and third novels in the trilogy are titled The Dark Forest and Death's End
 
 Cixin Liu, Ken Liu translator (Tor Books)
 

2014
Ancillary Justice

 Ann Leckie (Orbit US/Orbit UK)
Originally published: 1 October 2013 (paperback)

Ancillary Justice is part of the Imperial Radch space opera trilogy.
It is followed by Ancillary Sword (2014) and Ancillary Mercy (2015). (see below)
Apart from the hugo, this book has won a string of awards including
Nebula Award for Best Novel (2014)
BSFA Award for Best Novel (2013)
Arthur C. Clarke Award (2014)
Locus Award for Best First Novel (2014)
 


Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Mercy & Ancillary Sword review

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2013
Redshirts
 John Scalzi

Originally published: 5 June 2012
(Tor Books)



Awards    Hugo Award for Best Novel (2013)
Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (2013)
ISBN    978-0-7653-1699-8








2012
Among Others, Jo Walton (Tor)

Originally published: 18 January 2011 (Hardcover)

This book also won the Nebula Award.













2011
Blackout/All Clear, Connie Willis (Ballantine Spectra)
This book also won the Nebula Award.
Originally published: 2 February 2010













2010
This years awayd was held in Melbourne, Australia.
It was a tie between two books:
  • The City & The City, China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan UK) (tie)
  • The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade) (tie)

 The City & The City, China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan UK)


It's a crime novel.
 This was made into a TV series.
Originally published: 29 April 2009 (Hardcover)
















 The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade)
This book also won the Nebula Award. 

Originally published: 1 September 2009 (Hardcover)

My personal favourites from this decade:
Among Others, Jo Walton
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

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More Personal Favourites:

The Left Hand of Darkness

 

Novel by Ursula K. Le Guin

Ok, this wasn't written in the last 10 years, but if you haven't read any
books by Ursula, this is a great place to begin.
It also won the Nebula  
First published as an Ace paperback original (and later in hardcover) in 1969. 
Her career spans 60 years. 
Also read "A wizard of Earthsea" (1968)
Sadly, Ursula passed away in 2018.
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The Martian by Andy Weir
  (Broadway Books, 2014)

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The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

(Sarah Monette)


(Tor Books, 1st April, 2014)

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  Dune

Novel by Frank Herbert
OK, another one that's more than 10 years old  but it's a classic.
There are another 5 more books in the series.
Originally published: 1 August 1965
Chilton Book Company 
First Edition : blue cloth boards, the rear panel has a map.
The price on the jacket flap should be $5.95 and the rear flap should have the Chilton address across four lines.

Prior to its publication in book form, parts of Dune were published in Analog Magazine as a three part serial called Dune World in 1963-1964 and later as a five part serial called Prophet of Dune in 1965. 
  
 This book also won the Nebula Award. 

The Dune Universe is huge. 
For more info:
+ Dune - The Chronological order of the novels
+ Dune Universe Timeline


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I don't think any discussion of Sci Fi is complete without Isaac Asimov.
Foundation & I, Robot are classics that still influence us today

+ Foundation - Isaac Asimov's
+ I, Robot - Isaac Asimov - novels & Magazines









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 NeuroMancer (1984)
  by William Gibson 


First published: July1, 1984 



















Ancillary Sword (2014) 


Ann Leckie (Orbit US/Orbit UK)
Publication date
7 October 2014 (paperback)

This is part two of the
Imperial Radch space opera trilogy.


Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Mercy & Ancillary Sword review












Ancillary Mercy (2015)

Ann Leckie (Orbit US/Orbit UK)
Publication date

6 October 2015 (paperback)

The stunning conclusion to the Imperial Radch trilogy 


Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Mercy & Ancillary Sword review










Sci Fi links
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1950's
+ Hugo Awards Best sci fi novels of the 1960's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1970's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi Novels of the 1980's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1990's
+ Hugo awards Best sci fi novel of the 2000's (2000 - 2009)
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels for the decade 2010-2019
+ Foundation - Isaac Asimov's
+ Dune - The Chronological order of the novels
+ Dune Universe Timeline
+ I, Robot - Isaac Asimov - novels & Magazines
+ Star Wars 
+ vorkoisgan saga reading order - Lois McMaster Bujold
  

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sci Fi Index

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