I was looking through my Goodreads Read-2012 shelf and I was intrigued by a pattern I saw developing. Namely, that there seems to be a goodly number of high profile science fiction titles released this year.
In the next few weeks:
Redshirts: A Novel of Three Codas by John Scalzi
2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson
Existence by David Brin
Railsea by China Mieville
Arctic Rising by Tobias Buckell
Triggers by Robert J. Sawyer
In the coming months we’ll have:
Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujols
The Cassandra Project by Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick
I haven’t even typed out the titles for new books from these authors:
Neal Asher, Charles Stross, David Weber, Eric Brown, James S.A. Corey, Hannu Rajaniemi, C.J. Cherryh, Jack Campbell, Kameron Hurley, Daniel H. Wilson, and Ken MacLeod
Rob Reid, John Love, Christopher Bennett, Paul Tobin, and E.J. Swift, among others
I guess what I’m saying is that there seems to be a disproportionate number of exciting science fiction titles this year. Some of the best selling and critically acclaimed authors all seemed to be publishing something in 2012.
So I ask you, fair reader, is it my imagination or are we in the midst of a special year for SF?
Admittedly, who knows if any of them are any good? I’ve only read a handful.
Justin
Justin Landon is the Overlord of Staffer's Book Review. When he's not writing things of dubious value to the world, he's at the gym or being a dad. You can follow him on a multitude of social media, which is strongly suggested lest you miss out on vital information that could someday save your life.
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11/22/63 was last November, I think.
But no, I disagree, I think we're in a typical year for SF. This year, to me at least, is a year of sequels – namely Fire Season by David Weber & Jane Lindskold and Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey/Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck. Little seems exciting or new to me, but then again I'm absolutely miserable :p
2012, for me at least, is a year of continuation and climaxes. A lot of series I've been following end this year and some others continue, but very few start.
Oh ya, good point. It was released on November 11. I'm kind of stupid.
Yeah big year indeed. As Kathryn says, many series books, but a year with new Reynolds, Banks, Hamilton, Scalzi, Brin, Bujold, Niven, Stross, Weber and Sawyer is big indeed.
a big year for SciFi? well, that Mayan thing is right around the corner. . .
I've heard Redshirts is cute but forgettable, Arctic Rising was okay, John Love's Faith was f'ing incredible, Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312 is quite good and only he would write something like this, and I have an incoming copy of Railsea.
I'm also looking forward to David Brin's new one, he hasn't put anything out in ages!
Yeah I think it's a hefty year from SciFi and thank God for all those brilliant Brits. We'd be lost without them.