Top Five Everything!

[Alle Bücher müssen gelesen werden]

Top 5 Books of 2013:

1) "Counting Heads" by Marusek
2) "Noting to Envy" by Demik
2) "World War Z" by Brooks
4) "Kill Decision" by Suarez
5) "The Mirrage" by Ruff

[Luke]

It's not the end of 2013 yet!

[Guillermo]

haha Very true Luke, we seem to be winding it down 6 weeks early. How about this idea: Everyone just pick a sci fi book you've been wanting to read and you have access to, and after you finish what you are currently reading, just read it as if the world will end on New Years Eve. Of course, share your pick. Ill go first with Spin by Robert Charles Wilson.

[T.L.]

Yeah, but I've gfot the rest of my books for 2013 lined up and I know none of them are as bad as the one's I listed here!

Really... avoid them.

[Guillermo]

The whole point of my exercise is to break from your lineup! Its a carpe diem task, not a let's read a shitty book from someone's list task. Whats that one book that you're putting off till 2014, that you could read next, assuming there's no 2014?

[Jeff]

Moidelhoff wrote: "TOP 5 BOOKS I READ IN 2013

1. WOOL Hugh Howey
2. CHASM CITY Alastair Reynolds
3. HOUSE OF SUNS Alastair Reynolds
4. SPIN Robert Charles Wilson
5. THE CHRYSALIDS John Wyndham"

I have to read some Reynolds, and I keep forgetting to pick up The Chrysalids from my friendly science fiction bookstore.

[T.L.]

Guillermo wrote: "The whole point of my exercise is to break from your lineup! Its a carpe diem task, not a let's read a shitty book from someone's list task. Whats that one book that you're putting off till 2014, t..."

That's why I listed my worst books... but my line up is pretty set. People send me these things and I feel a bit obliged to read them in some vague order by which they arrive.

[Saku]

I am going to add one more list type: Scifi(/fantasy) comic book series:

1. Sandman
2. Transmetropolitan
3. Y the last man
4. Watchmen
5. Lucifer

[Ryan]

Guillermo wrote: "The whole point of my exercise is to break from your lineup! Its a carpe diem task, not a let's read a shitty book from someone's list task. Whats that one book that you're putting off till 2014, t..."

War and Peace? No, seriously, I've been putting that one off for years.

On shitty books, the only novel I read and hated this past year was The Blade Itself (Luke tore into that one). And I know this is tantamount to blasphemy here, but I thought the two Iain M. Banks books I read, Consider Phlebas and Use of Weapons, were overrated. Still, I enjoyed them enough to finish.

[Luke]

Consider Phlebas isn't over rated, mainly because nobody rates it particularly highly. If you just read two Culture books though, those too are the two most somber or heavy. Pretty much everything else is lighter and more enjoyable!

[T.L.]

Ryan wrote: "Guillermo wrote: "The whole point of my exercise is to break from your lineup! Its a carpe diem task, not a let's read a shitty book from someone's list task. Whats that one book that you're puttin..."

War and Peace actually reads 1/3 Adventure story, 1/3 conspiracy novel, 1/3 Romance. Once you get past the opening, it gets pretty easy to read, and has one of the funniest combat scenes I have ever come across in it - perhaps because I wasn't expecting it.

As for Consider Phlebas, Its solid, not great. Use of Weapons, on the other hand, is one of my favorite novels so... take that as you will

[David Sven]

T.L. wrote: " Use of Weapons, on the other hand, is one of my favorite novels so... take that as you will "

That's the only Culture novel I read. I'll never look at my bone white cane furniture the same again

[T.L.]

David Sven wrote:
That's the only Culture novel I read. I'll never look at my bone white cane furniture th..."

That's hysterical! I will note, that it is by far the darkest of the Culture novels, probably the darkest of all his works. Of course, I think its his best, but that's just the happy-go-lucky kinda guy I am.

It's also my favorite weapon to appear in sci-fi,

[Dawn]

Luke wrote: "Moidelhoff wrote: "TOP 5 FAVOURITE SCI-FI MOVIES


1. DONNIE DARKO
2. THE MATRIX
3. DISTRICT 9
4. TERMINATOR 2
5. GROUNDHOG DAY

That's the hardest thing I've ever done."

If you like Groundhog Day..."

Wot, no Blade Runner?

[Luke]

Dawn wrote: "Wot, no Blade Runner?"

That's the thing about favourites; they are personal and subjective.

[Luke]

Moidelhoff wrote:

For the record, Blade Runner wouldn't even make my Top 10."

I'm not sure it would make my top 10 either. I think it's a very good and hugely influential movie, but it's not a favourite of mine.

[Jeff]

Top 5 Sci-Fi Books I read in 2013:
1. Wool
2. Day of the Triffids
3. Dust
4. Hunger Games
5. The Chrysalids

[Otto]

Top 5 Sci-fi books I read in 2013:

1. The Prestige(Christopher Priest)
2. Heroes Die(Matthew Woodring Stover)
3. The Anubis Gates(Tim Powers)
4. Tales of the Dying Earth(Jack Vance)
5. Hyperion(Dan Simmons)

[Alexander]

Top 5 SF read in 2013:

Embassytown (China Mieville)
Inverted World (Christopher Priest)
Dimension of Miracles (Robert Sheckley)
Beggars in Spain (Nancy Kress)
Gothic High-Tech (Bruce Sterling)

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

My Top 5 SF reads of 2013 (not including re-reads):

The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood
Wool - Hugh Howey
The Uninvited - Liz Jensen
Space Magic - David D. Levine
Rule 34 - Charles Stross

[Geoff]

Ooh, I'll play! Top 5 SF books I read for the first time in 2013:

1. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.
2. Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey.
3. 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson.
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
5. Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks.

Geoff

[Ryan]

Top five classic sci-fi novels I read (for the first time) in 2013:
(personal favorite being number 1)

1. Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky
2. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
3. The Book of the New Sun (entire series) by Gene Wolfe
4. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
5. Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin

Top five new or new-ish sci-fi novels I read (for the first time) in 2013:

1. Saga by Brian Vaughan (graphic novel)
2. Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi
3. The Martian by Andy Weir
4. No Return by Zachary Jernigan
5. Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey

Literary speculative fiction

1. The Islanders by Christopher Priest
2. 1Q84 by Haruku Murakami
3. Ghostwritten by David Mitchell

Fantasy or horror/humor

1. The Scar by Maryna Dyachenko
2. John Dies at the End by David Wong
3. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
4. The Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber
5. Shadows Linger by Glen Cook

[T.L.]

Moidelhoff wrote: "I wasn't convinced at first but I'm getting more enjoyment from the podcasts with Juliane in attendance.Love it. "

Seconded.

[Kristen]

I'm late to this game, but want to play.

Top 5 Sci Fi novels I consumed (read or listened to) in 2013.
- The Yiddish Policeman's Union
- Wool
- World War Z
- After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall
- Counting Heads

* Z for Zachariah gets a runner up position.

I was actually quite lite on the sci fi this year and these six novels are probably more than half of the novel length sci fi I read this year. Usually I'd estimate that 90% of the fiction I read is sci fi, but I got into several historical fiction series this year that really threw the numbers off. Luckily I read some well acclaimed sci fi that I had been putting off for various reasons.

I had been avoiding The Yiddish Policemen's Union because I objected to the lack of sci fi in this Hugo award winner, but damn it was a great alternate history. Totally deserves awards - although I am still not sold on it deserving the Hugo from a nit picky genre perspective.

I finally read World War Z because the movie was coming out. Despite not being a fan of horror/zombie genre, I had always thought I'd enjoy this well-acclaimed novel because of its resemblance to WWII individual war history. Of course, it turned out I liked it better than I even imagined.

Wool surprised me just because the last three "short stories" were really a complete novel-like narrative which I did not expect, and because the book lived up to the hype.

Counting Heads was another critically acclaimed novel I finally got around to reading. By the end it surprised me because normally I like a lot more plot with my story. There was about 75% character building to 25% plot in the novel, and I think I might be being generous. Still I got drawn in to the characters lives and happily, albeit slowly, enjoyed the three days in the life meanderings as disparate people were drawn into the search for a missing head.

After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall. I wasn't surprised by this because Kress deserves her accolades and this story sounded darn good. And I read it as soon as I could get a hold of it from my library. It uses sci fi cliches so I knew exactly was was happening (no mystery there), but I was still totally sucked into the story and the outcome for the characters.

[Jeff]

Great takes! I have to look in to the ones I have not read. I love this podcast and these threads, I've got more good book recommendations in the last two years than ever before.

[Luke]

All top picks! I loved the third bit of Saga.

[Allen]

How can Anathem by Neal Stephenson not be in the top 5 Sci Fi books? Seriously, have you read it?

Update: Points to Ryan, I just saw that he included it

[H]

Top 5 SF Books I've Gotten Dozens of Recommendations For and I've Even Bought But I Still Haven't Gotten Around to Reading Yet For Some Weird Reason:

1. Simmons - Hyperion (and Fall of Hyperion)
2. Hamilton - Pandora's Star (and Judas Unchained)
3. Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness
4. Robinson - Red Mars (and Green & Blue Mars)
5. Asher - The Skinner