There is something to be said about talking about books. After all, that’s what we read. But, just as much fun as discovering a great new book is discovering a great new author. Or, even discovering a great older author. It’s all new if you have never read an author before.
So, in honor of authors, those wonderful people who write the wonderful books, here is a list of some of the authors I encountered for the first time in 2007.
1: Elizabeth Bear: Yes, she is at the top of every list of good things for 2007. Besides the Promethean novels, this prolific author has also written the Jenny Casey trilogy (Hammered, Scardown, Worldwired), several standalone novels (Carnival, Undertow), co-authored a novel with Sarah Monette, and has several series slated to begin in the next two years. Oh yeah, and a host of short stories. While I think Bear has developed quite a bit since she first wrote Hammered, I do look forward to continuing the Jenny Casey trilogy in the next couple of months as well as finding all her other stuff that is published and will be published.
2: Glen Cook: Yes, the Black Company guy. I have read eight Black Company novels and one standalone, and the Black Company is enough to get me excited for the man’s fiction. I have two Dread Empire omnibus editions sitting at home for review, and a couple more Black Company novels which I need to read. Sadly, Sung in Blood was more than disappointing.
3: Connie Willis: I’ve only read two of her novellas (The Inside Job and D.A.) and they were both exceptional. Bring on her career collection The Winds of Marble Arch!
4: Lucius Shepard: It began with his stories over at Subterranean Online, followed over to his longer fiction (Louisiana Breakdown, Softspoken, A Handbook of American Prayer, Aztechs) and now seeing the name Lucius Shepard on a book equals quality.
5: Joe R. Lansdale: Like Shepard, another discovery thanks to Subterranean Online and followed through longer fiction (Zeppelins West, Flaming London, The Big Blow), but Lansdale means a story with sharp edges and dialogue that cuts.
6: Mike Resnick: Ahh, Mike Resnick writes highly enjoyable novels and stories. Filled with humor and humanity, his Starship novels are worthy of more attention than they are getting and I am slowly getting into his back catalogue.
7: Kage Baker: I’ve heard her name for years, thought “Kage” was a boy’s name, and have missed out on the chance to read about The Company until 2007. Now I wonder what I was waiting for.
8: Cherie Priest: After Four and Twenty Blackbirds I’ll follow Priest anywhere.
9: Tobias Buckell: Thanks to the author for sending me copies of both Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin. I’m hooked.
Honorable mentions: Scott Lynch, David Anthony Durham, Ted Chiang, Naomi Novik, and Kealan Patrick Burke.
And, for the short stories: Mary Robinette Kowal.
All are names that will make me perk up my ears when I hear them mentioned.
3 comments:
As I said in a previous post, I plan on checking out Bear's book New Amsterdam soon.
I picked up Connie Willis' Hugo and Nebula award winning Doomsday Book, at Half Price books yesterday...found a wonderful copy.
Cherie Priest has already been added to my list of to-reads for 2008.
I'll be checking out Resnick soon as well because my daughter bought me New Dreams for Old for my birthday.
Connie Willis is an author I need to read a lot more of, as is Mike Resnick. The man has pulished some thirty novels, collections, plus edited an abundance of anthologies.
I'm a recent convert to Mike Resnick fandom. His books and short stories are gems and a true joy to read.
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