Best Science
Fiction Novels
A Princess of Mars
Other blogs on the internet regularly influence what I
read and watch. I usually allow myself to be convinced to read something I
wouldn’t necessarily read without the input of outside sources. For several
months in 2013, I faithfully read Tim Callahan and Mordicai Knode’s Advanced Readings in Dungeons and Dragons
series on Tor.com. In short, Callahan and Knode read all of the books that D&D creator Gary Gygax listed as
having influences him when he created the now famous table-top game. I’m not at
all familiar with D&D nor have I
ever played but the numerous reviews of old science fiction and fantasy novels
were a delight to read. They’ve convinced me to seek out the works of a few of
these writers and the one that caught my attention more than most was Edgar
Rice Burroughs. A Princess of Mars
was awesome. People overuse words like awesome and epic but that’s exactly what
this book was. There are so many fascinating ideas mix into the plot with very
interesting characters, that alone would make it a good book. Burroughs goes
beyond that by seamlessly combining science fiction and fantasy tropes (some of
which he created) into an explosively good first entry in the Barsoom series that also satisfies as a
standalone book. My only disappointment with Burroughs’s John Carter stories is
that I haven’t had a chance to read the second book in the series. One last
comment I’d like to make is that the Barsoom
series has inspired a huge selection of excellent art and someone I purchased
the book with the worst A Princes of Mars
cover ever.
Runner up: Star
Trek novels
The large majority of science fiction novels I read in
2013 were Star Trek novels. It’s
important to point that out because I qualified most of those novels as being 3
out of 5 stars books but when I look back on them all, two clearly stand out.
The first is from TOS, Star Trek: Planet of Judgement by Joe
Haldeman. He managed to write a Star Trek
story that actually had a sense of impending doom. He also managed to write a Star Trek story for adults, which means
he didn’t shy away from things like abortions. It might not sound impressive by
today’s standards, but for a book published in 1977, it must have had some
impact on readers. The second book is a TNG
story, Star Trek: Q-in-Law by Peter
David. Q-in-Law is the funniest Star Trek novel that I’ve read so far.
David takes advantage of two of TNG’s
favourite recurring characters, Q and Lwaxana Troi, and sets up a plot that
allows for maximum hilarity. It’s not all fun and games, the crew of the Enterprise have to deal with a difficult
diplomatic situation and the combined might of Q and Lwaxana. David also mixes
in a fair bit of musings on love just to keep things interesting.
Best Fantasy Novels
The Children of Húrin
The Children of
Húrin is a standalone novel by J.R.R. Tolkien and it takes place during the
First Age of Tolkien’s Legendarium. It tells the story of Túrin, son of Húrin,
and his cursed existence. It’s a short novel by Tolkien’s standard and a
shorter version of the story is told in The
Silmarillion. The writing is much darker than other works by Tolkien.
Thinking about it now while I’m rereading The
Lord of the Rings it’s striking how morally grey the characters of The Children of Húrin are. Gone is the
contrast between dark and light from The
Lord of the Rings. I think it’s better than The Hobbit and serves as a great companion to The Lord of the Rings.
Runner-ups: A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of
Atuan
I’ve been waiting to read something, anything, by Ursula
K. Le Guin for a few years now and I got my chance back in 2012 when I stumbled
upon a short story collection of hers. I enjoyed it so much I finally made room
in my monthly book order for the first novel in the Earthsea series. It was marvellous. A Wizard of Earthsea was the first book I reviewed in my Blog
Fantastic project and it was a great motivational factor in continuing with that
project. I now have a new author and a new series that I can add to my list of what
I consider great fantasy literature. The surprises of Earthsea didn’t end with the first novel. With the second book in
the series, The Tombs of Atuan, Le
Guin manages to retell the same story thematically as the first book but in a completely
new way and using a radically different approach to the story and plot. The
focus of Earthsea so far is the
characters but the world which Le Guin creates is rich if not in history, then
in texture. You can smell the salty air and feel the sun on your face. I am
only missing one book from the rest of the series and as soon as I have it in
my possession, I will continue to explore the wondrous archipelago of Earthsea.
Best non-Science
Fiction and Fantasy Novels:
The Outfit by Richard Stark
I’ve read my fair share of Parker novels this year. I
discovered the writing a Richard Stark through Darwyn Cooke’s comic book
adaptations of Parker stories. Out of all of them, The Outfit is my favourite.
Parker is incredibly tough as he undertakes a one man war against the entire
Outfit of organized crime in the US. Stark’s no nonsense writing and quick
pacing make for quick reads but the story has enough depth to satisfy. I’ve
taken a break because I need to order myself more of the novels. With Darwyn Cooke’s
latest adaptation recently released and over a dozen more novels by Stark I
haven’t yet read, 2014 will also be another year of Parker stories for me.
Runner-up: Gun Machine by Warren Ellis
With his second novel, Warren Ellis writes the kind of story
he does best, police procedural. His idea of police procedurals tend to differ
from the general public’s idea of such stories. Ellis has always shown an
interest in his writer to contrast the best and worst that humanity has to
offer. Perhaps it’s because of this contrast that he enjoys police procedurals.
In Gun Machine, a NYPD detective
follows a string of unsolved homicides and discovers them to be all connected.
Such a summary doesn’t do the book justice as Ellis manages to incorporate
dozens of very interesting ideas ranging from cutting edge science to history
of New York City into a vast crime conspiracy. I found the chain of events to
be too conincidental to my liking, but when a story is populated with such
fascinating characters such as John Tallow, Bat and Scarly. I wouldn’t mind if
Ellis was writing another novel featuring Tallow.
Runner-up: Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
Master and
Commander was one of the more challenging reads I took on in the last year.
The naval terminology alone proved difficult to learn and remember. Once I was
able to overcome that, I was able to better appreciate the story. The adventure
of Captain Aubrey’s first command of a ship and his skills at capturing prizes
were highly entertaining and extremely accurate to the historical period
depicted in the novel. I have Post
Captain sitting on my bookshelves and I fear I’ve waited too long to read
it. I’ve probably forgot most of the naval terminology O’Brian taught me in Master and Commander.
Best Collection of
Comics originally published before 2013
Concrete volume 1: Depths
Paul Chadwick’s Concrete
is the superhero comic that decided it didn’t want to be a superhero comic. I
say this because Concrete’s origin is straight-up superhero. He’s abducted by
aliens and his brain is transferred into a seven foot tall body of concrete.
It’s entirely fantastic on the surface but Chadwick presents it with utter
realism. The rest of the comic is also just that, realist. I wouldn’t say Concrete is a revisionist comic because
it doesn’t deal with superhero tropes more than it has to. It takes a different
approach in which on a revisionist superhero element is dropped at the center
of what is otherwise a difficult to categorize comic. The art is spectacular. It’s
crisp, like the story it’s realist in its approach and Chadwick’s contrasting
of black and white is used masterfully.
Runner-up: Thor: The Mighty Avenger
Thor: The Mighty
Avenger written by Roger Langridge and drawn by Christ Samnee began its
original publication in the summer of 2010. Since then there have been quite a
few positive reviews written about it and rightfully so. It’s refreshing that a
comic featuring Thor, one of Marvel’s most popular superhero characters, could
be so unconcerned about continuity. Thor:
The Mighty Avenger is a retelling of Thor’s origin story with a focus on
character. Jane Foster, a love interest for Thor, is an interesting character
in her own right and her budding relationship with Thor is far more naturally
occurring than it’s ever been portrayed before. This is the biggest “what if…”
comic I’ve read in quite some time. I consider it a “what if…” story, because
Langridge and Samnee weren’t given the opportunity to finish their run. It was
cut short due to low sales and it’s a damn shame. It didn’t just feel different
and fresh, it was different and fresh
and an absolute joy to read.
Best Collection of
Comics originally published in 2012/2013
Mouse Guard: The Black Axe
David Petersen’s Mouse
Guard comic is a series of huge fantasy adventures starring tiny mice. I do
not want to say too much about Mouse
Guard: The Black Axe because I’ll be releasing a full review in a couple
weeks, I have to say it wasn’t a very difficult decision to place this one at
the top of the list for Best Collection of Comics. Petersen manages to write a
prequel that also serves as a sequel. It advances the story and gives the
reader further insight of elements of the series which were presenting in
earlier volumes. Somehow, Petersen’s art continues to improve. It’s just not fair.
How can he possible draw mice with such gravitas? He continues to test my
patience by releasing new Mouse Guard
stories at a slow pace but he doesn’t disappoint because each new story is a
worthy addition to the saga.
Runner-up: Prophet volume 2: Brothers
Brandon Graham and a team of artist have been telling
what is possible the best science fiction comic story available is possibly
today. What makes it even more surprising is that you can tell Graham is still
putting the pieces in place for the big finish that is yet to come. Prophet is told through a much greater
use of visual storytelling than most comics today. You have to pay attention to
the details of the worlds that are being explored. There is a sense that the
comic is going somewhere but it’s not obvious where that final destination will
be. One thing is for certain, Graham and his colleagues are making sure the
ride there is as fascinating and weird as possible.
Runner-up: Crater XV
There are two things that made Crater XV a good comic. The first is the energetic and
improvisational tone of the story, the art and the humour. The second is the
depth of character writer/artist Kevin Cannon manages to sneak in amidst the
chaotic activity of the rest of the story. Crater
XV feels and reads like a comic that was written by trying to mix together
as many different story ideas, genres and fun characters together and hoping
for the best but it’s more than that. There is an underlying structure to the
whole thing that clearly demonstrates Cannon knows what he’s doing it. How he
can juggle the feeling of spontaneity with a well-crafted story is beyond me,
but it’s a great comic that can be enjoyed in so many different ways.
Best Original
Graphic Novels (OGN):
Nemo: Heart of Ice
League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen is Alan Moore’s best series from the later part of
his career. The same can be said of Kevin O’Neil’s career. With Nemo: Heart of Ice, Moore and O’Neil
shift the focus of their series from Mina Murray and her team literature heroes
to Janni Dakkar, the daughter of Captain Nemo of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Moore uses stories by Edgar Allan
Poe, Jules Vernes and H. P. Lovecraft as the basis for Heart of Ice in which he tells a story of Janni trying to step out
of under her father’s shadow and create her own identity as Captain Nemo. It
was a more personal story set in the world of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and the execution, both the writer
and the art, where spectacular. Top Shelf’s announcement of two more Janni
graphic novels is great new, especially since one will be published in 2014.
Runner-up: Battling Boy
Any year in which a new comic by Paul Pope is released is
a good year. I wasn’t the only one who had high expectations for Pope’s new
comic but we needed had worried because Battling
Boy delivers. It’s an excellent pseudo-superhero/modern myth story about a
boy and his journey to manhood. Pope masterfully combines the allure of fun and
action with the lasting depths of a more serious work. The best thing about Battling Boy: there will be more. Pope
is hard at work on the second half of the story and once again, comic lovers
are eagerly awaiting its release.
Runner-up: Johnny Hiro: The Skills to Pay the Bills
I picked up the first Johnny
Hiro comic more or less on a whim. I had read something about in on Comics
Should Be Good a few years ago and it sparked something in my head when I saw
it in the store. I recalled something about a guy running around on rooftops in
his bunny slippers, chasing after a Godzilla rip-off that kidnapped his
girlfriend. It sounded goofy but enjoyable and Johnny Hiro sure is that, but it’s also something more. I didn’t
expect to see a second volume so soon after having read the first volume but Johnny Hiro: Half Asian, All Hiro has
already had two separate publications. To my delight Johnny Hiro: The Skills to Pay the Bills surpasses the first volume
in both character development and story though, sadly, not in humour. Fred Chao’s
wonderful series breathes fresh air to the comics world. It’s original despite borrowing
certain elements from pop culture. Chao crafts a story that is personal but
relatable and the result is a comic that truly feels important, particularly to
young adults in their twenties.
Best Manga:
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
I’m a very big fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s movies so when I
found out that VIZ Media was releasing a two volume hardcover box set of the entire
Nausicaa manga, I had to get it. I’ve
always known that the movie of the same name only told part of the story. I
have no idea that it only told about 150 to 200 pages of the 1000+ magnum opus
that is the manga Nausicaa of the Valley of
the Wind. The scope of the story is huge. The history, the number of
characters, the multitude of plot threads running through the book and the
world building are all more impressive that the other. I took my team reading
it because there were so many stories to immerse myself into and I wanted to savour
it. A few months ago I wanted to write a review of it but I don’t think a conventional
review would be good enough. I plan on writing about Nausicaa in the future, I’m just not entirely sure when. One thing
is for certain, I’ll be reading this manga ago several times because there is
just so much being offered on every page, I can’t picture this story ever
getting old. The only downside of having read the manga is that the movie seems
underwhelming. It’s very well executed but in comparison to the story being
told in the manga, it doesn’t feel impressive anymore.
Runner-up: Dr. Slump volumes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, 15 and 16
I love Dr. Slump
and I’ve read 11 volumes of it this past year. For those of you at home who
have no clue of the gut-bustin’ world contained in each and every page of Akira
Toriyama’s first manga series, that’s 11 volumes of roaring laughter, tear
jerking jokes and insanity. In an attempt to put Dr. Slump into perspective, it’s the funniest manga or comic I’ve
ever read. Toriyama is nothing less but a genius. The humour takes on many
different shapes, from run-on gags about poop on sticks, to little girl robots
who need to wear glasses, from jokes taken from Japanese culture, laughing at
perverted men, situational comedy, meta-fictional comedy, breaking the fourth
wall, everything is used and despite the numerous mentions of having story
ideas rejected by his editor, it’s hard to believe that ever really happened
because I can’t think of a Dr. Slump
story I haven’t enjoyed. For those of your who are only familiar with Toriyama’s
action series, Dragon Ball, the funniest
moments in Dragon Ball don’t measure
up to the jokes found on nearly every page of Dr. Slump. Do yourself a favour; pick up a volume of Dr. Slump, any volume. It’s one of the
best ways to spend ten dollars.
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