This is the
list of the best books I have read in 2021. Not all of these books came out in
2021, but I read them this year. This is a completely subjective list that I
myself might take issue with were I in a different mood. Take it with a grain
of salt. Given my tendencies, you might assume these would all be science
fiction. There are a number of science fiction or fantasy outings on the list but not all.
I present them in no particular order because, trying to order them is just
wrong.
The
Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie King
I have very
much enjoyed the Mary Russell books by Laurie King. Mary Russel is the young
wife of the retired Sherlock Holmes, and is very much his intellectual equal.
Watching the two of them putting themselves in peril and figuring out how to
get out again is a delight. But this particular book focuses on the backstory
of Mrs. Hudson. I am kind of a sucker for taking a minor character and making
them major.
The
Network Effect by
Martha Wells
I could have
chosen any of the Murderbot Diaries here. I read six of them this year.
The murderbot is such a fun and irreverent character that I had to read them all.
But having to pick one, I might as well go with the Hugo award winner. The main character and narator is the murderbot. It is a construct: part machine and part organic and is usually its like are treated
like slave labor. This particular unit is so much smarter than the humans that
surround it yet it constantly finds itself being either ignored or feared by
the ignorant humans.
A Night
Without Stars by Peter
F Hamilton
A Night
without stars is the second book in a duology (the first being The Abyss Beyond Dreams) and is in itself part of the larger Commonwealth series. Worldbuilding
is what Hamilton does better than most. The characters are complex. Who are the
good guys, and who are the bad? They are all a bit gray (like real people)
The
Autobiography of Malcom X by Malcom X and Alex Haley
Of course,
we are getting this mostly all from Malcom X’s mouth, so one would expect it to
be biased. Yet he does not seem afraid to show us all his flaws. I found that
while I did not always agree with his opinions or beliefs, I could understand
why he felt that way and why he was led that way. That is the most important
takeaway from any biography (auto- or otherwise).
Carrying
the Fire: An Astronaut’s Journey by Michael Collins
Michael
Collins was the Apollo 11 astronaut who did not get to walk on the moon. As the
Command Module pilot, he circled the moon while Aldrin and Armstrong were down
on the surface. He puts us in the shoes of someone who went through the
astronaut program and flew on Gemini and Apollo missions. So much was unknown
about spaceflight that they had to figure it out as they went along, sometimes
with disastrous consequences.
Mexican
Gothic by Silvia
Moreno-Garcia
This is a
lovely little creepy Mexican horror story. You might not want to read this late
at night when you are home alone. A young woman finds herself in a creepy house
with a creepy family. Have I used the word “creepy” enough? But this is not a
traditional haunted house story. It starts off slow and atmospheric, but add in
colonialism, eugenics and some very twisted people, and you are in for a ride.
The Poppy
War by R F Kuang
This is the
first in a trilogy. It is a fantasy set in a country very much like China.
There are events in the story that parallel events in Chinese history (minus
the magic). The story begins like a dark Harry Potter story, but then it turns
very dark indeed as we follow the horrors of war. Definitely not a children’s
book.
The Last
Emperox by John
Scalzi
This is the
third and final book in Scalzi’s Interdependency series. From ruling
families that control power, industry and resources, to a major catastrophic
change to their way of life that is coming, whether they choose to believe in
it or not. We follow a young inexperienced empress who has to quickly learn the
ropes and the political machinations before they crush her. Plus, a side
character who is a sex-addict with the foulest mouth imaginable who is perhaps
my most favorite character of the past year.
Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
I have been a fan of Preston and Child for a long time. What’s not
to like about an archeologist getting to do a dig at the Donner Party’s camp.
Throw in a mystery and a stockpile of gold that may or may not exist and of
course, someone trying to kill them. A fun mystery action romp.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
This is a
fantasy that seems to have more in common with pre-Columbian Central America
than Middle Earth. And that is great. There is nothing wrong with Middle Earth,
but after countless imitations of it, it is nice to see fantasy head off in a
different direction thanks to writers like Roanhorse and Kuang. Destiny and
politics clash in the fascinating world that Roanhorse has built.
Many of
these books I reviewed in earlier blogs. Check them out if this piques your
interest, or just go out and get the books.
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