This installment of Three Things… is a year end roundup. So here are Three Things… that rocked my socks in 2010.
1. Books: I read so many great books this year. My favorites:
The City and the City
China Miéville does Kafkaesque noir!
Palimpsest
Like reading underwater. The imagery stayed in my head for days.
Total Oblivion…More or Less
As smart as it is weird. And it is delightfully, relentlessly weird.
Assassin’s Apprentice
Yes, the cover of Assassin’s Apprentice is a bit of a Good Show, Sir! candidate, but it’s also a tightly plotted fantasy packed with fully-fleshed characters- the best high fantasy I’ve read this year. And bonus, the whole trilogy is already written, so no danger of Dance of Dragons style anguish.
Now, the observant will note that none of these books were actually released in 2010. I couldn’t buy many books this year because of moving house. Thus, I currently have a wish list a mile long. Right now, Tome of the Undergates and Behemoth are at the top. COUGHxmasCOUGH.
2. The 500 Club. I know I don’t get to play every week, but when I can play, I have so much fun with it. Having a word limit forces me to be thoughtful and concise, and it’s starting to show elsewhere in my writing. Ultimately, there’s something about the anything-goes vibe of the 500 Club that’s really freeing.
3. My local con, Leprecon. This year was the first time I attended my local SF/F con. George R. R. Martin and Charles Vess were the headlining guests, so it was a great first time. I wrote about it, and specifically GRRM’s panel, over at Smoldering Ink. I’ll definitely be attending Leprecon in 2011. Next year’s headliners are Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear, so if you like science fiction and fantasy and live in the greater Phoenix area, I hope to see you there.
