But before getting to the best book, I'd like to sneak in an honorable mention. All of the books below are fiction from 2021, but I would like to call out John McWhorter's non-fiction Woke Racism. Addressing a key factor in the culture wars of the West today, McWhorter's book coherently, respectfully, and practically delineates a position that, if adopted by more people on the extremes of right and left, would reduce much of the nonsense and violence happening today. While the connection may not immediately seem apparent, McWhorter boils down “wokeness” to its component parts, and lo and behold they are akin to religious dogma—which goes a long way toward helping the average, intelligent person's understanding of what is happening in the media and in society today around “racism”, CRT, intersectionality, etc. If you are interested in racism and “racism” in the 21 st century, particularly a view which does not result in victimhood or discrimination, try Woke Racism. And now, on to the book of the year—the fiction book of the year.
And the rest, well, there are several good, solid books that come highly recommended. Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun, Elizabeth Hand's Best of..., Paul Theroux's Under the Wave at Waimea, Jeffrey Ford's Big Dark Hole: Stories, and Haruki Murakami's First Person Singular. As always, there are several books I didn't get to which may have had an impact on my view to the year, books such as Olga Ravn's The Employees, Erica Satifka's How to Get to Apocalypse and Other Disasters, and others. But such as it is in the 21st century; you can't read everything.
And here is the list. (Be aware, some reviews have yet to be published, but will shortly.)
Novels/Novellas
5 Stars
N/A
4½ Stars
N/A
4 Stars
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro – There was a time early in 2021 that Klara and the Sun was my novel of the year. But as time moved on, and the honeymoon faded, I relaxed. But it's still an excellent future fable. While borrowing a premise from Aldiss' “Super Toys Last All Summer Long” (adapted by Spielberg to the big screen as A.I.), Ishiguro takes his tale of anthropomorphized technology in another direction, that of belief and family.
Billy Summers by Stephen King – I am not a reader who buys the newest Stephen King novel whenever it comes out. I have a huge amount of respect for his writing style and willingness to forgo political correctness in favor of realistic story, it's only that horror is not my gig and there are times quantity overtakes quality. With Billy Summers, however, all the pieces align. On one hand a tale of Vegas mafia and assassins, on the other its the personal story of an Iraq veteran looking for purpose in life, something which a hit job offers him in the form of writing. Yes, there is some similarity to Misery, but in the book's fiction-within-fiction aspect only. All else is just good storytelling from King.
Under the Wave at Waimea by Paul Theroux – If there were an award for most memorable character study in 2021, Under the Wave at Waimea would take it. Aging surfer Joe Sharkey's life jumps off the page, and while surfing and cowabunga, blond hair and waves do play their roles, it's Sharkey's soul which is laid bare on the page, and what the reader will walk away remembering.
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson - It's likely not fair to summarize this novel by comparing it to another novel on this list, Richard Powers' Bewilderment, but it's a key point in Termination Shock that it tackles the environmental situation on Earth today with practicality and a sliver optimism. Where Powers' drowns in frustration and anxiety, Stephenson takes a look at the scene, acknowledges the challenges (human and technical), and proceeds to portray a semi-plausible scene a few years down the road - global warming, feral hog hunting, Dutch surfers, ninja Sikhs, and all. Given Stephenson's past few books, this is a pleasant surprise.
3½ Stars
Bewilderment by Richard Powers – While a lot of noise was made about Powers' presentation of environmental concerns, a closer examination reveals a paper tiger. The real claws and teeth of this novel are character presentation. About an astrophysicist father and autistic son dealing with the recent loss of the wife/mother, Powers tells an affecting tale of life in the 21st century and the all-too-often paradoxes which result from scientific fact in conflict with public opinion/culture. Read it for the sharp prose and people on the page it creates, but be wary of any political/environmental message you may read into it.
The Incarnation of Making by Tom McCarthy – If there is a sore thumb on this list, it's The Incarnation of Making. Technically fiction, the reader is nevertheless often hard-pressed to tell. Plots with dead ends, maximalist lists, random descriptions of civil infrastructure and tech, characters who enter and leave the stage almost randomly—it's a definitively non-standard reading experience. And that is its full intention. McCarthy trying to subvert the notion of fiction, I recommend only for people with the most open of horizons for the fiction they read and enjoy.
Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey – After eight novels and multiple short stories filling in gaps, it was up to Leviathan Falls to tell the final chapter in the Expanse series. Save the character resolutions, “James S.A. Corey” do a solid job wrapping up their space opera. The provide the right information to conclude the plot. They bring back relevant characters. They offer a Goldilocks scope of story (not too big, not too small). And they do it all in a fashion consistent with the preceding books. Overall, a success that makes reading the entire series worthwhile escapism.
3 Stars
The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft – It pained me greatly reading The Fall of Babel. Prior I had thought Bancroft's tetralogy to be working itself toward 'series of the early 21st century'. The setting, and the manner in which Bancroft slowly peeled back its layers was proving to be a smooth blend of imagination, prose, and personal story. The Fall of Babel put an end to that. It simply stopped evolving the series, leaving readers with a concluding volume of very average genre material. Perhaps the wool was over my eyes the whole time and the final volume simply pulled it away, I don't know. But I can say I'm now looking to other series published the past two decades for such epithets.
The Summer Thieves by Paul Di Filippo – The Summer Thieves is openly Di Filippo's homage to Jack Vance. While Di Filippo only occasionally channels Vance's very specific diction, the story, characterization, and pace of things is all colorfully Vance, meaning readers who enjoy Vance may like Di Filippo's take on planetary adventure.
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor – Like Picasso trying cubism on a new subject, Remote Control is Okorafor trying her Binti series from a new angle. About an African teen who discovers secret powers after an alien visit, Okorafor looks at mythology and coming of age through this sf lens. The reader's enjoyment will depend how successfully they think Okorafor synergizes these parts,
Island Reich by Jack Grimwood – In his past two forays into Le Carre-esque spy fiction, Jack Grimwood has struck gold. Island Reich is a bit more modest—bronze perhaps. Experimental in style, Grimwood uses flash-fiction chapters in telling this story about the Germans invading the British Channel Islands in WWII. The experimentation is the highest point of recommendation; it takes what is otherwise a beaten, dead-horse story and converts it into a speedy, strobe-like experience.
Beyond the Hallowed Sky by Ken Macleod – I've come to wonder if Macleod has a slot machine with all the cherries, lemons, and “Supers!” replaced with science fiction tropes. I wonder that because most of his novels look like a random pull of the lever. In the case of Beyond the Hallowed Sky, the reader gets AIs, BDOs, alternate political alignments, and FTL. I don't think he needs to pull the lever one more time, but I might change one of the lemons to a cherry.
Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace – Japanese anime in novel form, this paean to manga features a young lady who plays video games for a Twitch-esque living as a means of surviving the corporate dystopia she lives in. The video game a spin off from the real world, the dystopian corporation who owns the game is policed by a real set of mechs, mechs that the young lady idolizes. This book was a lot of fun, and uses its ideological origins to full, manga fireworks effect. Just not sure how much substance lies below the splashy surface.
Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer – In my original review of Hummingbird Salamander, I called it a palette cleanser for VanderMeer. After several books of New Weird/psychedelic proportion, it was time to come back to the basics. The basics in this novel are a tried-and-true detective noir story set in the not-too-distant future. It cleansed my palette so well I almost forgot what it was.
We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart – This is a story with a huge amount of potential that capitalizes on a good portion of it. It features a young man aboard a submarine run by a group of monks. Yes, you read that correctly. The setting far future, the submarine is an authoritarian polity at war with land powers. It is not ready for the surprise the young man has in store for it.
2½ Stars
Unity by Elly Bangs – Genre mashup, Unity feels like a story which is the result of its writer surveying the spectrum of sensawunda fiction, analyzing for gaps, and attempting to fill one. Trouble is, almost all plot-centric fiction worth anything offers the reader characters that feel mostly human. Unity is more of a graphic novel (2D characters) in a forced setting. There is color and action, and some attempt at building a bridge between the reader and people in the story, but it's missing the human pieces which truly synergize a story.
Midnight, Water City by Chris McKinney – Meh. For me this is the definition of average. As written in the review, when attempting a 'detective noir' type narrative, every writer faces the same black and white choice: to imitate or adapt. If you're not trying to produce a story to equal or better the writers who put the style on the map, you can only hope to evolve the concept in some way. McKinney, to give him credit for being brave, attempts the imitation route. Unfortunately, he does not equal or better his forebears.
2 Stars
The Past Is Red by Catherynne Valente – I am a dyed-in-the-wool Catherynne Valente fan. She is one of few writers of fantastika who can play 5D chess. The Past Is Red, however, feels more like 27D chess where even Valente does know the rules. A shotgun blast of emotion, social commentary, environmental catastrophism, wonky notes on gender, and more, it was a tough book to get through. The novel building off a successful short story, perhaps well enough should have been left alone?
Anthologies/Collections
5 Stars
Terminal Boredom by Suzuki Izumi – What else to say that hasn't already been said above. In a few words, this is the peak of science fiction in short form. This is not sf as a 'literature of ideas', this is sf as literature—a focus on the human condition, portrayed in speculative scenes and situations in sublime, profound fashion.
4½ Stars
The Best of Elizabeth Hand by Elizabeth Hand – To be fully transparent, I did not technically read this collection. But I have read 99% of it in other collections. Like buying a band's greatest hits album when you already own all the studio albums, the investment didn't make sense. Nevertheless, the collection is fully deserving of recognition. Hand is one of the most underrated writers in fantastika, and this 'greatest hits' showcases a huge number of reasons why. If it weren't for Suzuki's collection, this would have been my anthology/collection of the year, yes, despite not having read the actual book.
4 Stars
Big Dark Hole: Stories by Jeffrey Ford – I will not say Ford is back; I don't think he ever left. But I can say this is some of Ford's strongest writing in years. Aging well, it possesses a subtlety that is more consistent. It features Ford's usual haunts, including semi-autobiographical shorts and bits of paranormal horror, satire and character stories, but all, as usual, are off the beaten path. While I would recommend The Drowned Life or Crackpot Palace as better places to start with Ford, Big Dark Hole: Stories is possibly his most finely tuned collection to date.
First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami – As the title indicates, this collecction features eight stories with Murakami as the main character. Superficially they seem recollection of the author's life, and for the most part that rings true. But there are certainly a couple of moments which cast certain doubt on the true veracity of the autobiographical aspect. As Murakami remembers his youth, times at the ballpark, former loves, this sliver of ambiguity only adds flavor.
3½ Stars
The Rock Eaters: Stories by Brenda Peynado – Peynado plays the identity politics game most stories, which does the collection no favors. But her diction and unpredictability of story right the ship, giving the reader something concrete to hold as they travel through race, generations, youth, and families (and a touch of what most would consider pure sf). Had this collection not wracked its knees on the ground so hard trying to appease the gods of liberalism it might have been as good as Suzuki's.
Robot Artists & Black Swans by Bruce Sterling – What to say about Bruce Sterling in the 21st century? One thing is that he walks his own road more than ever, and in this collection it's as an alter-ego, the collection's sub-title being The Italian Fantascienza Stories of Bruno Argent. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Colosseum, and other stereotypical elements of Italia not present, Sterling/Argento looks more to the Italian sense of style and taste in telling of robot wheelchairs, AI pimps, parallel realities, and other interesting places.
3 Stars
N/A
2½ Stars
Tales of the Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio – I have found myself caught up in Christopher Ruochio's LARGE space opera, the Sun Eater series. Despite thinking that it's the sum of the parts which makes the series entertaining, I nevertheless decided to test the waters of individual pieces in this collection—short stories set in the series' universe. The collection confirmed my suspicion: without the overarching narrative, the content is average space opera. For teen readers and readers who are neck-deep in the setting, the book comes recommended. For would-be Sun Eater series readers, the collection certainly offers a taste, but I don't think it's representative.
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