This Top Ten Tuesday officially begins the ‘best of lists’ that wrap up the year. We’re starting off with Sci-Fi & Horror Authors Discovered in 2016. There’s a tiny bit of cross-over with this list and lists later in the month, but this is not a guarantee. Top Ten Tuesday is brought to you courtesy of Broke and Bookish.
In order to qualify for this list, the author also had to be one I have (or will) pick up another book from. Authors that I’m at least semi-confident will deliver an entertaining, engrossing read when I don’t want to think.
New Sci-Fi & Horror Authors Discovered in 2016
Victoria Schwab – I love her settings, the dialogue, the sheer imagination that goes into her books that I’ve read. I loved that it was a book for younger readers, but made no attempt at being light and fluffy. So, yes, I didn’t hesitate to pick her up again. Her website is: http://www.victoriaschwab.com
The Book: The Archived
I didn’t review this book, but I did do two posts on the experience of Reading Darker Books with a Younger Child.
Jodi Taylor has the ability to write characters that make you crack up laughing, and then make you grieve for them the next minute. There’s so very little to pick at in her books that I still haven’t managed to post a review on this site because I can’t do anything other than go fan-girl gushy. Her website is: http://www.jodi-taylor.com
The Book: Just One Damned Thing After Another
Rin Chupeco comes with an addendum. While I’d gladly pick up anything horror from her, I have no interest in picking up her Bone Witch book. I read the 2nd book in her Girl From the Well series first, and don’t regret reading them out-of-order. I think I actually read the better book first in this case. Her website is: http://www.rinchupeco.com
The Book: The Suffering
Allen Steele is an author that I just read within the past few weeks. Apparently, Arkwright is supposed to be right in his normal style. If that’s the case? Sign me up. I want more, please. Full of hope, wonder, and imagination, Arkwright really is a love letter to science fiction and a reminder of how awesome dreaming is, and what our future may hold. His website is: http://www.allensteele.com/
The Book: Arkwright
My review for this is not due to go live for a few weeks yet.
Kat Mayor wrote a book that did very bad things to my emotions. She got me right in the feels. Especially at the end of the book I was reading. She could have – and I expected her to – went any number of typical directions with her ending. Instead, she went off in her own direction, and gave an ending to a book that elevated it from good to ‘freakin’ fantastic’. Her website is: http://kuriositykilledthecat.com/
The Book: The Spirit Chaser
Jonathan Maberry is an author I ended up reading a lot of very quickly. I swiftly discovered that although I do like his writing, it’s definitely not an across the board thing. Still, his Joe Ledger series kept me coming back until I burnt out on it. I have the rest of the series waiting for when I get ready to read him again. His website is: http://www.jonathanmaberry.com
The Book: Patient Zero
Ferrett Steinmetz gave such an interesting and original read in Flex that I can’t imagine not picking up the second book in the series at some point. His premise is unique, his execution nearly flawless, and his main characters showed that there can be friendship without romance between two members of the opposite sex. His website is: http://theferrett.livejournal.com
The Book: Flex
J.L. Bryan has some serious writing talent. At least when it comes to spinning easy to read yarns that don’t require you to think too hard. (And to be honest, don’t we all need that occasionally?” I read his book right after I read Hell House by Richard Matheson, and I can honestly say it was definitely the more enjoyable read. His website is: http://jlbryanbooks.com
The Book: Ellie Jordan: Ghost Trapper #1
James Gunn is considered to be a master of Sci-Fi. I’d never read anything from him before, so I picked up one of his novels out of sheer curiosity. I loved it, because it was one of those rare novels that manages to encompass the true possibilities of alien life forms out there. I will definitely be picking more up from him in the future! (Though I’ve heard Transcendental is not in his usual style.) His website is: http://www2.ku.edu/~sfcenter/bio.htm
The book: Transcendental
Isaac Asimov was one of those sci-fi authors I was scared to read. I’d not heard great things about his writing. It was dry, it was not exactly friendly towards women, etc. But we chose to do one of our Dare to Discuss sessions on I, Robot, so I took the plunge. Let’s just say that even though I’m still a bit wary of Asimov, I fully intend on reading more from him next year. His website: http://www.asimovonline.com/asimov_home_page.html
The book: I, Robot
What do you think? Are any of these authors on your list?
Who was your favorite author(s) of 2016?
I just read Rin Chupeco’s Bone Witch and it was phenomenal. I now really want to pick up her other books, even though horror isn’t really my thing. Great list.
I feel like once I read an author’s work in one genre, I’ll inevitably be disappointed by reading them in a different one. Does that make sense? Lol.
I haven’t read any of these besides Schwab (who I love) but some of these sound great and I’ll have to check them out. Jodi Taylor’s books especially sound interesting – I love time-travel books and can never get enough of them.
Oh I hope you pick one up soon. Get the audio if you can
Ooooh – you have some good ones. I’ve been a Schwab fan for many years, think I’ve read all of Chupeco’s – and have her new one to review for NetGalley, and am making my way through some Maberry.
A few of them are on my list to try. 🙂
Cool!
I’ve seen Just One Damned… a couple of places, and now I’m adding it to my list. For, you know, when I get to it. 🙂
I plan on reading some Rin Chupeco, Jodi Taylor and Jonathan Maberry in 2017. The sooner the better – great list!
Glad you liked it. Can’t wait to see what you think of Jodi Taylor