Best of 2009

Even Even More Best of 2009

Fantasy Book Critic has posted Cindy’s Top 2009 Book List. James Barclay comes in at number five with the entire Chronicles of the Raven series of Dawnthief,Noonshade,and Nightchild.Whereas Mark Chadbourn is on twice, at number six with the Age of Misrule series of World’s End,Darkest Hour,and Always Foreverand at number 9 with The Silver Skull.

Meanwhile SFFWorld has posted their SF Review of 2009 and their Fantasy Review of 2009. Ian McDonald’s Cyberabad Days,Kay Kenyon’s City Without End,and Paul McAuley’s The Quiet War all get shout outs. On the fantasy side, Matthew Sturges’ Midwintergets the love.

Keep ’em coming!

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Even More Best of 2009

The Best of the Year lists keep pouring in, and Pyr keeps placing on them.

Fantasy Literature has posted FanLit’s Favorite Books of 2009, and I’m thrilled to see Joel Shepherd’s Sashaand Mark Chadbourn’s The Silver Skullon the list, as well as the UK edition of Jasper Kent’s Twelve.

Meanwhile, Grasping for the Wind has posted their Best Reads of 2009, and in the category of “Best Adventure Novel,” a category “designed to be broad, focusing on the adventure aspect of a story, not its setting per se…. to highlight the book that had a similar effect to the watching of an action movie,” they select Diving into the Wreckby Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Not surprising given all the comparisons to Star Trek and Babylon 5 the book is garnering.

Meanwhile, Rob Will Review… has posted The 10 Best Books I Read in 2009.  These aren’t necessarily books published in 2009, so he includes (and we are pleased to see) Chris Roberson’s 2005 novel, Here, There & Everywhere,coming in at #5, ahead of some writers named Neil Gaiman and Dave Eggers. Rob writes:

On the surface, Here, There & Everywhere is actually a joyous romp through time and space–the life story of a singularly unique woman, Roxanne Bonaventure, who, from a young age, is gifted with a very special bracelet, which she dubs “the Sofia,” that allows her to spend her life zigzagging through time and space…Underneath the larksome exterior, however, Roberson’s novel has a rather serious subtext.  Although most of the time, Roxanne has a ball traipsing across the universe, she can also be a deeply lonely individual…Here, There & Everywhere captures the alienation of a time traveler’s life in a profound yet subtle manner that never overwhelms the story with pathos but which keeps the novel–even in its most thrillingly pulpy of moments–cushioned in a layer of emotional reality that beautifully complements its jaunty surface…

Happy New Year!

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More Best of 2009

Dark Wolf’s Fantasy Reviews have published their Awards for 2009. The UK edition of Jasper Kent’s Twelve, which we’ll be releasing in 2010, comes in #4 in their Top Ten Reads. Meanwhile, Stephan Martiniere’s illustration for Ian McDonald’s Desolation Roadis one of the winners of Best Cover Artwork.

While over at Book Chick City, they list their Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads 2010, and George Mann’s Ghosts of Manhattanshows up at # 7.

Rock on.

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Bookgasm: 5 Best Sci-Fi Books of 2009

Ryun Patterson of Bookgasm has posted his 5 Best Sci-Fi Books of 2009, and, as in past years, we’re very pleased with the number of Pyr books in (and in this case around) the list. Paul McAuley’s The Quiet Warcomes in at Number 5. Note also the honorable mention for Ian McDonald’s Cyberabad Days, that all three “anticipated” 2010 titles are from Pyr (Geosynchron, Desolation Road,& Ghosts of Manhattan), and the “hypothetical ‘Books of the Decade'” that would include Brasyland River of Gods. Nice!

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Non-Stop Action and the Return of S&S

The Silver Skullby Mark Chadbourn has made Stevereads 2009 Honor Roll:

“An old-fashioned sword-and-sorcery novel, complete with two staples of that long-lost and much-lamented sub-genre: non-stop action and a hero whose very perfection ought to make him annoying, but doesn’t. You’ll be mighty entertained.”

Meanwhile, author and reviewer Paul Witcover has included it in his Best of the Year list as well. 

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Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: 2009 Year-End Awards

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist has posted their 2009 Year-End Awards. Ian McDonald’s Cyberabad Dayscomes in at #8 in their TOP 10 SPECULATIVE FICTION TITLES OF 2009, while the UK edition of Jasper Kent’s Twelve comes in at #6 and gets “BEST DEBUT” (we’re publishing in 2010. Please wait for it.) Kay Kenyon’s City Without End, just misses the Top Ten at #13. Meanwhile, I’m honored to have gotten the MVP AWARD. Pat writes:

The heart and soul behind the Pyr imprint, this man is pretty damn close to being a genius. Though he’s the head of a smaller publishing house and hence cannot compete financially with the genre powerhouses, Lou Anders always managed to put out a wide array of quality speculative fiction titles every year. He’s like the general manager of a small-market team who always finds a way to get the players he needs for the team to make the playoffs. And with what he and the Pyr crew has in store for 2009 as they celebrate the imprint’s 5th anniversary, this could be Pyr’s biggest year yet! Long live!=)

Probably not a genius. But smart enough not to argue with this.

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Mad Hatter’s Best of 2009

The Year-In-Review reports are starting to appear. Grateful to Mad Hatter’s Bookshelf and Book Review for choosing The Quiet Waras the Best Science Fiction Release, with Diving into the Wreckas the runner-up. And gratified to see Pyr made Publisher of the Year. They write:


“I’ll have to give [Publisher of the Year] to Pyr and Lou Anders for rekindling my love of Science Fiction along with some quality Fantasy and continually publishing series over consecutive months which all Fantasy fans adore.  Plus they have some of the best covers in this or any genre.”

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