SF Site Best SF and Fantasy Books of 2012: Readers' Choice

by Neil Walsh Here we are at our 15th annual SF Site Readers' Choice Top Ten Books. Every year we ask our readers to vote for their favourite books of the preceding year. What follows below are the results of that voting. It's a banner year for Baen Publishing, with 6 of the top 10 books here, including first, second and third choices. Congratulations to Baen, to all the other fine publishers, and to the authors who write the books we so enjoy reading. [Editor's Note: Where possible, links lead to SF Site reviews of the books. You can find links to other Best of the Year columns here.]

No. 10 War Maid's Choice: War God, Book 4 by David Weber

(Baen, July 2012) It's been a long wait for readers of this series. The adventures of Bahzell Bahnakson, outcast barbarian, began with Oath of Swords (Baen, 1995), and this latest installment follows Wind Rider's Oath (Baen, 2004). Bahzell has established his reputation as a wind rider and champion of the god of war and justice. But in the 7 years that have elapsed since the action in the previous book, Baron Tellian's daughter and heir has trained as a war maid, attained her majority, and is now determined that Bahzell is the only man for her...

No. 9 Queen of Wands: Special Circumstances, Book 2 by John Ringo

(Baen, August 2012) Christian soccer mom and demon fighter, Barbara Everette, was introduced to readers in Princess of Wands (Baen, 2006). Now she's back, and this time she has to try to save the soul of her assistant, Janea, who is lingering in a magically-induced coma. And by the way Janea, when she isn't fighting demons, is a stripper and a priestess of the Norse goddess Freya. If Barb can't rescue Janea from the astral plane, there's a good chance humanity will be destroyed by zombies.



No. 8 Elfhome: Elfhome/Steel City Series, Book 3 by Wen Spencer

(Baen, July 2012) Readers will have previously met Tinker, former human orphan and present elf princess, in Tinker (Baen, 2003) and Wolf Who Rules (Baen, 2006). In the latest book in this series, the humans and elves of Pittsburg are at war with the oni, but the enemy may already be within the city. Elf children are going missing, and as the oni are known to devour their prisoners, Tinker and her people have to act quickly if they want to save their children, their home -- and perhaps even their race.

No. 7 The Drowning Girl by Caitlín R. Kiernan

(Roc, March 2012) This novel is the latest winner of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. It has been variously described as challenging, haunting, and beautiful. The story is told from the perspective of a schizophrenic woman, India Morgan Phelps -- "Imp" -- who cannot fully trust her own perceptions of the world around her. This novel reveals Imp's struggle to discover what truth there may be in her encounters with mythical beings -- or possibly something stranger.



No. 6 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson

(Orbit, May 2012) Robinson's vision of our future includes technological advances like extended human lifespan and colonization of our entire solar system. Even on Mercury there is a human habitation, Terminator, which is a perpetually moving city designed to stay forever out of the direct sunlight that would otherwise prove deadly. In the year 2312, an unexpected death at Terminator leads a former designer of worlds, Swan Er Hong, into the discovery of a plot to destroy them.

No. 5 Cold Days: The Dresden Files, Book 14 by Jim Butcher

(Orbit / Roc, November 2012) We first met Harry Dresden, wizard detective, in Storm Front (Roc, 2000). He's been busy since then, and so has author Jim Butcher, chronicler of 13 more books in the Dresden Files since that first one. In Cold Days, having been brought back from the brink of death (or perhaps just beyond the brink), Dresden is tasked with bringing death to an immortal. It seems like magic is definitely going to get someone killed.



No. 4 Redshirts by John Scalzi

(Tor, June 2012/ Gollancz, November 2012) Scalzi's latest novel is a humorous SF adventure in which eager, young Ensign Andrew Dahl, recently assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, is delighted with his prestigious new posting... until he discovers that every Away Mission involves a lethal confrontation with alien lifeforms that always, always ends in the death of at least one low-ranking crew member. Once he realizes the risk of wearing the red shirt, Dahl and his fellow redshirts strive to avoid any assignment to an Away Mission.

No. 3 Monster Hunter Legion: Monster Hunter International, Book 4 by Larry Correia

(Baen, September 2012) Monster Hunter International (Baen, 2009) was opened for business just a few years ago, and Correia has been delighting readers ever since. In this 4th book of the series, a Monster Hunter convention in Las Vegas turns deadly when a WW II weapons experiment comes to life and shows itself to be a nasty piece of business. Rival monster hunter companies compete to stop this thing. But meanwhile, Owen Zastava "Z" Pitt and his crew at Monster Hunter International are trying to prevent an ancient god from unleashing hell on earth.

