Though I suspect that title is incorrect in this context
August 23, 2014 3:08 AM Subscribe
Damien Walter presents 21 of the best British sci-fi (sic) writers of 2014 you probably haven't heard of.
I'm sad that the list doesn't include Ben Aaronovitch, probably one of my favourite discoveries of the last year or so. A must read for fans of magic or crime fiction (or magical crime fiction).
posted by fight or flight at 4:14 AM on August 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by fight or flight at 4:14 AM on August 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
I'm stopping after #1 because I don't want to give anyone that starts a list of "writers you've never heard of" with Joe Abercrombie any more attention than they deserve, which is none. Regardless of your title, Martin.
Is JK Rowling on the list? I've heard she is a new writer that some people might like.
posted by Justinian at 4:20 AM on August 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
Is JK Rowling on the list? I've heard she is a new writer that some people might like.
posted by Justinian at 4:20 AM on August 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
I suspect Metafilter is not the intended audience for this particular list.
posted by jscalzi at 4:26 AM on August 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by jscalzi at 4:26 AM on August 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
Oh there are some surprises, but you can also take a look at the tag list. It ends on a couple of obscure writers from a certain usenet group a decade ago...
posted by MartinWisse at 4:26 AM on August 23, 2014
posted by MartinWisse at 4:26 AM on August 23, 2014
If you like Ben Aaronovitch, fight or flight, you should check out Paul Cornell's current series too! He should also probably have been on the list (in place of spec fic authors that everyone has heard of).
Also missing Jasper Fforde seeing as it seems to be including Fantasy instead of strict sci-fi though he might count as one most people have heard of.
posted by Wysawyg at 4:28 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also missing Jasper Fforde seeing as it seems to be including Fantasy instead of strict sci-fi though he might count as one most people have heard of.
posted by Wysawyg at 4:28 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
It made Blackman with of the UKs most respected authors in any genre.
Even for Buzzfeed that's some mighty poor proofreading.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 4:48 AM on August 23, 2014
Even for Buzzfeed that's some mighty poor proofreading.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 4:48 AM on August 23, 2014
Also missing Jasper Fforde seeing as it seems to be including Fantasy instead of strict sci-fi though he might count as one most people have heard of.
Nah, David Mitchell is on the list, and he's better known than Fforde. I have no idea who this list is for. Certainly not anyone who's even looked at a book since they left school.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 4:51 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Nah, David Mitchell is on the list, and he's better known than Fforde. I have no idea who this list is for. Certainly not anyone who's even looked at a book since they left school.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 4:51 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm not going to make some strong anti genre case, but Harkaway is sci-fi only in that he messes with genre the way Tom Robbins did. His novels are more WTF than sci-fi.
posted by clvrmnky at 4:53 AM on August 23, 2014
posted by clvrmnky at 4:53 AM on August 23, 2014
No (personal favorite) Richard Morgan? Or have more people heard of him than I had been led to believe?
posted by biscotti at 5:10 AM on August 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by biscotti at 5:10 AM on August 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
I've heard of about half, and most of the ones I know, I like. I'm interested to check out the others too, particularly Nicola Griffith and James Smythe -- thanks!
(I wonder who it was that died before Adam Roberts became "the most intelligent sci-fi writer alive today".)
posted by rollick at 5:30 AM on August 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
(I wonder who it was that died before Adam Roberts became "the most intelligent sci-fi writer alive today".)
posted by rollick at 5:30 AM on August 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
I don't think it's accurate to call them "writers of 2014" unless they've actually had things published this year.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:34 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:34 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm sad that the list doesn't include Ben Aaronovitch, probably one of my favourite discoveries of the last year or so. A must read for fans of magic or crime fiction (or magical crime fiction).
Seriously! His work has made me use the phrase "the definitive modern fantasy Mr. Punch" in casual conversation.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:39 AM on August 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
Seriously! His work has made me use the phrase "the definitive modern fantasy Mr. Punch" in casual conversation.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:39 AM on August 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
Nicola Griffith is great, rollick. I would highly, highly recommend her book "Slow River".
(To others -- this is just my opinion, but while I agree with those who say some obvious names have been left off the list, I'd personally prefer to see that in the form of recommendations for other great British sci-fi authors, rather than complaints that the list sucks. Every list sucks. For myself, I'd rather hear about how great an author you love is than how stupid a list compiler is for not including an author you love. My two cents, obviously feel free to ignore if you prefer.)
posted by kyrademon at 5:45 AM on August 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
(To others -- this is just my opinion, but while I agree with those who say some obvious names have been left off the list, I'd personally prefer to see that in the form of recommendations for other great British sci-fi authors, rather than complaints that the list sucks. Every list sucks. For myself, I'd rather hear about how great an author you love is than how stupid a list compiler is for not including an author you love. My two cents, obviously feel free to ignore if you prefer.)
posted by kyrademon at 5:45 AM on August 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
Anything of Griffith is great.
posted by MartinWisse at 6:37 AM on August 23, 2014
posted by MartinWisse at 6:37 AM on August 23, 2014
I suspect Metafilter is not the intended audience for this particular list.
I suspect the intended audience for this list is people who aren't already quite knowledgeable about or fans of the sci-fi genre, regardless of their status as a Metafilter reader. Sure, Buzzfeed may have its issues with hyperbolic post titles but the Metafilter audience probably isn't monolithic in its literary awareness and tastes. That said, I'll be looking into Blackman's "Noughts & Crosses" series and thanks for the FPP.
Tangential question: what's up with the sci-fi (sic) in the post title? Is "sci-fi" not an acceptable term on Metafilter?
posted by fuse theorem at 6:49 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I suspect the intended audience for this list is people who aren't already quite knowledgeable about or fans of the sci-fi genre, regardless of their status as a Metafilter reader. Sure, Buzzfeed may have its issues with hyperbolic post titles but the Metafilter audience probably isn't monolithic in its literary awareness and tastes. That said, I'll be looking into Blackman's "Noughts & Crosses" series and thanks for the FPP.
Tangential question: what's up with the sci-fi (sic) in the post title? Is "sci-fi" not an acceptable term on Metafilter?
posted by fuse theorem at 6:49 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think it's more that many of the authors are writers of fantasy rather than science fiction.
posted by dng at 7:07 AM on August 23, 2014
posted by dng at 7:07 AM on August 23, 2014
To add some to the list that I have no idea whether or not you've heard of (I'll stick to sci-fi for now, if I include fantasy my recommendations list will be ... long.)
Geoff Ryman: The Child Garden is hands-down one of the best books I've ever read.
Tricia Sullivan: The only book I've read of hers is Maul, but it was quite good, bearing in mind that the viruses were by far the most interesting characters.
Karen Traviss: City of Pearl is truly excellent (unfortunately, the series that follows goes downhill afterwards, but I'd still recommend City of Pearl as a stand-alone.)
posted by kyrademon at 7:14 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Geoff Ryman: The Child Garden is hands-down one of the best books I've ever read.
Tricia Sullivan: The only book I've read of hers is Maul, but it was quite good, bearing in mind that the viruses were by far the most interesting characters.
Karen Traviss: City of Pearl is truly excellent (unfortunately, the series that follows goes downhill afterwards, but I'd still recommend City of Pearl as a stand-alone.)
posted by kyrademon at 7:14 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Gwyneth Jones: The Bold As Love cycle is fantastic. I also liked Divine Endurance.
Hal Duncan: Vellum and Ink are great books, heavily influenced by Michael Moorcock's trippier stuff.
Jeanette Winterson: Has several ventures into science fiction, my favorite among them being The Stone Gods. Often experimental. Fans of Joanna Russ might like these.
posted by kyrademon at 7:20 AM on August 23, 2014
Hal Duncan: Vellum and Ink are great books, heavily influenced by Michael Moorcock's trippier stuff.
Jeanette Winterson: Has several ventures into science fiction, my favorite among them being The Stone Gods. Often experimental. Fans of Joanna Russ might like these.
posted by kyrademon at 7:20 AM on August 23, 2014
My problem with this list is that it covers huge swaths of never heard of -- from Joe Abercrombie and David Mitchell down to, well, some authors there I haven't heard of, and I read SFF a lot.
Kyrademon, I think you would like Hardinge.
posted by jeather at 7:36 AM on August 23, 2014
Kyrademon, I think you would like Hardinge.
posted by jeather at 7:36 AM on August 23, 2014
Jane Fletcher: Probably the most obscure author I'm mentioning, and she can be a bit hit or miss depending on the book. But she happens to hit a sweet spot for my personal tastes, so I'll still recommend The Temple at Landfall and The Walls of Westernfort.
Catherine Fisher: Incarceron and Sapphique were solid YA titles.
Patrick Ness: The Chaos Walking trilogy is a fantastic (if incredibly bleak) YA series.
posted by kyrademon at 7:42 AM on August 23, 2014
Catherine Fisher: Incarceron and Sapphique were solid YA titles.
Patrick Ness: The Chaos Walking trilogy is a fantastic (if incredibly bleak) YA series.
posted by kyrademon at 7:42 AM on August 23, 2014
Ben Aaronovitch, probably one of my favourite discoveries of the last year or so. A must read for fans of magic or crime fiction (or magical crime fiction)
Also The Also People is a pretty good Culture novel that features Doctor Who. I would go as far as to say that it is the best Culture novel that features the Doctor.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:52 AM on August 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
Also The Also People is a pretty good Culture novel that features Doctor Who. I would go as far as to say that it is the best Culture novel that features the Doctor.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:52 AM on August 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
recommendations for other great British sci-fi authors
I assume you mean people less well-known than Iain Banks, Alastair Reynolds, or Peter Hamilton?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:00 AM on August 23, 2014
I assume you mean people less well-known than Iain Banks, Alastair Reynolds, or Peter Hamilton?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:00 AM on August 23, 2014
Tangential question: what's up with the sci-fi (sic) in the post title? Is "sci-fi" not an acceptable term on Metafilter?
It's an insider/outsider thing: "Peter Nicholls writes that "SF" (or "sf") is "the preferred abbreviation within the community of sf writers and readers". David Langford's monthly fanzine Ansible includes a regular section "As Others See Us" which offers numerous examples of "sci-fi" being used in a pejorative sense by people outside the genre."
posted by effbot at 8:02 AM on August 23, 2014
It's an insider/outsider thing: "Peter Nicholls writes that "SF" (or "sf") is "the preferred abbreviation within the community of sf writers and readers". David Langford's monthly fanzine Ansible includes a regular section "As Others See Us" which offers numerous examples of "sci-fi" being used in a pejorative sense by people outside the genre."
posted by effbot at 8:02 AM on August 23, 2014
Ben Aaronovitch, probably one of my favourite discoveries of the last year or so.
Met him at LonCon at registration just long enough to hand over his badge, point him to the green room and tell him how much I like his Rivers of London series.
posted by MartinWisse at 8:16 AM on August 23, 2014
Met him at LonCon at registration just long enough to hand over his badge, point him to the green room and tell him how much I like his Rivers of London series.
posted by MartinWisse at 8:16 AM on August 23, 2014
So glad to see so much love for Aaronovitch. He and Kate Griffin (aka Catherine Webb) and Paul Cornell have made me fall in love with urban fantasy all over again.
posted by immlass at 9:19 AM on August 23, 2014
posted by immlass at 9:19 AM on August 23, 2014
I'm stopping after #1 because I don't want to give anyone that starts a list of "writers you've never heard of" with Joe Abercrombie any more attention than they deserve, which is none. Regardless of your title, Martin.
Metafilter comment bingo item 3!
posted by srboisvert at 9:33 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Metafilter comment bingo item 3!
posted by srboisvert at 9:33 AM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I could recommend Jeff Noon. Anglo, speculative, trippy, somewhat unheard of, very talented.
posted by ovvl at 9:36 AM on August 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 9:36 AM on August 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
> "I assume you mean people less well-known than Iain Banks, Alastair Reynolds, or Peter Hamilton?"
I dunno ... what's well-known? They're well-known to people who have heard of them, not to those who haven't.
I'll admit I left some people off of my in-thread recommendations because they're high-profile, like Kate Atkinson. But then, I only started reading Kate Atkinson this year, on jeather's recommendation.
posted by kyrademon at 9:37 AM on August 23, 2014
I dunno ... what's well-known? They're well-known to people who have heard of them, not to those who haven't.
I'll admit I left some people off of my in-thread recommendations because they're high-profile, like Kate Atkinson. But then, I only started reading Kate Atkinson this year, on jeather's recommendation.
posted by kyrademon at 9:37 AM on August 23, 2014
Lovely to see Frances Hardinge getting some long overdue attention, Fly By Night is a delightful love letter to why books and reading are awesome. It's at the top of my list for books I buy for young relatives with the intention of corrupting them.
posted by invisible_al at 10:00 AM on August 23, 2014
posted by invisible_al at 10:00 AM on August 23, 2014
I can strongly recommend James Smythe's THE MACHINE. Look, there I am on the front cover of the paperback, recommending it.
Seriously, it's superb stuff - bleak, haunting, with a powerful human core.
posted by WPW at 11:37 AM on August 23, 2014
Seriously, it's superb stuff - bleak, haunting, with a powerful human core.
posted by WPW at 11:37 AM on August 23, 2014
I don't think that BF would go with a title like Buy Their Fucking Books You Arseholes They're Fucking Brilliant, but I'd respect them more if they did.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:29 PM on August 23, 2014
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:29 PM on August 23, 2014
Metafilter comment bingo item 3!
I don't care and you can't make me care!
Oh fine.
...
This list is completely schizophrenic. It includes actually not well-known authors who even serious SF fans may well not have heard of... and China Mieville. China Mieville! Adam Roberts! M John Harrison. Dude has been well known and writing since the New Wave! Longer than most people reading this have been alive. This hurts my brain.
But, yeah, some of the more obscure authors on that list deserve more of an audience.
Now I'll make a list of obscure American sci-fi authors that deserve your attention. It will include Max Gladstone, Daniel Abraham, Ann Leckie, and George R R Martin.
posted by Justinian at 2:58 PM on August 23, 2014
I don't care and you can't make me care!
Oh fine.
...
This list is completely schizophrenic. It includes actually not well-known authors who even serious SF fans may well not have heard of... and China Mieville. China Mieville! Adam Roberts! M John Harrison. Dude has been well known and writing since the New Wave! Longer than most people reading this have been alive. This hurts my brain.
But, yeah, some of the more obscure authors on that list deserve more of an audience.
Now I'll make a list of obscure American sci-fi authors that deserve your attention. It will include Max Gladstone, Daniel Abraham, Ann Leckie, and George R R Martin.
posted by Justinian at 2:58 PM on August 23, 2014
David Mitchell? What, "Cloud Atlas" David Mitchell? On a list of writers we've probably never heard of? Really?
By the way, no need for the "sic" after "sci-fi". "Sci-fi" has long been the approved way of describing science fiction if you're the kind of jerk who likes annoying SF fans. Which I am.
posted by Decani at 3:14 PM on August 23, 2014
By the way, no need for the "sic" after "sci-fi". "Sci-fi" has long been the approved way of describing science fiction if you're the kind of jerk who likes annoying SF fans. Which I am.
posted by Decani at 3:14 PM on August 23, 2014
What's wrong with sci-fi anyway? I must have missed that discussion somehow my entire life.
posted by dng at 4:11 PM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by dng at 4:11 PM on August 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yay! My friend Nick is on the list! Yay!
(Everyone go buy his books because he's super clever and an excellent writer.)
posted by Kitteh at 5:16 PM on August 23, 2014
(Everyone go buy his books because he's super clever and an excellent writer.)
posted by Kitteh at 5:16 PM on August 23, 2014
So I plugged the names into Google to see what the relative popularity of each of the authors was.
I started with a search for "{name}" author. This is slightly different to "{name}" writer, but I felt it more accurately described the search.
1) Nobody has heard of Simon Ings
2) More people write about Stross than they do about Blackman. This is a travesty.
3) FFS - Stross? How the fuck did that happen?
4) M John Harrison is suprisingly low.
For posterity - Terry Pratchett has about 576,000 hits and Jeff Noon has 32,600. That's not too bad for Noon considering he hasn't written anything for a while. I searched for "Charles Stross" and not "Charlie Stross" as this seems to give the better results.
posted by zoo at 2:11 AM on August 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
I started with a search for "{name}" author. This is slightly different to "{name}" writer, but I felt it more accurately described the search.
Name Popularity David Mitchell 476,000 Joanne Harris 194,000 Joe Abercrombie 179,000 China Mieville 168,000 Charles Stross 168,000 Nick Harkaway 158,000 Malorie Blackman 152,000 Adam Roberts 148,000 Laura Lam 90,800 Jo Walton 83,500 Matt Haig 74,500 M John Harrison 67,300 Samantha Shannon 59,600 Nicola Griffith 52,800 Sarah Pinborough 41,600 James Smythe 31,900 Justina Robson 29,700 Frances Hardinge 24,600 Simon Ings 22,800 Jaine Fenn 22,300 Liesel Schwarz 20,000There's some pretty shocking results in there.
1) Nobody has heard of Simon Ings
2) More people write about Stross than they do about Blackman. This is a travesty.
3) FFS - Stross? How the fuck did that happen?
4) M John Harrison is suprisingly low.
For posterity - Terry Pratchett has about 576,000 hits and Jeff Noon has 32,600. That's not too bad for Noon considering he hasn't written anything for a while. I searched for "Charles Stross" and not "Charlie Stross" as this seems to give the better results.
posted by zoo at 2:11 AM on August 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
The result for David Mitchell is probably affected by results for David Mitchell the comedian, as well as David Mitchell the author.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:25 AM on August 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:25 AM on August 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Is "sci-fi" not an acceptable term on Metafilter?
It's not acceptable to me, hence the sic.
posted by MartinWisse at 5:37 AM on August 24, 2014
It's not acceptable to me, hence the sic.
posted by MartinWisse at 5:37 AM on August 24, 2014
2) More people write about Stross than they do about Blackman. This is a travesty.
3) FFS - Stross? How the fuck did that happen?
Stross has been online for a long long time, bach when online = Usenet and he writes the sort of science fiction that appeals to "core" fandom, not to mention that he's consciously writing for the American market. Blackman is an UK orientated YA fiction writer not so active online.
posted by MartinWisse at 5:43 AM on August 24, 2014
3) FFS - Stross? How the fuck did that happen?
Stross has been online for a long long time, bach when online = Usenet and he writes the sort of science fiction that appeals to "core" fandom, not to mention that he's consciously writing for the American market. Blackman is an UK orientated YA fiction writer not so active online.
posted by MartinWisse at 5:43 AM on August 24, 2014
I hadn't heard of Blackman, but then I generally don't enjoy YA fiction and certainly don't seek it out. So I wouldn't have.
FFS - Stross? How the fuck did that happen?
People can have preferences and interests that differ from yours?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:05 AM on August 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
FFS - Stross? How the fuck did that happen?
People can have preferences and interests that differ from yours?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:05 AM on August 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
I wonder if this Charles Stross is the same Charles Stross who is writing the novel-length A Colder War that I keep going on about. That would be funny!
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:29 PM on August 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:29 PM on August 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also China appears to have lost some gains, I remember him being way more jacked.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:30 PM on August 24, 2014
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:30 PM on August 24, 2014
Just want to put in a word for Laura Lam. Pantomime is really good and very different. I read it because her mother was one of my grad school instructors, but/and I was really impressed and have been following her writing ever since. She definitely deserves even more buzz than she's been getting; it's one of those cases where she's been nominated and has won some awards and critical notice, but not nearly enough readers seem to have found her books anyway.
Still can't believe Pantomime was a first novel, though.
posted by wintersweet at 5:49 PM on August 24, 2014
Still can't believe Pantomime was a first novel, though.
posted by wintersweet at 5:49 PM on August 24, 2014
« Older BOING! | Love the one you're with. Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
That being said, there are a few authors here who are new or newish to me, and some of the descriptions are certainly tempting me to take a look. And certainly the fact that I generally like the authors I've already read on the list is a good sign. Laura Lam certainly sounds like her stuff is right up my alley, and Frances Hardinge also sounds interesting ...
posted by kyrademon at 3:48 AM on August 23, 2014 [3 favorites]