io9.com recently (well, OK, a month several months ago — I’m a little lot late) published their “20 Best Science Fiction Books Of The Decade” list. This really is a compelling list of SF over the last ten years, much of it dealing with issues of late postmodern culture and our sense of rootlessness and lack of historical perspective (The Baroque Cycle, by Neal Stephenson; Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson; Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger are primary examples, although nearly all of them have living in postmodern times as an underlying theme). Some of it dealing with posthumanism and the way technology is not just “helping” humanity, but changing it at very fundamental levels–or exploring changing perceptions of what it means to have gender or racial, or even species identification (Rainbows End, by Vernor Vinge; Perdido Street Station, by China Miéville; Down And Out In the Magic Kingdom, by Cory Doctorow).
The following is their list and my status, as of this moment, on that book — whether I’ve read it, have it and plan to read it, don’t plan on reading it, etc. I’d like to read most on this list by the end of the year (eep! half over already!). Updates may come… now and then.
Acacia: The War with the Mein, by David Anthony Durham (Doubleday)
Never heard of it. Looks interesting, but it’s the first of a series. I don’t know if I can start any obligations like that right now.
Air, Or Have Not Have, by Geoff Ryman (Gollancz)
Also hadn’t heard of it before. Looks good, plus, it’s one in a growing “genre” of non-American/British SF that I really want to become more familiar with. (Top on that list for me, right now, is Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl, recent winner of the Nebula Award. It should absolutely be on this io9 list!)
The Alchemy of Stone, by Ekaterina Sedia (Prime)
Another I hadn’t heard of before. *sigh* This one has a strong posthuman theme that is foremost in my personal and scholarly interest! This one is a must-read.
The Baroque Cycle, by Neal Stephenson (HarperCollins)
Ah! Only partial guilt this time. 
I own the first in this series and have even started it. I just need to follow through.
I like Stephenson, to an extent. His Snow Crash is nearly as good William Gibson’s cyberpunk fiction, and Cryptonomicon was a mind-boggling wealth of information, but the writing was… troubling. (I still don’t get why in the world he calls “Japan” by the archaic name “Nippon” throughout the weighty tome! And one sex scene he has in it, I agree with the critics, is one of the worst, most juvenile, embarrassing bits of adult writing I have ever had to suppress a guffaw at. But, still a fascinating book, and the Baroque Cycle looks like it could be better.)
Confessions of Max Tivoli, by Andrew Sean Greer (Picador)
Looks interesting, but it’s low on my list.
Down And Out In the Magic Kingdom, by Cory Doctorow (Tor)
Read it. Love it! I’ve become a huge Cory Doctorow fan; I’ve read nearly everything he’s written (save for some short stories, and I’m currently reading his latest two: Makers and For The Win.) His books are truly post-postmodern and have a very strong posthuman component to them, especiallyDown and Out. Plus, dear to my heart, his books, while embracing postmodernism, aren’t entirely a-historical as they very strongly and actively critique contemporary culture (incl. politics, economics, etc.) and how we got here. Love love love. (Even if his climaxes tend to be rather anti-climactic.)
The Execution Channel, by Ken MacLeod (Tor)
I heard about this one sometime last year, I think on the Dragon Page Cover to Cover podcast. I remember being quite intrigued. High on my list.
Glasshouse, by Charles Stross (Ace)
I also love Charles Stross since I read his Halting State. His portrayal of a near-future technoscape with ubiquitous augmented reality is incredibly believable. (Although, like Stephenson, his use of present tense is odd and his use of 1st-person point-of-view is difficult to get used to.) He is the current master (as far as I know) of posthuman SF, calling into question everything we think of as innate and immutable “human” traits and characteristics. I have his Accelerando sitting on my desk, waiting for me. Glasshouse may trump it.
Harry Potter Series, by JK Rowling (Bloomsbury)
Do I really need to say anything about this? I read them all. The writing gets better in each one, although each volume has its own serious flaws. (Book 7: They spend half the book in a tent — might as well have just stayed at Hogwarts.)
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)
Nothing against fantasy; I love fantasy. And I’m intrigued by “urban fantasy” (don’t know if this qualifies), but it’s not high on my list right now.
Look to Windward, by Iain M. Banks (Orbit)
Well, I am into far-future SF right now, and this looks like it fits the bill. Will certainly check it out.
The Mount, by Carol Emshwiller (Small Beer Press)
Seeing how it has a cover blurb by Kim Stanley Robinson, I have to trust this book has some kind of deep allegorical theme about human complacency and ecological disaster and cultural servitude enfolded in what looks like BDSM pony-play metaphor. I give it a try for KSR’s sake.
Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood (Anchor)
Strong posthuman theme? Naw, not interested. Psyche! *grin* I’m intrigued to see how her vision of the future has changed since thought-provoking quasi-feminist story of near-distopia brought about by greed and biotech, The Handmaid’s Tale. Although, I’m disturbed by Atwood’s hatred for used book stores and disdain for libraries because they *gasp!* allow people to read her books for free. (Hmm, I’m pretty sure that’s Atwood; I may be confusing her stance with Ursula K. Le Guin’s…although I don’t think so.)
Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson (Putnam)
Best book on this list, bar none. Possibly Gibson’s best book, ever. And one of the best SF/contemporary novels out there. (Even though the climax falls pretty flat.) It took a college class on William Gibson (and Philip K. Dick) for me to see beyond my love of Gibson’s cyberpunk to the real important elements of his work since his earliest short stories: he critiques modern culture, postmodern global market capitalism, consumerism, commodity fetishism, better and more acutely than anyone else I’ve seen. His fiction in general, Pattern Recognition specifically, is like taking PhD courses in Critical Theory and Marxist cultural criticism. And he does it while crafting a thrilling and page-turning narrative that, in the case of Pattern Recognition, feels sci-fi despite it being completely contemporary. A brilliant novel. Period.
Perdido Street Station, by China Miéville (Del Rey)
The same teacher who helped me get past the veneer of Gibson also clued me in on China Miéville. Before he passed away, my professor began working with Miéville on some scholarly work (which can be seen in Red Planets). Miéville is the gold standard for the current field of “urban fantasy.” I have Perdido Street Station on my shelf (and on my iPhone) waiting for me to finally get to it.
Rainbows End, by Vernor Vinge (Tor)
I started this one, got pretty deep into it, before I kinda accidentally gave up on it. It’s fascinating near-future techno SF, don’t get me wrong — but there’s just something about it that makes it a difficult read. I can’t put my finger on it. (Plus it’s been year and a half since I last touched it.) I’ll try again. I like Vinge, even if his views on the singularity are a little quasi-religious and somewhat far-fetched. I saw his speak at the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts a couple of years ago (I was amused by his combination suit coat and military fatigue pants), and was thoroughly interested in his thoughts — even if they’re sky-pie-ish.
Stories of Your Life And Others, by Ted Chiang (Orb)
Greg Bear says I won’t know science fiction until I read this, so I guess I oughta.
Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger (MacAdam/Cage Books)
Eh, vaguely interested.
Tooth and Claw, by Jo Walton (Tor)
Well, I really like Jo Walton, and thanks to wonderful film How to Train Your Dragon, I’m in a dragony mood of late — I’ll put this high on the list. Plus, it has amazing Amazon reviews.
World War Z, by Max Brooks (Crown)
I started reading this, and it’s quite compelling. A wonderfully thrilling, serious, non-campy take on a very believable outbreak that creates zombie-like behavior resulting in a literal world war. It’s told in a journalistic style using interviews from individuals as they recall events before, during, and after the zombie war, in a way that really draws you in and makes it all seem that much more real. I can’t wait to finish it.
Acacia: The War with the Mein, by David Anthony Durham (Doubleday)
Never heard of it. Looks interesting, but it’s the first of a series. I don’t know if I can start any obligations like that right now.
Air, Or Have Not Have, by Geoff Ryman (Gollancz)
Also hadn’t heard of it before. Looks good, plus, it’s one in a growing “genre” of non-American/British SF that I really want to become more familiar with. (Top on that list for me, right now, is Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl, recent winner of the Nebula Award. It should absolutely be on this io9 list!)
The Alchemy of Stone, by Ekaterina Sedia (Prime)
Another I hadn’t heard of before. *sigh* This one has a strong posthuman theme that is foremost in my personal and scholarly interest! This one is a must-read.
The Baroque Cycle, by Neal Stephenson (HarperCollins)
Ah! Only partial guilt this time. I own the first in this series and have even started it. I just need to follow through.
I like Stephenson, to an extent. His Snow Crash is nearly as good William Gibson’s cyberpunk fiction, and Cryptonomicon was a mind-boggling wealth of information, but the writing was… troubling. (I still don’t get why in the world he calls “Japan” by the archaic name “Nippon” throughout the weighty tome! And one sex scene he has in it, I agree with the critics, is one of the worst, most juvenile, embarrassing bits of adult writing I have ever had to suppress a guffaw at. But, still a fascinating book, and the Baroque Cycle looks like it could be better.)
Confessions of Max Tivoli, by Andrew Sean Greer (Picador)
Looks interesting, but it’s low on my list.
Down And Out In the Magic Kingdom, by Cory Doctorow (Tor)
Read it. Love it! I’ve become a huge Cory Doctorow fan; I’ve read nearly everything he’s written (save for some short stories, and I’m currently reading his latest two: Makers and For The Win.) His books are truly post-postmodern and have a very strong posthuman component to them, especiallyDown and Out. Plus, dear to my heart, his books, while embracing postmodernism, aren’t entirely a-historical as they very strongly and actively critique contemporary culture (incl. politics, economics, etc.) and how we got here. Love love love. (Even if his climaxes tend to be rather anti-climactic.)
The Execution Channel, by Ken MacLeod (Tor)
I heard about this one sometime last year, I think on the Dragon Page Cover to Cover podcast. I remember being quite intrigued. High on my list.
Glasshouse, by Charles Stross (Ace)
I also love Charles Stross since I read his Halting State. His portrayal of a near-future technoscape with ubiquitous augmented reality is incredibly believable. (Although, like Stephenson, his use of present tense is odd and his use of 1st-person point-of-view is difficult to get used to.) He is the current master (as far as I know) of posthuman SF, calling into question everything we think of as innate and immutable “human” traits and characteristics. I have his Accelerando sitting on my desk, waiting for me. Glasshouse may trump it.
Harry Potter Series, by JK Rowling (Bloomsbury)
Do I really need to say anything about this? I read them all. The writing gets better in each one, although each volume has its own serious flaws. (Book 7: They spend half the book in a tent — might as well have just stayed at Hogwarts.)
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)
Nothing against fantasy; I love fantasy. And I’m intrigued by “urban fantasy” (don’t know if this qualifies), but it’s not high on my list right now.
Look to Windward, by Iain M. Banks (Orbit)
Well, I am into far-future SF right now, and this looks like it fits the bill. Will certainly check it out.
The Mount, by Carol Emshwiller (Small Beer Press)
Seeing how it has a cover blurb by Kim Stanley Robinson, I have to trust this book has some kind of deep allegorical theme about human complacency and ecological disaster and cultural servitude enfolded in what looks like BDSM pony-play metaphor. I give it a try for KSR’s sake.
Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood (Anchor)
Strong posthuman theme? Naw, not interested. Psyche! *grin* I’m intrigued to see how her vision of the future has changed since thought-provoking quasi-feminist story of near-distopia brought about by greed and biotech, The Handmaid’s Tale. Although, I’m disturbed by Atwood’s hatred for used book stores and disdain for libraries because they *gasp!* allow people to read her books for free. (Hmm, I’m pretty sure that’s Atwood; I may be confusing her stance with Ursula K. Le Guin’s…although I don’t think so.)
Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson (Putnam)
Best book on this list, bar none. Possibly Gibson’s best book, ever. And one of the best SF/contemporary novels out there. (Even though the climax falls pretty flat.) It took a college class on William Gibson (and Philip K. Dick) for me to see beyond my love of Gibson’s cyberpunk to the real important elements of his work since his earliest short stories: he critiques modern culture, postmodern global market capitalism, consumerism, commodity fetishism, better and more acutely than anyone else I’ve seen. His fiction in general, Pattern Recognition specifically, is like taking PhD courses in Critical Theory and Marxist cultural criticism. And he does it while crafting a thrilling and page-turning narrative that, in the case of Pattern Recognition, feels sci-fi despite it being completely contemporary. A brilliant novel. Period.
Perdido Street Station, by China Miéville (Del Rey)
The same teacher who helped me get past the veneer of Gibson also clued me in on China Miéville. Before he passed away, my professor began working with Miéville on some scholarly work (which can be seen in Red Planets). Miéville is the gold standard for the current field of “urban fantasy.” I have Perdido Street Station on my shelf (and on my iPhone) waiting for me to finally get to it.
Rainbows End, by Vernor Vinge (Tor)
I started this one, got pretty deep into it, before I kinda accidentally gave up on it. It’s fascinating near-future techno SF, don’t get me wrong — but there’s just something about it that makes it a difficult read. I can’t put my finger on it. (Plus it’s been year and a half since I last touched it.) I’ll try again. I like Vinge, even if his views on the singularity are a little quasi-religious and somewhat far-fetched. I saw his speak at the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts a couple of years ago (I was amused by his combination suit coat and military fatigue pants), and was thoroughly interested in his thoughts — even if they’re sky-pie-ish.
Stories of Your Life And Others, by Ted Chiang (Orb)
Greg Bear says I won’t know science fiction until I read this, so I guess I oughta.
Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger (MacAdam/Cage Books)
Eh, vaguely interested.
Tooth and Claw, by Jo Walton (Tor)
Well, I really like Jo Walton, and thanks to wonderful film How to Train Your Dragon, I’m in a dragony mood of late — I’ll put this high on the list. Plus, it has amazing Amazon reviews.
World War Z, by Max Brooks (Crown)
I started reading this, and it’s quite compelling. A wonderfully thrilling, serious, non-campy take on a very believable outbreak that creates zombie-like behavior resulting in a literal world war. It’s told in a journalistic style using interviews from individuals as they recall events before, during, and after the zombie war, in a way that really draws you in and makes it all seem that much more real. I can’t wait to finish it.
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