2017 was, by most measures, a bit of a year. I coped in the usual way: by reading a ridiculous amount of science fiction, mostly on the bus and often well past a sensible bedtime. Here are the books that stayed with me, in no particular order.
The Stone Sky - N. K. Jemisin
The final book in the Broken Earth trilogy, and a worthy ending to one of the best series I've read in years. It's set on a world plagued by catastrophic geological "seasons", and it's about power, oppression, motherhood and survival. It's not always an easy read, but it's an extraordinary one. If you haven't started with The Fifth Season, please do.
Provenance - Ann Leckie
Set in the same universe as the Ancillary trilogy but much lighter in tone. It's about a young woman trying to impress her powerful mother by recovering stolen artefacts of historical importance - which, it turns out, might be fake. It's clever, warm and funny, and it has a lot to say about how we decide what matters from the past.
Autonomous - Annalee Newitz
A pharmaceutical pirate, a military robot and a world where people can be owned under contract. It's fast-paced and sharp, and it asks some very uncomfortable questions about property, freedom and what makes a person a person. One of the most thought-provoking books I read all year.
Six Wakes - Mur Lafferty
A locked-room murder mystery on a spaceship, where the crew are clones who wake up with no memory of how they died. It's a brilliant premise, executed with a lot of fun and a few genuine surprises. Perfect if you want something gripping that you can finish in a weekend.
The Collapsing Empire - John Scalzi
The start of a new space opera series about an interstellar empire that depends on a cosmic phenomenon that is about to disappear. It's quick, witty and very easy to read, with a sweary, scene-stealing character I'd happily read a whole book about. Light, but very enjoyable.
And one re-read: Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel
Not a 2017 book, but I re-read it last autumn and loved it even more the second time. It's about a travelling theatre company performing Shakespeare after a pandemic has wiped out most of the world's population. Strangely, it's one of the most hopeful books I know.
What's next?
My to-read pile is threatening to become structural. Top of the list for this year are the next books in a couple of the series above, and whatever my friends keep pressing into my hands at the pub. If you've read something brilliant lately, tell me. I can always find space on the floor.
