Fantasy Book Critic: 2020 Review / 2021 Preview

First off, I must say that I consume way too much media in the best of times, and so with being confined to my home, that only increased this year. I got through 48 books, around 60 movies (which is a shorter list than usual, for obvious reasons), over 60 seasons of TV (and that's just for new 2020 seasons, not including rewatches or things that came out in past years. Yikes), and I don't even know how many games. All this to say that narrowing down to a "Top Whatever" list is always very difficult for me, but I will do my best to narrow it down (and to keep it relatively short).

Books

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - I had not read Clarke's previous, mega-hit book, but I saw that this one was getting acclaim and I needed a nice, short read, so I picked it up. It completely floored me and I tore through it in a day and a half. The narrator has such a distinct, lovely voice, and the wonder with which we see this sometimes familiar but largely bizarre world through his eyes was a constant joy to read. Unpeeling the layers of this world and the mystery Piranesi finds himself entangled in was fascinating, and I found myself wanting to stay in the world Clarke created long after the lovely ending.

Providence by Max Barry - I'm surprised that Max Barry is never mentioned within SFF spheres because I think his work in sci-fi is fantastic. I love both Machine Man and Lexicon by him, and Providence is another great piece of work. It follows a small crew on an AI-controlled ship who are in search of alien lifeforms they're at war with to just completely decimate them. Naturally, since a story needs conflict, things start to go wrong and the way the book unravels from there was always engaging and compelling, with some of my favorite aliens I've read in a sci-fi book in a long time. And while this all may sound very heavy and dramatic, Barry always adds a dash of humor and wit to his books that I appreciate. This is definitely something every sci-fi fan should check out.

The Tyrant Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson - This is the book that cemented The Masquerade as one of my favorite fantasy series. The depth of Dickinson's worldbuilding is staggering, breathing life into so many countries and cultures and characters. Baru is an endlessly compelling main character, and the cast of characters around her could all easily lead a series of their own with how fleshed out their personalities, histories, and motivations are. The weirder this series gets, the more I like it, and Dickinson certainly brings the weirdness with this volume. On top of all the weird fantasy concepts, deep characterization, and insane dramatic tension, this series is also full of interesting thematic depth that I feel like a lot of fantasy is lacking.

Honorable mentions: Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark, Lost City of Ithos by John Bierce, The Ikessar Falcon by K. S. Villoso

Movies

Birds of Prey - In all honesty, my favorite DC movie. This thing is just a ton of fun, with amazing characters who, despite their flaws, you can't help but root for. I would have gladly spent another hour or two bouncing around with the gang. Throw in some stylish visuals, energetic setpieces, and a great villain in Ewan McGregor, this would be in my top 5 of the year even without almost every other movie being delayed.

Possessor - A dark sci-fi horror/thriller about assassins who possess the bodies of others in order to carry out their hits. It's an incredibly dark premise and it's treated as such, focusing on the psychological effects of such a practice on both the possessor and possessee. Written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg, son of acclaimed director David Cronenberg, this thing is full of incredible, bone-chilling practical effects that would make his father proud. And if that poster doesn't creep you out, I dunno what to tell you.

Underwater - Between this and Happiest Season, this has been a great year for Kristen Stewart. I'll be the first to admit that Underwater isn't super amazing or anything, but it's absolutely a fun, entertaining sci-fi thriller that is a good way to spend 90 minutes. What's unfortunate about the movie is that what I think would be the #1 selling point for a lot of people is actually a big surprise that wasn't in the marketing at all, so it's difficult to recommend to people without spoiling it. But if you want to be spoiled/titillated, read on, otherwise skip to the next paragraph--okay, yeah, it's a Lovecraftian story! All the creatures in this thing are nasty and fascinating, but when the big boy Cthulhu himself showed up, I grinned stupidly to myself in the theater.

Honorable mentions: Color Out of Space, Onward, Palm Springs

Looking to 2021

I'm mainly excited about a ton of sequels. There's We Lie with Death by Devin Madson (as well as books 3 and 4 of the series, I believe); then the finale of the Chronicles of the Bitch Queen, The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng by K.S. Villoso, which is definitely one of my most anticipated titles. I'm also excited about hopefully getting the sequel to Angela Boord's Fortune's Fool, as well as Sidewinders by Robert VS Redick, the sequel to his great book Master Assassins. The finale of the Tide Child trilogy by RJ Barker will also surely be a delight. There are also some series firsts and standalones I'm looking forward to, such as 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry; Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer; Persephone Station by Stina Leicht; The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman; and the new fantasy series from Daniel Abraham.

My #1 most anticipated book, though, is The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft. The Books of Babel have become one of my all-time favorite series, one that I've pushed on tons of friends who all end up loving it, and I can't wait to see how the story concludes.

On the Horizon

I just released the first book of my first series, Flesh Eater, so in 2021 I'll still be chugging along on the Houndstooth trilogy. I spent most of this year writing the entire trilogy, so the first half of 2021 will be spent revising books 2 and 3, with an eye to publish book 2, Mother Pig, in early summer. Once I wrap up book 3, I do have another idea in mind ready to go, although I think I'll need a short break before I jump into that. Turns out writing 3 huge books within a year takes a lot out of you.

About the author

Travis M. Riddle is a fantasy author best known for his books Balam, Spring and The Narrows, the latter of which received a positive review in Publishers Weekly. His novel Spit and Song was a SPFBO 2020 semi-finalist. He currently lives in Austin, TX, where he largely spends his time eating food, playing games, and watching stuff. Find out more about Travis here: Twitter: www.twitter.com/traviswanteat // Instagram: www.instagram.com/traviswanteat // Website: www.travismriddle.com