These are my favorite books that I read in 2011. Note that many of them have been around for a few years at least.

The Magician and The Magician King by Lev Grossman

Much has been said about the so-called adult Harry Potter books. They feature all of the wonderful things you expect from a fantasy novel: A magical boarding school. A band of geeks. A gateway to another world. A socially awkward but brilliant protagonist who is a goofy looking outcast in this world but (literally) royalty in the other.

These books depart from a typical fantasy in a few spectacular ways. First, the discovery of magic and alternate worlds does not create meaning in the protagonist’s life. He still has to cope with his sense of directionless angst like any other teenaged boy. Second, the author isn’t afraid to confront the questions and conundrums that crop up in fantasy books but are never acknowledged. Such as, where does magic come from? Why can people use it? Is there a theological aspect to all this? Finally, the protagonists drink and screw liberally throughout the books, just like any group of dorm-dwelling teenagers.

Lev Grossman is a great writer.  Anybody who was raised on fantasy books will love these.

Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

The premise is remarkably original. Incarcaron is a living prison. Inmates live, die, and get recycled under the watchful, intelligent eyes of the Prison. Outside of Incarceron, people live by Protocol, a stifling dictum that forces them to stagnate in a pre-industrial era. And then there is Sapphique, the magician/savior who escaped Incarceron generations before. He is legendary, the subject of many songs and works of epic poetry. I was blown away by Catherine Fisher’s imagination, and I found the books very thought-provoking.

Some of the writing is a little crappy. (The words “acrid” and “tinkling” recur with annoying frequency.) But the descriptions, especially those of the synthetic forests within Incarceron, are beautifully vivid.

Name of the Wind and Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

These are amazing, ambitious books. They are the life story of a man named Kvothe, whose dazzling brilliance and faultless ingenuity would be nauseating if he weren’t currently in a somewhat fallen state. Most of the story takes place in grandiose flashback. Present moments reveal a curiously weakened, compromised Kvothe.

These books have all the hallmarks of a Harry Potter type fantasy: The dead parents, the gifted boy left behind, the terrible villain he seeks, the magical boarding school, the tales of life in the dorms. But the world is more dangerous, the protagonist is more likeable, and the writing is full of awesome bravado.

These books won enough awards and garnered enough praise that I don’t need to write anything more about them. Just go read them for gods sake.

Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

This is the prequel to Oryx and Crake, my favorite dystopian futuristic novel of all time. It further embroils  readers in a vivid world that is all too believable. Atwood is a genius, and she has directed her critical gaze at current events. Her story depicts logical outcomes of corporate personhood, concentrated wealth, and a population saturated with meaningless media. Let me tell you, the results are not pretty.

It goes without saying that the writing is flawless and I couldn’t put it down. Atwood always delivers.

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Like Atwood, Anderson captures the present day and the evolution of current trends so well that the story ends up being completely believable in spite of its far-fetched premise. A “feed” is an implanted computer that allows characters to communicate and shop telepathically. It creates the perfect mindless consumers. Privacy does not exist in Anderson’s vision of the future.

This book reminded me so much of George Saunder’s work, specifically Jon. (I love George Saunders.) Anderson uses a similar dialect for his characters and has a similar worldview. He manages to be critical of humanity as a whole while being warm and sympathetic to individual characters.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

I am late to Sedaris fandom, but this book converted me. The essays meander around from topic to topic and time period to time period, but they always wrap up nicely with a perfect final sentence. The author is not afraid to mortify himself for a laugh, and oh how I laughed. Good stuff.

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

What can I say? This series is pure fluff. Lots of action, a little incest, and some monsters. I could put my big brain to work discussing its shortcomings, but what a waste of time. I enjoyed reading it thoroughly and would recommend it to anyone who wants a bit of light escapism.

Outland Entertainment – our company! – is involved in the graphic novel rendition of this series. I think it will translate well into the graphic novel format.