Having just recorded the Coode Street Year in Review episode with Gary, Paul Kincaid, and Adam Roberts (more possibly to come), my mind turned to the coming year: 2016. Magazines and anthologies are already falling in to my inbox, as are advance copies of some novels and collections. I’m also getting whispers about how good (or not) some particular books might be.

I confess that I have over the years become a skittish and easily distractible reader. One negative whisper about a book and I’m already re-assigning my ridiculous short and overburdened reading time to something else. Without naming names, I’ve already read one book by a long-time favourite that disappointed and have been mostly put off reading a book by another. And thinking about the major books of 2015 – books like Aurora, Europe at Midnight, Clade, The Water Knife, Luna, and others – I began to think that 2016 was probably going to be a weak year following what I think was a very strong one.

So I thought I’d put together quick list of books I want to read next year. I already knew I wasn’t going to read certain titles, and I always have a lot of books fall onto lists as the year unfolds, but I wondered if I could scrape together a worthwhile list of books I wanted to read. It proved surprisingly, and happily, easy to compile. I didn’t overthink this list. I didn’t do a lot of research. I just worked from memory and one or two lists I have lying around. Suddenly there was substantial space opera here, a great debut there, some old favourites in epic fantasy, and a handful of great collections.

You never know what a reading year is going to be like till it’s done. There will be surprises. There will be unexpected brilliance. There will also be eagerly anticipated books that turn out to be turkeys, but this list makes me pretty happy. With these books coming, and with others sure to show up, I’m looking forward to it. (PS: If you’re a publicist and would like to send me any of these, that would be swell).

1. Sharp Ends, Joe Abercrombie
   Joe’s writing some of the best short fantasy fiction out there, and is one of the very few writers doing anything interesting with classic Leiber-influenced fantasy at short lengths. Essential.
2. Hwarhath Stories, Eleanor Arnason
   This collection should have come out a decade ago. Pithy, perceptive sociological SF from a great writer.
3. Company Town, Madeline Ashby
   I feel like I’ve been waiting for this one for years. I love Madeline’s work and it’ll be fascinating to see her first post-series novel.
4. A Natural History of Hell, Jeffrey Ford
   A new collection from Ford is a celebration and a treat.
5. The Stars Are Legion, Kameron Hurley
   Hurley adds space opera to her bibliography in a book that should be pithy and strange.
6. Europe in Winter, Dave Hutchinson
   The best SF series to come out of the UK in a decade draws to a close on the icy streets of a bleak near-future Europe.
7. Children of Earth and Sky, Guy Gavriel Kay
   The single book I’m looking forward to the most in 2016 from one of the best novelists we have.
8. Ninefox Gambit, Yoon Ha Lee
   The debut novel from Lee, a brilliant short story writer, builds on her short work and looks to be one of the books of the year.
9. The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, Ken Liu
   The most awaited short story collection of the past decade, and sure not to disappoint. Also essential.
10. The Corporation Wars 1: Dissidence, Ken Macleod
    New space opera from the greatest libertarian socialist in the field.  Can’t wait!
11. Into Everywhere, Paul McAuley
    The second Jackaroo novel. Enough said. And America? Pay attention! This guy is good and the first book was brilliant.
12. The Locomotive’s Graveyard, Ian McDonald
    A new novella from McDonald. Always great stuff, and will tide us over until Luna 2.
13. Kingfisher, Patricia McKillip
    McKillip’s first new fantasy novel in five years.  I’ve read everything she’s written and wouldn’t miss it.
14. The Last Days of New Paris, China Mieville
    I love China’s work. I love the title. I’m in!
15. The Art of Starving, Sam J. Miller
    Miller had an outstanding year with short fiction in 2015. His debut, a YA novel, is due in 2016. I wouldn’t miss it.
16. Summerland, Hannu Rajaniemi
    A major novel about defeating death.  Hannu’s The Quantum Thief was a great book. I’m convinced.
17. Everfair, Nisi Shawl
    Nisi Shawl’s debut novel, I believe. Steampunk and stuff. I have loved her short fiction and wouldn’t miss this.
18. Vigil, Angela Slatter
    Having told Angela that I thought her story “Brisneyland by Night” should be a novel, she went and wrote it. Can’t wait!
19. The Last Mortal Bond, Brian Staveley
    I’ve read the reast of the series. Epic fantasy fun.
20. Central Station, Lavie Tidhar
    This is one my top 5  for the year.  I’ve read the individual stories, but have been impatiently waiting for the book for a while. It’s one of those braided mega-narrative kind of novel thingies, but it’s SF and weird and interesting. What’s not to love?
21. Crosstalk, Connie Willis
    New Connie. Frankly, the last one sucked a bit. So did Passage,  but she’s too smart and funny and readable not to give another shot.

And that’s it. I will read others. Definitely. None of these may end up on my best of the year list (though I would be surprised), but they all look worth chasing.  What new books are you looking forward to in 2016?

This week sees the release of Meeting Infinity, the fourth and possibly best, instalment in the “Infinity Project” series of anthologies published by my friends at Solaris Books.  It’s a big, ambitious book that asks how we have to change ourselves in order to face the possible futures we might live in.

Which sounds a bit dry and academic, but the book is anything but that.  It’s dark, funny, dangerous, thrilling and occasionally goofy. It has uploaded personalities, strange medical solutions and I’m pretty sure there’s at least one zombie ninja in there (thanks for that, by the way, Chairman Bruce!) . If you love science fiction, then there’s something in here for you.

Meeting Infinity has already had an incredible reception, with stories picked up to be reprinted in ‘Best of the Year’ anthologies from Gardner Dozois, Neil Clarke, Rich Horton and others.  You might ask, why do I need Meeting Infinity then? Well, because I think it’s the best science fiction anthology of the year, and so do one or two of those ‘Best of the Year’ editors. It’s gorgeous.  None of the online images really does justice to just how sexy the actual printed book is.  Also, any single excerpt is just that: a taste of the real thing.  If you love SF, Meeting Infinity really is the real deal. It would, as they say, make a pretty great Christmas gift for the SF lover in your life (or as a gift for yourself).

You can buy it in the US, UK and Australia from your favourite bookstores. Support your favourite independents where you can, go to a chain (they have cool people working for them) if that’s best, or buy an ebook if that’s your preference. Here’s a few links to help with that:

• in Australia
• in the UK
• in the United States

I’d also add, if you like the “Infinity Project” books and would like to see more (I’m working on a new one now), the best way to make sure they keep coming is to buy them, and the time to buy them is when they first come out.  Meeting Infinity comes out December 1st