Wonder what great science fiction book you might have missed reading this year? Want to get ready to nominate books for the Hugo Awards next year?

I’m going to aggregate several Best-of-the-Year-2018 lists covering science fiction to see which books were mentioned the most often. Here are the lists I’m using:

• The 10 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of 2018 – Vulture
• The 10 Best Science Fiction Books of 2018 – Chicago Review of Books
• Our Favorite Science Fiction & Fantasy of 2018 – Barnes and Noble
• Choice Awards 2018 – Science Fiction – Goodreads
• The 5 best science fiction and fantasy novels of 2018 – The Washington Post
• 25 Best Science Fiction Books of 2018 – The Best Sci-Fi Books

Here are the results ordered by the number of lists they were on.

5 – Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller (B&N, BestSF, Chicago, Vulture, WP) *
4 – Severance by Ling Ma (B&N, Chicago, Goodreads, Vulture) *
4 – The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (B&N,  BestSF, Chicago, Goodreads)
3 – Rosewater by Tade Thompson (B&N, Chicago, Goodreads) *
3 – Semiosis by Sue Burke (BestSF, Chicago, Vulture) *
3 – Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente (B&N, BestSF, Goodreads) *
3 – The Book of M by Peng Shepherd (B&N, BestSF, Chicago) *
3 – The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (B&N, Vulture, WP) *
2 – Binti: The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor (BestSF, Goodreads) *
2 – Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell (B&N, BestSF)
2 – Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio (B&N, BestSF)
2 – Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett (B&N, Vulture)
2 – Head On by John Scalzi (BestSF, Goodreads)
2 – Iron Gold by Pierce Brown (BestSF, Goodreads) *
2 – Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport (BestSF, Vulture) *
2 – Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee (BestSF, Goodreads) *
2 – Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft (B&N, WP) *
2 – Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (B&N, Vulture) *
2 – State Tectonics by Malka Older (Chicago, BestSF) *
2 – Temper by Nicky Drayden (B&N, Vulture) *
2 – The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander (B&N, BestSF)
2 – The Oracle Year by Charles Soule (BestSF, Goodreads) *
2 – Vengeful by V. E. Schwab (B&N, Goodreads) *

* – Titles at Scribd.com

I’ve only read one title off this list, Semiosis by Sue Burke – it was quite impressive. That experience inspires me to try more of these titles.

James Wallace Harris, December 15, 2018