best-of-2011-sci From masters of the sci-fi genre like Stephen King to outstanding debut books from the likes of Madeleine Roux, here's our favourite science fiction and fantasy books from the year that was.

0230754317 Embassytown
China Miéville

As with Mieville’s earlier books, Embassytown continues his approach in ‘changing it up’, to use Wire-speak, and the book is language-rich and densely populated with interesting characters. The setting is the distant outpost of Embassytown on the planet Arieka, where the human inhabitants co-exist with the indigenous Ariekei. This balance is maintained by the intriguing Ambassadors, engineered doppels who possess the capability to communicate with the Ariekei through linguistic enhancement... This is fantastic and intriguing read. - Julia Jackson, Readings Carlton.

one_of_our_thursdays One Of Our Thursdays Is Missing: Thursday Next Book Six
Jasper Fforde

Thursday Next returns in another inventive, funny and fantastical adventure by the comic and creative genius, Jasper Fforde. Everyone's favourite literary detective, Thursday Next, is back, in the long-awaited follow-up to First Among Sequels.

reamde Reamde
Neal Stephenson

An epic thriller from the unique imagination of one of today's most inventive writers: a wealthy tech entrepreneur is caught in the crossfire of his own online fantasy war game, as Chinese hackers unleash a contagious virus - Reamde.

gardner When The Great Days Come
Gardner Dozois

Gardner Dozois's acclaimed short fiction is finally collected in a definitive edition of his work. Including Nebula Award winners such as "Morning Child" and nominees "Disciples" and "A Dream at Noonday," When the Great Days Come is a must for any science fiction reader.

allison

This debut novel from Madeleine Roux orginated online as the popular blog Allison Hewitt is Trapped. Allison Hewitt is trapped. In the storeroom of Brookes & Peabody's. In a world swarming with the Undead, the Doomed, the Infected.

black-glass Black Glass
Meg Mundell

Set in a dystopian version of Melbourne and narrated by a cast of unforgettable characters, Black Glass is the work of an exceptional new talent.


blackveil Blackveil: Green Rider Book Four
Kristen Britain

Page-turning commercial fantasy from a master of the genre. Karigan G'ladheon was a regular girl until she stumbled across a dying man. There were two arrows embedded in his back and wherever his horse was taking him, he was going to die before they got there.

038561926X Snuff
Terry Pratchett

Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe. There are many, many bodies and an ancient crime more terrible than murder. He is out of his jurisdiction, out of his depth, out of bacon sandwiches, and occasionally snookered and out of his mind, but never out of guile.

1444727303 11.22.63
Stephen King

What if you could go back in time and change the course of history? What if the watershed moment you could change was the JFK assassination? 11/22/63, the date that Kennedy was shot - unless... With extraordinary imaginative power, King weaves the social, political and popular culture of his baby-boom American generation into a devastating exercise in escalating suspense.

0857204130 Robopocalypse
Daniel H. Wilson

Roughly twenty years from now, our technological marvels unite and turn against us. A childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos comes online…and kills the man who created it. This first act of betrayal leads Archos to gain control over the global network of machines and technology that regulates everything from transportation to utilities, defense, and communications. Then, in the span of minutes, at a moment known later in history as Zero Hour, every mechanical device in our world rebels, setting off the Robot War that both decimates and - for the first time in history - unites humankind.

043402080X The Magician King
Lev Grossman

Deep in the forests of the magical land of Fillory a disturbing secret is discovered, one that could change the course of history and ruin many lives. As acting king Quentin Coldwater embarks upon an epic mission, visiting the terrifying depths of the underworld, to uncover the key to saving his world. Lev Grossman's beautiful new novel allows the imagination to run riot.

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