The best SFF published in 2015...in your opinion

amergina

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SFF published in 2015 is generally eligible for several awards.

What have you read published in 2015 that's knocked your socks off?
 
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slhuang

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Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom is already up (you can contact her for edits; she get too many trolls to leave it open). Everything that's super impressed me so far is on there, including "Cat Pictures Please" by Naomi Kritzer (THIS STORY KILLS ME) and "Monkey King, Faerie Queen" by Zen Cho (absolutely perfect, funny, thrilling, perfect Monkey King story).

For the very first time I am excited about the Best Dramatic Presentation: Long Form category (I usually don't watch a lot of movies), because I am nominating the hell out of both Marvel's Agent Carter and Mad Max: Fury Road.

I suspect my Fan Writer ballot will include Mike Glyer (for the monumental and even-handed documentation of the Puppy situation), Alexandra Erin (for the IMHO brilliant satire of same), and George R.R. Martin for his (anecdotal/individual, but worth reading nonetheless) history of the Hugos.

If I can recommend something I was involved in, I'll plug Invisible 2 for Best Related Work, edited by Jim C. Hines. :greenie (I really wanted Invisible on the ballot this year!)
 

slhuang

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Oh, and if The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage is eligible (much of it was published online before, so maybe / maybe not?), it will be my first time nominating in the graphic novel category. :D (It's Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage! Having thrilling adventures! And fighting crime! While doing MATH!)

eta: I just checked the book, which I've been meaning to buy but hadn't yet because I've been moving, and there is SO MUCH NEW CONTENT. The original "Origin" story that was 1 page online is thirty-three pages in the book, with tons of new art. So I feel pretty confident about eligibility here and I am SO FREAKIN' EXCITED BECAUSE I LOVE THIS COMIC SO MUCH GUYSSSSSS. And the footnotes! The historical footnotes!!

To convince you (highlight for some quotes):

Ada Lovelace: "I wish to learn the ways of higher mathematics, and redeem my father's irrational legacy!! TEACH ME, MASTER!"
Mary Somerville: "Don't call me 'master,' dear. It's odd."

Babbage, to Lovelace: "You're like an ENCHANTED MATH FAIRY!"

William Frend, young Ada's tutor: "We desire certainty not uncertainty! Science not art!"
Young Ada: "But what are these imaginary numbers?"
Frend: "WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IMAGINARY NUMBERS!"

Babbage: "Admirably elucidated as always, my fair interpretess!"
Lovelace: "Merely conveying your brilliance, Babbage."
Babbage: "What geniuses we are!"
Lovelace: "I know!"
 
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Introversion

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Ian Tregillis' "The Mechanical"

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I don't remember the last time when a new book seized me in quite the same way, and at the end left me stamping my feet for the lack of the sequel.
 

ULTRAGOTHA

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I'm reading The Just City by Jo Walton right now.

Next up, The Mystic Marriage by Heather Rose Jones. Sequel to Daughter of Mystery, which was on my Best Novel nomination ballot this year.

ETA: Aaaaaaaaand going on my TBR list right away--Lois McMaster Bujold is self-pubbing a Five Gods Universe e-novella next month. Penric's Demon.
 
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ULTRAGOTHA

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Oh my god a new Bujold 5 gods?

Yess!! Coming out next month, apparently. It appears she is self-pubbing it and it will be available at the regular e-tailers.

It's not on her blog yet but she announced it on the two Bujold lists.
 

BethS

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ETA: Aaaaaaaaand going on my TBR list right away--Lois McMaster Bujold is self-pubbing a Five Gods Universe e-novella next month. Penric's Demon.

So glad you mentioned that. I just downloaded it.
 

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I found a publisher that is releasing its kindle titles in fantasy for 99c until Aug 4th. I only knew about this because I read one of their books, Songs of Seraphina, and it blew me away. Am stocking up on the rest. Why did I like it? Had a sort of uniqueness that I haven't experienced since I read Dune. Opening... "Some battles bleed so much, and for so long, that the earth never truly forgets their dead. Some battles are born of oppression, and some of greed, and some simply because it was written in the stars."

hyperurl.co/GrimboldBooks
 
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zanzjan

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I don't think anyone else has mentioned it yet, but Elizabeth Bear's Karen Memory was wonderful and complex and entertaining as all hell.

On the short fiction side, I quite liked two stories that both happened to be in the Mar/Apr F&SF: Jay O'Connel's "Things Worth Knowing" and Brian Dolton's "This is the Way the Universe Ends: With A Bang"
 

Conte Remo

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So far The Traitor Baru Cormorant is my favorite 2015 read, but there's some other 2015 releases I'll be reading in the coming weeks, including Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, Six of Crows, and Last Song Before Night, so we'll see if any of those top it! I've had a few disappointments this year but these will hopefully make up for them.
 

BethS

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"The Slow Regard of Silent Things" by Patrick Rothfuss was one of my favorite reads this year. Also Bloodsong by Anthony Ryan, though the sequel was a disappointment. Haven't read the third one yet.
 

slhuang

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The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest

:greenie
 

PandaMan

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"The Slow Regard of Silent Things" by Patrick Rothfuss was one of my favorite reads this year. Also Bloodsong by Anthony Ryan, though the sequel was a disappointment. Haven't read the third one yet.

Like you, these were among the best SFF books I've read so far this year; however, I don't think they were actually published this year.

I think Blood Song was published in 2013 and The Slow Regard of Silent Things in 2014. My memory may not be correct though.
 

CL Polk

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Really? No one mentioned The Fifth Season? It blew my mind!
 

BethS

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Like you, these were among the best SFF books I've read so far this year; however, I don't think they were actually published this year.

I think Blood Song was published in 2013 and The Slow Regard of Silent Things in 2014. My memory may not be correct though.

Oh heck, you're probably right. I was confusing "read in 2015" with "published in 2015." Or that's my excuse, anyway.
 

badducky

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Animal Money by Michael Cisco is further proof he is a widely unrecognized treasure of literary talent and awesomeness.

Shower of Stones by Zachary Jernigan was also a favorite.

I wish I had read more short stories.