SF Reviews.net chooses its Publisher of the Decade 2000-2009

SF Reviews.net chooses its Publisher of the Decade 2000-2009. Thomas M. Wagner writes:

...if I had to boil it all down to one, there has been an imprint whose output and dedication has impressed me — not necessarily more than all the others, but in a way that has made them stand out boldly in a publishing field often marked by conservative (if not outright craven), bottom-line-driven choices. And that would be these folks.

Some of the many nice things Thomas M Wagner says about us are...

Pyr has risen in about 5 years to becoming one of the genre's true successful stories.

And most commendably, Anders has done this by bucking conventional wisdom at every turn, choosing a merit-based strategy for the books he adds to Pyr's catalog that has skirted the easy paths to bestsellerdom that bigger publishers, with their higher overhead, find it hard to ignore. If Lou thinks the book is really really good, it's in, pretty much....

...I have no end of admiration for what he's doing with Pyr instead. It's all down to writers and their original works. He's making it Pyr's business to import talented names from outside the US, who have until now found it hard to get a toehold in the US market. He's kept the careers of hard SF writers like Paul McAuleyand humanist SF writers like Kay Kenyonafloat, publishing some of their career-best work. He's revived the occasional lost nugget of obscure genius, like Jack Dann's The Man Who Melted.... And the quality bar has been uniformly high in a way that most publishers can only dream of.

So with all of my love for all my other publishers out there in the open, and without taking anything away from them, allow me to anoint with my mighty +4 sword of critical mightiness... Pyr SF, Publisher of the Decade 2000-2009! Now all of you out there start buying their stuff. And Pyr, once your victory lap is out of the way, do kindly get back to work! Think you can rest on your laurels now? Oh no you don't. The pressure's on. We all want more! We're geeky that way.

Deeply humbled and appreciative of this. Love my +4 sword. Working ass off to make our five year anniversary year the best yet. Pretty confident it will be! Thanks!

Even Even More Best of 2009

Fantasy Book Critic has posted Cindy's Top 2009 Book List. James Barclay comes in at number five with the entire Chronicles of the Raven series of Dawnthief,Noonshade,and Nightchild.Whereas Mark Chadbourn is on twice, at number six with the Age of Misrule series of World's End,Darkest Hour,and Always Foreverand at number 9 with The Silver Skull.

Meanwhile SFFWorld has posted their SF Review of 2009 and their Fantasy Review of 2009. Ian McDonald's Cyberabad Days,Kay Kenyon's City Without End,and Paul McAuley's The Quiet War all get shout outs. On the fantasy side, Matthew Sturges' Midwintergets the love.

Keep 'em coming!

Even More Best of 2009

The Best of the Year lists keep pouring in, and Pyr keeps placing on them.

Fantasy Literature has posted FanLit's Favorite Books of 2009, and I'm thrilled to see Joel Shepherd's Sashaand Mark Chadbourn's The Silver Skullon the list, as well as the UK edition of Jasper Kent's Twelve.

Meanwhile, Grasping for the Wind has posted their Best Reads of 2009, and in the category of "Best Adventure Novel," a category "designed to be broad, focusing on the adventure aspect of a story, not its setting per se.... to highlight the book that had a similar effect to the watching of an action movie," they select Diving into the Wreckby Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Not surprising given all the comparisons to Star Trek and Babylon 5 the book is garnering.

Meanwhile, Rob Will Review... has posted The 10 Best Books I Read in 2009.  These aren't necessarily books published in 2009, so he includes (and we are pleased to see) Chris Roberson's 2005 novel, Here, There & Everywhere,coming in at #5, ahead of some writers named Neil Gaiman and Dave Eggers. Rob writes:

On the surface, Here, There & Everywhere is actually a joyous romp through time and space–the life story of a singularly unique woman, Roxanne Bonaventure, who, from a young age, is gifted with a very special bracelet, which she dubs “the Sofia,” that allows her to spend her life zigzagging through time and space…Underneath the larksome exterior, however, Roberson’s novel has a rather serious subtext.  Although most of the time, Roxanne has a ball traipsing across the universe, she can also be a deeply lonely individual…Here, There & Everywhere captures the alienation of a time traveler’s life in a profound yet subtle manner that never overwhelms the story with pathos but which keeps the novel–even in its most thrillingly pulpy of moments–cushioned in a layer of emotional reality that beautifully complements its jaunty surface…

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Everybody!

Amazing how fast these past ten years have gone. Ten years ago today, I'd just lost my job in San Francisco due to dot com bubble burst, and was wondering what I was going to do next. Looking back, I can't believe how much was packed into just ten years. Most of it is friendships I treasure that I didn't even have in Jan 1, 2001. (A lot of it is family I didn't have then either!). But Pyr itself will be turning five years old this March. I was collating our awards information yesterday, and so I'll use this occasion to reflect back on some of Pyr's accomplishments in the 00s.  Frankly I'm flabbergasted.

• 2010 BSFA Award for Best Artwork, nominee: Desolation Road cover by Stephan Martiniere, Jaqueline Nasso Cooke 
• 2010 RUSA Reading List Award Science Fiction nominee: Paul McAuley, The Quiet War
  
• 2009 Chesley Award for Best Art Director: Lou Anders
• 2009 Hugo Award for Best Editor Long Form, nominee: Lou Anders 
• 2009 Hugo Award for Best Novella, nominees:“True Names” by Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2)
• 2009 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, nominee: “The Gambler” by Paolo Bacigalupi (Fast Forward 2)
• 2009 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award nominees: "True Names" by Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2)
• 2009 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award nominee: "The Gambler" by Paolo Bacigalupi (Fast Forward 2)
• 2009 Locus Award for Best Novella, Finalists: "True Names" by Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2)
• 2009 Locus Award for Best Short Story, Finalists: “The Kindness of Strangers" by Nancy Kress (Fast Forward 2)
• 2008 Philip K Dick Award, nominee: Fast Forward 2, edited by Lou Anders
• 2008 Hugo Award for Best Novel nominee: Ian McDonald Brasyl
• 2008 Hugo Award for Best Editor Long Form, nominee: Lou Anders
• 2008 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer nominee: Joe Abercrombie
• 2008 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer nominee: David Louis Edelman
• 2008 Philip K. Dick Award nominee: Adam Roberts Gradisil
• 2007 Quill Award nominee: Ian McDonald, Brasyl
• 2007 Hugo Award for Best Editor Long Form nominee: Lou Anders
• 2007 Chesley Award for Best Art Director nominee: Lou Anders
• 2006 World Fantasy Award - Special Award, Professional nominee: Lou Anders
• 2006 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Novel nominee: David Louis Edelman, Infoquake
• 2006 Independent Publisher Book Award winner: John Meaney, Paradox
• 2005 Philip K Dick Award nominee: Justina Robson, Silver Screen
• 2006 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer nominee: Chris Roberson
• 2005 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer nominee: Chris Roberson

More Best of 2009

Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews have published their Awards for 2009. The UK edition of Jasper Kent's Twelve, which we'll be releasing in 2010, comes in #4 in their Top Ten Reads. Meanwhile, Stephan Martiniere's illustration for Ian McDonald's Desolation Roadis one of the winners of Best Cover Artwork.

While over at Book Chick City, they list their Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads 2010, and George Mann's Ghosts of Manhattanshows up at # 7.

Rock on.

Diving Into the Wreck: "Like watching a science fiction movie"

The positive reviews for Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Diving into the Wreck are just pouring in. It's impressive enough that there are so many overwhelming positive ones, but, *cough cough, ahem* we're used to that 'round here. What's really impressing me is the pattern I'm starting to notice, which is the comparisons to both "classic space opera" and to television SF. Look through this by-no-means-complete list of quotes and see how many folks are either comparing her to the great authors of the past or to the best of SF TV. Obviously, it's striking a chord with readers. But you know Hollywood--they want that which has been seen to work before, films like other successful films. Well, after reading the list below, maybe they ought to be looking at Diving as a potential series or a film...

"Diving into the Wreck is a rip-roaring good read... I sense a sequel turned SyFy series in the future for Boss and her crew…are you listening out there in SyFy land, producers bored with the same old fare?" Astroguyz

“I have not enjoyed a science fiction book this much in many years.  This book reads like great Asimov, Heinlein, Herbert, Pohl, or any of the great masters of science fiction....  A 10 out of 10. This book will be around for a long time.”Catches at the Beach

"...exactly what the SF genre needs to get more readers...and to keep the readers the genre already has. Buy and read this novel.... If it doesn't get nominated for the Hugo, we will be disappointed in WorldCon attendees everywhere." Elitist Book Reviews

" Like the protagonist, the novel is no-nonsense, eventful, occasionally mysterious narrative that contains all the best dialogue of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, the adventure of an Indiana Jones movie, and the philosophical and scientific chops of Isaac Asimov himself...highly recommended reading for anyone who enjoys space adventure stories, superb characterization, and tight plotting. Rusch is one of the premier writers in the genre today, and her facility with writing is something all others should aspire to." Grasping for the Wind


"This is space adventure done right and I can’t wait for more." King of the Nerds

" ...very reminiscent of Pohl's Gateway or possible placed in something close to the Babylon 5 universe... 

Perfect paced and immensely readable Diving Into the Wreck will satisfy even the most jaded of Sci-Fi reader." Mad Hatter's Bookshelf and Book Reviews

"... reading Diving into the Wreck was like watching a science fiction movie, so I can also recommend it to reluctant readers. I certainly found that reading it was more worth my time than watching most of this season's movies has been." Oooh...Books!

'Compellingly human and technically absorbing, the suspense builds to fevered intensity, culminating in an explosive yet plausible conclusion.” - RT Book Reviews 4.5 stars and a Top Pick.

" Full of adventure, danger, intrigue, and futuristic tech, this is what scifi readers, like me, crave. Science fiction fans should definitely check out this latest release by Rusch." SciFiChick

Hollywood producers looking for highly optionable properties, that are clearly reminiscent of past successes (ie, this sort of thing has worked before and you can understand it, but new enough to be fresh), I'll make it easy on you. Just click one of these links below:

Bookgasm: 5 Best Sci-Fi Books of 2009

Ryun Patterson of Bookgasm has posted his 5 Best Sci-Fi Books of 2009, and, as in past years, we're very pleased with the number of Pyr books in (and in this case around) the list. Paul McAuley's The Quiet Warcomes in at Number 5. Note also the honorable mention for Ian McDonald's Cyberabad Days, that all three "anticipated" 2010 titles are from Pyr (Geosynchron, Desolation Road,& Ghosts of Manhattan), and the "hypothetical 'Books of the Decade'" that would include Brasyland River of Gods. Nice!

Podcast: Lou Anders @ The Dragon Page Cover to Cover

I'm a guest on the Dragon Page Cover to Cover podcast today, episode #389A, talking with Mike & Mike about my two forthcoming anthologies, With Great Power and Swords & Dark Magic. We also talk about a lot of forthcoming Pyr titles, including the much-anticipated Shadows of the Apt series from Adrian Tchaikovsky (which begins with Empire in Black and Gold) as well as the bittersweetness of concluding two series with Kay Kenyon's Prince of Storms and Mike Resnick's Starship: Flagship.  I'm a long time listener, but this is my first time on this particular podcast. 'Twas fun.

Non-Stop Action and the Return of S&S

The Silver Skullby Mark Chadbourn has made Stevereads 2009 Honor Roll:

"An old-fashioned sword-and-sorcery novel, complete with two staples of that long-lost and much-lamented sub-genre: non-stop action and a hero whose very perfection ought to make him annoying, but doesn't. You'll be mighty entertained."

Meanwhile, author and reviewer Paul Witcover has included it in his Best of the Year list as well. 

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist: 2009 Year-End Awards

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist has posted their 2009 Year-End Awards. Ian McDonald's Cyberabad Dayscomes in at #8 in their TOP 10 SPECULATIVE FICTION TITLES OF 2009, while the UK edition of Jasper Kent's Twelve comes in at #6 and gets "BEST DEBUT" (we're publishing in 2010. Please wait for it.) Kay Kenyon's City Without End, just misses the Top Ten at #13. Meanwhile, I'm honored to have gotten the MVP AWARD. Pat writes:

The heart and soul behind the Pyr imprint, this man is pretty damn close to being a genius. Though he's the head of a smaller publishing house and hence cannot compete financially with the genre powerhouses, Lou Anders always managed to put out a wide array of quality speculative fiction titles every year. He's like the general manager of a small-market team who always finds a way to get the players he needs for the team to make the playoffs. And with what he and the Pyr crew has in store for 2009 as they celebrate the imprint's 5th anniversary, this could be Pyr's biggest year yet! Long live!=)

Probably not a genius. But smart enough not to argue with this.