Best of the year: Scifi/Fantasy

The year of our war by Steph Swainston

Genre fiction's debut of the year. After centuries of war with giant insects, the immortal warriors who defend humanity begin to suffer from internal politics. Impossibly weird story, wonderful characters. Not to be missed.

* Gollancz, $35


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Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Joanna Clarke

A Dickensian historical fantasy in the style of Jane Austen. Yes, really. This tale of rival magicians during the Napoleonic wars is strange, funny, dark, rich in its invention, rich in its language, and all in all the most enjoyable fantasy novel of recent years.

* Bloomsbury, $39.99


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Forty signs of rain by Kim Stanley Robinson (

The greenhouse effect is out of control, whole countries are drowning, and the American President refuses to concede there's a problem. This light comic novel manages to make political infighting at once hilarious and fascinating. A sweet-natured romp of a book, but it'll change how you see the world.

* HarperCollins, $31.99


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Conqueror's Moon by Julian May

Medieval setting, warring armies, magical espionage, cut-throat politics ... just another swords and sorcery potboiler, right? Wrong — this one's from the top drawer: perfectly turned plotting, writing, and characters. May's best book for nearly 20 years, and as enjoyable a fantasy adventure as you'll ever read.

* Voyager, $31.99


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Iron Council by China Mieville

Hard to say much about this dazzlingly intelligent book without saying more than I should: the story's a complex jigsaw, with very little becoming clear in the early stages. A fantasy Western, a science fiction novel of revolutionary war, a subversive reinvention of fantasy's favourite cliche, the quest — all of the above, and more.

* MacMillan, $34.95