Book Highlights 2019

I read 49 books in 2019 - just one shy of the 50 I'd aimed to read - more than I'd got through in the previous few years combined. Read on for ten recommendations of books and series that were among the best and most interesting I read in the last 12 months.

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I, Robot (1950)
By Isaac Asimov

While it's important to bear in mind Isaac Asimov's appalling treatment of women, his influence on sci-fi is incalculable. Of the three Asimov books I read in 2019, I, Robot was easily the one I enjoyed most. Nominally a "fix-up novel", it's really a short story collection. While in some ways comically dated ("jumping Jupiter!"), the stories are a very interesting exploration of the ethical dilemmas of robotics.

Casino Royale  (1953)
By Ian Fleming

In its own way one of the most important and influential novels of the 20th century, the first 007 novel is still a great read decades later. James Bond was a fantastic character from day one, and reading the novel gives a deeper insight into the incredible 2006 film. Almost everything here happens in Martin Campbell's movie, and the modernisations and additions are even better having read the book.

The History of the Runestaff  (1967 - 1969)
By Michael Moorcock

Science-fantasy pulp, the Runestaff series consists of four novels but is a brisk read - not surprising, as Moorcock supposedly wrote each of them in three days. In the books, the rugged hero Dorian Hawkmoon seeks to acquire a number of magical items to turn the tables on the evil empire of Granbretan - a thinly disguised Britain, which looks to bring all of Europe under its cruel reign. Completely unsophisticated, but great fun.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
By Arthur C. Clarke

My first experience of Clarke's novels certainly won't be my last. Written in concert with the film's script, 2001 is a hugely readable and intriguing book. Clarke has a clear, precise way of discussing complex ideas and big events, and while his characters are very flat the story is consistently engaging. Certain elements of the work come across more strongly in the novel version, especially the opening focusing on the pre-human hominids encountering the monolith.

The Earthsea series  (1968 - 2001)
By Ursula K. LeGuin

Sci-fi and fantasy icon Ursula K. LeGuin passed away in January 2018, and I resolved to finally getting around to reading some of her work. In 2019 I read all five novels of her Earthsea series, which I would recommend even to others who (like me) aren't particularly fond of fantasy. Set in the archipelago of the title, the books feature magic, dragons and a boy wizard, but are very subtle and deeply influenced by LeGuin's interests in philosophy.

The Forever War  (1974)
By Joe Haldeman

Joe Haldeman fought in the Vietnam War, and his experiences in conflict strongly influenced this fascinating future-war novel. The main character, William Mandella, is a reluctant war hero who endures appalling hardship in battle with a truly alien enemy in deep space. Worse, due to the time dilation effects of space travel, decades have passed each time he returns to Earth. The huge changes to human society over time are as much a focus of the novel as the shattering effects of fighting lightyears from home.

Burning Chrome  (1986)
By William Gibson

I've so far read the first two books in Gibson's massively influential Neuromancer trilogy, but I prefer his short story collection, if only because it's so much easier to digest. Only a few of the stories tie into the trilogy, but all of them are in a comparable style. The descriptions of computer technology are naturally dated - Gibson famously did not predict the mobile phone - but his observations about the way computerisation affects us are still fascinating.

The Nice Guys  (2016)
By Charles Ardai

In October, I read Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep (1939) and it was the most disappointing novel I read all year. Charles Ardai's novelisation of Shane Black's brilliant film The Nice Guys was an ideal antidote I read immediately afterwards. Given Black's love of pulp crime novels, it made perfect sense for publisher Hard Case Crime to be given the task of turning the film into one. Ardai does a wonderful job of fleshing out the very funny script with extra detail and incident.

Narconomics (2016)
By Tom Wainwright

I'm not generally in the habit of reading books by writers for The Economist, but I'm happy to have made an exception in this case. Narconomics is a thoroughly researched and thoughtful book about the international drug trade, which is very readable. The insights from a legal perspective about why cartels tend to be violent - because they have no legitimate means of contract enforcement - is a highlight.

Jade City (2017)
By Fonda Lee

Jade City is the longest novel I read in 2019, and at almost 500 pages I think it's actually much too long for the story it tells. However, Fonda Lee's debut novel for adults has a very intriguing setting in a city that resembles mid-20th century Hong Kong. The fantastical element is that jade has magical properties, giving the triad-like gangs of the city a boost of power in their martial arts battles over honour and turf.

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For some further reading, check out the short reviews I wrote of other books I read in 2019:

• Slow Bullets by Alistair Reynolds
  
• Galactic Patrol by E.E. "Doc" Smith
  
• Raft by Stephen Baxter
• Foundation by Isaac Asimov

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