Oh, and since I urged a few in another thread to read more standalones, here's a list of them
Larry Send a noteboard - 06/12/2009 06:53:21 AM
Since there are quite a few people who are already beginning thinking of "books of the decade" (despite this first decade of the 21st century CE not ending until midnight on December 31, 2010), I thought I would create something a bit different and (hopefully) true to the spirit of this blog. Below are 50 books published in English or English translation from 2000-2009 that can be read and taken as a whole without the need to read a book prior to or following that book. There are a few books listed that share perhaps a common "universe," but each book could be read independently of the others and not depend upon those others for a complete story.
Not all of the books are novels. Nor are all of them speculative fiction, per se. There are likely some that I've read and enjoyed a lot that I left off, either because of my limiting this to standalones, or because I just plain didn't have them shelved when I checked through my dozen bookcases just now. Of course, the real point of such things is to generate thought, discussion, and hopefully curiosity about the rationale(s) employed by the list generator (me) and about the books listed.
Oh, and before I forget: this is not in a ranked order, but rather from a scribbled down notes as I did a purview of my shelves.
1. Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell
2. Jeffrey Ford, The Shadow Year
3. M. John Harrison, Light
4. Jeff VanderMeer, Shriek: An Afterword
5. Jeff VanderMeer, Finch
6. Brian Evenson, Last Days
7. Cherie Priest, Boneshaker
8. Margo Lanagan, Tender Morsels
9. Kelly Link, Magic for Beginners
10. Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Wizard of the Crow
11. Umberto Eco, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana
12. Roberto Bolaño, 2666
13. Jonathan Littell, The Kindly Ones
14. David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp
15. Dan Simmons, The Terror
16. Elizabeth Moon, The Speed of Dark
17. China Miéville, The Scar
18. Chris Adrian, The Children's Hospital
19. Terrence Holt, In the Valley of the Kings
20. Elizabeth Hand, Generation Loss
21. Caitlín Kiernan, The Red Tree
22. Thomas Ligotti, My Work is Not Yet Done
23. Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves
24. Ignacio Padilla, Shadow Without a Name (Amphitryon in Spanish)
25. Geoff Ryman, Air
26. Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day
27. Salvador Plascencia, People of Paper
28. Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
29. M. (Mary) Rickert, Map of Dreams
30. Bret Easton Ellis, Lunar Park
31. Ian McDonald, Brasyl
32. Zoran Živkovi?, The Last Book
33. Milorad Pavi?, Second Body
34. Roberto Bolaño, The Savage Detectives
35. Jorge Volpi, Season of Ash (No será la tierra in Spanish)
36. David Toscana, The Last Reader (El último lector in Spanish)
37. Xavier Velasco, Diablo Guardián
38. José Saramago, Death with Interruptions
39. Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin
40. Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind (La sombra del viento in Spanish)
41. Paul Auster, Invisible
42. Michael Ajvaz, The Other City
43. J.M. McDermott, Last Dragon
44. Dave Eggers, What is the What
45. Thomas Glavinic, Night Work
46. Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
47. Elias Khoury, Yalo
48. Cormac McCarthy, The Road
49. Nalo Hopkinson, The New Moon's Daughter
50. Jesse Bullington, The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart
Not all of the books are novels. Nor are all of them speculative fiction, per se. There are likely some that I've read and enjoyed a lot that I left off, either because of my limiting this to standalones, or because I just plain didn't have them shelved when I checked through my dozen bookcases just now. Of course, the real point of such things is to generate thought, discussion, and hopefully curiosity about the rationale(s) employed by the list generator (me) and about the books listed.
Oh, and before I forget: this is not in a ranked order, but rather from a scribbled down notes as I did a purview of my shelves.
1. Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell
2. Jeffrey Ford, The Shadow Year
3. M. John Harrison, Light
4. Jeff VanderMeer, Shriek: An Afterword
5. Jeff VanderMeer, Finch
6. Brian Evenson, Last Days
7. Cherie Priest, Boneshaker
8. Margo Lanagan, Tender Morsels
9. Kelly Link, Magic for Beginners
10. Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Wizard of the Crow
11. Umberto Eco, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana
12. Roberto Bolaño, 2666
13. Jonathan Littell, The Kindly Ones
14. David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp
15. Dan Simmons, The Terror
16. Elizabeth Moon, The Speed of Dark
17. China Miéville, The Scar
18. Chris Adrian, The Children's Hospital
19. Terrence Holt, In the Valley of the Kings
20. Elizabeth Hand, Generation Loss
21. Caitlín Kiernan, The Red Tree
22. Thomas Ligotti, My Work is Not Yet Done
23. Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves
24. Ignacio Padilla, Shadow Without a Name (Amphitryon in Spanish)
25. Geoff Ryman, Air
26. Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day
27. Salvador Plascencia, People of Paper
28. Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
29. M. (Mary) Rickert, Map of Dreams
30. Bret Easton Ellis, Lunar Park
31. Ian McDonald, Brasyl
32. Zoran Živkovi?, The Last Book
33. Milorad Pavi?, Second Body
34. Roberto Bolaño, The Savage Detectives
35. Jorge Volpi, Season of Ash (No será la tierra in Spanish)
36. David Toscana, The Last Reader (El último lector in Spanish)
37. Xavier Velasco, Diablo Guardián
38. José Saramago, Death with Interruptions
39. Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin
40. Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind (La sombra del viento in Spanish)
41. Paul Auster, Invisible
42. Michael Ajvaz, The Other City
43. J.M. McDermott, Last Dragon
44. Dave Eggers, What is the What
45. Thomas Glavinic, Night Work
46. Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
47. Elias Khoury, Yalo
48. Cormac McCarthy, The Road
49. Nalo Hopkinson, The New Moon's Daughter
50. Jesse Bullington, The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie
Je suis méchant.
Je suis méchant.
Oh, and since I urged a few in another thread to read more standalones, here's a list of them
- 06/12/2009 06:53:21 AM
918 Views
You didn't mention Perdido Street Station. I'm shocked! 
*NM*
- 06/12/2009 07:21:05 AM
185 Views
*NM*
- 06/12/2009 07:21:05 AM
185 Views
I thought The Scar was a better story
- 06/12/2009 07:40:38 AM
466 Views
I find that surprising.
- 06/12/2009 08:58:41 AM
466 Views
I am disappointed
- 06/12/2009 01:34:15 PM
462 Views
Because it wasn't as enjoyable as the 50 I did list?
- 06/12/2009 09:11:05 PM
450 Views
I wouldn't hesitate to rate it above The Scar for example.
- 06/12/2009 09:13:23 PM
390 Views
Wow! Thanks. Part of my biggest problem in trying out new fiction is that...
- 06/12/2009 08:46:29 PM
418 Views
All of four, though a few of those are wish-list/ haven't read. *NM*
- 07/12/2009 08:07:28 PM
180 Views
Thank you Larry, I have saved this thread as my first, "My Favourite Threads"
- 12/12/2009 01:43:52 AM
559 Views