Some of the Best Blog Posts of 2011

Not a Juice Box Award, but nevertheless these are some of the most interesting posts I read this year.  I wish I'd kept a better record of everything I enjoyed this year.  This will have to suffice.  You could do a lot worse than spending this weekend reading each of these and/or savoring them over the holiday season.  Now, start reading!

My favorite post of the year, bar none:

• Neth Space: Review: The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

I think Erikson's series is the most significant work in mainstream fantasy since Tolkein. Ken over at Neth Space does a tremendous job of encapsulating why that is. Synopisis: Malazan is post-modern and that's awesome.

Larry's well put together take on William Morrow letter fiasco:

• The OF Blog: I Ain't Gonna Work on Maggie's Farm No More: William Morrow and Blogger Reviewers

I largely agree with him. While publishers have the right to tell us all to go to hell to suggest there is a quid pro quo, or that we work for them, endangers the very model by which we blog.

Aidan gets silly, but oh so funny and true:

• An Aside | Tar Valon Looks Like a Vagina. Coincidence? — A Dribble of Ink

There's a very real discussion of gender in WOT and perhaps this map speaks to that. Even in humor, Aidan may have touched on something significant.

Ari Marmell talks word choice in fantasy:

• Pyr-o-mania: Lost in translation

This is a particularly interesting discussion. I commented on it in my review of Bradley P. Beaulieu's Winds of Khalakovo. When an author chooses to use languages that are not English, how does that change Marmell's point?

Discussions of SFF, why we read it, and what it does:

• I Ask You | Are Fantasy readers ‘Dumber’ than Science Fiction readers? — A Dribble of Ink

The meat of this post is in the comments.

• SF Signal: Championing the Difficult and the Poetic in Fantastika

One of the commenters gives a longer form response.

• Why Escape? « Tor/Forge's Blog

Author Col Buchanan (Farlander) talks about escapism and what it means to him. Nice Tolkein quote to finish it off.

• Guest Post | ‘Fantasy: Why I left and why I came back’ by Justin Landon — A Dribble of Ink

Ya, I wrote this one. Sue me. I think it's a good post.

Two honest pieces, from honest authors:

• The Big Idea: T.C. McCarthy – Whatever

This is just an incredibly personal post from an author I've got a lot of respect for. His debut novel Germline is one of the most impactful things I've read. The post he did for Scalzi talks about some of the emotional motivations for his novel. Hard to read in spots.

• Rob Ziegler on War | The Night Bazaar

Another debut novelist, Ziegler talks about living through the Cold War and what it meant for his psyche.

Weeks takes on Gaiman:

• Brent Weeks Opinion Column: Revisiting “George RR Martin is not your bitch” | SciFiNow

Short and to the point, but it speaks to the larger issue of a contract between author and reader. I think Weeks is right on, except writing is more than just an end product. Something to be said for an artist being given the time to produce what needs producing.

One of the best reviews I read this year (and I haven't even read the book):

• New Releases: Black Halo by Sam Sykes - pornokitsch

First off, Jared's site is one of the best around. He covers a wide range of topics including film, books, and random crap. He doesn't write a boatload of mainstream fantasy reviews, but when he does they're usually right on. He totally nailed this one and does Sykes a great service.

K.J. Parker can have my babies, even if he's a man:

• Subterranean Press » Essay: Cutting Edge Technology: The Life and Sad Times of the Western Sword by K. J. Parker

It's Parker, how could it not be awesome? Just read this. It'll whet your appetite for next year's Sharps like a mofo.