BookLife's Best Books of 2015
Artificial Absolutes
Mary Fan. Red Adept, $5.99 e-book (376p) ISBN 978-1-940215-03-7
In this thrilling science fiction-adventure series launch, Fan (Tell Me My Name) introduces a society where interstellar travel is an everyday reality, computers infiltrate every aspect of human life, and the forbidden technology of artificial intelligence may be closer than most people suspect. Fast-paced action is balanced by thoughtful meditations on what it means to be human. Readers will zip through this exciting story and immediately hunt down the sequels. Read the full review
Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream
Edited by Joshua O’Neill. Locust Moon, $150 hardcover (144p) ISBN 978-0-9899076-9-9
Big enough for a small child to fall into, this gorgeous, impressively oversized (16” x 21”) gift book collects over 100 full-page color comic strips paying homage to Winsor McCay’s classic comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland. O’Neill—who funded the collection on Kickstarter—has gathered contributions from some of the biggest names in contemporary art comics, among them J.G. Jones, Roger Langridge, Paul Pope, P. Craig Russell, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jill Thompson, Charles Vess, and Fabio Moon and Gabriel Bá. More than just a book, this is a treasure—the stuff that dreams are made of. Read the full review.
The Way into Chaos
Harry Connolly. Radar Avenue, $15.99 trade paper (364p) ISBN 978-0-9898284-2-0
Connolly (the Twenty Palaces urban fantasy series) makes his first foray into crowdfunded self-publishing with this immersive, thrilling, and elf-free epic fantasy trilogy launch. The high body count is unsurprising for the genre; less typical, and very welcome, are the egalitarian treatment of gender and the lack of sexual violence. This twisty, subversive novel will win Connolly a whole new set of fans. Read the full review.
Bad Dyke: Salacious Stories from a Queer Life
Allison Moon. Lunatic Ink, $9.99 trade paper (132p) ISBN 978-0-9838309-7-9
Moon’s (Girl Sex 101) voice is clear, frank, and refreshingly without shame as she recounts her winding and often-confusing path toward discovering her sexual identity. This series of vignettes illuminates the life and path of one “dyke,” and at the same time it offers a positive example for others who are still trying to find their own voices and their own way. Read the full review.
Points of Inspiration: An Artist’s Journey with Painting and Photography
LeeAnn Brook. Brook Design Group, $39.95 hardcover (96p) ISBN 978-0-692-25772-2
This magnificent debut from Brook, a photographer, painter, and graphic artist, showcases 150 full-color photographs and paintings by the artist, accompanied by her thoughtful reflections on the inspiration she derives from observing nature. The paintings are vivid and scenic: a silver-gray reflection of tree lines and curves is reimagined in glorious colors, contours from a tile in Italy’s Sistine Chapel take on movement in a windy garden, and a rock pattern reflection becomes an abstract form. Brook’s artistry inspires throughout. Read the full review.
