Best Picks: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Novels of 2014
The Best Picks of Forthcoming Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Novels Of 2014
This list includes only Novels first published in the year 2014, including either/or (but not both) US and UK editions.
Duplicates, non-novels, chapbooks, ebook only (no print edition) or books not first published in 2014 will be removed. Authors advocating against marriage equality will not be included. I will not tolerate bigotry on my list.
See also:
Best Picks Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Novels of 2015
This list includes only Novels first published in the year 2014, including either/or (but not both) US and UK editions.
Duplicates, non-novels, chapbooks, ebook only (no print edition) or books not first published in 2014 will be removed. Authors advocating against marriage equality will not be included. I will not tolerate bigotry on my list.
See also:
Best Picks Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Novels of 2015
David
12821 books
467 friends
467 friends
Richard
97 books
147 friends
147 friends
Aidan
1154 books
23 friends
23 friends
Archaic
1358 books
2 friends
2 friends
Katharine (Ventureadlaxre)
2852 books
55 friends
55 friends
Bill
2503 books
186 friends
186 friends
Mark
992 books
4997 friends
4997 friends
Marc
1380 books
61 friends
61 friends
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Artemas
(new)
Jan 29, 2014 06:37AM
![Artemas](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1452871375p1/6751111.jpg)
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![Richard](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1389632385p1/6014887.jpg)
Yes, how can there be a Best of 2014 list when 2014 has barely started?
![Richard](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1389632385p1/6014887.jpg)
Thanks David!
![David](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1677051909p1/4647751.jpg)
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson: (Author advocates Jim Crow Laws against gay marriage)
Doors of Stone by Rothfuss: 2015 not to be printed in 2014. I wish!
The Bloody Ripper by TA Uner: chap book
Heartbitten: a New Adult Vampire Romance by Aubrey Rose : paranormal romance
The Beast by Lyndsay Mead: paranormal romance
DragonFly by Charles A. Cornell: ebook only
Of Darkness and Crowns (Goddess Wars #2) by Trisha Wolfe: paranormal romance
Paranormal Romance, chap books and ebooks only are not list criteria. Removed the Sanderson novel because of author homophobia.
![Artemas](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1452871375p1/6751111.jpg)
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson: (Author advocates Jim Crow Laws against gay marriage)
Doors of Stone by Rothfuss: 2015 not to be prin..."
Since I haven't read Words of Radiance, I'm REALLY curious how Sanderson combines Jim Crows laws and gay marriage. Care to elaborate?
![David](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1677051909p1/4647751.jpg)
Basically Sanderson says marriage is only between and man and a woman. Gay couples should be limited to civil unions, under state supported separate-but-equal laws.
See http://brandonsanderson.com/euology-d...
![David](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1677051909p1/4647751.jpg)
Ah, you are right. I'll fix that. Thanks :)
![Artemas](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1452871375p1/6751111.jpg)
I never understand why some authors feel the need to insert political (and sensitive) issues like that into their stories. All it's going to do is turn readers away.
![Susie](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1600088651p1/8269809.jpg)
That statement, in itself, reminds me too much of Stephanie Meyer... Ack.
![Sparrowlicious](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679476619p1/9140220.jpg)
Thank you! Do you also remove books with misogynic ideas?
It's hard to stay away from those unless someone points it out in their review.
![David](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1677051909p1/4647751.jpg)
Thank you! Do you also remove books with misogynic ideas?
It's hard to stay away from those unless someone points it out in their review."
Yes, I'd not have a novel with a misogynic theme on one of my lists. I support you.
![David](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1677051909p1/4647751.jpg)
This has to be one of the funniest comments I've read in a long time... Please tell me..."
Is is quite lost on me. You are clearly not well versed in the politics of hate.
![Paulo "paper books only"](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1721428922p1/3789445.jpg)
I think you should banned everyone who writes fiction and in real life is a mormon, or islamic or even christian for that matter. Their religions say that gay people shouldn't be married.
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/01/your...
Writers personal Opinions are not always put in books. Go check Brandon Sanderson reviews. Go check if he is prejudiced with gay people.
How do you feel about the lack of prominent gay characters within the epic fantasy as a genre and do you ever include (or will ever include) gay or lesbian characters in your own work?
That’s an issue that I feel I should speak about delicately, because it’s one of those charged issues that can create a lot of division. But my basic feeling is that a character should not be any more or less sympathetic, or more or less evil, or anything like that, because of sexual orientation or because of basic beliefs or philosophy on things like religion. So there are gay characters in my books, though so far they have been side characters. I don’t make a big deal of it, because I tend not to make a big deal of the sexuality of side characters in general. For instance, in The Way of Kings, Drehy, a member of Bridge Four, is gay. He’s based on a good friend of mine who is gay. There is a lesbian character in The Allow of Law; again I don’t make a big deal of it though it’s a little more obvious.
Basically, I just try to write characters and try to have different makeups of characters. I feel gay characters should be included, and I’m annoyed that sometimes there seems to be an association between including gay characters and using that as a means of making them seem like a reprehensible character. You may know what I’m talking about; I’ve seen it in books before and it bugs me. Just like it bugs me if an author makes a character religious and the tone of the book implies, “Well, obviously, religious people are all idiots, so I’m not going to make this character actively an idiot, I’m just going to represent them as being religious,” which by the tone of the book indicates that they’re an idiot. That’s not to say that there can’t be social structures like religions that will push people toward doing things that are questionable or morally reprehensible—there can, of course, and it will happen—but I’m talking about the individuals. I don’t know that I have strong feelings on the subject other than that I think people should be represented as people.
![Kevin](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
That statemen..."
The authors you are talking about are LDS and the church is very against marriage between same sex couples
![Daniel](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
![Andrew Obrigewitsch](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1512627613p1/16087568.jpg)
![Andrew Obrigewitsch](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1512627613p1/16087568.jpg)
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson: (Author advocates Jim Crow Laws against gay marriage)
Doors of Stone by Rothfuss: 2015 ..."
I have yet to read a Sanderson book where this is an obvious anti-anything stance. All his books have been light hearted and don't really get involved in political issues too much at all. Ridiculous to exclude him, in fact it's ridiculous exclude any fantasy/Sci Fi books. If people are offended then the book wont rank high on the list.
Personally I don't like much sexuality in my fantasy books, as I have never seen it done well by fantasy authors. And there is already a whole genre dedicated to it called romance, which does it much better as women are much better at writing about such things than males (unfortunately most Fantasy and Sci-Fi writers are males).
![Bcvs](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1386760479p1/25216126.jpg)
Not that it's bad, it will just take me a while to get to the 2014 ones...
![Kevin](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson: (Author advocates Jim Crow Laws against gay marriage)
Doors of Stone by..."
There are many great female fantasy/sci-fi writers out there... Margaret Atwood, Bujold, Hobb, Sherwood Smith, Suzanne Collins, Katherine Addison, Le Guin, McCaffrey... so many
![Andrew Obrigewitsch](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1512627613p1/16087568.jpg)
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson: (Author advocates Jim Crow Laws against gay marriage)
Do..."
I've only read Bujold, Hobb and Le Guin and I really like Hobb and Le Guin. I've read quite a few Bujold books, but all her stuff starts to feel like the same book being rewritten over and over again.
But my point is that I don't read fantasy for sexuality issues, and I don't think others read it for that either. It's an escapist genre and is supposed to be fun. Most truly good books that take up social issues become classics, and that is where to look for such. I do enjoy reading classics too, but I don't normally enjoy fantasy books that try to take themselves too seriously, unless they are really well written.
Pretty much every fantasy book I've read that tried to take up political or social issues I ended up not liking, because it just seemed completely out of place and lessened my enjoyment of the story. Or made the story ridiculous as it turned into a straw man to prove a point.
![Karen](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
You've pretty much fallen into the same category you attribute to Brandon Sanderson. He has the *right* to hold to his religious beliefs on whether or not he supports or condones gay marriage. He certainly does not club anyone with that argument in his books.
I wish people who soapbox about how others are intolerant would learn the difference between everyone's right to chart their own moral walk on this earth and those who promote censorship because they don't like the opinion someone else has. Sanderson has the right to say whatever he pleases about his own convictions. So do you. Why don't you put the time and effort into making yourself a best selling writer instead of deciding what people on this list should and should not read based on your own bigotry.
![Andrew Obrigewitsch](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1512627613p1/16087568.jpg)
![Anna](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1365873593p1/7742466.jpg)
Totally agree: love Scott Lynch but the book hasn't been released.
![*Layali*](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1417908808p1/9658623.jpg)
Also removed due to not being released in 2014:
The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch
Secret Forest: A Novel by Dean Koontz
Consumed by David Cronenberg
The Black Wolves by Kate Elliot
![André Caniato](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1493655245p1/9074347.jpg)
![Ahmed Mas](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
Was pretty excited to go through this list, until I saw this comment. I've read Brandon Sandersons books and haven't noticed any stance on sexuality. You blocking an author from your list because of their beliefs is ridiculous. This is supposed to be a "Best of" list not an "Authors I personally take no issues with" list.
![Predator8u](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1446954487p1/47584075.jpg)
So someone has a opinion different then yours, get over it.
Marriage is a historically male-female endeavor. Sorry if your offended by that. But I'm sure if Sanderson was to create a list of " best lists" he'd not withhold yours because you believe different then him. You've displayed the the capacity to understand and reasoning of a 1st grader.
Btw I'm a supporter of same sex marriage but I can react to someone with opposing views in other ways then name calling and banishment.
You're the extreme you rally against. Neither is helpful to the issue.
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