The Best books I read over the last decade exposes my continuing enjoyment of Scifi.  Now I actually read more non-fiction this decade than any previous period of my life, but although there were some good books in there (eg. The Battle: A New History of Waterloo, 1776, On Intelligence, etc.) they didn’t make the cut for the top ten books of the naughites (‘00s).

The Peace War by Vernor Vinge (Paperback - Dec 1, 2003)

So I have three books on the list written by Vernor Vinge.  I tried to be as objective as I could but his stories were very inventive and this one was perhaps the best of them.

What happens when a group of scientists discover a way to encase matter in bubbles of time stasis?  Why they take over the world of course.  How do you stop them?  Well you’ll have to read it to find out.

Marooned in Realtime by Vernor Vinge (Paperback - Sep 9, 2004)

Sequel to the Peace War.

What happens when your entire civilization travels through time by “jumping forward” in time bubbles?  What happens when you murder someone by trapping them outside the bubble when it makes its next “jump” forward?  Well you get a great mystery.

A Fire Upon The Deep (Zones of Thought) by Vernor Vinge (Mass Market Paperback - Feb 15, 1993)

The third book by Vinge on my list.  An older novel in a completely different universe.  Really just a space opera, but a unique plot and the coolest aliens I’ve read in a long time.

The Elric Saga: Part I (Elric of Melnibone, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, The Weird of the White Wolf) by Michael Moorcock (Hardcover - Sep 1983)

The Elric Saga Part II The Vanishing Tower; The Bane of the Black Sword; Stormbringer. by Michael Moorcock (Hardcover - Feb 1984)

I’ve read these before, but it had been a loooong time.  Written by Moorcock as an Anti-LOTR novel.  Elric is perhaps the most FLAWED protagonist in all of scifi/fantasy.

The Stars My Destination (S.F.Masterworks) by Alfred Bester (Paperback - Mar 11, 1999)

First of two books on my list by Alfred Bestor.  Unique plot and intriguing story.  In a close running for the best book I read with the Peace War.

Plot device, teleportation is discovered as possible by the power of thought.  Take that as given, how does it impact society, what happens to privacy.  And then how does our protagonist escape from a marooned space ship…

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester (Paperback - Jul 2, 1996)

Second book by Bester.  This one about a Murder in a society where telepathy is used in crime solving.  How do you get away with Murder when the cops can read your mind?  You’ll have to read it to find out.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons (Mass Market Paperback - Feb 1, 1990)

This and its sequel “The Fall of Hyperion” were great unique plots within a far reaching universe with an uncertain ending.  Almost all character driven.  The Fall of Hyperion was a bit trippy at the end.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (Paperback - Sep 8, 1997)

I just finished this book and it may be premature to include it in the list, but it so far is really sticking in my head.  Great Characters, interesting plot. What happens when we finally discover an intelligent species on another planet?  Well the first ship sent is by the Jesuits to go on a mission for god.  What happens is a tragedy of misunderstanding cultures.

Battles Of The Revolutionary War: 1775-1781 (Major Battles and Campaigns Series) by W.j. Wood (Paperback - Dec 23, 2003)

The only one of my non-fiction reads to make it on the list.  Very educational for me.  I picked it up after reading 1776 which was somewhat unsatisfying to me because I wanted to know how things went after 1776.  Really shows how for the most part the Rebels were getting their ass kicked almost all the way up to Yorktown.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (Paperback - Feb 17, 2009)

Interstellar war fought by a Platoon of soldiers.  Strict adherence to general relativity.  Each mission takes the platoon months to complete whereas hundreds of years pass by back on Earth.

* with apoligies to elvis who would of course put “The Song of Ice and Fire” on this list.  All I can say is I tried, but after many downers in the story each one compounding on the last, finally when Robb had to kill the Karstarks for treachery… I need some goodness in a story and “The Song of Ice and Fire” is all about woe and tragedy.