Every year at Comic-Con, io9 hosts a panel where we invite writers in all genres to tell us about stories that came out in the last year which are both entertaining and thoughtful. Maybe these stories are so brilliant that they could even change your life. Here are this year’s recommendations.
Annalee Newitz, io9 editor:
Odds Against Tomorrow, by Nathaniel Rich (also it’s io9’s book club pick this month)
Charlie Jane Anders, io9 editor (and Hugo winner!):
Best of All Possible Worlds, by Karen Lord
10th of December, by George Saunders
Meredith Woerner, io9 editor:
Citadel
Lauren Davis, io9 editor:
Orphan Black TV series
Javier Grillo-Marxuach, creator of The Middleman:
The Unwinding, by George Packer
Upstream Color
Robot and Frank
Austin Grossman, author of Soon I Will Be Invincible, YOU, and a videogame designer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RAC0uwuIr8
Kentucky Route Zero
Journey
The Hydrogen Sonata (and all Iain M. Banks books)
https://kotaku.com/why-journey-should-be-game-of-the-year-5972879
Marc Bernardin, writer on Alphas, reporter for Hollywood Reporter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PifvRiHVSCY
The Legend of Korra series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ftLm52V1y0
Phil Plait, Bad Astronomy blog, author of Death from the Skies!:
Europa Report
Scatter, Adapt and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction, by Annalee Newitz (teacher’s pet choice!)
Jose Molina, writer on ALL the shows, including Buffy, Castle, Vampire Diaries, and forthcoming Sleepy Hollow:
11/22/63, by Stephen King
Audience members recommended:
Bioshock Infinite
Welcome to Night Vale podcast
And here’s what we’re excited about in the coming year:
The new William Gibson novel, which will take place in the far future. The movies Elysium, Gravity, The Zero Theorem, and horror anthology The Sleep of Reason.
