The SFF Year in Review: 2015

Prolific SFF writer Tanith Lee left our mortal plane, at age 67. Linda Nagata completed her Red trilogy, demonstrating that it is still possible to write good military science fiction, provided one writes an actual story rather than erotica about ordnance. Adam Rakunas published a wonderfully competent first sf novel, with only one unbelievable element: the survival of labor unions past the twenty-first century. Alternate history and Philip K. Dick fans were treated to a new Folio Books edition of Man in the High Castle and an Amazon Prime tv series on same. The Nazis certainly were unpleasant fellows! Chris-Rachael Oselund wowed the Geek-o-sphere with her Dune Sandworm spice bread recipe. Quoth Stilgar, "Mmm! Shai-Hulud!" The oxymoronically-named Final Fantasy VII made it to iOS, so one can now play the RPG classic on a phone. Mad Max: Fury Road angered “men's rights” advocates (that's a euphemism for “assholes”) by including some competent female characters. Avengers: Ultron evoked no strong emotions whatever. The long-awaited Sandman movie did not materialize. The Sad/Rabid Puppies' effort to sabotage the Hugo Awards resulted in No Award in several categories. Of the second season of True Detective, we shall not speak, except perhaps in curses. Jessica Jones was awesome, but dark, dark, dark. The scariest super-villains are the unexceptional ones. Those seeking lighter fare found much charm and wit in Otherspace, an updated (and very funny) American version of Red Dwarf. The Anthropocene still grinds on toward its messy, fatal terminus, but in his meticulously-researched guidebook to our worst-case-scenario future, Frank Landis predicted that humanity would survive. Our current civilization - well, not so much. And in her much-hoped-for return to blogging, Ana Mardoll showed that if we do intend to preserve some part of our current civilization, it shouldn't include C.S. Lewis, because he's a wanker.

Oh, and there was some sort of Star Wars or Star Trek movie, too. Star Something, anyway.