Read and Appreciated in 2002
A Year’s Best List
Observatory Mansions, by Edward Carey (2001)
Carey is a fresh new voice in fiction, and this is a very affecting novel about decay, love, and resurrection
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc.: J. Henry Waugh, Prop., by Robert Coover (1968)
This book brings a new definition of “fantasy baseball” to the table.
The Other Nineteenth Century, by Avram Davison (2001)
Grania Davis and Henry Wessells have produced a well-balanced collection of diverse Davidson stories, including the classic “El Vilvoy de las Islas.” You’ll find Holmesian pastiches, alternate histories, pure fantasies with a pseudohistorical flavor, and an overdose of wit and intelligence.
The Mount, by Carol Emshwiller (2002)
This is one of the best of the best of 2002. Emshwiller tells a story about freedom with a conceit that would not work in the hands of a lesser writer.
The Magician Out of Manchuria, by Charles G. Finney (1968)
The world has come under the sway of a new order, hungry politics that are at odds with the magician’s “dramatic glamourie and adroit chicanery,” and the people have become enslaved by the incomprehensible quasi-religion of progress. An excellent novella by an author who is usually considered a one-book writer.
The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque, by Jeffrey Ford (2002)
Ford demonstrates his versatility as a writer again in this subtle, evocative novel with a tantalizing plot—a painter is commissioned to paint the portrait of a subject he cannot see.
Codex Seraphinianus, by Luigi Serafini (1983)
A rare kind of book that can’t be read or spoken about. Truly unique.
The Future of The Past, by Alexander Stille (2002)
In one of the best non-fiction books of the year, Stille, a journalist, investigates the art of historical preservation and its relationship to destruction.
The Golem’s Mighty Swing, by James Sturm (2001)
This graphic novel by the talented Sturm tells the story of a barnstorming Jewish baseball team in the 1920s and their secret weapon. It’s not as wacky as it sounds, but Sturm is a first rate artist and storyteller.
The City of Saints and Madmen, by Jeff VanderMeer (2002)
The hardcover edition of City of Saints and Madmen is unmatched in terms of depth and versitility. Character-driven stories and innovative forms are interconnected in a book that is both a work of art and a universe in itself.
Mind the Doors, by Zinovy Zinik (2001)
Zinik, a resident of London by way of Russia and Israel, tackles the familiar theme of exile with humor and imagination. “No Cause for Alarm” may be the funniest thing I read all year.
Impossible Encounters, by Zoran Živković (2000)
Živković writes perfect stories with the craftsmanship and imagination of M. C. Escher.
Copyright © 2003 by Mike Simanoff.
