Admit it! I got you! You thought I’d been given a knighthood like that Terry Pratchett. Well, no. I waited by the phone all night, getting more and more annoyed, and her Majesty never rang. Just like last year. But only slightly less prestigious than the approval of the monarch and the opportunity to insist that everyone call me “Sir Joseph”, is the approval of various people what blog on the interweb, and inclusion on their end-of-year best of lists. Now, you may be forgiven for thinking this post looks like just a load of self-aggrandising, self back-slapping, self-congratulation. And you’d be right. I mean, is this your first time here? So without further ado…
Amras at A Slight Apocalypse made the obviously wrong-headed assertion that, “Joe Abercrombie started off just okay-ish”, but said the mere memory of Last Argument of Kings sent chills down his back. They must have been good chills, cause he ranked it number 3 of the year.
Paul at Blood of the Muse had Last Argument of Kings down as his favourite Fantasy of 2008, and his 2nd favourite genre book. “Incredible battle scenes and classic characters will brook no argument … the king of fantasy in 2008.” And he called Inquisitor Glokta, “one of the greatest fantasy characters of all time.” So there.
Benjamin at the Deckled Edge had LAoK down for best fantasy of the year, and second best novel, calling it, “one of the strongest series finishes you’ll ever read.” Oh yeah.
Aidan at Dribble of Ink had LAoK down for his favourite novel published in 2008, saying it was, “littered with memorable characters, one of the best scenes of single combat I’ve ever read, and enough surprises to please anyone.”
Graeme called Last Argument “a superb ending to a superb trilogy”, and rated it his best book of the year. Oh yeah again.
Lastly, but by no means leastly, The Hotties at Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist. I must admit I was somewhat disappointed to see that I’d only won “Most Accessible Author,” which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but feels a tad like being voted, “Most Likely to Put Out,” in a school yearbook. Imagine my delight when I scrolled down to see that he’d made me his SFF Author of the year. Partly on account of my writing talents, but mostly because of my banister-repelling thick head. Hey, I’ll take em any way I can get em.
Okay, okay, I know, you’re feeling sick. But you’ve got to give me something, I mean to say. Not even an OBE to dry my tears on?
7 comments so far
You know the pointy star things that come with an OBE’ll have your eye out. And i’m sure purple isn’t your colour. Next year, maybe?
Biggest slut award from Pat, who wouldn’t be proud of that??
Maybe you should start your own honours list with “The Order of the Bannister” and as you get bludgeoned by more fixtures and fittings you could add them to the list.
Happy new year and birthday, looking forward to Best Served Cold. It looked good in SFX amongst the most anticipated reads of 2009.
Hey! Your’re number four on my list as well!
Look!
Thanks for posting those bloglinks Joe. People who liked your books should have some good recommendations for me as well.
“Most Likely To Put Out?” – Jeez what sort of school did you go to??
Oh and Happy New Year, I’ll certainly see you on the 22nd if not before!
Jon
I just started on the books and have gotten up to Logen and Jezal meeting. Things are failing and the center doesn’t even make a pretext of holding. You’s a gloomy fellow. 🙂
Unless I’m a most fortunate fellow I have the bad feeling I’m going to be studying the books in literature class in my next three or four lives.
And speaking of suicidally depressing angst, just as I typed the above iTunes started playing Candle in the Wind.
Okay so I know this is way past due but I finally added my review of The Blade Itself to my blog as well as to Brent Weeks.ning.com—I hope to get the next two up in a month or so. Both you and Weeks have totally changed the genre for me. Thanks again.
my blog is firespy.wordpress.com