The Cat’s Meow: 2021

“Right now, she wanted nothing more than to shut the rest of the world out and have nothing to worry about except the next page of whatever she was reading.”

 Genevieve Cogman, The Invisible Library

There’s still (always) a lot of crummy stuff going on in the world, but for now I want to talk about the art that made the year more bearable. A lot of these books did not come out this year. I just happened to read them this year. I’m fortunate to know a lot of talented writers. In no particular order, here are some of their books I read and enjoyed:

• urban fantasy The Devil Inside by Susan K Hamilton,
• portal fantasy Fae Child by Jane-Holly Meissner,
• dark fantasy Lodestone by Katherine Forrester,
• military fantasy Faoii Betrayer by Tahani Nelson,
• space adventures Lucky and Striking it Rich by R.H. Webster,
• and science fiction drama How to Remember by Cari Dubiel,

Queued up for next year are Faoii Ascended by Tahani Nelson and The Ever War by Kaytalin Platt, the sequel to her dark fantasy The Living God. I have a lot of other authors I know whose work I plan to check out next year as well. Links can be found on my Friends & Family page.

This year, I also discovered some authors I don’t know, but who showed up on a lot of recommended lists, and rightfully so:

• Mexican Gothic and Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The first deftly explores complex themes of colonialism, racism, and sexism through spot on gothic storytelling with a twist. The latter is a wholly unique fantasy infused with rich cultural and mythological references. Her leading ladies have very different backgrounds but demonstrate strength through intelligence, courage, and love in the face of overwhelming odds.
• The Invisible Library, the first in a series by Genevieve Cogman I plan on devouring next year. It’s a Victorian era sci-fi fantasy, and so much fun.
• Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho is another Victorian era fantasy set in an alternate London with diverse characters, but I think even Jane Austen would ask her to take the Victorian phrasing down a notch. It sometimes distracted from an otherwise fun and unpredictable story.
• Nearing the end of my initial read of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld

Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor comes out on my birthday next month. Still need to read Noor and Remote Control.

I’m shamefully behind on film, except Marvel and Ghostbusters. Out of those, my favorite was Black Widow, and not just because Florence Pugh was such a great foil for Scarlet Johanson. I understand why comic book fans were disappointed with the villain, but for me, it was all about this manufactured family coming through for each other in a way someone’s real family failed them. Nightmare Alley and Last Night in So-Ho are on my list, but I’m open to any other suggestions. Favorites in recent years include Knives Out and Bad Times at the El Royale. My tastes lean toward the quirky and fantastic.

Speaking of quirky and fantastic, Only Murders in the Building was my favorite show this year. The chemistry between Steve Martin and Martin Short was a given, but Selena Gomez more than held her own. I also enjoyed the Marvel shows. You can dismiss them as comic book shows, but I think they’re raising the bar on things like representation. As the most grounded, Hawkeye in particular demonstrated how representation enriches storytelling and world building. It’s not about political correctness, but depth and believability (not to be confused with realism). Even and especially in fantasy, those human elements like Hawkeye’s hearing loss help viewers maintain a connection. Like Terry Pratchett once advised, “Fantasy doesn’t have to be fantastic…you have to keep your feet on the ground as much as your head in the clouds. The cute dragon that sits on your shoulder also craps down your back, but this makes it more interesting because it gives it an added dimension.”

My favorite artist MARINA released a bold and daring new album this year. My favorite track is “Venus Fly Trap”. We should all be mother forking crazy after the past few years. I’m seeing her in concert next year *knocking profusely on wood* (particle board from Ikea counts, right?)

I was about to add The Good Place to TV, but it ended in 2020, not 2021.

What even is time?!