No. 2

Fallen Host by Lyda Morehouse
(Roc)
A powerful, dazzling follow-up to the award-winning Archangel Protocol by an author as noted for her fearless attack on the traditional as the senses. A sophomore effort that manages to eclipse Lyda Morehouse's debut, which is no mean feat. And, of course, bound to offend someone, somewhere.

No. 3

The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
(Roc)
The first in what deserves to be a wildly popular series, this story of cops in outer space has heart, compassion, and a breathless pace. Quite possibly Kristine Kathryn Rusch's most infectious work in a long and distinguished career. One of those books that hooks you immediately and refuses to let go.

No. 4

Maps: The Uncollected John Sladek edited by David Langford
(Big Engine)
Satirist John Sladek was a genuine treasure that so many seem to have missed, but David Langford rights that wrong with the definitive collection of Sladek's hysterical, cynnical take on life. Poems, plays, essays, and short stories that every reader should get to know and appreciate.

No. 5

Shadows and Light by Anne Bishop
(Roc)
In this new series, Anne Bishop follows the travails of the Fey, under siege by witch hunters. The merging of Bishop's magical world and the somewhat more mundane one is a seamless flight of fantasy that will have fans waiting impatiently for the next volume. Beautiful and deadly imagery highlighting a taut storyline.

No. 7

Echoes of Earth by Sean Williams and Shane Dix
(Ace)
The duo who created the powerful Evergence series returns with an even more dazzling and, if possible, more alien journey into the far reaches of space. The technology in this future time transforms the "humans" into something alien and the actual aliens into something inscrutable and implacable. Majestic and eerie and the first in a new, welcome trilogy.

No. 8

Time Past by Maxine McArthur
(Warner Aspect)
Returning with a fast-paced and tense thriller to match her debut Time Future, McArthur nails the new sub-genre of space procedural again. The danger this time has Station Commander Halley zigzagging through time trying to prevent a disaster that reaches across the galaxy. Now, if she can only get back to her own time alive.

No. 9

The Skinner by Neal Asher
(Macmillan UK)
No one writes science fiction grittier than Neal Asher and this novel proves that beyond a doubt. An alien world where humans weren't meant to survive is the latest battleground in the tough world of the Polity where death is just a misstep away. Gruesome and gripping...in all the best ways.

No. 10

Fire Logic by Laurie Marks
(Tor)
Bold and passionate fantasy in a world where magic runs free is an irresistible lure for the power-hungry, and the tactics they employ can chill the blood. Marks' creation lives and breathes and suffers, and is one of the first books to realistically deal with the issues of sexuality. It's also liable to keep you reading far into the night.