HILOBROW

THE BEST ADVENTURES OF 1984–2013
(WORK IN PROGRESS)

My list of THE 200 GREATEST ADVENTURES — the most heavily trafficked page on this website — ends abruptly in 1983. Why? If I have been reluctant to opinionate about adventures published in the Eighties (1984–1993, according to my eccentric but persuasive periodization schema), Nineties (1994–2003), and Twenty-Oughts (2004–2013), it’s because until recently I hadn’t read many adventures published during those years… and I didn’t enjoy many of the books I did read. However, as of early 2018 I’m on a mission to research and read the 10 best adventures from each year of the Eighties, Nineties, and Twenty-Oughts.

I hope that this page, a work in progress, is useful to adventure fans. I’m grateful to Deb Chachra, Annalee Newitz, John Harper Estey, Patrick Glenn, Charlie Jane Anders, Josie Johnson, Tom Nealon, Anindita Basu Sempere, and other friends and family members who’ve recommended post-1983 adventures to me. Keep the suggestions coming!

— JOSH GLENN

THE EIGHTIES (1984–1993)

1984

As of 2020, this preliminary list has been superseded by the Top 10 1984 Adventures list found on this page.

In no particular order:

William Gibson’s Sprawl science fiction adventure Neuromancer (1984)
Alan Moore’s Saga of the Swamp Thing (1984–1987). The first mainstream comic book series to completely abandon the Comics Code Authority.
Stan Sakai’s comic book, talking-animal, historical adventure series Usagi Yojimbo (兎用心棒, 1984 – on).
Robin McKinley’s YA fantasy adventure The Hero and the Crown (1984)
Octavia E. Butler’s Patternist science fiction adventure Clay’s Ark (1984).

I need to read (or re-read) these:

The Bone People (1984) is a Booker Prize-winning novel by Keri Hulme. — ?
Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand (1984) is a science fiction novel by Samuel R. Delany. — ?
Dr. Adder is a dark science fiction novel by K. W. Jeter –?
Lewis Shiner’s cyberpunk sci-fi adventure Frontera (1984). –?
Ross Thomas’s crime adventure Briarpatch (1984) — ?
Martin Amis’s picaresque/avenger adventure Money (1984). — I loved it, but is it an adventure?
Sarah Caudwell’s ___ adventure The Shortest Way to Hades (1984) –?
Len Deighton’s espionage adventure Mexico Set (1984) –?
Chuck Barris’s espionage adventure Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (1984) — worth mentioning as a curiosity, but it’s not a very good book.
Susan Moody’s crime adventure Penny Black (1984) — ?

1985

As of 2020, this preliminary list has been superseded by the Top 10 1985 Adventures list found on this page.

In no particular order:

Larry McMurtry’s western adventure Lonesome Dove (1985) — one of my son Sam’s favorites.
Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985). — is it an adventure?
K.W. Jeter’s cyberpunk sci-fi adventure The Glass Hammer (1985).

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Schismatrix (1985) is a science fiction adventure by Bruce Sterling.
Word of Honor (1985), by Nelson Demille –?
Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game (1985) — so over-hyped! And horrible, how kids commit violence against kids. But massively popular…
Philip Jose Farmer’s Dayworld (1985) — first in a trilogy.
John Shirley’s A Song Called Youth sci-fi adventure Eclipse (1985), an early cyberpunk novel. After the Third World War, a multinational police force has taken control, leaving only rock classicist Rick Rickenharp and the rebel group New Resistance to fight back.
Ruth Rendell’s Reg Wexford crime adventure An Unkindness of Ravens (1985). The book prompted Ms Magazine to call Rendell “the biggest anti-feminist there is” for treating militant feminism with her customary stiletto-like irony.
Greg Bear’s science fiction adventure Blood Music (in novel form, 1985)
Len Deighton’s espionage adventure London Match (1985) –?
The Postman (1985) is a post-apocalyptic dystopia science fiction adventure by David Brin — ?
Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams’s LONGSHOT — ?
Cormac McCarthy’s western adventure Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West (1985) — ?
Paul Auster’s crime adventure City of Glass (1985) — inaugurates a New York Trilogy of novels that The Washington Post Book World has classified as “post-existentialist private eye.” — ?

1986

As of 2020, this preliminary list has been superseded by the Top 10 1986 Adventures list found on this page.

In no particular order:

Diana Wynne Jones’s children’s fantasy adventure Howl’s Moving Castle (1986).
Frank Miller’s Batman graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns (1986)
Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin historical adventure The Reverse of the Medal (1986)
William Gibson’s Sprawl science fiction adventure Count Zero (1986)
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s graphic novel Watchmen (1986–1987).

I need to read (or re-read) these:

John le Carré’s espionage adventure A Perfect Spy (1986)
The Silent Invasion was a black and white comic book that was published by Renegade Press between 1986 and 1988. It was written by Larry Hancock and drawn by Michael Cherkas.
Mark Marek’s Hercules Amongst the North Americans (1986) but originally pub in National Lampoon — when?
Redwall is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques. Originally published in 1986, it is the first book of the Redwall series.
Ruth Rendell (writing as Barbara Vine)’s crime adventure A Dark-Adapted Eye (1986). — ?
When Gravity Fails is a cyberpunk science fiction adventure by George Alec Effinger, published in 1986
J.M. Coetzee’s 1986 ___ adventure Foe is a sardonic inversion of the Robinsonade.
P.D. James’s ___ adventure A Taste for Death (1986) — ?
Michael de Larrabeiti’s children’s fantasy adventure The Borribles: Across the Dark Metropolis (1986).
Daniel Clowes’s comic book Lloyd Llewellyn (1986–1987). — ?
Chelo’s Burden is the second album of the American comics series Love and Rockets by the Hernandez brothers and published in 1986. — ?

1987

As of 2020, this preliminary list has been superseded by the Top 10 1987 Adventures list found on this page.

In no particular order:

James Ellroy’s 1987 neo-noir crime adventure The Black Dahlia is the first book in Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet, a cycle of novels set in 1940s and 1950s Los Angeles, which is portrayed as a hotbed of political corruption and depravity.
Iain M. Banks’s Culture sci-fi adventure Consider Phlebas (1987). The Guardian: “After almost drowning the hero in sewage in it’s opening scene, the first published Culture novel goes on a rip roaring killing spree across the major sights of the Banksian universe.”
Octavia E. Butler’s Xenogenesis science fiction adventures, beginning with Dawn (1987) — one of her best novels, right up there with 1979’s Kindred. Later collected into Lilith’s Brood.

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Monica Furlong’s fantasy adventure Wise Child (1987)
White Chapel, Scarlet Tracings by Iain Sinclair –? recommended by Alan Moore
Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah (1987)
Len Deighton’s espionage adventure Winter (1987) –?
Ann Nocenti’s work on DAREDEVIL 1987–1991
The Runaways is a children’s novel by the Ruth Thomas –? winner of Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
Douglas Adams’s sardonic crime adventure Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (1987) — ?
Barbara Vine’s crime adventure A Fatal Inversion (1987) — ?
Ruth Thomas’s children’s hunted-man adventure The Runaways (1987) — ?
Caroline Graham’s ___ adventure The Killings at Badger’s Drift (1987) — ?
Simon Brett’s ___ adventure What Bloody Man Is That? (1987) — ?

1988

In 2020, this preliminary list will be superseded by a Top 10 1988 Adventures list. Watch this page for updates.

In no particular order:

Umberto Eco’s apophenic adventure Foucault’s Pendulum (1988)
Iain M. Banks’s Culture science-fiction adventure The Player of Games (1988); one of his best.
William Gibson’s Sprawl science fiction adventure Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988)
Octavia E. Butler’s Xenogenesis sci-fi adventure Adulthood Rites (1988), later collected into Lilith’s Brood.

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Gary Paulsen’s YA survival adventure Hatchet (1988) — seems worth mentioning
Mother London (London Novels #1) by Michael Moorcock — ? recommended by Alan Moore
Peter Carey’s Oscar and Lucinda (1988) — adventure? recommended by Charlie Jane Anders
The Preacher (1988, Preacher #1) crime adventure by Ted Thackrey Jr. — ?
Bruce Sterling’s science fiction adventure Islands in the Net (1988)
Len Deighton’s espionage adventure Spy Hook (1988) –?
C. J. Cherryh’s sci-fi adventure Cyteen (1988) — ? won the Hugo
J.G. Ballard’s crime adventure novella Running Wild (1988).
Paulo Coelho’s treasure-hunt adventure The Alchemist (1988).
Reginald Hill’s ___ adventure Under World (1988) –?
Maybe Thomas Harris’s Hannibal Lecter thriller, The Silence of the Lambs. — ?
Diana Wynne Jones’s The Lives of Christopher Chant (Chrestomanci, #2, 1988) — ?

1989

In 2020, this preliminary list will be superseded by a Top 10 1989 Adventures list. Watch this page for updates.

In no particular order:

Katherine Dunn’s ___ adventure Geek Love (1989).
From Hell is a graphic novel by Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell, originally published in serial form from 1989 to 1996 and collected in 1999, speculating upon the identity and motives of Jack the Ripper.
Octavia E. Butler’s Xenogensis sci-fi adventure Imago (1989), later collected into Lilith’s Brood.
The Sandman is a comic book series by Neil Gaiman. Its artists include Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Jill Thompson, Shawn McManus, Marc Hempel, and Michael Zulli, with lettering by Todd Klein and covers by Dave McKean. The original series ran for 75 issues from January 1989 to March 1996.
Grant Morrison and Richard Case’s DOOM PATROL series.

I need to read (or re-read) these:

John le Carré’s espionage adventure The Russia House (1989)
Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther historical crime adventure March Violets (1989)
The Ghost in the Shell (1989), by Masamune Shirow. Set in a near future world where people have “cyberbrains” that allow them to interface directly with networks. –?
Len Deighton’s espionage adventure Spy Line (1989) –?
James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux crime adventure Black Cherry Blues (1989) — ?
Dan Simmons’s sci-fi adventure Hyperion (1989) — ? won the Hugo
A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley, #1) by Elizabeth George (1989) — ?
Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (Red Dwarf #1, 1989)
by Grant Naylor — ?
Martin Amis’s London Fields (1989) — adventure?
Tony Hillerman’s ___ adventure A Thief of Time (1989) — ?
Skin Tight (1989, Mick Stranahan #1) by Carl Hiaasen –?

1990

In 2020, this preliminary list will be superseded by a Top 10 1990 Adventures list. Watch this page for updates.

In no particular order:

Ursula K Le Guin’s Earthsea fantasy adventure Tehanu (1990)
Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland (1990) — a violent political thriller about what happened to the 1968 generation, but one that includes a UFO abduction, and a psychic detective investigating a Godzilla attack. Impossible to categorize.
Iain M. Banks’s Culture science-fiction adventure Use of Weapons (1990)

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Soldiers of Paradise (The Starbridge Chronicles #1) by Paul Park — ? Recommended by Kim Stanley Robinson
Len Deighton’s espionage adventure Spy Sinker (1990) –?
Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins #1, 1990) by Walter Mosley — ?
Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther historical crime adventure The Pale Criminal (1990)
Middle Passage (1990) is a historical novel by Charles R. Johnson about the final voyage of an illegal American slave ship. — ?
Get Shorty (Chili Palmer #1, 1990) by Elmore Leonard — ?
James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet crime adventure L.A. Confidential (1990) — ?
Gillian Cross’s YA adventure Wolf (1990)
Robert Westall’s YA Robinsonade The Kingdom by the Sea (1990) –? winner of Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Vor Game (1990) — ? won the Hugo
A.S. Byatt’s Possession (1990) is a kind of treasure-hunt adventure.
The Fifth Profession is a 1990 ___ adventure by David Morrell. — ?

1991

In 2020, this preliminary list will be superseded by a Top 10 1991 Adventures list. Watch this page for updates.

In no particular order:

Frank Miller’s graphic novel Sin City (1991–?)
Karen Joy Fowler’s historical/sci-fi adventure Sarah Canary (1991). One of Kim Stanley Robinson’s favorites.
Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther historical crime adventure A German Requiem (1991)

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Barrayar (1991) by Lois McMaster Bujold – won Hugo — ?
Bone Dance (1991) is a fantasy novel by Emma Bull. — ?
The Infinity Gauntlet (serialized 1991) is a comic book by Jim Starlin and George Perez and Ron Lim. — ?
The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling — ?
Synners (1991) — cyberpunk adventure by Pat Cadigan — ?
Orbital Resonance (1991) is a science fiction novel by John Barnes. It is the first of four books comprising the Century Next Door series — ?
Stations of the Tide is a science fiction adventure by Michael Swanwick. — ?
King Solomon’s Carpet (1991) by Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell) — ?
Norman Mailer’s Harlot’s Ghost (1991) –?
Buddy Holly is Alive and Well on Ganymede (1991) by Bradley Denton — ?
American Psycho— is it an adventure?
The Raphael Affair (Jonathan Argyll #1, 1991) by Iain Pears — ?
Naoko Takeuchi’s shōjo [female teen] manga adventure comic Sailor Moon (1991–1997, 美少女戦士セーラームーン).
Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon — cheesy?

1992

In 2020, this preliminary list will be superseded by a Top 10 1992 Adventures list. Watch this page for updates.

In no particular order:

Neal Stephenson’s science-fiction adventure Snow Crash (1992)
Cormac McCarthy’s western adventure All the Pretty Horses (1992)
Under the Frog (1992) is Tibor Fischer’s debut novel. One of my favorite books — but is it an adventure?

I need to read (or re-read) these:

A Million Open Doors (1992) by John Barnes — ?
Outerbridge Reach is a 1992 novel by Robert Stone. — ?
China Mountain Zhang is a 1992 science fiction novel by Maureen F. McHugh.
Low Tide by William Mayne — ? winner of Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
The Course of the Heart (1992) by M John Harrison — ? recommended by China Miéville
Doomsday Book is a 1992 science fiction adventure by Connie Willis. — ? Winner of Nebula.
Last Call is a fantasy adventure by Tim Powers. It was published by William Morrow & Co in 1992. — ?
Caroline Stevermer’s YA post-apocalyptic adventure River Rats (1992)
Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg (1992) — too quirky to be good?
Donna Tartt’s The Secret History (1992) — ?
A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) by Vernor Vinge — ? won the Hugo
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (1992) — ? I like these books, but don’t remember them being very exciting.
The Butcher Boy is a 1992 ___ adventure by Patrick McCabe. Set in a small town in Ireland in the early 1960s, it tells the story of Francis “Francie” Brady, a schoolboy who retreats into a violent fantasy world as his troubled home life collapses. — ?
P.D. James’s The Children of Men (1992) — ? great movie
Lynn Tillman’s ___ adventure Cast in Doubt (1992) ?
The General’s Daughter (1992, Paul Brenner #1)by Nelson DeMille — ?
On Basilisk Station (1992, Honor Harrington #1) by David Weber — ?

1993

In 2020, this preliminary list will be superseded by a Top 10 1993 Adventures list. Watch this page for updates.

In no particular order:

Parable of the Sower is a science fiction adventure by Octavia E. Butler, the first in a two-book series. It was published in 1993. One of her best!
Iain M. Banks’s science-fiction adventure Against a Dark Background (1993)
William Gibson’s Bridge science fiction adventure Virtual Light (1993)

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Random Acts of Senseless Violence (1993) is a dystopian and speculative fiction novel by Jack Womack –? recommended by William Gibson
Moving Mars (1993) is a science fiction novel written by Greg Bear. — ?
The Book of the Long Sun (1993–1996) is a series of four science fantasy novels or one four-volume novel by Gene Wolfe. — ? recommended by Kim Stanley Robinson
Beggars in Spain (1993, Sleepless #1) by Nancy Kress — ?
Green Mars (1993) by Kim Stanley Robinson — ? won Hugo
Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting (1993) — ? Picaresque?
John le Carré’s crime adventure The Night Manager (1993)
Loren Singer’s 1993 ____ adventure Making Good tells the story of a conspiracy discovered by U.S. Army soldiers who uncover a trove of Nazi looted art. By the author of The Parallax View.
The Sculptress (1993) is a crime adventure by Minette Walters. — ?
Lois Lowry? I’m not a big fan, but The Giver is such a massively popular book.

THE NINETIES (1994–2003)

[meta-remarks about The Nineties in adventure fiction TK]

1994

In no particular order:

Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction (1994, Hellboy, #1) — beginning of an amazing series
Jonathan Lethem’s science-fiction adventure Gun, with Occasional Music (1994)
Kolymsky Heights is a 1994 thriller by Lionel Davidson.

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Pulp is the last completed novel by Charles Bukowski. It was published in 1994, shortly before Bukowski’s death. –?
Iain M. Banks’s science-fiction adventure Feersum Endjinn (1994)
Poison River (1994), comic by Gilbert Hernandez — ?
MapHead (MapHead #1) by Lesley Howarth –? winner of Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
A Drink Before the War (1994, Kenzie & Gennaro #1) by Dennis Lehane — ?
Haruki Marukami’s ___ adventure The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994–1995) — ?
The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler #1) by Caleb Carr (1994) — maybe?
Melissa Scott’s sci-fi adventure Trouble and Her Friends (1994). Trouble is semi-retired from being a hacker, in a dystopian future.
Cormac McCarthy’s western adventure The Crossing (1994) — ?
Mirror Dance (1994) by Lois McMaster Bujold — ? won Hugo
Len Deighton’s espionage adventure Faith (1994) –?
Umberto Eco’s 1994 ___ adventure The Island of the Day Before is a sardonic inversion of the Robinsonade. –?
Neal Stephenson’s science-fiction/political thriller Interfaceh (1994) – written under a joint pseudonym –?
Nick Tosches’s 1994 crime adventure Trinities — ?
One for the Money (1994, Stephanie Plum #1) by Janet Evanovich — ?

1995

In no particular order:

Philip Pullman’s HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy. Northern Lights (1995, published as The Golden Compass in North America.
Charles Burns’s graphic novel Black Hole (serialized)
Neal Stephenson’s science-fiction adventure The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer (1995)
Nancy Farmer’s YA sci-fi adventure The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm (1995)
Ken MacLeod’s Fall Revolution sci-fi adventure The Star Fraction (1995).

I need to read (or re-read) these:

José Saramago’s Blindness (1995, Ensaio sobre a cegueira). — I enjoyed it, but I’m not sure it’s an adventure, really, is it a Robinsonade?
Jonathan Lethem’s science-fiction adventure Amnesia Moon (1995).
Slow River (1995) is a science fiction adventure by Nicola Griffith. — ?
John Marsden’s YA adventure Tomorrow When the War Began (1995) –?
John le Carré’s espionage adventure Our Game (1995) –?
Garth Nix’s Sabriel — ?
Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind — seems like I should at least read it, give it a shot — ?
Len Deighton’s espionage adventure Hope (1995) –?
Um, Randall Wallace’s Braveheart — ?

1996

In no particular order:

Margaret Atwood’s historical psychological thriller Alias Grace — ?
Ken MacLeod’s Fall Revolution sci-fi adventure The Stone Canal (1996).
Iain M. Banks’s Culture science-fiction adventure Excession (1996). Minds take center stage.
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy adventure A Game of Thrones (1996).
Fight Club is a 1996 ___ adventure by Chuck Palahniuk.

I need to read (or re-read) these:

William Gibson’s Bridge science fiction adventure Idoru (1996) –?
John le Carré’s espionage adventure Tha Tailor of Panama (1996) –?
Castle Waiting is an Eisner Award winning graphic novel series created by Linda Medley (1996-on) — ?
J.G. Ballard’s 1996 ___ adventure Cocaine Nights is a sardonic inversion of the Robinsonade.
Peter Doyle’s crime adventure Get Rich Quick (1996)
Alex Garland’s _____ adventure The Beach (1996) — ?
Hugh Laurie’s ___ adventure The Gun Seller (1996) — ?
Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere (1996) — ?
Len Deighton’s espionage adventure Charity (1996) –?
Garth Ennis’s comic PREACHER (1996) — ?

1997

In no particular order:

Natsuo Kirino’s crime adventure Out (1997).
Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson’s comic Transmetropolitan (1997-2002). Gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem fights corruption, exposes politicians and gets into trouble.
The 1997 graphic novel A History of Violence by John Wagner and Vince Locke. Adapted into the 2005 movie directed by David Cronenberg.
Thomas Pynchon’s historical frontier adventure Mason & Dixon (1997).

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Pirates of the Universe by Terry Bisson — ? recommended by Kim Stanley Robinson
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997).
Killing Floor (1997, Jack Reacher #1) by Lee Child — I guess I should give it a read?
Plum Island (1997, John Corey #1) by Nelson DeMille — ?
The Bone Collector (Lincoln Rhyme #1) by Jeffery Deaver — I guess I should give it a read?
Cold Mountain is a 1997 historical novel by Charles Frazier — ?
Philip Pullman’s His Dark materials fantasy adventure The Subtle Knife (1997)
Earthquake Weather is a fantasy adventure by Tim Powers, published in 1997 — ?
Ella Enchanted is a Newbery Honor fantasy adventure written by Gail Carson Levine and published in 1997. — ?

1998

In no particular order:

Brown Girl in the Ring is a novel written by Nalo Hopkinson. The novel contains Afro-Caribbean culture with themes of folklore and magical realism. Charlie Jane Anders: “The genius of that novel is how effortlessly these two very different things go hand in hand: the dystopian future and the magic realism.”
Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim’s DUNGEON series (1998 -on)
Daniel Clowes’s graphic novel David Boring (1998–2000).
The Sterkarm Handshake (Sterkarm #1) by Susan Price. Won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Molly Gloss’s The Dazzle of Day — ? recommended by Kim Stanley Robinson
My Name Is Red (1998, Turkish: Benim Adım Kırmızı) by Orhan Pamuk — ?
Among the Hidden (1998, Shadow Children #1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix — ?
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998).
Iain M. Banks’s Culture science-fiction adventure Inversions (1998) – good, but is it a top 10 for this year?
Octavia E Butler’s 1998 novel, Parable of the Talents –?
Planetary is an American comic book series created by Warren Ellis and artist John Cassaday, and published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics. After an initial preview issue in September 1998, the series ran for 27 issues from April 1999 to October 2009.
Holes is a 1998 young adult mystery comedy ___ adventure by Louis Sachar
Skellig (1998) is a children’s ___ adventure by David Almond
Cormac McCarthy’s western adventure Cities of the Plain (1998) –?
China Miéville’s ___ adventure King Rat (1998). –?
Peter Doyle’s crime adventure Amaze Your Friends (1998)
The Savage Detectives (1998, Los Detectives Salvajes) is a ___ adventure by Roberto Bolaño. — is it an adventure, exactly?
Jonathan Lethem’s science-fiction adventure Girl in Landscape (1998) –?
Ken MacLeod’s Fall Revolution sci-fi adventure The Cassini Division (1998).
Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber’s Whiteout (1998) — ?
George R.R. Martin’s The Hedge Knight (1998) — ?
Gone, Baby, Gone (1998, Kenzie & Gennaro #4) by Dennis Lehane — ?

1999

In no particular order:

Jonathan Lethem’s crime adventure Motherless Brooklyn (1999)
Alan Moore’s THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (!999)

I need to read (or re-read) these:

William Gibson’s Bridge science fiction adventure All Tomorrow’s Parties (1999) –?
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy adventure A Clash of Kings (1999).
Stardust is a fantasy adventure by Neil Gaiman (1999). — ?
Neal Stephenson’s ____ adventure Cryptonomicon (1999). –?
Big Baby by Charles Burns
Ken MacLeod’s Fall Revolution sci-fi adventure The Sky Road (1999).
Gardens of the Moon (1999, The Malazan Book of the Fallen #1) by Steven Erikson — ?
Naruto, Vol. 01: The Tests of the Ninja (1999-on, Naruto #1) by Masashi Kishimoto — ?
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999).
Battle Royale (1999) by Koushun Takami — ?
First Test (1999, Protector of the Small #1) by Tamora Pierce — ?

2000

In no particular order:

China Miéville’s Bas-Lag ___ adventure Perdido Street Station (2000). Charlie Jane Anders: “Part of what makes that book so intense and skin-crawling is that you’re never entirely sure what the explanation is for a lot of what’s going on.”
Iain M. Banks’s Culture science-fiction adventure Look to Windward (2000). Often described as the best Culture novel.
Ken MacLeod’s Engines of Light sci-fi adventure Cosmonaut Keep (2000).
Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn Dixie (2000)

I need to read (or re-read) these:

The Boy in the Burning House is a young adult mystery novel by Tim Wynne-Jones. — ?
True History of the Kelly Gang (2000) is a novel by Peter Carey — ? adventure?
Midnight Robber (2000) is a science fiction bildungsroman by Nalo Hopkinson. — ?
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy adventure A Storm of Swords (2000).
Laurie Halse Anderson’s Fever 1793 — ?
The Bottoms (2000) is an Edgar Award-winning suspense novel by Joe R. Lansdale. — ?
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000).
The Quantum Rose (2000) is a science fiction adventure by Catherine Asaro which tells the story of Kamoj Argali and Skolian Prince Havyrl Valdoria. –?
Philip Pullman’s His Dark materials fantasy adventure The Amber Spyglass (2000)
Emmanuel Suibert and Joann Sfar’s SARDINE IN OUTER SPACE
Lewis Trondheim and Manu Larcenet’s ASTRONAUTS OF THE FUTURE

2001

In no particular order:

American Gods (2001) by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on the mysterious and taciturn Shadow.
Peter Doyle’s crime adventure The Devil’s Jump (2001)

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Mystic River is a novel by Dennis Lehane that was published in 2001. –?
Ken MacLeod’s Engines of Light sci-fi adventure Dark Light (2001). –?
Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure by Yann Martel published in 2001. –?
Carter Beats The Devil is a historical mystery thriller novel by Glen David Gold –?
Victor Headley’s ___ adventure Off Duty (2001). –?
John le Carré’s espionage adventure The Constant Gardener (2001) –?
Mortal Engines (2001) is the first of four novels in Philip Reeve’s quartet of the same name. — ?

2002

In no particular order:

The House of the Scorpion (2002) is a science fiction young adult adventure by Nancy Farmer.
China Miéville’s Bas-Lag fantasy adventure The Scar (2002).
Ken MacLeod’s Engines of Light sci-fi adventure Engine City (2002).

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Coraline is a dark fantasy children’s novella by Neil Gaiman, published in 2002 –?
The Emperor of Ocean Park is a 2002 novel by Stephen L. Carter. — ?
The Little Friend (2002) by Donna Tartt — ?
The Mount is a 2002 science fantasy novel by Carol Emshwiller. — ? recommended by Kim Stanley Robinson
Speed of Dark (2002) is a near-future science fiction adventure by Elizabeth Moon. The story is told from the first person viewpoint of an autistic process analyst.
L.A. Meyer’s Bloody Jack: Being An Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy –?
Fables (2002–2015) is an comic book series created and written by Bill Willingham. — ?
The Gift (aka The Naming) is 2002 fantasy novel by Alison Croggon. — ?
Feed (2002) is a young adult dystopian novel by M. T. Anderson.
The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge is a 2002 novel by Michael Punke — ?

2003

In no particular order:

The Tale of Despereaux is a 2003 fantasy book written by Kate DiCamillo.
Charles Stross’s Eschaton science-fiction adventure Singularity Sky (2003).
William Gibson’s Blue Ant adventure Pattern Recognition (2003)

I need to read (or re-read) these:

The City of Ember is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Jeanne DuPrau that was published in 2003.
Margaret Atwood’s post-apocalyptic science fiction novel Oryx and Crake. –?
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a 2003 mystery novel by Mark Haddon. –?
Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle science-fiction adventure Quicksilver (2003). –?
Paladin of Souls is a 2003 fantasy novel by Lois McMaster Bujold. — ?
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is a 2003 science fiction adventure, the first novel by Cory Doctorow. — ?
Suzanne Collins’s children’s epic fantasy novel Gregor the Overlander (2003) — ?
Shutter Island is a novel by Dennis Lehane, published in 2003. –?
The Amulet of Samarkand (2003) is a children’s fantasy novel by Jonathan Stroud. — ?
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003).
The Wee Free Men is a 2003 comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, which takes place in his Discworld setting. — ?
Marvel 1602 is an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2003. The limited series was written by Neil Gaiman, penciled by Andy Kubert, and digitally painted by Richard Isanove; Scott McKowen illustrated the covers. The eight-part series takes place in a timeline where Marvel superheroes exist in the Elizabethan era. — ?
Trickster’s Choice (2003, Daughter of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce — ?
How to Train Your Dragon (2003, How to Train Your Dragon #1) by Cressida Cowell — ?
Dissolution (2003, Matthew Shardlake #1) by C.J. Sansom — ?
The Walking Dead (2003-on) is an ongoing black-and-white comic book series created by Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore — ?
John Burdett’s Bangkok 8 (2003) — ?
Heidi Julavits’s The Effect of Living Backwards (2003) — ?
Max Barry’s Jennifer Government (2003) — ?

THE TWENTY-OUGHTS (2004–2013)

[meta-remarks about The Twenty-Oughts in adventure fiction TK]

2004

In no particular order:

DC: The New Frontier (2004) is a six-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke.
Iain M. Banks’s science-fiction adventure The Algebraist (2004)
Charles Stross’s Eschaton science-fiction adventure Iron Sunrise (2004).

I need to read (or re-read) these:

The Game of Sunken Places is a children’s fantasy novel by M. T. Anderson. — ?
Jimbo in Purgatory by Gary Panter –?
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is the debut novel by Susanna Clarke. Published in 2004, it is an alternative history set in 19th-century England around the time of the Napoleonic Wars. — ?
China Miéville’s Bas-Lag fantasy adventure Iron Council (2004).
Bryan Lee O’Malley’s SCOTT PILGRIM comics (2004–?)
Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1) by Michelle Pave –?
Cloud Atlas is a 2004 sci-fi adventure, the third book by David Mitchell. It consists of six nested stories that take the reader from the remote South Pacific in the nineteenth century to a distant, post-apocalyptic future.
Scarlett Thomas’s PopCo (2004) — ?
Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle science-fiction adventure The Confusion (2004).
Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle science-fiction adventure The System of the World (2004).
Charles Stross’s Laundry Files science-fiction/fantasy adventure The Atrocity Archives (2004).
Ken MacLeod’s 2004 science fiction novel Newton’s Wake is a treasure-hunt adventure.
Tanith Lee’s The Piratica Series (2004-on)– ?
Let the Right One In (Swedish: Låt den rätte komma in) is a 2004 fantasy novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. — ?
The Ruins of Gorlan (2004, Ranger’s Apprentice #1) by John Flanagan — ?
How I Live Now (2004) by Meg Rosoff. Winner of Printz award and Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
Hari Kunzru’s Transmission (2004) — ?

2005

In no particular order:

Charles Stross’s science-fiction adventure Accelerando (2005). This 2005 novel of connected short stories follows three generations of one family as they approach and then pass the technological singularity.
John Scalzi’s sci-fi adventure Old Man’s War (2005)
The White Darkness (2005) by Geraldine McCaughrean — winner of Printz Award.
Theo Ellsworth’s Capacity (2005–2010?)

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Air, also known as Air: Or, Have Not Have, is a 2005 novel by Geoff Ryman. — ? recommended by Kim Stanley Robinson, and io9
Fledgling is a science fiction vampire novel by Octavia E. Butler, published in 2005. The author’s last book. –?
Elantris (Elantris #1) by Brandon Sanderson — ?
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005).
Cormac McCarthy’s western adventure No Country for Old Men (2005) –?
Ian McEwan’s Saturday (2005) — is it an adventure?
Zahrah the Windseeker is young adult fantasy novel by Nnedi Okorafor, published in 2005. –?
The New Policeman (New Policeman #1) by Kate Thompson –? winner of Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy adventure A Feast for Crows (2005). –?
Arthur & George (2005) by Julian Barnes, which takes as its basis the true story of the “Great Wyrley Outrages”. — ?
Thirty-Three Teeth is a crime novel by Colin Cotterill — ?
Beasts of No Nation is a 2005 novel by Uzodinma Iweala –?
Elmore Leonard’s The Hot Kid — ?

2006

In no particular order:

Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure The Road (2006)
The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006, Gentleman Bastard #1) by Scott Lynch
Charles Stross’s science-fiction adventure Glasshouse (2006).
Gordon Dahlquist’s The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters (2006).

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Jimbo’s Inferno is a 2006 graphic novel by Gary Panter, though it is Jimbo #7 from 1997 reformatted to the format of its sequel story, Jimbo in Purgatory.
Pig Island is a novel by Mo Hayder, first published in 2006. –?
Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther historical crime adventure The One from the Other (2006) — ?
Testament comics book series by Douglas Rushkoff and Liam Sharp. — ?
Absurdistan is a 2006 novel by Gary Shteyngart — adventure?
A Darkling Plain (The Hungry City Chronicles #4) by Philip Reeve –? winner of Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
Carnival is a 2006 science fiction novel by Elizabeth Bear. — ?
Ward Just’s Forgetfulness (2006) — adventure?
Kate Atkinson’s One Good Turn — ?
His Majesty’s Dragon (2006, Temeraire #1) by Naomi Novik
The Orphan’s Tales is a fantasy series by Catherynne M. Valente with illustrations by Michael Kaluta. The two novels of the series, In the Night Garden and In the Cities of Coin and Spice, are in turn split into four books. (2006–2007)
The Janissary Tree (2006) is a historical mystery novel set in Istanbul in 1836, written by Jason Goodwin. It is the first in the Yashim the Detective series. — ?
Mouse Guard is an American bi-monthly comic book series written and illustrated by David Petersen (2006 – on)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party (2006) by M.T. Anderson — is it an adventure, exactly?
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (2006) by Max Brooks
The Book of Lost Things (2006) by John Connolly

2007

In no particular order:

Matthew Sharpe’s post-apocalyptic adventure Jamestown (2007). One of the best books I’ve read in years.
Matthew De Abaitua’s brilliant 2007 sf paranoid thriller The Red Men (2007).
Rick Spears and Chuck BB’s fantasy comic book adventure Black Metal Vol. 1: The Grim Return (2007).
Charles Stross’s Halting State science-fiction adventure Halting State (2007).
The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1) by Patrick Rothfuss — Josie Johnson made me read this one.
Miranda Mellis’s The Revisionist.

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham — suggested by io9
A Mysterious Affair of Style is a whodunit by Gilbert Adair first published in 2007. — ?
The Execution Channel, by Ken MacLeod — suggested by io9
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007) by Brian Selznick — adventure?
The Shadow Speaker (2007) is a young adult, first-person novel by Nnedi Okorafor, which takes place in the year 2070.
David Downing’s espionage thriller Zoo Station — ?
Tree of Smoke is a 2007 novel by Denis Johnson — ?
Jonathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple’s OMEGA THE UNKNOWN
China Miéville’s ___ adventure Un Lun Dun (2007).
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007).
Fieldwork is a 2007 novel by Mischa Berlinski. –?
Spook Country is a 2007 novel by William Gibson. A political thriller set in contemporary North America, it followed on from Pattern Recognition (2003).
Trenton Lee Stewart’s YA adventure The Mysterious Benedict Society (2007)

2008

In no particular order:

Graceling (2008, Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore

I need to read (or re-read) these:

The Steel Remains (2008) is a fantasy novel by Richard K. Morgan. –? recommended by Charlie Jane Anders.
The Alchemy of Stone, by Ekaterina Sedi — suggested by io9Iain M. Banks’s Culture science-fiction adventure Matter (2008) — good, but is it a top 10 for this year?
The Bell at Sealey Head is a 2008 fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip. — ?
Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther historical crime adventure A Quiet Flame (2008) — ?
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves (2008) by M. T. Anderson — is it an adventure?
Child 44 (2008) by Tom Rob Smith –?
The Hunger Games is a 2008 dystopian novel by Suzanne Collins. I don’t remember liking these when everyone else in my family read them, but I should try the first one again–?
The Three-Body Problem (2008, Chinese: 三体) is a science fiction novel by Liu Cixin. It is the first novel of the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, but Chinese readers generally refer to the whole series by the title of this first novel. The title itself refers to the three-body problem in orbital mechanics. — ?
A Case of Exploding Mangoes (2008) by Mohammed Hanif — ?
The Knife of Never Letting Go (2008, Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness. Winner of Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
John le Carré’s espionage adventure A Most Wanted Man (2008) –?
Neal Stephenson’s science-fiction adventure Anathem (2008). –?
The Graveyard Book is a children’s fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman, published in 2008. –?

2009

In no particular order:

Lev Grossman’s fantasy adventure The Magicians (2009)
China Miéville’s fantasy adventure The City & the City (2009).
The Windup Girl (2009, The Windup Universe #1) by Paolo Bacigalupi — inner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Campbell awards.

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Iain M. Banks’s science-fiction adventure Transition (2009)
Margaret Atwood’s post-apocalyptic science fiction novel The Year of the Flood. –?
Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther historical crime adventure If the Dead Rise Not (2009) –?
Gordon Dahlquist’s The Dark Volume (2009)
Helen Oyeyemi’s White is for Witching (2009) –? recommended by China Miéville
Heroes of the Valley is a 2009 fantasy adventure novel written by Jonathan Stroud. — ?
Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice was published in 2009. –?
The Last Child is a suspense thriller by American novelist John Hart. It was first published in 2009 –?
A.S. King’s The Dust of 100 Dogs (2009) — ?
Leviathan (2009, Leviathan #1) by Scott Westerfeld –?
Ribblestrop (Ribblestrop #1) by Andy Mulligan –?
Palimpsest is a novel by Catherynne M. Valente, published in March 2009.
The Last Child (2009) is a suspense thriller by John Hart. — ?
Boneshaker is a science fiction adventure by Cherie Priest combining the steampunk genre with zombies in an alternate history version of Seattle, Washington. — ?

2010

In no particular order:

James Parker’s swearing-animal adventure The Ballad of Cocky the Fox (serialized here at HILOBROW, 2010–2011).
China Miéville’s ___ adventure Kraken (2010).
Iain M. Banks’s Culture science-fiction adventure Surface Detail (2010)
Mick Herron’s Slough House espionage adventure Slow Horses

I need to read (or re-read) these:

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is a 2010 fantasy novel by N. K. Jemisin, the first book of The Inheritance Trilogy. Jemisin’s debut novel. — ?
Ship Breaker is a 2010 young adult novel by Paolo Bacigalupi set in a post-apocalyptic future. –?
Michael Cisco’s The Narrator (2010) — ? recommended by China Miéville
Spies of the Balkans (2010), by Alan Furst –?
The Passage (2010, The Passage #1) by Justin Cronin — ? Recommended by my cousin John Harper.
The Lock Artist (2010) is a crime novel by Steve Hamilton. –?
Who Fears Death is a science fantasy novel by Nnedi Okorafor, published in 2010 by DAW, an imprint of Penguin Books.
Trash by Andy Mulligan –?
John le Carré’s espionage adventure Our Kind of Traitor (2010) –?
Blackout and All Clear are the two volumes that comprise a 2010 science fiction adventure by Connie Willis. — ?

2011

In no particular order:

Andy Weir’s Robinsonade adventure The Martian (2011)

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Akata Witch (retitled What Sunny Saw in the Flames in Nigeria and the UK) is a 2011 fantasy novel written by Nnedi Okorafor)
Ready Player One (Ready Player One #1) by Ernest Cline — ? recommended by Andy Weir
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick –? winner of Printz award.
Charles Stross’s Halting State science-fiction adventure Rule 34 (2011).
Glen Duncan’s The Last Werewolf (2011) — ?
Rick Spears and Chuck BB’s fantasy comic book adventure Black Metal Vol. 2: The False Brother (2011).
China Miéville’s ___ adventure Embassytown (2011).
Fairyland is a series of five fantasy novels by Catherynne M. Valente. It follows a 12-year-old girl named September as she is spirited away from her average life to Fairyland. (2011-on?)
Among Others is a 2011 fantasy adventure written by Jo Walton — ?
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy adventure A Dance with Dragons (2011).
The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyc –? is it an adventure?
Neal Stephenson’s science-fiction adventure Reamde (2011).
Daniel Clowes’s graphic novel The Death-Ray (2011).

2012

In no particular order:

Nimona (2012-on?) is a fantasy comic by writer and artist Noelle Stevenson.
Iain M. Banks’s Culture science-fiction adventure The Hydrogen Sonata (2012). The final published Culture novel.

I need to read (or re-read) these:

China Miéville’s ___ adventure Railsea (2012). –?
The Vorrh (The Vorrh Trilogy #1) by Brian Catling –? recommended by Alan Moore
Gordon Dahlquist’s The Chemickal Marriage (2012) –?
Ian McEwan’s Sweet Tooth — ?
Code Name Verity is a young adult historical adventure by Elizabeth Wein that was published in 2012 — ?
Kevin Barry’s City of Bohane — ?
Redshirts (2012) is a science fiction novel by John Scalzi. –?
Who Could That Be at This Hour? (2012) is the first novel of the children’s novel series All the Wrong Questions by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Seth. — ?
The Killing Moon is a 2012 fantasy adventure by N. K. Jemisin and is the first novel in the Dreamblood series — ?
2312 is a science fiction adventure by Kim Stanley Robinson, published in 2012.
Douglas Rushkoff’s, Goran Sudžuka’s, and José Marzán Jr.’s graphic novel A.D.D — Adolescent Demo Division
Saga is an epic space opera/fantasy comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, published monthly by the American company Image Comics. — ?
Live by Night is a crime novel by Dennis Lehane that was published in 2012. — ?

2013

In no particular order:

Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch sci-fi adventure Ancillary Justice (2013)
Gordon Dahlquist’s The Different Girl (2013)
Mick Herron’s Slough House espionage adventure Dead Lions

I need to read (or re-read) these:

Margaret Atwood’s post-apocalyptic science fiction novel MaddAddam. –?
Amity Gaige’s Schroder –?
Michelle Tea’s Mermaid in Chelsea Creek (2013) — ?
Charles Stross’s fantasy adventure The Apocalypse Codex (2013)
Thomas Pynchon’s Bleeding Edge was published in 2013.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a 2013 fantasy adventure by Neil Gaiman.
Hild: A Novel (2013, The Light of the World Trilogy) by Nicola Griffith — adventure? Recommended by Neal Stephenson.

SNEAK PEEK: Preliminary notes towards a list of the Best Adventures of 2014–2023.

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NOTES ON SOME AUTHORS YOU WON’T FIND ON THIS LIST

If the Eighties began in a good way with Neuromancer, they began in a shitty way with The Hunt for Red October — which, alas, was a vastly more popular and influential novel.

I haven’t enjoyed the adventures I’ve tried to read by Tom Clancy. Not to mention those by: Robert Ludlum, Robert Jordan, or Robert Crais; James Patterson, James Redfield, James Rollins, or James Dashner; R.A. Salvatore, L.J. Smith, J.D. Robb, V.C. Andrews, J.R. Ward, P.C. Cast, or R.L. Stine; Scott Turow, Scott Westerfeld, Scott Bakker, or Orson Scott Card. Also: Jeffrey Archer, Dan Brown, Thomas Harris, Sue Grafton, John Grisham, Sidney Sheldon, Dean Koontz, Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn, Stieg Larsson, Gillian Flynn, Michael Connelly, Clive Barker, Greg Iles, Robin Hobb, Ted Dekker, Margaret Weis, Tess Gerritsen, Mark Z. Danielewski, Patricia C. Wrede, Christopher Paolini, Richelle Mead, Alexander McCall Smith, Stephenie Meyer, Matthew Pearl, Holly Black, Terry Brooks, Pittacus Lore, Jim Butcher, Angie Sage, Anthony Horowitz, Megan Whalen Turner, Gregory Maguire, Bernard Cornwell, David Baldacci, Mary Higgins Clark, Cornelia Funke, Tami Hoag, Lemony Snicket (except when illustrated by Seth), Alyson Noel, Brandon Mull, Tana French, Laurell K. Hamilton, Erin Hunter, Terry Goodkind, Rick Riordan, Kate Mosse, Jeff Lindsay, Christine Feehan, Neal Shusterman, Patricia Briggs, Veronica Roth, Joe Hill, Lee Child, Clive Cussler, Julie Kagawa, Harlan Coben, Lisa Gardner, Michael Scott, Ilona Andrews, William Paul Young, Cassandra Clare, and David Eddings.

Although I like (or sorta like) the pre-1984 writings of Frederick Forsyth, Stephen King/Richard Bachman, Robert Heinlein, Robert B. Parker, Robin Cook, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, Stephen R Donaldson, Ken Follett, Lawrence Block, Mario Puzo, Anne Rice, Dick Francis, Michael Crichton, Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Douglas Adams, Piers Anthony, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Jean M. Auel, Roger Zelazny, and Anne McCaffrey, their post-1983 adventures don’t do it for me.

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