Imperial Radch

Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice series. Culture, gender identity, hive mind, all rolled up into one extremely dense universe with a rich history told through warfare and cutting remarks, humanising potentially inhuman central characters with a vague number of limbs. It takes ten pages to get used to the dense yet clipped writing style, but once it clicks, you cannot put the book(s) down: the plot moves forward at breakneck speed.

Read/heard and thoroughly enjoyed all of those except Binti which is new to me. Wishlisted, thanks!

Three books I enjoyed this year: this census taker, China Mieville To Say Nothing Of The Dog, Connie Willis The Possibility of an Island, Houellebecq If you enjoy science-fiction, it is quite possible that you wouldn't enjoy any of the books above or even classify them as science-fiction (I would though) -- so definitely look them up or try the kindle sample to see if they appeal to you. Also, I see Ann Leckie's Ancillary trilogy mentioned elsewhere, I second that recommendation. [Also, honourable mention to the TV show Westworld -- if it were a book I would have included.]

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie (admittedly end 2015) Very good closing of the Hugo&Nebula Award series (Justice, Sword, Mercy) exploring the questions of identity and consciousness of individuals, androids and hive minds on the background of a galaxy spanning social, political and military struggle. Yeah and I second the 3 Body Series by Liu Cixin - that is one for the ages too.

Ann Leckie was being touted as Iain M Bank's successor with her Imperial Radch series. But due to that expectation being set up I was underwhelmed. It was enjoyable on its own but doesn't compare in quality to Banks's works, e.g. Excession, in my opinion.