It always helps to have some idea of where you’re going. After all, how can you wander away from the path if you don’t know where the path is? To that end, this is the post where I outline, in the broadest possible sketches, what I’m planning to read this year.

Part 1: Series to Continue/Finish

The Grand Tour, by Ben Bova

This one is sure to see major progress, as I already have several Grand Tour novels sitting in my TBR. there’s something about Bova’s style that is just effortlessly compelling, and I can easily see these becoming my go-to reads between longer books.

The Dune Prequels, by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson

I’ve fallen behind on my Dune reading the past two years, and with the second film heading my way in March, I should probably get on top of those prequels. Thanks to Christmas, I have the final book in the Caladan trilogy already, and will be keeping an eye out for the latest release, Princess of Dune.

The Alex Benedict Series, by Jack McDevitt

Jack McDevitt is proof that some authors deserve a second chance. After the disappointing Chindi, I was much more thrilled by A Talent for War. It’s the latter’s sequels that I’m going to track down next. It’s a long series of fairly heavy-going books, but they are all standalone, so that is a major point in their favour. It also means I can skip around a bit more freely.

The Skyward Quartet, by Brandon Sanderson

A guaranteed lock-in for January, I have Defiant in my TBR as I speak, which means I am one book away from crossing the final YA SF series off my actively reading list. The Cytoverse will continue with novels by Janci Patterson, but as someone who’s outgrown much of the style of these books, this is as good an exit point as I’m likely to get.

The Halo Franchise, by Various Authors

Last year I threw myself headlong into Halo, and this year I plan to continue swimming in its depths. There are a lot of standalones in the universe, which should let me nibble away at it at my leisure.

The Star Trek Litverse, by Various Authors

A perennial of these wishlists, I am once again planning to tackle more of the Litverse this year, again focussing on the Next Generation and Deep Space Nine relaunches, as well as the handful of remaining crossovers. This is a long term project, but one I continually make headway with.

The Venture SF Range, by Various Authors

So far, this relatively obscure collection of books is really satisfying my itch for high quality older works of military SF and space opera. Some of the books are harder to find than others, which ought to make for some fun book hunting trips.

Warhammer 40,000, by Various Authors

As ever, my year will have more than its fair share of grimdark excellence from Black Library. As well as trying to stay current, I’m also going to delve into the back catalogue of books I, for one reason or another, missed out on at release. In particular, I’m looking at getting back into the Dawn of Fire series via audiobooks, because Black Library has some of the best narrators in the field right now.

Part 2: Series to Start

Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card

Technically, I have already started the Enderverse, but really all I’ve had is a teaser. The First Formic War was fun, but this year I want to get into the classics. The original Ender’s Game and its sequels. If anything is going to be my big project this year, it’ll be Orson Scott Card.

Xeelee, by Stephen Baxter

My experience of Stephen Baxter so far is that he is at his best when writing standalones, and that his writing abilities have only increased over time. Nevertheless, his earlier Xeelee works call to me. There’s something about the promise of a vast and cold universe that I just can’t say no to. There are a few other Baxter books I have my eye on, but Xeelee is the main target.

Part 3: A Step into the Unknown

Greg Bear

I’ve read bits and pieces of Greg bear’s work, and enjoyed pretty much all of it. The problem I now face is which of his books to get next. There are a lot of standalones and smaller series to choose from, so I’ll likely pick up whatever lands in my lap first rather than seeking anything in particular. Low down on my priority list, but one I’m excited for nonetheless.

John Brunner

I’ve only read Brunner’s early work, which is very much space opera in the pulp style, so it’s only natural that I look at his later works next. I’m a little turned off by how dystopian they seem to be, but I’m sure I can find something that appeals if I look hard enough.

Derek Kunsken

I don’t know a whole lot about Kunsken’s works, but I like what little I’ve seen. I’m often in the mood for some heady hard SF, and books like House of Styx look to be exactly what I’m after. After all, who can resist a trip to Venus? As a bonus, it appears that his works are all connected by the same future history, but are not just one long series.

And Beyond . . .

I’m sure some random book will start calling to me sooner or later. All of the above are tentatively in my schedule for the coming twelve months, but I’m going to squeeze in as much booky goodness as I can.