Twenty-five books make Forbidden Planet's 'Best Books of 2011' list

December is the best month of the year when it comes to best-of lists, and today I present you with a cool list from Forbidden Planet, the world’s largest and best-known science fiction and fantasy retailer.

I have to admit that I’ve never been to a Forbidden Planet store because they’re all located in large cities in the UK. They have the reputation for being the epicenter of all things sci-fi, fantasy and horror, specializing in the sale of action figures, books, comics, DVDs, graphic novels and toys as well as television and movie merchandise.

Earlier this week, the good folks at Forbidden Planet released their list of Best Books of 2011. Twenty-five titles made the list. Here they are:

1. Kings Of Eternity by Eric Brown
2. Reamde by Neal Stephenson
3. Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch
4. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
5. Low Town: The Straight Razor Cure by Daniel Polansky

6. Recollection by Gareth L. Powell
7. Embassytown by China Mieville
8. Rule 34 by Charles Stross
9. Blackout by Connie Willis
10. Heroes by Joe Aberbromie

11. The Kingkiller Chronicle: Book 2: Wise Mans Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
12. Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
13. The Children Of The Sky by Vernor Vinge
14. The Wild Hunt: Book 1: Songs Of The Earth by Elspeth Cooper
15. The Demi Monde: Winter by Rod Rees

16. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
17. Prince Of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
18. Among Others by Jo Walton
19. Snuff by Terry Pratchett
20. Malazan Book Of The Fallen: Book 10: The Crippled God by Steven Erikson

21. The Curious Case Of The Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder
22. Son Of Heaven by David Wingrove
23. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
24. Dresden Files: Book 13: Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
25. The Walking Dead: Rise Of The Governor by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga

For more details about each of the books, visit http://forbiddenplanet.com/log/recommendations/best-books-2011.

During the past year, I read a couple of the books that made this list, “The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man” (21) and “Anno Dracula” (12). Both of these books were really good, and I actually plan to re-read them again at some point.

The latest edition of “Anno Dracula” is actually a reprint of the original 1992 novel with a few extras thrown in. I decided to read it after seeing it on several steampunk recommended reading lists. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good “what if” story.

“The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man” is a great book. It’s the second book in Mark Hodder’s very slick “Burton & Swinburne” steampunk series. The third book in the series, “Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon,” is due out next month, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy. If it’s as good as the first two books in the series, it’s going to be awesome.

In the end, how many of the books mentioned above have you had the chance to read this year? Which did you like or dislike? Which would you recommend and why? Let us know in the comments section below.