Top Picks of 2013

At the start of every year, Geoff asks me to compile my favourite media consumed over the previous year. This is like asking the ocean to pick its favourite fish. I consume all media produced by humanity in any given year, and as there is a significant backlog since before my arrival in this time, I try to pick a couple other years in history to add to the mix. This year I stumbled upon some darn good stuff.

Some of you may be wondering why so much of the media described here is in English and from North America. Surely, you must be thinking, if crasm02 consumed all media humanity produced in 2013, some of the best stuff must have been in other languages, from other parts of the other world. In response, I say stop calling me Shirley.

Here we have the media I most enjoyed in 2013. Those items that follow the first were also excellent.

Best Novel: Suttree, Cormac McCarthy

• The Player of Games, RIP Iain M. Banks
• Good Omens, Pratchett and Gaiman
• The Scar, China Mieville

Best Short Story Collection: Civilwarland in Bad Decline, George Saunders

Best Graphic Novel: Habibi, Craig Thompson

• Black Hole, Charles Burns

Best Film: Upstream Color, Sean Carruth

• 8 1/2, Federico Fellini
• The Silence of Love, Philipe Claudel

Best TV series: Breaking Bad

• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Best Podcast: The Caustic Soda Podcast

• Science for the People (formerly Skeptically Speaking)

Best Album: Rework, Philip Glass et al

• 12 Reasons to Die, Ghostface Killer
• Dream River, Bill Callahan
• Reflektor, Arcade Fire
• Darkside, Psychic