Upstream Reviews' Best of 2022

We give our top picks for what we reviewed last year

In 2022, the motley gang of culture and media critics at this site posted a grand total of 109 reviews of independent and mass market books (and a few movies). While we here at Upstream Reviews are all about showcasing edifying entertainment and eschewing nihilistic gray slop media, there were a few titles that stood apart even among our selection of great titles.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, we present our reviewer’s choices for the best books they reviewed in 2022. Go ahead and grab yourself a copy — these titles are a lock!

The Icarus Plot - Timothy Zahn

In a nutshell: Trailblazing doesn’t pay as well as bounty hunting, but at least you are less likely to get shot on the job. Former bounty hunters Gregory Roarke and Selene find it preferable for this reason – even if it leaves them borderline broke most of the time.

When the two are approached with an offer they can’t refuse, however, it’s not the money that makes Roarke accept the proposition. It’s the promise of payback on the person who nearly killed his partner.

Caroline Furlong said: “Those who loved Firefly and Leverage will enjoy The Icarus Project, both for the characters and the plots within plots. Half the fun is trying, along with Roarke and Selene, to puzzle out just what is going on. At the same time, the interplay among the characters as the tale progresses will give readers looking for a new hero to cheer on exactly what they want. There are no shades of gray in the protagonists’ morality, only confusion as to who is on which side of the conflict between good and evil. Anyone looking for a solid tale of heroism will enjoy this adventure immensely.”

Declan Finn said: Anyone who has ever been interested in noir science fiction and espionage should read this. Take the espionage of John le Carre, the deduction of Sherlock Holmes, the twisty nature of The Sting, and you have The Icarus Plot.

Gun Magus - N.R. LaPoint

In a nutshell: After managing to get the girl to safety, Jericho finds himself chased down by some very angry traffickers who are just about to gun him down when the world evaporates in a blinding flash of white light; he awakens inside a summoning circle with some hooded figure peering down at him, disappointed because Jericho isn’t the lunch he was trying to order. Before either can do much explaining, evil fish men break in and attack, pulling the wheel blocks away from our story and sending it flying proper.

Michael Gallagher said: “By page 13 I’d already known I was in for a good time; I immediately felt similar vibes to the fantastic web short Kung Fury, and knew that if anyone could pull off a JRPG in the stylings of a Zucker brothers screenplay, LaPoint could, and of course the mad lad didn’t let me down.”

Declan Finn added: John Wick fell down a rabbit hole, found an actual rabbit, and now has to fight off a Dark Lord with a spider girl, a pirate, and a red panda Templar.

Seriously, what’s not to love?

Mammon, Book 2: Messiah - Robert Kroese

In a nutshell: Messiah continues where Titan left off: after the U.S. government banked its future on the capture of an asteroid full of rare and valuable minerals, its project is sabotaged and the world goes into a full-on panic. When it becomes clear that the asteroid is headed for Earth, a team of engineers and scientists have to take the capture mission on by themselves.

J. E. Tabor said: “Kroese skillfully sets up the dominos of the story so that one event logically follows from the other, making the absolute craziness of a the LAPD carving out its own fiefdom outside the jurisdiction of the federal government and a group of engineers running a private space program in the Libyan desert teaming up with jihadis to try to save the world actually believable. This sequel to Titan transitions to a full-on political thriller worthy of Tom Clancy.”

Lost Planet Homicide - Larry Correia

In a nutshell: “Many generations ago, a colony ship left the Earth system to settle a new world, only to somehow get jumped to a distant planet that wasn't on their maps. They're incredibly far from Earth and their only hope for survival is to carve out a rough existence on a planet that may surely kill them.

After a century on this world, appropriately called Croatoan, humanity has all but surrendered to its basest tendencies, operating under what should be a functioning government but really dividing itself into classes and being controlled by criminal organizations. It's under these circumstances that the corrupt police force must maintain the appearance of order.”

Graham Bradley said: If you're invested in what's to come in future Gun Runner, naturally, as well as those who like gritty cop shows and hard-boiled crime with sci-fi mixed in.

White Ops - Declan Finn

In a nutshell: Humanity and its allies are attacked by an upstart alien race called the Pharmakoi wielding unbelievably advanced weapons. And that's just the beginning of the threats they will face in this new space opera by Declan Finn.

It soon comes to the attention of those investigating the war that the Pharmakoi weren't acting alone - someone was arming them and then pointing them in the right direction. Private Mercenary and telepath Sean Patrick Ryan is determined to find out who.

His investigation uncovers a plot linked to the most powerful people on Earth, and threatens every living being in the galaxy.

J.E. Tabor said: “Read White Ops for the unapologetic heroism in the face of cynical politician villains that are all too familiar, and the rich descriptions of alien races and worlds. Also, the action. Lots of action. If you like noir, spec-ops military fiction, and Catholicism mixed in with your epic galaxy-spanning space operas, White Ops is for you.”

Auditors of Doom and Breakroom of a Thousand Nightmares - Roy Griffis

In a nutshell: The second and third installments of Griffis’ outstanding Lovecraftian buddy comedy that sees a shoggoth sharing a human body with a surfer dude from the 70s completed one of the most original trilogies in decades. In Auditors of doom, Things are running smoothly (such as they can be in a Lovecraftian realm of cosmic horror and insanity), until the recently dead essence of a short, loud man appears in the processing area and starts demanding to speak to a manager. The ghostly being gives a dire warning: something terrible is about to happen in Faninville, Texas.

In Breakroom of a Thousand Nightmares, their host is employed as a janitor at CERN, which is currently housing a massive high-tech somethingorother that bears a remarkable resemblance to the atrocity-summoning Sun Stone from the second book.

Michael Gallagher said: “Griffis’ comedic treatment of Lovecraft’s mythos is, as I mentioned in my previous review, done with loving respect. Narg’Lah’s erudite commentary throughout is chock full of unrelenting dry wit, especially as he incorporates more human mannerisms into his speech and writing (such as calling Murph as his “homelad”). The comedy is funny, the characters are well fleshed-out, and the adventure is a fun ride. Even the afterword hides a spine-chilling final touch. Griffis’ books are a sure bet from beginning to end.”

Fallen - Patrick Abbott

In a nutshell: Brendan Sean Murphy is a man being torn apart by his inner demons. A midwestern seminary drop-out turned Army vet who fought in Afghanistan and Syria, he came home only to have his marriage brutally collapse and to be haunted by recurring nightmares. Struggling with survivor’s guilt and PTSD he won’t admit he has, he’s trying to find a place in a world that’s never quite felt like home.

When he risks his life to prevent a Sabian (a race of highly advanced alien beings residing in low Earth orbit) from being killed by a group of black bloc terrorists on a subway platform, he’s transported to a low-orbiting Sabian ship, where their advanced medical technology and knowledge save his life and reconstruct his crippled limbs. With the Sabia now in his debt, the government decides to make him their official Intelligence liaison. However, he soon finds himself more at home among them than on Earth, even as they guard their own motives closely.

Michael Gallagher said: “You’re unlikely to find a sci-fi story that more accurately captures the pathos, the crushing isolation, the struggle for reintegration of the modern combat veteran than Abbott’s debut novel.”

The Last Hunter - JN Chaney and Terry Mixon

In a nutshell: Two centuries after the Confederation staved off an invasion by the robotic Locusts, Captain Jack Romanoff faces mandatory retirement from an ever-shrinking Navy. Actions speak louder than words. The Confederation doesn’t think the Locusts are coming back. But what if the politicians are wrong?

Snared in a scheme he doesn’t fully understand or trust, Jack gets his promotion, but it comes with a catch. With a crew of rejects, he must restore the most powerful warship humanity has ever built, after centuries of neglect and decay, before time runs out. If he fails, humanity might not need to worry about history repeating itself ever again.

JR Handley said: “I loved this novel, and I would happily give it 5 out of 5 Grenades. I would comfortably suggest that someone use some of their hard-earned money on this novel, though it is available on Kindle Unlimited as well. This book has become a new favorite for me, right up there with Terry Mixon’s Empire of Bones Series. If you’re looking for your next hit of literary crack, you won’t go wrong with this series or these two authors.”

Did we miss one of your favorite titles we reviewed in 2022? Let us know in the comments! Or give us an earful on Twitter @Upstreamreviews.