Kelly Link

Call Link's bewitching potion of fantasy, horror, and literary fiction "kitchen-sink magic realism," or simply call it genius. Her self-published story collections, Stranger Things Happen and Magic for Beginners, charmed the literary world with stories that — despite being populated by zombies, aliens, and talking cats — capture how it feels to be human. -Larissa N. Dooley

Salvador Plascencia

This 28-year-old native Spanish speaker exploded onto the literary scene this past summer with his wildly experimental debut, The People of Paper. Plascencia has been hailed as a "once-in-a-generation talent," which must be sweet revenge for an author whose novel, before being picked up by McSweeney's, was initially rejected by — his word — "everyone." -Larissa N. Dooley

Wells Tower

The Paris Review published Wells Tower three years ago, and the rest of the world is starting to catch on: Ben Marcus hyped his story about marauding, slacker vikings, and Harper's sent him undercover during the '04 campaign. A collection of Tower's fiction is in the works, so his name can finally grace a spine of its own. -Chris Lamb

Sam Lipsyte

Sam Lipsyte became every blogger's book crush this year with his delightfully misanthropic novel Home Land, which takes the form of a series of vitriolic missives sent by a 30-something loser to his high school alumni newsletter. Building off his excellent earlier work, Lipsyte's gift for creating irresistibly sympathetic assholes makes him one to watch. -Toby Warner

Jeff Chang

Music critic Jeff Chang came correct this year with his monumental history of hip-hop, Can't Stop Won't Stop. This habit-forming tome traces the music from its Bronx beginnings to its current global domination in a lively narrative that insists on social context and political engagement. While such a book clearly represents years of Chang's life, we can only hope there's more to come. -Toby Warner