Us Brits have a set of science fiction awards too, y’know. Maybe the BSFA Awards are not as big and high-profile as the Nebulas, but we’re pretty proud of them nonetheless.
The shortlists for this year’s BSFA Awards were announced last night. Here are the ones to do with fiction:
Best Novel:
- Alice in Sunderland – Bryan Talbot (Jonathan Cape)
- Black Man – Richard Morgan (Gollancz)
- Brasyl – Ian McDonald (Gollancz)
- The Execution Channel – Ken MacLeod (Orbit)
- The Prefect – Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz)
- The Yiddish Policemen’s Union – Michael Chabon (Fourth Estate)
Best Short Fiction:
- “Lighting Out” – Ken MacLeod (disLocations; NewCon Press)
- “Terminal” – Chaz Brenchley (disLocations; NewCon Press)
- “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” – Ted Chiang (F&SF, September)
- “The Gift of Joy” – Ian Whates (TQR)
- “The Sledge-Maker’s Daughter” – Alastair Reynolds (Interzone #209)
I think the Best Novel category will be closely fought – I’ll have to think carefully about my vote for that one.
As Niall Harrison points out, Ted Chiang probably has the Short Fiction in the bag. Personally, I thought that to be one of his weakest pieces – not bad by any stretch of the definition, but nowhere near as good as some of the material preceding it. Selah.
Your thoughts?
[tags]BSFA, awards, science fiction[/tags]
I tend to agree with you about the Chiang. Not his best – although I may not have been so impressed when I read it as I’d only recently finished Robert Irwin’s The Arabian Nightmare. As for the rest… The Reynolds is the only one I’ve not read. I’ll have to dig out that copy of IZ.
Not sure about the novels – I’ve only read two of them so far, although all were on my to-buy list. Usually there are a couple I’ve either never heard of, or have no intention of reading. I’m not sure what that says about 2007.
That novel list looks familiar…. https://futurismic.com/2007/12/31/a-new-years-look-at-2007s-science-fiction/
I wonder why Halting State was left off.
I definitely agree with you about the Chiang, Paul. It’s probably his weakest ever, in my opinion. It was enjoyable, but didn’t set fire to my brain like most of his stories have.
It still amazes me that all the talk seems to be about the Chiang story. Okay, I confess a certain bias here, but I still rate both Chaz Brenchley’s story and Ken MacLeod’s as two of the best I’ve read anywhere in years. The latter is one of two stories from the disLOCATIONS anthology picked up by Gardner Dozois for his next ‘Year’s Best’ anthology, so at least somebody agrees with me.
Tomas – the UK edition of Halting State wasn’t published in 2007, and hence isn’t eligible for a BSFA this time round.
Thanks Paul, that makes sense. i think that’s a really strong list – I was tempted to put McLeod on my list but due to time constraints and it being a library book i didn’t get to finish it. I haven’t read the Talbot book but the others are all excellent.