When Gravity Fails

Gail Martin's Hawthorn Moon

2009-06-18T15:55:00.004+01:00

It's that time of the year again! Gail Z. Martin's big Hawthorn Moon promotion now has details on Gail's website, with an exclusive preview of Dark Lady's Chosen, the next book in the Chronicles of the Necromancer series. Not only that, but Gail will be Twittering the first chapter of Dark Lady’s Chosen on June the 19th.

James Maxey Free Extracts!

2009-06-09T15:53:00.002+01:00

James Maxey wrote in to tell us that he'll be discussing and publishing extracts from his forthcoming novel Dragonseed.

"With exactly one month left until the official release date of Dragonseed, I plan to post one preview chapter each Monday until the book actually hits stores. I'm going to follow each chapter with a brief "director's commentary" feature, where I'll briefly discuss my creative process behind the chapter. I'll try to keep the commentary section spoiler free; mainly, I will be discussing things such as why I chose a particular POV character, what I know about the larger setting that didn't make it into the book, etc."

Check out his site for updates!.

"Irons in the Fire" Review at Strange Horizons

2009-05-29T14:43:00.002+01:00

There's a wonderful review of Irons in the Fire, Juliet McKenna's latest and greatest epic fantasy novel:

One of the great pleasures of Juliet McKenna's novels—to date, the five-volume Tales of Einarinn (1999-2002) and the Aldabreshin Compass quartet (2003-2006)—is the sense that they are set in a pre-modern world not simply because that is how genre fantasy is done, but because the author has a very clear understanding of how a pre-modern world works, and has stories to tell that (with a magical twist) emerge from it naturally. Characters and nations, institutions and trade routes, folklore and theatre productions: all are expressions of the societies and cultures around them, which in turn are born of a complex, dynamic past. This is fantasy, in other words, with a strong sense of both place and history, one in which the world emerges from the lived experience of its varied characters, rather than grand vistas of description.

Irons in the Fire, the first in a new series from a new publisher for McKenna, is a typically rich, robust and unsentimental effort, which sees revolution brewing in Einarinn.

Read more at Strange Horizons.

SFF Ethics Blog

2009-05-26T08:15:00.001+01:00

Andy Remic dropped us a line about a new all-star multi-author blog called SFF Ethics.

"Our mission is to celebrate everything positive, funky and exciting in the Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror Universe!

The SFFE is a core platform, a hub of authors who have banded together with the aim of celebrating all that is positive in genre fiction. We aim to leave cynicism and negativity at the door, and concentrate on what makes us smile, what entertains us, and what brings light and joy to our SF, fantasy and horror universe.That's not to say there is no place for criticism--- there's plenty bad in the world. However, this little digital corner is a place for positive progression, somewhere you will (hopefully) come if you want to smile."

You can check out the blog here.

Dragon Age Fan Site

2009-05-18T10:43:00.002+01:00

James Maxey dropped us a line to tell us about a new Dragon Age fan site.

"Dragons!

Lots and lots of dragons; that's what prompted me to pick this book up and I'm glad I did. Werewolves, wolves and dragons are huge selling points for me. If a book contains one of them, you can be pretty sure that I've at least picked it up, even if I haven't bought it.

In this lens we're going to have a close look at the books Bitterwood and DragonForge written by James Maxey. I'll tell you what I liked, what I didn't like, as well as provide you with a brief overview of both books.

Not only that, but we'll also take a closer look at the author, James Maxey. I'll provide you with some links to his blog and website and go one-on-one with him in an exclusive interview.

If you're looking for an in-depth review, you don't want to miss out on this lens. Keep on reading and you won't be disappointed."

Eric Brown Reviews

2009-05-14T10:04:00.003+01:00

The blog of the Science Fiction Society of Northern New Jersey has a lot of love for Eric Brown. First they reviewed Eric Brown's Helix.

Helix combines both concepts with a superb sense of character and story that are hallmarks of the Eric Brown style of science fiction. The characters, whether human or alien, are real and honest: just plain folks who do not seem forced, archetypical, or unrealistic. Much like Kethani, Helix explores more than just the normal tropes of science fiction, it turns the genre on and kicks it up a few notches. At once a bold human interest story and an action adventure story, Helix has something for every reader.

And they've also given a wonderful review of Kéthani:

"430 pages of deep thought, philosophy, and high concept science fiction await you if you pick up Eric Brown's Kethani, and if that sort of thing appeals to you as much as it did to me, then I highly recommend that you grab a copy and gobble it up."

Sidewise Award Nominations

2009-05-08T08:29:00.002+01:00

The finalists for the 2008 Sidewise Awards - the world's premier Alternate History fiction prize - have just been announced and Chris Roberson's The Dragon's Nine Sons is up for the long-form Alternate History crown while three stories from Lou Anders' Sideways in Crime make the list in the short-form category. Even our own George Mann got in on the act with a nod for his novel The Affinity Bridge on the long-form shortlist. Full details can be found here.

The winners will be announced at the 67th World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal which takes place from 6-10 August 2009.

Congratulations to all the nominees – 2008 was a strong year for Alternate History fiction and everyone on either shortlist would be a worthy winner.

Laurentine Spy Review

2009-04-30T08:09:00.002+01:00

The Book Smugglers have reviewed Emily Gee's new novel, The Laurentine Spy.

"I could not ask more from a character piece and putting aside the expectation that I had for a pure fantasy novel and the surprise I felt for getting more romance than I asked for, The Laurentine Spy was a great read indeed... Verdict: A great, exhilarating and dramatic read with a lot of romance."

BIOHELL - the ZX SPECTRUM game of Andy Remic's uber SF novel!

2009-04-30T07:52:00.003+01:00

Just got this in the inbox from Andy Remic!

PRESS RELEASE - BIOHELL for the ZX SPECTRUM game release

That's right, Biohell for the Speccy is available this Friday 1st May from my website www.andyremic.com. It's a free download, and the first person to send me the solution and password gets a copy of my first five books, whilst the next three runners up get a copy of my latest novel Biohell, published by Solaris Books. And yes, I know the game ain't as gud as a new Joffa Smifff game, but it was all done as a bit of fun and any feedback and comments are appreciated!!

FIRST REVIEW of BIOHELL for the 48K ZX Spectrum
by Jonathan Cauldwell

In Biohell, technology may be part of the solution, but it is also part of the problem. You see, the world described in Biohell is a bleak one. The future isn't bright, nor is it orange (actually, the Spectrum doesn't do orange, only red or yellow, but I digress.) The future is grim. Pollution, death and decay are all that are to be found amid the twisted metal and concrete ruins of the city. Mutilated body parts litter the streets, shells of burnt-out cars lie smoking in the rubble, and zombies prowl the alleyways looking for victims. One wonders where the author finds his inspiration - has he visited Mansfield on a Saturday night?

Within minutes of first loading this game up, I managed to die in two equally unpleasant, yet quite different ways. Both deaths were subsequently avoided over the following games after a little further exploration, but the question remains: did I really want to live in such a desperate scenario? The gritty reality portrayed in LS Lowry's paintings is nothing compared to the landscape of horror and despair painted by Remic's detailed descriptions.

Amid the blood, [poo] and burnt-out cars, the zombies (they must be Commodore 64 owners), and the tower blocks there is a mission to be accomplished. Unfortunately, I haven't found it yet as I'm still lost in a series of tunnels. On reflection, perhaps that's the safest place to be. Temporary sanctuary from the next grisly encounter Remic has in store for me.

THE GAME

BIOHELL is a fast-paced hardcore first-person epic graphical text adventure, utilising guns and bombs to progress across a nano-molecular zombie-infested city game-world where you, FRANCO HAGGIS, must battle AIs, aliens and, of course, horrible zombie mutations. The game utilises advanced AI for behavioural patterns in advanced violent textual adversaries, superlative 8-bit advanced 3D bump-mapping, a full range of 8 (yes 8!!) colours and advanced shading techniques, advanced textual parser and many advanced Spectrum features!! Hell, this game is just totally advanced!!

BIOHELL – THE STORY

The City: an entire planet teeming with corruption, guns, sex, and designer drugs. Humans are upgraded by the injection of microscopic nanobots, courtesy of a new technology from the Nano-Tek corporation, but when this highly desirable technology heads onto the black market, millions of people inject themselves with pirated biomods - and transform into zombies. Now they roam the streets, out for blood, packing shotguns and bombs. The Combat K squad are dropped into this warzone to uncover what's turned the planet into a wasteland of murder and mutations, and soon their focus is on the darkness at the Nano-Tek corporation itself...

The next SPECTRUM/ REMIC project, if you can believe this, is writing the Spectrum 48K version of HALF LIFE 2, by VALVE SOFTWARE. I am currently just negotiating the rights with Gabe Newell!! Watch this space!!

Kind Regards to ALL!!

Review of "The Laurentine Spy"

2009-04-20T08:44:00.003+01:00

Fantasy Book Critic has written a fabulous review of The Laurentine Spy, the new novel from Emily Gee.

"One such great read was Emily Gee’s “The Laurentine Spy” which hooked me so completely that as soon as I finished reading the novel, I immediately reread it again to pick up any nuances that I might have missed the first time around. Then I read it once more just for the pure enjoyment of it..."

"Irons in the Fire" Musings

2009-04-16T13:28:00.002+01:00

Juliet McKenna, author of the fabulous new fantasy novel Irons in the Fire, has been introduced in this guest spot over at Joshua Palmatier's blog.

With Irons in the Fire being my tenth novel, I’ve noticed something new about the way people say, "But I haven’t read your other books." What they’re actually asking is, "Must I read all your other books for this one to make sense?" Which is a fair question.

The answer is no. Irons in the Fire begins a new series, carefully written to be entirely comprehensible to anyone coming fresh to my work. This was something I and the editorial team at Solaris agreed on in the early stages. Once the final draft was written, we checked by finding a Solaris staffer who hadn’t read my other books. Indeed, he’d been banned from them once we signed the contracts. So he could find out if this new book made sense to a newcomer to my fictional world. I’m delighted to say it did. Better yet, he’s been on tenterhooks for the second and third instalments.

So what’s it about? Well, the unfolding of The Lescari Revolution does have roots in my earlier writing. My first series, the Tales of Einarinn, features men and women living on the edges of legality and society, including some mercenaries. They get caught up in the rediscovery of ancient magic and a lost land over the ocean and the consequences on different people, good and bad. That’s good and bad people, as well as good and bad consequences.

Check out the rest of the post.

Review of "Biohell"

2009-04-08T14:23:00.003+01:00

My Favourite Books have reviewed Andy Remic's latest kick-ass tome, Biohell.

Each of the Combat K squad are drawn into this maelstrom through a combination of vengeance, love and betrayal, forced to put aside their differences in order to survive. They’re certainly not the chisel jawed heroes of classic sci-fi adventures; they’re flawed, immoral, fallible and occasionally demented, but they fit the world they live in.

Biohell was a treat to read, a refreshing blast of unadulterated, violent fun. It does what it says on the box!

SF Site Review "The Accord"

2009-04-03T15:13:00.002+01:00

There's a great and in-depth review at SF Site of Keith Brooke's stunning new SF novel The Accord.

...a novel that combines elements of love story, thriller, and work of ideas, yet gains its impact from being more than the sum of these. And it all works. It works brilliantly. In The Accord, Keith Brooke has created a dazzling work of the imagination.

Juliet McKenna guest post: This ‘Solitary Writing’ Business

2009-03-31T09:40:00.002+01:00

From the first time you get a writing contract, bemused friends and family take refuge in accepted literary clichés. ‘Writing, that’s a solitary life’ is one favourite. But by my tenth novel, Irons in the Fire, I’m more convinced than ever this particular piece of wisdom is outdated, if not plain wrong.

Granted, there’s some truth here. Stringing words together is a solo activity for author with pen or keyboard. But once that first draft is done, every writer I know looks to test-readers and editors for feedback. Every piece I’ve ever written, fiction and non-fiction, has been improved by helpful comments when fresh eyes have read it. Yes, writers tend to work at home, alone apart from the cats. But now that solitude only lasts till you log on to the Internet. Forums, blogs and social networking means a UK based writer will have conversations with readers and other authors all over the world-wide web.

But what about the creative process? Only one central vision can drive a book. Again, only up to a point. An essential part of that process is bouncing ideas off other people, listening to their comments and puzzling over the questions they throw back. The evolution of the Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution is a case in point.

The country of Lescar forms part of the backdrop to my first series, The Tales of Einarinn. Those stories involve an assortment of men and women from the fringes of society, some of them mercenaries. Mercenaries need somewhere to fight, to earn their coin and learn their swordplay. So I sketched in Lescar, with six rival dukes all convinced they should be High King and thus perpetuating skirmishing unrest and occasional open warfare. I wrote the origins of this unhappy situation into the history of the collapsed Old Tormalin Empire and satisfied myself the wider economics of the region would support this running sore. Oh, and established reasons why magic didn’t just solve it all. Job done.

Only as I continued writing, I kept contemplating Lescar’s troubles. Divided societies interest me. With an Irish father and an English mother, I realised early on that the version of Irish history I learned in a true-blue English grammar school was radically at odds with the tales I heard at my Catholic grandmother’s knee. I have friends who’ve lived and worked in Yugoslavia-as-was and subsequently in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia. The Israel-Palestine question has featured in news and political debate all my life.

The more I thought about Lescar, the more convinced I became that some of the people would decide they were as mad as hell and not about to take it any more. I mentioned this to my husband, Steve, who said fine, but what was the story? That’s where I got stuck. I had a few thoughts but none of them convinced him. ‘That sounds like a boring book about peasants covered in mud,’ he warned. Since I suspected he was right, I tucked those ideas away.

Then Peter Crowther of PS Publishing invited me to write a novella. I needed an idea to complement my on-going series of books without causing major continuity problems. So I looked at Lescar again. A novella was an ideal way to explore that troubled society, to consider how ordinary people might try to relieve their own suffering, and ultimately to explain why they couldn’t succeed.

So I wrote Turns & Chances. I devised a conspiracy of priests and craftsmen, linked to Lescari exiles in neighbouring countries. The conspirators would send young men and women and anyone falling foul of the dukes to safety. They would secretly work to frustrate the dukes’ plans when fresh warfare threatened. Writing such an episode, where the ordinary folk decide the outcome of a battle, would definitely not be a tale of peasants covered in mud.

I wrote the story from successive points of view, as information passed from hand to hand, from the duke’s mistress spying for her uncle the priest, following every link in the chain to the lad caught up in the battle and its aftermath. The stable boy, the housewife, the blacksmith, the duke’s bastard son and the unwilling militia-conscript could only see events from their limited perspective. It was for the reader to understand the big picture.

Only there were things in that story that I hadn’t seen myself, until Peter Crowther invited Chaz Brenchley to write an introduction, in keeping with the novella series format. Chaz wrote about fantasy in general, my writing within that tradition and specifically about this story. He saw what I hoped; appreciating this perspective on the common enterprise and sacrifice of ordinary people. Which, he pointed out, underpins revolutions. He was absolutely right. I hadn’t realised it myself but now it was obvious. Lescar needed a revolution!

But how? I’d nailed down this intractable situation. Lescar was mired in ancient grudges, with shifting ducal alliances undermining any progress towards a solution. Those Lescari living in exile thought they were helping by sending goods and money but that only sustained the on-going strife. Those Lescari living in exile…

Well now. These would be people with a clearer perspective on their homeland. As second class citizens, they’d find common cause as Lescari more important than divisions they’d left behind. They would have ties to that conspiracy of priests and craftsmen. Those who had prospered in exile would understand the economics sustaining the dukes and know where they were vulnerable. Those with an intellectual inclination would have found a refuge in the universities of Vanam and Col, already mentioned in the Tales. They’d have links with like-minded Lescari nobles, the only people with the leisure for scholarly pursuits. Then there would be those driven by anger and desire to avenge injustices suffered. I began to see a multi-stranded narrative, enriched by all these different points of view.

As I developed this scenario, reading up on revolutions across Europe, Britain and America, questions from readers of my earlier books kept prompting further ideas to improve this story. Those who’d read Turns & Chances wanted to know more about Failla, the Duke of Carluse’s mistress. Those who’d enjoyed the Tales were still asking what had happened to Charoleia, the information broker and woman of many faces, all of them beautiful. She’d be more than happy to earn some gold finding out what these exiled plotters needed to know. When they needed military advice, she’d naturally turn to those experienced mercenary brothers Sorgrad and Gren, who had plenty of fans waiting for their further adventures.

What about magic? I’d explained why wizardry, the elemental magic of air, earth, fire and water was never going to feature in Lescar’s wars. Not officially, anyway, though I’d already found one loophole in the Archmage’s edict. This world has more than one magic though. What about Artifice, the mental magic rediscovered in the Tales? Plenty of readers wanted to know more about that. Artifice could give these would-be revolutionaries a key advantage. What would the Archmage make of that?

As I saw how existing characters could play their part in this tale and created new men and women, young and old, to drive the narrative onwards, the overall shape of the story became apparent. This is a natural trilogy. The first phase is these people deciding they need a revolution and making that happen. Then they have to win the inevitable battles. Then they must make their revolution stick. Historically, that’s always been the trickiest bit, with the seeds of success or failure often planted in the earliest events.

So I invite you to read Irons in the Fire, where the Lescari Revolution gets underway, and see if you can guess at the eventual outcomes. Because really, when you think about it, writing can never be a solitary business. Writers and their books will always need readers!

“Evil Robot Monkey” for the Hugo!

2009-03-20T08:25:00.002Z

Congratulations to Mary Robinette Kowal. Her story in The Solaris Book of New SF 2, "Evil Robot Monkey" has been nominated for the Hugo award for best short story!

Two Stunning Guardian Reviews

2009-03-12T08:28:00.002Z

There were two mighty fine reviews of Solaris books in the Guardian recently. The first write-up is of Keith Brooke's The Accord:

"Brooke's fifth science-fiction novel is an intelligent examination of the technological possibilities of VR and a brilliant dissection of how individuals and society will change when freed from material bounds. The Accord is not only Brooke's best novel to date, but one of the finest to broach the subject of virtual reality."

And secondly, a lovely review of The Solaris Book of New SF 3.

"this series goes from strength to strength... there isn't a dud in the entire collection."

Biohell For The Spectrum

2009-03-09T10:23:00.003Z

I think there are so many levels of awesome to this. Andy Remic is programming a Spectrum game for his latest novel, Biohell.

Ah, the Spectrum. Days of my youth were spent on this gadget,although most of that was waiting for the games to load up only for them to crash.

Charlaine Harris Enjoys Justin Gustainis's "Evil Ways"

2009-02-27T08:25:00.002Z

Best-selling author Charlaine Harris has read and loved Evil Ways, by Justin Gustainis.

I really enjoyed Justin Gustainis’s BLACK MAGIC WOMAN, so I was pleased to get a copy of EVIL WAYS. Here’s the thing – I think EVIL WAYS is much better, and BLACK MAGIC WOMAN was a good book. (I’ve got to comment that I think the cover is silly, but that’s just me.) Once again, investigator Quincey Morris teams with witch Libby Chastain to track down the killer of several white witches. The trail leads right to Walter Grobius, a billionaire (no one’s content to be a millionaire any more) who’s very unwisely hired a black witch to prolong his miserable life. The black witch, in turn, unwisely believes he can handle the powers he’s raising.

Morris and Chastain are lucky to have killer Hannah Widmark on their side. They’re also lucky that greed overwhelms good sense. This is a fast-paced book full of adventure, some of it very unpleasant and genuinely frightening.

Review of Three Unbroken

2009-02-17T09:02:00.003Z

Chris Roberson's Three Unbroken, the next novel in the popular Celestial Empire series, gets a great review over at SF Signal.

A non-stop story that thoroughly entertains

Chris Roberson's Celestial Empire series continues to be a rich setting for telling enjoyable stories. In addition to numerous short fiction pieces (some of which are reviewed here), Roberson has written a few novels that highlight an important milestone of this intriguing alternate future history -- a future in which Imperial China has become a superpower and wages war with their frequent enemy, the Mexic Dominion.

The latest book, Three Unbroken, details the fight to reclaim the planet Fire Star (Mars) as seen through the eyes of a trio of fighters for the Dragon Throne's cause: Arati Amonkar, whose dream to fly drives her to become a pilot for the Interplanetary Fleet; Micah Carter, whose failure to pass the Imperial bureaucracy entrance exams leads him to serve in the Green Standard Army; and Niohuru, a privileged youth who eschews the repetitive boredom of everyday life for the glory of battle as part of the elite group of Imperial Bannermen.

Hardcore

2009-02-13T12:34:00.009Z

More Remic news! We now have the final artwork for the third Combat-K novel, Hardcore. It's the handiwork of one Marek Okon, who also painted the Age of Ra cover for us. I believe it's what the youth of today refer to as 'skill'. There's something quite unpleasant and medical-looking going on in the background though. I'm trying not to look at it too closely.

Remic Signing & Review

2009-02-11T10:28:00.003Z

Andy Remic sent us a photo on from his successful signing at Forbidden Planet! Check out his blog to hear what he said.

Also, Zombie Dirt gives a good review of Biohell.

"Before you crack open this novel you should ask yourself: Do I enjoy violent sci-fi coupled with disgusting mutants and a creatively forged universe setting? If you can check: "Positive!" to any of those qualifiers I highly recommend checking out Andy Remic's novel "Biohell". If your reading tendencies trend towards cuddly creatures that hug out their emotions, steer well clear of this book."

Solaris Books On Locus Recommended Reading List

2009-02-06T08:02:00.004Z

Solaris had three titles featured in the 2008 Locus Recommended Reading list. Congratulations to all involved!

Sideways in Crime, edited by Lou Anders.
Extraordinary Engines, edited by Nick Gevers.
The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction Vol 2, edited by George Mann.

Novelettes

Shining Armor (SBNSF)
Machine Maid (Extraordinary Engines)
Sacrifice (Sideways in Crime)

Short Stories

The Dream Reason (Extraordinary Engines)
Evil Robot Monkey (SBNSF)
The Blood of Peter Francisco (Sideways in Crime)
Fifty Dinosaurs (SBNSF)
Fixing Hanover (Extraordinary Engines)
The Eyes of God (SBNSF)

Lou Anders on Adam Roberts

2009-02-05T09:51:00.002Z

Editor Lou Anders has written a very interesting feature for Tor.com on Adam Roberts.

Adam Roberts is one of my favorite science fiction writers going. He is the author of ten science fiction novels and two novellas, all of them brilliant works of epic scope and scale. Adam jumps from hard SF to biting satire, from the ends of time to the decades just ahead. Jon Courtenay Grimwood called him, “the king of high concept SF,” and I couldn’t agree more. He’s also the author of a number of critical works, including the the Palgrave History of Science Fiction. Under the pseudonym A.R.R.R. Roberts he even writes a series of parody novels. (Of the lot, my favorite title is Doctor Whom: E.T. Shoots and Leaves.) DeathRay wrote of him recently that, “You never know exactly what you’re going to get with an Adam Roberts novel, and that’s a strength: each of his books is very different in feel from the last.”

Lord Picacio

2009-02-03T12:13:00.003Z

Our first Picacio! And what a corker! Mark Chadbourn's rip-roaring, carcass-surfing (yes, really) fantasy novel, Lord of Silence, just cried out for something really special, so who else could we really use, but the uber-talented John Picacio?

We're going to keep posting him bags of top quality chocolate digestives until he agrees to paint something else for us.

Adam Roberts Says SF Awards Are Rubbish

2009-01-29T08:37:00.002Z

Author of Splinter, Adam Roberts, has written a fascinating article stating that SF Awards are rubbish.

But awards lists and best-ofs are rubbish, for all that. The problem is timescale.

It is a convention, no less foolish for being deeply rooted, that the proper prominence from which to pause, look back and make value judgments, is at the end of the year in question. This is wrongheaded in a number of reasons. One has to do with the brittleness of snap-judgments (why else do you think they’re called snap?). Take those fans and awards-panellists of the 1960s and 1970s who really really thought that the crucial figures of the genre were the often-garlanded Spider Robinson or Mack Reynolds rather than the rarely noticed Philip K Dick. They weren’t corrupt; they just spoke too soon. In the 1980s we went crazy for Julian May and John Varley and Vonda Mcintyre; but the truly significant figures from that decade turned out to be Alan Moore and Octavia Butler and William Gibson. SF academics who championed Jack Womack and Rachel Pollack 90s were right that they are interesting writers, but wrong that they’d prove the most enduring figures of 90s SF. (Does it seem right, in retrospect, that Iain M Banks never won a novel Hugo or a Clarke award?)

Indeed, awards themselves are sometimes motivated by a sense of this very belatedness: Green Mars wins the Hugo that, really, should have gone to Red Mars, a much better novel. Awards, conscious that they overlooked Important Figure’s masterwork a few years back (hindsight being 20:20) sometimes scrabble to make amends by giving the prize to Important Figure’s recent makeweight cash-in. That’s human. I’d guess Ben Bova’s Titan won the 2007 Campbell not because it was the best novel on the shortlist–’best’ comes nowhere near describing it; indeed it hardly deserves even ‘novel’–but because Bova himself is widely known and widely liked as a human and as a heart-in-the-right-place member of the SF community.

But there’s something even more corrosive at work. The particular requirement of awards-that the judges read a whole heap of novels-is, more than anything, the things that makes awards screwy. Properly to claim ‘X is the year’s best SF novel’ one would have to try and read the complete fictional output of one year in one year. Anybody who has tried this-even tried a shrunken, within-reason version of it (not thousands of novels; simply the 80 or 100 that are realistically award contenders)-will tell you it is more than a chore. It is a chore, but it is more. It is a distorting and hallucinatory experience.