Two novels tie for Campbell best science fiction novel award this year

I read on Friday that the winners of the prestigious John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel had been announced and this year there was a tie for first place.

This year’s Campbell winners for “best science fiction novel published in 2011” were “The Islanders” by Christopher Priest and “The Highest Frontier” by Joan Slonczewski.

The other finalists this year included:

- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

- This Shared Dream by Kathleen Ann Goonan

- Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh

- Dancing with Bears by Michael Swanwick

- Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson

- Home Fires by Gene Wolfe

- Seed by Rob Ziegler

The John W. Campbell Memorial Award was first given in 1973 and what follows is a complete list of the all-time winners.

1973 - Beyond Apollo by Barry N. Malzberg
1974 - Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke and Malevil by Robert Merle
1975 - Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick
1976 – The Year of the Quiet Sun by Wilson Tucker
1977 - The Alteration by Kingsley Amis
1978 - Gateway by Frederik Pohl
1979 - Gloriana by Michael Moorcock
1980 - On Wings of Song by Thomas M. Disch
1981 - Timescape by Gregory Benford
1982 - Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban
1983 - Helliconia Spring by Brian W. Aldiss
1984 - The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe
1985 - The Years of the City by Frederik Pohl
1986 - The Postman by David Brin
1987 - A Door into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski
1988 - Lincoln's Dreams by Connie Willis
1989 - Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling
1990 - The Child Garden by Geoff Ryman
1991 - Pacific Edge by Kim Stanley Robinson
1992 - Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede by Bradley Denton
1993 - Brother to Dragons by Charles Sheffield
1994 – No Award Given.
1995 - Permutation City by Greg Egan
1996 - The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter
1997 – Fairyland by Paul J. McAuley
1998 - Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
1999 - Brute Orbits by George Zebrowski
2000 - A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
2001 – Genesis by Poul Anderson
2002 - Terraforming Earth by Jack Williamson and The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson
2003 - Probability Space by Nancy Kress
2004 – Omega by Jack McDevitt
2005 - Market Forces by Richard Morgan
2006 – Mindscan by Robert J. Sawyer
2007 - Titan by Ben Bova
2008 - In War Times by Kathleen Ann Goonan
2009 - Little Brother by Cory Doctorow and Song of Time by Ian R. MacLeod
2010 - The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
2011 - The Dervish House by Ian McDonald
2012 - The Islanders by Christopher Priest and The Highest Frontier by Joan Slonczewski

In the end, how many of the books mentioned above have you had the chance to read? Which did you like or dislike and why? Which would you recommend and why? Which is your personal favorite and why? Let us know in the comments section below.