Which sci-fi novel will win this year's Arthur C. Clarke Award?

The six finalists for this year’s Arthur C. Clarke Award were announced earlier today, and this year’s shortlist includes some of the hottest science fiction titles of the year.

Named for one of the biggest names in science fiction, the Arthur C. Clarke Award is given annually for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. For more information about the Arthur C. Clarke Award, visit www.clarkeaward.com.

This year’s finalists are:

- “God’s War” by Kameron Hurley

- “Ancillary Justice” by Anne Leckie

- “The Disestablishment of Paradise” by Phillip Mann

- “Nexus” by Ramez Naam

- “The Adjacent” by Christopher Priest

- “The Machine” by James Smythe

The winner will be announced on May 1 at the Royal Society in London.

The Arthur C. Clarke Award was first given in 1987, and past recipients include such famous science fiction writers as Margaret Atwood, China Mieville and Neal Stephenson. What follows is a complete list of the all-time winners.

1987 – “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
1988 – “The Sea and Summer” by George Turner
1989 – “Unquenchable Fire” by Rachel Pollack

1990 – “The Child Garden” by Geoff Ryman
1991 – “Take Back Plenty” by Colin Greenland
1992 – “Synners” by Pat Cadigan
1993 – “”Body of Glass” by Marge Piercy
1994 – “Vurt” by Jeff Noon

1995 – “Fools” by Pat Cadigan
1996 – “Fairyland” by Paul J. McAuley
1997 – “The Calcutta Chromosome” by Amitav Ghosh
1998 – “The Sparrow” by Mary Doria Russell
1999 – “Dreaming in Smoke” by Tricia Sullivan

2000 – “Distraction” by Bruce Sterling
2001 – “Perdido Street Station” by China Mieville
2002 – “Bold As Love” by Gwyneth Jones
2003 – “The Separation” by Christopher Priest
2004 – “Quicksilver” by Neal Stephenson

2005 – “Iron Council” by China Mieville
2006 – “Air” by Geoff Ryman
2007 – “Nova Swing” by M. John Harrison
2008 – “Black Man” by Richard Morgan
2009 – “Song of Time” by Ian R. MacLeod

2010 – “The City and the City” by China Mieville
2011 – “Zoo City” by Lauren Beukes

2012 – “The Testament of Jesse Lamb” by Jane Rogers

2013 – “Dark Eden” by Chris Beckett

How many of these books have you had a chance to read? What did you think about them? Which did you like, dislike? Which would you recommend and why? Let us know in the comments section below.