Two science fiction novels tie for this year's BSFA Award for Best Novel

The winners of this year’s slate of British Science Fiction Association Awards were announced recently during the 65th Annual Eastercon in Glasgow, Scotland.

For those of you unfamiliar with the BSFA Awards, they are given each year by the British Science Fiction Association to “honor works in the genre of science fiction.” Nominees and winners are selected by a vote of BSFA members and Eastercon members. (Eastercon is the common name of a long-running British sci-fi convention that dates back to 1948.)

This year’s winners, in four categories, included the following works:

Novel – (Tie) "Ancillary Justice" by Ann Leckie and "Ack-Ack Macque" by Gareth L. Powell

Short Fiction – “Spin” by Nina Allan

Art – Cover for Tony Ballantyne’s "Dream London" by Joey Hi-fi

Non-Fiction – “Wonderbook” by Jeff VanderMeer

The Best Novel Award is arguably the most prestigious of the annual BSFA Awards, and what follows is a complete list of the all-time winners in that category.

1969 – “Stand on Zanzibar” by John Brunner

1970 – “The Jagged Orbit” by John Brunner
1971 – “The Moment of Eclipse” by Brian W. Aldiss
1972 – No award (insufficient votes)
1973 – “Rendezvous with Rama” by Arthur C. Clarke*
1974 – “Inverted World” by Christopher Priest

1975 – “Orbitsville” by Bob Shaw
1976 – “Brontomek!” by Michael G. Coney
1977 – “The Jonah Kit” by Ian Watson
1978 – “A Scanner Darkly” by Philip K. Dick
1979 – “The Unlimited Dream Company” by J.G. Ballard

1980 – “Timescape” by Gregory Benford
1981 – “The Shadow of the Torturer” by Gene Wolfe
1982 – “Helliconia Spring” by Brian W. Aldiss
1983 – “Tik-Tok” by John Sladek
1984 – “Mythago Wood” by Robert Holdstock

1985 – “Helliconia Winter” by Brian W. Aldiss
1986 – “The Ragged Astronauts” by Bob Shaw
1987 – “Grainne” by Keith Roberts
1988 – “Lavondyss” by Robert Holdstock
1989 – “Pyramids” by Terry Pratchett

1990 – “Take Back Plenty” by Colin Greenland
1991 – “The Fall of Hyperion” by Dan Simmons
1992 – “Red Mars” by Kim Stanley Robinson
1993 – “Aztec Century” by Christopher Evans
1994 – “Feersum Endjinn” by Iain M. Banks

1995 – “The Time Ships” by Stephen Baxter
1996 – “Excession” by Iain M. Banks
1997 – “The Sparrow” by Mary Doria Russell
1998 – “The Extremes” by Christopher Priest
1999 – “The Sky Road” by Ken MacLeod

2000 – “Ash: A Secret History” by Mary Gentle
2001 – “Chasm City” by Alastair Reynolds
2002 – “The Separation” by Christopher Priest
2003 – “Felaheen” by Jon Courtenay Grimwood
2004 – “River of Gods” by Ian McDonald

2005 – “Air” by Geoff Ryman
2006 – “End of the World Blues” by Jon Courtenay Grimwood
2007 – “Brasyl” by Ian McDonald
2008 – “The Night Sessions” by Ken MacLeod
2009 – “The City and the City” by China Mieville

2010 – “The Dervish House” by Ian McDonald
2011 – “The Islanders” by Christopher Priest
2012 – “Jack Glass” by Adam Roberts
2013 – “Ancillary Justice” by Ann Leckie and “Ack-Ack Macaque” by Gareth L. Powell

The BSFA began giving an award in non-fiction in 2001. What follows is a list of the all-time winners in the non-fiction category.

2001 – “Omegatropic” by Stephen Baxter
2002 – No award
2003 – “Reading Science Fiction” by Farah Mendlesohn
2004 – No award
2005 – “Soundings: Reviews, 1992-1996” by Gary K. Wolfe

2006 – No award
2007 – No award
2008 – “Rhetorics of Fantasy” by Farah Mendlesohn
2009 – “Mutant Popcorn” by Nick Lowe
2010 – “Blogging the Hugos: Decline” by Paul Kincaid

2011 – The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, 3rd Edition” by John Clute, Peter Nicholls, David Langford and Graham Sleight
2012 – “The World SF Blog,” Chief Editor Lavie Tidhar
2013 – “Wonderbook” by Jeff VanderMeer

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