2011 British Science Fiction Shortlist

The British Science Fiction Association has announced finalists for their 2011 BSFA Awards. The nominees are:

Best Novel:

• Cyber Circus, Kim Lakin-Smith (Newcon Press)
• Embassytown, China Miéville (Macmillan)
• The Islanders, Christopher Priest (Gollancz)
• By Light Alone, Adam Roberts (Gollancz)
• Osama, Lavie Tidhar (PS Publishing)

Best Short Fiction

• “The Silver Wind”, Nina Allan (Interzone #233)
• “The Copenhagen Interpretation”, Paul Cornell (Asimov’s, July 2011)
• “Afterbirth”, Kameron Hurley (www.kameronhurley.com)
• “Covehithe”, China Miéville (The Guardian)
• “Of Dawn”, Al Robertson (Interzone #235)

Best Non-Fiction

• Out of This World: Science Fiction But Not as We Know It, Mike Ashley (British Library)
• The SF Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition, John Clute, Peter Nicholls, & David Langford, eds. (SF Gateway)
• Review of Arslan, M.J. Engh & Abigail Nussbaum (Asking the Wrong Questions blog)
• SF Mistressworks, Ian Sales, ed. (SF Mistressworks)
• Pornokitsch, Jared Shurin & Anne Perry, eds. (Pornokitsch)
• The Unsilent Library: Essays on the Russell T. Davies Era of the New Doctor Who, Graham Sleight, Tony Keen, & Simon Bradshaw (Science Fiction Foundation)

Best Art

• Cover of Ian Whates’s The Noise Revealed, Dominic Harman (Solaris)
• Cover and illustrations of Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls, Jim Kay (Walker)
• Cover of Lavie Tidhar’s Osama, Pedro Marques (PS Publishing)
• Cover of Liz Williams’s A Glass of Shadow, Anne Sudworth (Newcon Press)

According to Donna Scott, BSFA Awards Administrator, this year “we have had some very diverse nominations on the list, from filmed installations and exhibitions to podcasts and pocket books.” One example that did not make the list was the British Library’s Out of This World exhibition for the Non-Fiction Award, so “in recognition of the support it has received and its success in encouraging people to explore and enjoy science fiction… [BSFA] will be giving it the status of Specially Commended.”

Voting is open to all current members of the BSFA and Eastercon. Winners will be announced at the 2012 Eastercon, to be held April 6-9, 2012 at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow, London.