Comments on: Further Clarke Reactions

By: Nick Hubble

Nick Hubble — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:44:46 +0000

You can’t really win on the predictability issue - either a book is rated by everyone and it wins and so the award is predictable, or else it doesn’t win and so everyone complains that the award is rubbish. OK, sometimes it is not so clear cut but the same principle loosely applies. If Morgan wins, people will say it’s predictable. If Sarah Hall wins, people will carp (possibly). Personally, I liked both of those and the Macleod very much. So a good shortlist even if people go on about Brasyl not being there.

As for Winterson, if they don’t submit there should be no complaint. The list was better last year for not having The Road or the Pynchon and it’s better this year for not having someone who rejects the genre.

By: Cheryl’s Mewsings » Blog Archive » Clarke Short List

Cheryl’s Mewsings » Blog Archive » Clarke Short List — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:07:31 +0000

[...] Winterson’s The Stone Gods (as championed by Jeff VanderMeer) but, as revealed in comments here, the book’s publishers refused to allow it to be considered, presumably because they [...]

By: Paul Kincaid

Paul Kincaid — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:47:59 +0000

Jeff: The Clarke Award has had rotating judges since it was set up. And there have been complaints that it is esoteric and unpredictable ever since the very first award went to Margaret Atwood. Would you care to say when, exactly, the award has been predictable?

By: Niall

Niall — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:53:07 +0000

Jeff: As Liz said, the award has rotating judges. Ironically, I think most people would consider the recent winners predictable (Air, Nova Swing) and the earlier winners (Vurt, He She & It) much less so.

As for the Winterson, it was requested but the publishers declined to submit it.

By: Liz

Liz — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:52:59 +0000

The Clarke judges do rotate, and tend to do one or two year terms. Brasyl is a UK 2007 publication. As for the Winterson, I don’t know if it was submitted but I’m sure someone will be along in a minute with a definite answer.

By: Science Fiction Awards Watch » Blog Archive » Clarke Award Nominees

Science Fiction Awards Watch » Blog Archive » Clarke Award Nominees — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:47:45 +0000

[...] Update: For this year’s reactions (outraged and otherwise) see Torque Control. [...]

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Jeff VanderMeer — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:39:14 +0000

Since when has the Clarke been esoteric and unpredictable? Only since a certain group of administrators and judges took over. Before then it was pretty darn predictable. If you’re not contemplating this already, you need to have rotating judges, just to get different perspectives in there. And I say this as someone who actually thinks your list this year is pretty interesting. That there are four books on there I haven’t read has me scrambling to updating my reading.

I also, though, have to put in a plug for Winterson’s The Stone Gods. It’s an audacious and fearless book, and that kind of thing should at least rewarded with a nomination.

As for Brasyl, was it published in the UK in 2007?

JeffV