Via Stephen Hunt's SF Crowsnest web site, one of the sponsors of this award: the 2009 short list for the Arthur C. Clarke Award has been announced. The Award was originally established by a grant from Sir Arthur C. Clarke to promote science fiction in Britain. Presently the nominees may be of any nationality as long as the English-language novel is first published in the UK in the prior year. This year, the prize winner will receive about £2000.

The nominees are:

• Song of Time: Ian R. MacLeod - PS Publishing
• The Quiet War: Paul McAuley – Gollancz
• House of Suns: Alastair Reynolds – Gollancz
• Anathem: Neal Stephenson – Atlantic
• The Margarets: Sheri S. Tepper – Gollancz
• Martin Martin’s on the Other Side: Mark Wernham – Jonathan Cape