Thanks to
Best Fantasy Novel: Iron Council, China Mieville – Hugo nominee as well.
Best First Novel: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke – another Hugo nominee
Best YA Book: A Hat Full of Sky, Terry Pratchett;
Best Novella: “Golden City Far”, Gene Wolfe – must look out for it.
Best Novelette (tie): “Reports of Certain Events in London”, China Mieville & “The Faery Handbag”, Kelly Link – the Link story is a Hugo nominee
Best Short Story: “Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Nameless house of the Night of Dread Desire”, Neil Gaiman – sounds from the title alone much better than any of the Hugo nominees!
Best Anthology: The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-First Annual Collection, Gardner Dozois (ed.);
Best Collection: The John Varley Reader, John Varley;
Best Non-Fiction Book: The Wave in the Mind, Ursula K. Le Guin
OK, off to update my Hugo nominees page.
I’ve really enjoyed the depiction of the Ice Warriors in Big Finish – first in Bernice Summerfield, then in the Eighth Doctor Adventures, and this one was one of my favourites. Lots of crunchy action for Ace! The combination of Cold War Russia and Ice Warriors was just so splendid, and the image of the Ice Warrior regularly vanishing out the window of the hotel room was very appealing!
I spent most of the story dreading that the character of Raina would be killed off the second her baby was born, one of my least favourite story tropes, and was quite shocked at her being unexpectedly saved… the way she was taken over by the Ice Warrior was really powerfully done.