British Science Fiction Association award for best novel of 2009

China Miéville’s lastest novel The City & the City has been awarded the British Science Fiction Association award for the best novel of 2009. Miéville’s story of a murder investigation in parallel worlds has been compared with the works of Kafka, Orwell and Phillip K. Dick. The City & the City has also been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2010 for the best science fiction novel of the year. He has previously won that award on two occasions with Perdido Street Station and Iron Council.

The City & the City is also considered to be the leading contender for the two most prestigious American science fiction awards – the Hugo and the Nebula. Miéville’s novels have previously been nominated for both of these awards but to date have failed to capture either title. The Hugo Awards are awarded for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy and are run by and voted on by fans. They were first awarded in 1953. The shortlist for that award was announced on April 4th with the winner to be announced in September. The children’s book entitled The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman won the 2008 award. The Nebula Awards are annual awards presented by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to celebrate excellence in science fiction and fantasy writing and are awarded for the best books published in the United States during the previous year. Miéville’s book is one of the six titles to be shortlisted for the 2009 award for best novel, the winner of which will be announced on May 15th. The young adult novel Powers by Ursula Le Guin won the 2008 award.