Not The Booker Prize

This year’s Booker Long List was released yesterday (see The Guardian for the nominees). While this year’s list isn’t entirely “about post-colonial guilt, Irish poverty or English middle-class Islingtonians having Terribly Important Thoughts about their boring love lives” — it does include the autobiography of a chimp, and a book by Tiptree winner Sarah Hall — it is certainly light on the speculative fiction. So the fine chaps at the Guardian Book Blog have decided to launch their own rival contest. We, the people, get a chance to nominate books we think ought to have been on the long list, and then we get to vote on them. Current nominees include China Mieville and Gwyneth Jones, and the current hot favorite appears to be the excellent John the Revelator. Feel free to add your own suggestions (and please check the eligibility criteria). Let’s encourage people to read some interesting books.

4 thoughts on “Not The Booker Prize

  1. Thanks Cheryl! And yes, I’m really hoping to be able to cover some good SF here, on equal terms with (for want of a better term) the literary fiction… So please do nominate your favourites.

  2. I registered and nominated Spirit by G. Jones which is just an astounding novel.

    Mieville C/C was not for me but I did not expect it to be, I was surprised I loved the first part but it fell apart in the second part since I just detest police procedurals. After the superb Bas-Lag novels, this one was like a magician that can build universes juggling a hundred balls in the air – impressive trick for 5 minutes, but a trick and soon boring especially when you know what he is capable of…

    I also bought Byatt’s Children novel today from Book Depository from the Booker list linked form here; sounds what i love and I cannot wait for the October US release

    I will look into Mantel too – I read a historical novel about the French Revolution that I liked by the author and although Henry VIII and his times is not that interesting for me I may get this one too

  3. Liviu:

    Delighted that you like the Jones. However, as I understand the contest rules it only takes one nomination to get a book to Round 2, and I had already nominated Spirit. I fear you may have wasted your vote.

  4. Well for one it’s good to show support and for another the other two books I may have nominated were nominated before too – Quiet War and White is for Witching

    My preference is Spirit, White is for Witching, Quiet War so when the second round starts I will vote for Spirit unless one or the other drums support for top 6 before I vote…

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