Science fiction authors Matthew de Abaitua, Stephen Baxter, Sarah Hall, Steven Hall, Ken MacLeod and Richard Morgan are the six

The six shortlisted books are:

The Red Men: Matthew de Abaitua -- Snow Books

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The H-Bomb Girl: Stephen Baxter - Faber & Faber

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The Carhullan Army: Sarah Hall - Faber & Faber

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The Raw Shark Texts: Steven Hall - Canongate

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The Execution Channel: Ken MacLeod - Orbit

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Black Man: Richard Morgan - Gollancz

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Tom Hunter, administrator for the Arthur C. Clarke Award told SFcrowsnest, "The announcement of a new Clarke Award shortlist is always a highlight of the UK's science fictional calendar, and this year's list, featuring an all UK line-up of top authors, promises to continue this trend."

"Featuring visions as diverse as a dystopian Cumbria and a future Hackney, time-travel adventures in 1960's Liverpool and an alternate world British Isles in the throes of terrorist attack, through to tech-noir thrillers and a trawl through subconscious worlds where memories fall prey to metaphysical sharks, the Clarke Award has never been so close to home and relevant to the British literary scene."

"The Clarke Award has always been about pushing at the speculative edges of its genre. It's one possible map amongst many, never the whole territory, and this year's shortlist stands as both the perfect introduction to the state of modern science fiction writing as well as a first tantalising glimpse of possible futures to come."

The judging panel for the 2008 Arthur C. Clarke Award are Niall Harrison and Claire Weaver for the British Science Fiction Association, Pat Cadigan and Francis Spufford for the Science Fiction Foundation and Pauline Clarke for the science fiction website SF Crowsnest.com. Paul Billinger represents the Arthur C. Clarke Award as the Chair of Judges.

This is the first Clarke Award shortlist to include a YA novel - The H-Bomb Girl by Stephen Baxter. The shortlist also features two first time novelists, Matthew de Abaitua and Steven Hall. This is only the second shortlist to be made up of all UK authors in the Award's history. The first time was in 2006.

A prize of £2008 will be awarded to the winner along with a commemorative engraved bookend.

The annual award is presented for the best science fiction novel of the year, and selected from a list of novels whose UK first edition was published in the previous calendar year.

The winner will be announced on Wednesday 30th April at an award ceremony held on the opening night of the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival: See www.sci-fi-london.com

10/03/2008. Source: Jessica Martin
http://www.sfcrowsnest.com/features/arc/2008/nz12346.php

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