These are my personal awards to my favourite novels of each year. Most novels that I rate 3 or less don't appear; any that you see rated 3 are really 3+.
Because this is only an award of esteem, and nothing more tangible, these awards are not permanent and can be changed at any time.
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Year | Award | My rating | Title | Series | Author | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Candidate | 4 | Amongst Our Weapons | Peter Grant | Ben Aaronovitch | Fantasy, crime |
2021 | Winner | 5 | The Galaxy, and the Ground Within ![]() |
Wayfarers | Becky Chambers | Gentle far-future sf, no violence |
Also ran | 4 | The Assassins of Thasalon | World of the Five Gods | Lois McMaster Bujold | Fantasy, crime | |
Also ran | 4 | A Desolation Called Peace ![]() |
Teixcalaan | Arkady Martine | Far-future sf | |
2020 | Winner | 4 | Network Effect ![]() |
Murderbot | Martha Wells | Far-future sf |
2019 | Winner | 4 | A Memory Called Empire ![]() |
Teixcalaan | Arkady Martine | Far-future sf |
2018 | No award | |||||
2017 | No award | |||||
2016 | Winner | 4 | The Hanging Tree | Peter Grant | Ben Aaronovitch | Fantasy, crime |
Also ran | 3 | A Girl in Time | Girl in Time | John Birmingham | Time-travel sf | |
Also ran | 3 | A Closed and Common Orbit ![]() |
Wayfarers | Becky Chambers | Far-future sf | |
2015 | Winner | 3 | A Murder of Mages | Maradaine Constabulary | Marshall Ryan Maresca | Fantasy, crime |
2014 | Joint winner | 4 | Foxglove Summer | Peter Grant | Ben Aaronovitch | Fantasy, crime |
Joint winner | 4 | The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet | Wayfarers | Becky Chambers | Far-future sf | |
2013 | No award | |||||
2012 | Winner | 4 | Whispers Under Ground | Peter Grant | Ben Aaronovitch | Fantasy, crime |
Also ran | 4 | Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance ![]() |
Vorkosigan | Lois McMaster Bujold | Far-future sf | |
2011 | Winner | 4 | Rivers of London | Peter Grant | Ben Aaronovitch | Fantasy, crime |
2010 | No award | |||||
2009 | Winner | 4 | Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron | Shades of Grey | Jasper Fforde | Sf or fantasy? |
2008 | Winner | 4 | In the Courts of the Crimson Kings | Lords of Creation | S. M. Stirling | Alternative history, sf |
Also ran | 4 | When the Tide Rises | RCN | David Drake | Far-future military sf | |
2007 | No award | |||||
2006 | Winner | 3 | Rainbows End ![]() |
– | Vernor Vinge | Near-future sf |
2005 | Winner | 5 | The Hallowed Hunt | World of the Five Gods | Lois McMaster Bujold | Fantasy |
2004 | Winner | 5 | Going Postal | Discworld | Terry Pratchett | Fantasy, postal service |
Also ran | 4 | Weapons of Choice | Axis of Time | John Birmingham | Time-travel military sf, Second World War | |
2003 | Winner | 5 | Paladin of Souls ![]() |
World of the Five Gods | Lois McMaster Bujold | Fantasy |
Also ran | 4 | Conquistador | – | S. M. Stirling | Parallel-worlds sf | |
2002 | Winner | 5 | The Peshawar Lancers | – | S. M. Stirling | Alternative history, sf |
Also ran | 4 | Night Watch | Discworld | Terry Pratchett | Fantasy, time travel, crime, politics | |
2001 | Joint winner | 4 | The Eyre Affair | Thursday Next | Jasper Fforde | Bizarre fantasy, alternative history, crime |
Joint winner | 4 | The Curse of Chalion ![]() |
World of the Five Gods | Lois McMaster Bujold | Fantasy | |
2000 | Winner | 4 | On the Oceans of Eternity | Nantucket | S. M. Stirling | Time-travel sf |
1999 | Joint winner | 5 | A Civil Campaign ![]() |
Vorkosigan | Lois McMaster Bujold | Far-future sf, romantic comedy |
Joint winner | 5 | Against the Tide of Years | Nantucket | S. M. Stirling | Time-travel sf | |
Also ran | 4 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ![]() |
Harry Potter | J. K. Rowling | Schoolboy fantasy | |
Also ran | 3 | A Deepness in the Sky ![]() |
Zones of Thought | Vernor Vinge | Far-future sf | |
1998 | Joint winner | 5 | Komarr | Vorkosigan | Lois McMaster Bujold | Far-future sf, crime, romance |
Joint winner | 5 | Island in the Sea of Time | Nantucket | S. M. Stirling | Time-travel sf | |
Also ran | 4 | With the Lightnings | RCN | David Drake | Far-future military sf | |
1997 | Winner | 4 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | Harry Potter | J. K. Rowling | Schoolboy fantasy |
1996 | Winner | 4 | Memory ![]() |
Vorkosigan | Lois McMaster Bujold | Far-future sf, crime |
Also ran | 3 | Hogfather | Discworld | Terry Pratchett | Fantasy | |
1995 | No award | |||||
1994 | No award | |||||
1993 | Winner | 4 | Men at Arms | Discworld | Terry Pratchett | Fantasy, crime |
1992 | Winner | 3 | A Fire Upon the Deep ![]() |
Zones of Thought | Vernor Vinge | Far-future sf |
Also ran | 3 | The Guns of the South | – | Harry Turtledove | Time-travel military sf, American Civil War | |
1991 | No award | |||||
1990 | Winner | 4 | Wings | Nomes | Terry Pratchett | Humorous sf |
Also ran | 3 | Good Omens | – | Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett | Fantasy | |
Also ran | 3 | The Wizardry Compiled | Wizardry | Rick Cook | Parallel-worlds fantasy | |
1989 | Joint winner | 4 | Truckers | Nomes | Terry Pratchett | Humorous sf |
Joint winner | 4 | A Study in Sorcery | Lord Darcy | Michael Kurland | Alternative history, fantasy, crime | |
Also ran | 3 | Wizard’s Bane | Wizardry | Rick Cook | Parallel-worlds fantasy | |
Also ran | 3 | The Silver Pigs | Marcus Didius Falco | Lindsey Davis | Historical, Roman Empire, crime | |
1988 | Joint winner | 4 | Wyrd Sisters | Discworld | Terry Pratchett | Humorous fantasy |
Joint winner | 4 | Ten Little Wizards | Lord Darcy | Michael Kurland | Alternative history, fantasy, crime | |
Joint winner | 4 | Perchance: A Tale of the Paraverse | – | Michael Kurland | Parallel-worlds sf | |
1987 | Winner | 5 | Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency | Dirk Gently | Douglas Adams | Sf and fantasy, time travel |
1986 | Winner | 5 | Marooned in Realtime ![]() |
Bobble | Vernor Vinge | Far-future sf |
Also ran | 4 | Ethan of Athos | Vorkosigan | Lois McMaster Bujold | Far-future sf | |
1985 | Joint winner | 4 | The Proteus Operation | – | James P. Hogan | Time-travel sf, Second World War |
Joint winner | 4 | The Zenda Vendetta | Time Wars | Simon Hawke | Time-travel to a fictional past | |
1984 | Winner | 5 | The Peace War ![]() |
Bobble | Vernor Vinge | Near-future sf |
Also ran | 4 | The Ivanhoe Gambit | Time Wars | Simon Hawke | Time-travel to a fictional past | |
Also ran | 4 | The Timekeeper Conspiracy | Time Wars | Simon Hawke | Time-travel to a fictional past | |
Also ran | 4 | The Practice Effect | – | David Brin | Sf/fantasy | |
1983 | Winner | 4 | The Anubis Gates | – | Tim Powers | Time-travel fantasy |
1982 | Winner | 3 | Coils | – | Roger Zelazny and Fred Saberhagen | Near-future sf/fantasy |
1981 | Winner | 3 | The Ceres Solution | – | Bob Shaw | Near-future sf |
1980 | Winner | 3 | Thrice Upon a Time | – | James P. Hogan | Near-future sf |
1979 | Winner | 4 | Roadmarks | – | Roger Zelazny | Time-travel sf |
Also ran | 3 | The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy | Hitch Hiker’s Guide | Douglas Adams | Near-future sf | |
1978 | No award | |||||
1977 | Winner | 4 | The Dosadi Experiment | ConSentiency | Frank Herbert | Far-future sf |
1976 | Winner | 4 | Doorways in the Sand ![]() |
– | Roger Zelazny | Near-future sf |
Also ran | 4 | The Witling | – | Vernor Vinge | Far-future sf, teleportation | |
1975 | Winner | 4 | Crocodile on the Sandbank | Amelia Peabody | Elizabeth Peters | Historical, 19th century Egypt, crime, humorous |
Also ran | 3 | The Shockwave Rider | – | John Brunner | Near-future sf | |
Also ran | 3 | Showboat World | Big Planet | Jack Vance | Far-future sf, humorous adventure | |
1974 | Winner | 5 | The Mote in God’s Eye ![]() |
Moties | Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle | Far-future sf, first contact |
Also ran | 4 | Worlds Apart | – | Richard Cowper | Parallel-worlds fantasy | |
Also ran | 3 | Ice and Iron | – | Wilson Tucker | Near-future sf | |
1973 | Winner | 4 | Protector ![]() |
Known Space | Larry Niven | Far-future sf, first contact |
Also ran | 3 | Today We Choose Faces | – | Roger Zelazny | Far-future sf | |
1972 | Winner | 4 | The Patterns of Chaos | – | Colin Kapp | Far-future sf, first contact |
Also ran | 4 | Arigato | – | Richard Condon | Historical, 20th century, crime | |
1971 | No award | |||||
1970 | Joint winner | 4 | Ringworld ![]() |
Known Space | Larry Niven | Far-future sf |
Joint winner | 4 | The Flying Sorcerers | – | David Gerrold and Larry Niven | Humorous far-future sf | |
Also ran | 3 | The Year of the Quiet Sun ![]() |
– | Wilson Tucker | Near-future sf, time travel | |
Also ran | 3 | Nine Princes in Amber | Amber | Roger Zelazny | Parallel-worlds fantasy | |
1969 | Joint winner | 4 | Masque World | Anthony Villiers | Alexei Panshin | Light-hearted far-future sf |
Joint winner | 4 | The Unicorn Girl | – | Michael Kurland | Light-hearted parallel-worlds sf | |
Also ran | 3 | The Left Hand of Darkness ![]() |
– | Ursula K. Le Guin | Far-future sf | |
1968 | Joint winner | 5 | Star Well | Anthony Villiers | Alexei Panshin | Light-hearted far-future sf |
Joint winner | 5 | The Thurb Revolution | Anthony Villiers | Alexei Panshin | Light-hearted far-future sf | |
Also ran | 4 | A Gift from Earth | Known Space | Larry Niven | Far-future sf | |
Also ran | 3 | Stand on Zanzibar ![]() |
– | John Brunner | Near-future sf | |
1967 | Winner | 4 | Lord of Light ![]() |
– | Roger Zelazny | Far-future sf/fantasy |
1966 | Joint winner | 5 | Babel-17 ![]() |
– | Samuel R. Delany | Far-future sf |
Joint winner | 5 | Too Many Magicians ![]() |
Lord Darcy | Randall Garrett | Alternative history, fantasy, crime | |
Joint winner | 5 | World of Ptavvs | Known Space | Larry Niven | Future sf, first contact | |
Also ran | 3 | The Moon is a Harsh Mistress ![]() |
– | Robert Heinlein | Future sf | |
Also ran | 3 | The Witches of Karres ![]() |
– | James H. Schmitz | Light-hearted far-future sf/fantasy | |
1965 | Winner | 5 | The Mind Readers | Albert Campion | Margery Allingham | Near-future sf, telepathy, crime |
Also ran | 4 | Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen | Paratime | H. Beam Piper | Parallel-worlds military sf | |
1964 | No award | |||||
1963 | Winner | 4 | Way Station ![]() |
– | Clifford Simak | Far-future sf |
1962 | No award | |||||
1961 | Winner | 5 | Time is the Simplest Thing ![]() |
– | Clifford Simak | Future sf/fantasy |
Also ran | 4 | Stranger in a Strange Land ![]() |
– | Robert Heinlein | Near-future sf/fantasy | |
Also ran | 4 | Down the Hatch | Artful Bodger | John Winton | Historical, 20th century, military comedy | |
Also ran | 3 | Catch 22 | – | Joseph Heller | Historical, 20th century, military tragicomedy | |
1960 | No award | |||||
1959 | Winner | 3 | The Sirens of Titan ![]() |
– | Kurt Vonnegut | Far-future sf |
1958 | No award | |||||
1957 | No award | |||||
1956 | Winner | 5 | Tiger! Tiger! | – | Alfred Bester | Far-future sf, teleportation |
1955 | Winner | 4 | The Return of the King | Middle Earth | J. R. R. Tolkien | Fantasy |
Also ran | 4 | The Mouse That Roared | Grand Fenwick | Leonard Wibberley | Near-future sf, satirical comedy | |
1954 | Joint winner | 4 | The Fellowship of the Ring | Middle Earth | J. R. R. Tolkien | Fantasy |
Joint winner | 4 | The Two Towers | Middle Earth | J. R. R. Tolkien | Fantasy | |
Joint winner | 4 | Mission of Gravity ![]() |
Mesklin | Hal Clement | Far-future sf, first contact | |
1953 | Joint winner | 4 | More Than Human ![]() |
– | Theodore Sturgeon | Sf/fantasy, powers of the mind |
Joint winner | 4 | The Caves of Steel ![]() |
Robots | Isaac Asimov | Far-future sf, robots | |
Also ran | 3 | Bring the Jubilee | – | Ward Moore | Time-travel sf, alternative history | |
Also ran | 3 | Second Foundation | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | Far-future sf, psychohistory | |
Also ran | 3 | Hornblower and the Atropos | Hornblower | C. S. Forester | Historical, Napoleonic Wars, military | |
1952 | Joint winner | 3 | Foundation and Empire | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | Far-future sf, psychohistory |
Joint winner | 3 | Lieutenant Hornblower | Hornblower | C. S. Forester | Historical, Napoleonic Wars, military | |
1951 | Joint winner | 4 | Foundation | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | Far-future sf, psychohistory |
Joint winner | 4 | Time and Again | – | Clifford Simak | Far-future sf, time-travel, androids | |
1950 | Winner | 4 | Mr Midshipman Hornblower | Hornblower | C. S. Forester | Historical, Napoleonic Wars, military |
1946 | Winner | 3 | Mistress Masham’s Repose | – | T. H. White | Non-magical fantasy, Lilliputians |
1945 | Winner | 5 | The Commodore | Hornblower | C. S. Forester | Historical, Napoleonic Wars, military |
1943 | Winner | 5 | The Picts and the Martyrs | Swallows and Amazons | Arthur Ransome | Historical, 20th century, children’s adventures |
1941 | Winner | 3 | No Bed for Bacon | – | Caryl Brahms and S. J. Simon | Historical, circa 1600 AD, comedy |
1939 | Winner | 3 | Secret Water | Swallows and Amazons | Arthur Ransome | Historical, 20th century, children’s adventures |
1937 | Winner | 4 | We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea | Swallows and Amazons | Arthur Ransome | Historical, 20th century, children’s adventures |
1936 | Winner | 3 | Pigeon Post | Swallows and Amazons | Arthur Ransome | Historical, 20th century, children’s adventures |
1933 | Winner | 5 | Sweet Danger | Albert Campion | Margery Allingham | Historical, 20th century, crime, adventure |
Also ran | 5 | Winter Holiday | Swallows and Amazons | Arthur Ransome | Historical, 20th century, children’s adventures | |
1931 | Winner | 3 | Swallowdale | Swallows and Amazons | Arthur Ransome | Historical, 20th century, children’s adventures |
1930 | Winner | 3 | Swallows and Amazons | Swallows and Amazons | Arthur Ransome | Historical, 20th century, children’s adventures |
1926 | Winner | 3 | The Jovial Ghosts | Topper | Thorne Smith | Fantasy, ghosts |
1923 | Winner | 4 | Leave It to Psmith | Psmith | P. G. Wodehouse | Historical, comedy |