This is a very good Monday. I'm thrilled to announce that The Red Men is on the shortlist for the prestigious Arthur C Clarke award, in some very fine company. Click below for the full shortlist.

The Red Men
Matthew de Abaitua - Snowbooks

The H-Bomb Girl
Stephen Baxter - Faber & Faber

The Carhullan Army
Sarah Hall - Faber & Faber

The Raw Shark Texts
Steven Hall - Canongate

The Execution Channel
Ken MacLeod - Orbit

Black Man
Richard Morgan - Gollancz

Tom Hunter, administrator for the Arthur C. Clarke Award said:

"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 prize will be announced at a ceremony on 30th April, by which time I will be even fatter than I am now, so that'll be a fun sartorial challenge. Huge thanks to the judges and good luck Matthew!