Eric Brown is top

We love Eric Brown to bits, and it seems plenty of other people do too. As well as selling by the truckload, his first Solaris novel Helix was a critical favourite too. Popular downloadable magazine The Hub voted it their SF novel of the year (see issue #39). Premier news site SF Signal included it as one of their best books of the year, as did influential blog Visions of Paradise.

So what's next from the great man? In short, Kethani. The guys at glossy UK newsstand magazine SciFi Now have managed to get their hands on a very advance preview copy, and in issue #10 they tell the world how good it is. They, um, how can we put this, bloody love it...

"SciFi Now MUST READ NOW! ... This is surely one of Brown's breakthrough stories, an achievement that highlights the extensive talents of an author destined, like his characters, for something far greater. [Five stars]."

They go on to say more elsewhere in this issue...

"Hugo Awards 2008 - our thoughts on what should be receiving the nod at this year's Worldcon
Kethani - Brown's touching and emotional exploration on the cusp of evolution is worthy of recognition. In fact, it'll be a crime it it doesn't at least get a nomination."

We almost haven't the heart to tell them that only books published in 2007 will be eligible for this year's award... and Kethani will be in stores in May 2008. But hold that thought for 09, chaps, because frankly you are right about this book.