A bumper mailing includes:

BSFA AWARDS BOOKLET 2011

Featuring all the shortlisted short stories…
The Silver Wind by Nina Allan
The Copenhagen Interpretation by Paul Cornell
Afterbirth by Kameron Hurley
Covehithe by China Miéville
Of Dawn by Al Robertson

FOCUS 58

All the science you don’t need to know: Think writing hard sf is difficult? Just get the basics right, says Alastair Reynolds

Fighting for words: Dev Agarwal explains why a good fight scene is about more than choreography.

Masterclass 9: What I know: In the last of his regular articles, Chris Priest offers sage advice.

One vial or two: C John Arthur on doing biochemistry for real. It’s not much like CSI…

Writing The Other: Clarke Award-winning author Lauren Beukes says that if you want to write the other convincingly, you need to ask questions.

Over the wall: Gary Budgen wonders why class isn’t a more important issue for writers.

To plug or not to plug?: Should authors promote their own works. Juliet E McKenna says it is good for readers and good for business.

Learning to love learning: Paul Graham Raven returns with the latest update from his Masters adventure.

Poetry in a SF magazine?: The new Focus poetry editor, Charles Christian, discusses sf poetry.

Plus, News from Orbit, more from the Turkey City Lexicon and my editorial, which I can no longer remember writing…

VECTOR 270

ARTICLES

BSFA Reviewers’ Poll – The Best of 2011 Edited by Martin Lewis

2011 in Pictures Jonathan McCalmont on films.

From Outcasts to Black Mirror: British SF Television 2011 Alison Page

Gaia Beware: Infertility in Science Fiction due to Bioterrorism, Pollution and Accidental Iatrogenic Events Victor Grech with Clare Thake-Vassallo and Ivan Callus

Modern Marvels: The Fairy Tales of Victorian Science and Technology Melanie Keene

RECURRENT
Kincaid in Short: Paul Kincaid on The Disappearance of Elaine Coleman
Picture This: Terry Martin on comics
Resonances: Stephen Baxter on his favourite short stories
Foundation Favourites: Andy Sawyer on Kingdoms of the Elfin

THE BSFA REVIEW
In this issue Adam Roberts reviews The Weird, Shaun Green looks at small press novellas, Maureen Kincaid Spellar considers Danish SF, Dan Hartland reads a book of essays on Stanislaw Lem, Paul Kincaid discusses Kim Lakin-Smith’s debut novel, Abigail Nussbaum reviews Gareth L Powell’s The Recollection, I review Dark Eden by Chris Beckett and much more…