There's some very strong contenders this year, most of which are likely to stay in print for a long, long time; but ultimately I think it's a toss-up between Anathem and Little Brother. I had a hard time choosing before clicking on Little Brother. If not for Doctorow's book there, I wouldn't even have had to think about choosing Anathem, but Doctorow's book, to me, is more 'important' in the sense that it deals with some very current issues. It's the kind of book that can act as an ambassador for the field in that respect, apart from the obvious fact it's immensely, compulsively readable. Also, that it's freely downloadable vastly increases the pool of potential readers should it win.
|