Anne Charnock (born 8 June 1954) is a British author of science fiction novels. In 2018, she won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in science fiction, for her novel Dreams Before the Start of Time.
Anne Charnock | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Science fiction author |
| Notable works | Dreams Before the Start of Time |
| Notable awards |
|
| Website | |
| annecharnock | |
Career
editBorn in Bolton, England, Charnock has a background in environmental science, journalism, and fine art, which she incorporates into her science fiction writing.[1] She has worked as a science writer for The Guardian and New Scientist, and as a foreign correspondent.[2]
A Calculated Life is set in a dystopian near-future Britain shaped by advances in genetic engineering and corporate power; its protagonist is a ‘simulant’ (part human, part AI) leased to a corporation to generate economic predictions.[3] It was nominated for the 2013 Philip K. Dick Award.[4] Charnock’s novella The Enclave, set in the same world, follows migrant workers attempting to make a living in the UK, and it was published in a quartet of novellas by NewCon Press alongside works by Neil Williamson, Simon Morden and Alastair Reynolds.[5]
Charnock is also the author of Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind (47 North), published in 2015, a novel that braids together past, present and future, with a 15th-century Italian female artist at its centre.[6]
Her 2017 novel Dreams Before the Start of Time (47 North), is set in a future world where artificial wombs have become the primary method of reproduction and infertility has been eradicated. It won the Arthur C. Clarke award for science fiction in 2018.[2] In 2017, it was shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Award for Best Novel.[7]
In 2017, Charnock won the BSFA Award for Best Shorter Fiction for her novella The Enclave, published by NewCon.[7] Charnock was a judge during the 2018 James White Award short story competition,[8] and served as a judge for the Kitschies Awards in 2024.[9]
Awards
edit| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | A Calculated Life | Philip K. Dick Award | — | Finalist | [10] |
| Kitschies | Golden Tentacle (Dèbut) | Shortlisted | |||
| 2018 | The Enclave | BSFA Award | Short Fiction | Won | |
| 2018 | Dreams Before the Start of Time | Arthur C. Clarke Award | — | Won | |
| BSFA Award | Novel | Shortlisted | |||
| 2021 | "All I Asked For” | BSFA Award | Short Fiction | Shortlisted |
Bibliography
editNovels
edit- A Calculated Life (2013). Self-published.
- Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind (2015).
- Dreams Before the Start of Time (2017).
- Bridge 108 (2020).[11]
Chapbook
edit- The Enclave (2017)
Short stories
edit| Title | Year Published | Collection / Mag | ISBN | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "A Good Citizen" | 2017 | "A Good Citizen". 2084. Unsung Stories. 2017. | ISBN 978-1-907389-50-4 | [12] |
| "A Cure for Homesickness" | 2018 | "A Cure for Homesickness". Shoreline of Infinity (11.5). The New Curiosity Shop. April 2018. | ISBN 978-1-9997002-6-3 | [13] |
References
edit- ↑ "'Science fiction is like a Swiss army knife'". Independent [London, England]. 24 January 2016.
- 1 2 Cain, Sian (18 July 2018). "Arthur C Clarke award goes to 'classic' novel exploring the limits of pregnancy". the Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ↑ "Charnock, Anne". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Gollancz. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "2013 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Announced - SFWA". SFWA. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ↑ Lovegrove, James (7 April 2017). "Short review: NewCon Press Novella Set 1". Financial Times. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ↑ Roberts, Adam (3 December 2015). "Best science fiction and fantasy books of 2015". the Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- 1 2 "2017 BSFA Winners". Locus Online. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ↑ "2018 James White Award Shortlist". Locus Online. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ↑ "2024 (And Final) Kitschies Winners". Locus Magazine. Locus Science Fiction Foundation. 27 November 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "sfadb : Anne Charnock Titles". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ↑ "Bridge 108". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "Title: A Good Citizen". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ↑ "Title: A Cure for Homesickness". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved 28 July 2022.