The shortlist for the 2008 Hugo Awards has just been released, and we are delighted to see that Charles Stross‘s cutting-edge near future heist thriller, Halting State, has made the ballot. This is the fifth consecutive year that a Charles Stross novel has been shortlisted for the Hugo, passing the great Robert Silverberg‘s previous record, which is an amazing achievement. Many congratulations to Charlie on his most recent shortlisting – we’ve all got our fingers crossed that he walks away with the rocket ship, this year!

Oh, and I’ve read his forthcoming space opera, Saturn’s Children – don’t bet against it being six-in-a-row, this time next year . . .