Sylvia Bishop

Science fiction writers on the other side of the Iron Curtain were profoundly free-thinking intellects and have much to tell us, argues Yvonne Howell, Professor of Russian and Global Studies at the University of Richmond. She introduces five of their best works: the play that gave us the word ‘robot’, the novel that introduced ‘stalkers’ to the genre, and stories that explore AI and ecological crisis decades before they became pressing concerns.

For Shakespeare, comedy was not simply about laughter, but about conflict and confusion giving way to resolution and a happy ending — at least by the standards of the Elizabethan era. The dilemmas these plays explore are still strikingly relevant, argues Heather Hirschfeld. She explores five Shakespearean comedies that speak to us today — on everything from power to identity to shared humanity, all mixed in with witty banter and plenty of room for clowns.

Knitting provides a slow, screen-free creative outlet, and opens up a wealth of style choices that you can’t buy on the high street. We asked the author and knitting teacher Rosie Fletcher to recommend five knitting books to take you from total beginner to jumper enthusiast, via troubleshooting manuals, easy-knit projects, stitch dictionaries, and vintage patterns.

Sci fi with a touch of humour can help us explore the oddities of existence, argues bestselling author Andrew Hunter Murray. He picks five books that made him laugh, from dystopias to outer space to crime thrillers, each with a unique perspective to make us chuckle – sometimes at ourselves.

Chinese science fiction is increasingly available in English, and mirrors the country’s philosophical and historical developments. Chinese literature scholar Mingwei Song, a professor at Wellesley, talks us through his top five choices—from 1905 to the present day—and tells us about the ‘new wave’ taking the Chinese literary world by storm.

Sewing is a creative outlet, and gives you the freedom to create your own style. Alison Smith MBE gives her five top sewing books for a beginner, chosen from her collection of four- or five- hundred. With guidance on textiles, techniques, patterns and equipment, these provide a comprehensive guide for the new and not-so-new sewer.

Sci fi dystopias are often, paradoxically, hopeful: they show oppressive systems, but they also show resistance. Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky picks out five titles that deserve more readers, ranging from near-futures to space operas, but all featuring complex humans responding to dire circumstances.

Mythological beings were ever-present in the world for ancient Egyptians. Author Garry J. Shaw introduces his five best books to get started, from guides to source texts to lavish illustrations. He tells us why the worst parts were never written down, where to look for ghosts and magical spells, why the north is less well understood than the south, and why life is less well understood than the elaborate rituals of death.

Stonehenge does not stand alone: it is surrounded by earlier monuments, it was built alongside a settlement and other sites, and it presides over graves and shrines from people who lived centuries and even millennia later. In modern history, it has inspired a Druidry movement, hosted a military airbase, drawn festival crowds and seen police brutality. Susan Greaney pulls out five books that tell the many stories of Stonehenge, the astonishing monument that continues to surprise us with each new excavation.

The Arthur C Clarke award highlights six outstanding science fiction books every year. This year’s field shows the breadth of contemporary science fiction, says chair of judges Andrew M. Butler. From antimemetics to royal rewilding, this year’s list offers something for everyone – and will be won, however the votes fall, by somebody who has never received the award before.