On Wednesday, China Miéville won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for his fantasy -tinged crime thriller The City and the City, which has just been released in paperback (Del Rey PB 9780345497529 $15.00) .

He’s the only author to have received this honor, one of the highest given in the science fiction community, three times.

His response was quintessentially British, saying he was “completely gobsmacked”.

From my point of view, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Miéville is a bookseller’s dream; bending over backwards at his readings to be unfailingly polite to readers and bookstore staff alike.

I still haven’t read the darn thing yet. My copy of the galley sits on my desk, taunting me…

(via io9-photo credit Nick Cunard / Rex Features)