The Courier's New Bicycle Explained

The Courier's New Bicycle
Author:Kim Westwood
Country:Australia
Language:English
Genre:novel
Publisher:Voyager, Australia
Release Date:2011
Media Type:Print (Paperback)
Pages:327
Isbn:9780732289881
Preceded By:The Daughters of Moab

The Courier's New Bicycle (2011) is a novel by Australian author Kim Westwood. It was shortlisted for the 2012 Ned Kelly Awards for Best First Crime Novel, and won the 2011 Aurealis Award and the 2012 Ditmar Award for Best Novel.

Plot summary

The novel is set in a Melbourne of the future, when the rate of human reproductive success has dropped markedly as a result of reactions to a hastily developed and widely distributed flu vaccine. A thriving black market in fertility treatments has arisen, facilitated by Salisbury Forth, the courier of the title.

Reviews

Niall Harrison on Strange Horizons noted that the novel is "perhaps more than anything else a story about identity, about the tension between who you say you are and who they say you are".[1]

Awards and nominations

In 2011, Locus included The Courier's New Bicycle on their list of recommended science fiction novels.[2]

Awards for The Courier's New Bicycle!Year!Award!Result!
2011Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction NovelWinner[3]
James Tiptree Jr. AwardHonor[4] [5]
2012Davitt Award for Best Adult Crime NovelShortlist
Ditmar Award for Best NovelWinner[6]
Ned Kelly Award for Best First NovelShortlist[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: "The Courier's New Bicycle by Kim Westwood" by Niall Harrison . dead . . 2015-08-01 . 2015-09-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150906021057/http://www.strangehorizons.com/reviews/2012/07/the_couriers_ne.shtml .
  2. Web site: 2012-02-01 . 2011 Recommended Reading List . 2024-08-16 . . en-US . 2024-04-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403050015/https://locusmag.com/2012/02/2011-recommended-reading-list/ . live .
  3. Web site: 2011 Aurealis Award winners . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130903075928/http://www.aurealisawards.com/media-release_winners2011.pdf . 3 September 2013 . 2012-05-19 . SpecFaction NSW.
  4. Web site: The James Tiptree, Jr. Award Database . 26 January 2019 . James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award.
  5. Web site: 2012-03-12 . Hairston Wins Tiptree . 2024-08-16 . . en-US . 2023-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231107071604/https://locusmag.com/2012/03/hairston-wins-tiptree/ . live .
  6. Web site: 2012-06-13 . 2012 Ditmar Award Winners . 2024-08-16 . . en-US . 2023-10-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231011000634/https://locusmag.com/2012/06/2012-ditmar-award-winners/ . live .
  7. Web site: 2012-08-01 . Ned Kelly 2012 shortlist announced . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220811112905/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2012/08/01/24498/ned-kelly-2012-shortlist-announced/ . 2022-08-11 . December 25, 2023 . . en-AU.