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Tonight the winner of the 2008 Arthur C Clarke awards will be announced and, while we know who we’re rooting for, we thought what better way to celebrate than to give away a book by the great man himself! Up for grabs is a special hardback edition of 2001: A Space Odyssey* by Arthur C Clarke, complete with a foreword by Stephen Baxter, one of this year’s shortlisted authors.

To enter, send your name with the title line “Arthur C Clarke” to orbit@littlebrown.co.uk. The winner will be chosen at random two weeks from today (May 14th). Good luck!

* This link doesn’t take you to the edition we’re giving away, but to the paperback copy that’s available to buy now.

We’re publishing The Digital Plague by Jeff Somers in both the UK and US next month, but in the meantime we’ve teamed up once again with Pat St Denis of Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist to give away two copies of the book in an email sweepstake.

Simply visit the Hotlist and follow the instructions to email in your entry. Good luck!

Fantasy fiction mega-blogger Pat St. Denis, of Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist fame, is currently running a sweepstake to win one of two copies of Small Favour, the brand new Dresden Files novel by Jim Butcher.

The entry conditions are simplicity itself: all you have to do is send Pat an email with your postal address. Just the once, though; he’s very strict about disqualifying multiple entrants (and quite right, too).

Full details can be found over at fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com.

Pop over to Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist for a chance to win a copy of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Last Wish.

The Last Wish introduces The Witcher, one of the best loved heroes of fantasy in Europe, and recently the star of the hit PC video game from Atari. You can check out the trailer for the game here, and some gameplay animation here (rated mature). There’s an enhanced edition of the game set for release this summer. The Witcher is currently PC only, so console players will have to wait (or talk their significant others into a video card upgrade… hmmm.)

Geralt was also the object of some gentle ribbing at Penny Arcade. Having read the book that inspired the game, we can assure you that yes, he is indeed the Witchest.

The Last Wish will be available from Orbit in the US in May.

Congratulations to Sue Guttridge from Dorset and Rob Davies from Massachusetts, our winners in the competition for a free advance copy of Matter (UK | US ) by Iain M. Banks.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Matter (UK | US ) the new Culture novel by Iain M. Banks, is set to hit shelves in three weeks. Can’t wait? Then send us your name, email, and place of residence in an email with the subject ‘Matter contest’ for a chance to win a free advance copy. One (1) lucky US and one (1)lucky UK winner will get a copy sent directly to them — so be sure to let us know where you’re emailing from! The contest closes at midnight (GMT) on Sunday, January 13th. Good luck!

Over at SF World Mark Yon (clearly skeptical about any urban fantasy starring a Vampire) finds a lot to like in Jennifer Rardin’s Once Bitten, Twice Shy:

“This is one that should be read: one for me that stands with my current faves Jim Butcher and Mike Carey.”

At Scifichick.com Angela has a review of the next book in the Jaz Parks series, Another One Bites the Dust,

“With more action and tougher bad guys, this sequel doesn’t disappoint.”

And for a chance to win a copy of the first two books in the series (plus what looks like a very tasty chocolate snowman) visit Urbanfantasy.blogspot.com

Are you a US resident? Are you concerned about surviving (and thriving!) in a future populated by cybernetic monks and brutal security forces? If you answered yes, check out the near-future-dystopia-survival-kit sweepstakes at the Orbiteer. And be sure to sign up to our newsletter for upcoming contests and exclusives.

Scifichick.com is hosting a giveaway of Jennifer Rardin’s Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Stop by for a chance to win.

Blogger Graeme Flory has just reviewed Fiona McIntosh’s Odalisque, which Orbit UK publishes this month. He says of it: “I found myself racing through the book to find out how it ended and now I want to read more. McIntosh has created a cast of characters that get under your skin and stay there; relationships are vividly drawn and made this reader want to work through to their conclusions.” You can read the rest of his review here, and there’s also a competition to win one of ten signed copies.

Micro-blogging tool Twitter seems to be the web application everyone’s talking about at the moment. If you’re using it, you can follow updates to this site through our Twitter page.

Finally, Orbit readers in South Africa may be interested in the Fantasy Feast, a special promotion being run through August and September at the Reader’s Paradise bookshop in Cape Town.

There’s a great review of Sean Williams’ Saturn Returns, recently published by Orbit UK, at Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review. Graeme concludes that it “ties up enough loose ends to give a satisfying sense of closure while leaving the broader plot strands to run on into later books . . . I think this will shape up to be one of the better sci-fi series that are out there.”

Graeme is also running a competition to win one of ten signed copies of the book — just visit his website for more details. But do hurry — entries need to be in by Monday 9 July.

Readers in the UK can find Saturn Returns in good bookshops, including Waterstone’s, where it’s being promoted as the SF Bookseller’s Choice for July.