The Courier's New Bicycle

The Courier's New Bicycle
AuthorKim Westwood
LanguageEnglish
Genrenovel
PublisherVoyager, Australia
Publication date2011
Publication placeAustralia
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages327
ISBN9780732289881
Preceded byThe Daughters of Moab 

The Courier's New Bicycle (2011) is a novel by Australian author Kim Westwood.[1] 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".[2]

Awards and nominations

In 2011, Locus included The Courier's New Bicycle on their list of recommended science fiction novels.[3]

Awards for The Courier's New Bicycle
Year Award Result Ref.
2011 Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel Winner [4]
James Tiptree Jr. Award Honor [5][6]
2012 Davitt Award for Best Adult Crime Novel Shortlist [7]
Ditmar Award for Best Novel Winner [8]
Ned Kelly Award for Best First Novel Shortlist [9]

References

  1. ↑ "The Courier's New Bicycle by Kim Westwood". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  2. ↑ ""The Courier's New Bicycle by Kim Westwood" by Niall Harrison". Strange Horizons. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  3. ↑ "2011 Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. 1 February 2012. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "2011 Aurealis Award winners" (PDF). SpecFaction NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "The James Tiptree, Jr. Award Database". James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  6. ↑ "Hairston Wins Tiptree". Locus Online. 12 March 2012. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  7. ↑ ""2012 Davitt Awards shortlists announced"". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "2012 Ditmar Award Winners". Locus Online. 13 June 2012. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "Ned Kelly 2012 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2023.