Credit: Gollancz

It's a heist story, it's hard science fiction and the Deputy Publishing Director of Gollancz has said that if it's not at least shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke award, he'll eat his hat. This is The Quantum Thief, the first novel from Finnish author Hannu Rajaniemi, and the most talked about science fiction debut of the year. The story centres on Jean le Flambeur, a post-human mastermind criminal. Somehow le Flambeur has ended up in a strange prison where he is forced to play endless (and often lethal) riddle-filled games with countless copies of himself. All this is interrupted when Mieli arrives and offers him a chance at freedom if he can just finish one final heist.

The book is a thrilling and intense read. Rajaniemi - the first Finnish sci-fi writer to be published internationally - has a doctorate in string theory, and the scientific basis on which the story rests is reassuringly solid. But most impressively, his writing is excellent and poetic - and well deserving of the hype.