ASH: A SECRET HISTORY by Mary Gentle is better than JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL and far more mind-blowing. The first half of JS&MN is brilliant but the book does start meandering around in the second half and the sequences set in Venice are almost painfully difficult to read.

THE SEPARATION by Christopher Priest is the single best work of SF&F published this decade (that I've read). Brilliantly written with a central mystery which is almost like a morbius loop of clues. Every time you think you've worked it out you realise that can't be the solution because of another factor, and you have to start again.

I agree with LOOK TO WINDWARD. An elegant and intelligent SF novel, stronger than either MATTER or THE ALGEBRAIST. I also agree with PERDIDO STREET STATION, though I haven't read THE SCAR yet, so I'll have to wait and see if I agree with the consensus that it is superior.

For epic fantasy, A STORM OF SWORDS I think merits inclusion, if only because so many other epic fantasies written this decade were done so in the shadow of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: Abercrombie, Lynch and Bakker. Bakker's PRINCE OF NOTHING might also be worthy of inclusion under its own merits. Erikson's DEADHOUSE GATES and MEMORIES OF ICE would also be strong contenders.

For best SF author, as opposed to work, I'd probably have to go for Reynolds, as his overall quality is very high and he had a very impressive output (nine novels and three short story collections this decade alone), whilst CHASM CITY and PUSHING ICE would be contenders for such a list regardless of what else he's done.

Despite my overall enjoyment of Hamilton, his output this decade has been sketchier than last, and only PANDORA'S STAR really captures the fire and pacing of his earlier work, and even that is sullied by a disappointing follow-up in JUDAS UNCHAINED.

Richard Morgan's STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND for the 21st Century (only better), BLACK MAN, should be up there, if only for the storm of arguments it would probably generate in the comments. Ian McDonald's RIVER OF GODS and BRASYL are also both important and great works and also raise some interesting issues (not to mention pointing out that hey South America and India are going to still exist in the future as well as Europe and the USA).