With birthday celebrations now receding into the past (no baked goods were harmed in the recording of this podcast), Gary  and I turn our attention once more to matters at hand. The Locus Awards nominees have been announced, so we discuss the usefulness of awards, how 2010 looks in retrospect, and how 2011 looks from here (with specific mention of China Mieville's Embassytown, Greg Egan's Clockwork Rocket, Michael Swanwick's Dancing with Bears, Nnedi Okorafor's Akata Witch, and Jo Walton's Among Others), and I set Gary a reviewing challenge. We hope you enjoy it, as always!