The Winner of the War Amongst the Omnibuses is...

[Rothgo]

Last year there was a sense that the Dancers had a bit of an unfair advantage, being a three-who-are-one book in a competition of otherwise individual books. This year however leaves no room for such shilly-shallying: it was a straight up duel on fair grounds and the Dancers have waltzed off with the title again!

Congratulations to Lord Jagged and the crew, commiserations to Pierrot and the Harlequinade. Hip-hip, Hooray! Three cheers! Kroofrudi hrunt!

[David Mosley]

Well deserved congratulations to the Dancers even though I'd hoped Jerry's undisputed brilliance (no, really!) would enable him to lift the trophy. Unfortunately it became clear that his infamous 'difficulty' wasn't doing him any favours. Seems that needle gun wasn't a match for those pesky power rings after all. (The buggers just wouldn't stay dead, the English Assassin rued ruefully.)

[Pebble]

Good Game! Good Game!

And well played Lord Jagged and co.

Great Cawthorn drawing by the way.

[The English Assassin]

I can't begrudge Dancers winning a popular vote: it's a very fine trilogy - immediate and rewarding. JCQ was my pick at the start of the competition, but Dancers was my second choice. There's no doubt JCQ is a trickier read. Indeed it took me a second read before I really got it and it still has its mysteries...

[Marca]

Yes, Dancers is a worthy winner and there's no complaints from me.

It was worth it just to see that brilliant Cawthorn illustration

[Nathaniel]

It is rather an awesome illustration. Mongrove looks rather familiar for some reason

[L'Etranger]

Much as I adore The Dancers, I missed the Pyat tetralogy in the competition that I consider Mike's most ambitious statement he meant to make about the soul of Man. Or did I miss anything? The Dancers would still have won, I guess, which is great of course.

[Rothgo]

I'm not sure if Dancers would have been so fleet of foot had some of Mike's larger works had an omnibus: to quote myself from the begining of this competition:

... "Fortunately" there has yet to be a London omnibus (Mother London; King of the City; London Bone) or a Between the Wars equivalent (Byzantium Endures; The Laughter of Carthage; Jerusalem Commands; The Vengeance of Rome) so the contest is not a foregone conclusion.

Sadly, there isn't a Second Ether omnibus I'm aware of either (Blood; Fabulous Harbors; War Amongst the Angels - and possibly some Doctor Who too!)...

[L'Etranger]

Thanks, I missed that.
Always assumed the four books of "Between the Wars" could be called an omnibus, but this term applies to actual editions with the respective sequels in a single anthology or , ummm, omnibus, then.
"Between the Wars" would be trifle unwieldy to, me thinks.

[The English Assassin]

I'm pretty sure Dancers would have won even if there were Pyat et al omnibuses in the mix. Dancers is very very popular in a way that I don't think Mike's lit work is.

[Pietro_Mercurios]

Go Dancers!

[UncleDes]

Yes, David, but at the end of the day, it's all about votes in threads. I know Jerry's got to be feeling as sick as a parrot, but the Dancers won the game fair and square.... etc etc etc ad infinitum....