From Isaac Asimov to Frank Herbert, science fiction has historically been viewed as a male-dominated genre. But the shortlist for this year's prestigious Hugo best novel award, voted for by members of the World Science Fiction Society, provides emphatic evidence that this is no longer the case, with female writers taking four of the five places in the final line-up.

Former winners Connie Willis and Lois McMaster Bujold both make the list, Willis for her linked time-travel titles Blackout and All Clear, and Bujold for Cryoburn, part of the Miles Vorkosigan space opera series.

Mira Grant makes the cut for her zombie apocalypse tale Feed and NK Jemesin for The Hundred-Thousand Kingdoms, the story of an outcast who discovers she is heir to a realm in the sky. British writer Ian McDonald was the sole man to be voted onto the shortlist, selected for his novel The Dervish House, set in an Istanbul of the future. In the Hugo best novel award's 57-year history, it has been won by female writers just 15 times: four times by Bujold, twice by Willis and twice by Ursula K Le Guin.

"Hell to the yeah," blogged Jemesin about her nomination. "Given the Hugos' noted bias in favor of science fiction (and against fantasy), more notable embrace of well-known names (vs unknown n00bs), and most notablest aversion to girl cooties or any hint thereof, I didn't think I had a chance there."

Grant, a pseudonym for the American author Seanan McGuire, said she cried on discovering she had been shortlisted for the best novel prize. "This is ... this is one of those things I never expected, that I get to have for the rest of my life. 'I was nominated for a Hugo award.' Winning would be awesome, but in a way, it's icing on an already delicious cake, because I was nominated. Out of everything published in 2010, enough people said 'Feed was the best' that I made the ballot. Me, and four other people, out of all the books there were," she blogged. "I am honoured and stunned and delighted and terrified, and it's something I've dreamed of literally since I found out Ray Bradbury had a Hugo award, so I must have been, like, eight. And now my name is on that ballot."

The winner of the award will be announced on 20 August in Reno, Nevada. Previous winners of the Hugo best novel prize include Arthur C Clarke, Asimov and Robert A Heinlein. Last year's award saw China Miéville's The City and the City and Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl tieing for first place.

2011 Hugo best novel award nominees:

Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis

Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold

The Dervish House by Ian McDonald

Feed by Mira Grant

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin