The Ditmar sub-committee has released the Australian SF (“Ditmar”) Awards finalists for 2009. This ballot honours the best works of science fiction, fantasy, and horror published by Australians in 2008 as nominated by members of Australian fandom.
Best Novel
Fivefold, Nathan Burrage (Random House)
Hal Spacejock: No Free Lunch, Simon Haynes (Fremantle Press)
Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin)
How to Ditch Your Fairy, Justine Larbalestier (Allen & Unwin)
The Daughters of Moab, Kim Westwood (Harper Voyager)
Earth Ascendant, Sean Wiliams (Orbit)
Best Novella or Novelette
“Soft Viscosity”, David Conyers (2012, Twelfth Planet Press)
“Night Heron’s Curse”, Thoraiya Dyer (Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #37)
Angel Rising, Dirk Flinthart (Twelfth Planet Press)
“Creeping in Reptile Flesh”, Robert Hood (Creeping in Reptile Flesh, Altair Australia Books)
“Painlessness”, Kirstyn McDermott (GUD #2)
Best Short Story
“Pale Dark Soldier”, Deborah Biancotti (Midnight Echo #1)
“This Is Not My Story”, Dirk Flinthart (Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #37)
“The Goosle”, Margo Lanagan (The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction, ed. Ellen Datlow)
“Her Collection of Intimacy”, Paul Haines (Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine #2)
“Moments of Dying”, Robert Hood (Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine #1)
“Sammarynda Deep”, Cat Sparks (Paper Cities, ed. Ekaterina Sedia)
“Ass-Hat Magic Spider”, Scott Westerfeld (The Starry Rift, ed. Jonathan Strahan)
Best Collected Work
Dreaming Again, edited by Jack Dann (Harper Voyager)
Canterbury 2100, edited by Dirk Flinthart (Agog! Press)
2012, edited by Alisa Krasnostein and Ben Payne (Twelfth Planet Press)
Midnight Echo, edited by Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond (AHWA)
Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine, edited by Angela Challis (Brimstone Press)
Creeping In Reptile Flesh, Robert Hood (Altair Australia Books)
The Starry Rift, edited by Jonathan Strahan (Viking)
Best Artwork
Aurealis #40 cover, Adam Duncan
The Last Realm, Book 1 – Dragonscarpe, Michael Dutkiewics
Gallery in Black Box, Andrew McKiernan
Creeping In Reptile Flesh cover, Cat Sparks
Cover of 2012, Cat Sparks
Tales from Outer Suburbia, Shaun Tan
Best Fan Writer
Craig Bezant for HorrorScope
Edwina Harvey for Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet
Robert Hood for Undead Backbrain
Chuck McKenzie for HorrorScope
Mark Smith-Briggs for HorrorScope
Brenton Tomlinson for HorrorScope
Best Fan Artist
Rachel Holkner, for Gumble Soft toy and other works
Nancy Lorenz for body of work
Andrew McKiernan for body of work
Tansy Rayner Roberts for Daleks are a girl’s best friend
David Schembri for body of work
Cat Sparks for Scary Food Cookbook
Anna Tambour for Box of Noses and other works
Best Fan Publication
HorrorScope, edited by Shane Jiraiya Cummings et al. (Brimstone Press)
Scary Food Cookbook, edited by Cat Sparks (Agog! Press)
ASif! (Australian Speculative Fiction In Focus), edited by Alisa Krasnostein & Gene Melzack (Twelfth Planet Press)
Australian SF Bullsheet, edited by Edwina Harvey & Ted Scribner
William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review
“Dark Suspense: The End of the Line” by Shane Jiraiya Cummings (in Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine #3)
“George A. Romero: Master of the Living Dead” by Robert Hood (in Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine #2)
“Bad Film Diaries – Sometimes the Brand Burns: Tim Burton and the Planet of the Apes”, Grant Watson (in Borderlands #10)
“Popular genres and the Australian literary community: the case of fantasy fiction,” Kim Wilkins (in Journal of Australian Studies)
Best Achievement
Angela Challis for Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine and Brimstone Press.
Marty Young and the AHWA Committee for promoting horror through the Australian Horror Writers Association.
Talie Helene for her work as AHWA News Editor.
Steve Clark for Tasmaniac Publications.
Damien Broderick for fiction editing in Cosmos Magazine.
James Doig for preserving colonial Australian horror fiction and his anthologies Australian Gothic and Australian Nightmares.
The Gunny Project: A tribute to Ian Gunn 1959-1998, Jocko and K’Rin, presented MSFC.
Best New Talent
Peter M. Ball
Felicity Dowker
Jason Fischer
Gary Kemble
Amanda Pillar
Voting is open now to members of the 2008 Australian Natcon (Swancon) and 2009 Natcon (Conjecture) are eligible to vote. Further information on the Ditmar Award can be found at the Conjecture website.
