The 2009 Ditmar Awards shortlist of nominated works for fiction, non-fiction, artwork and achievements during 2008 has just been released. Undead Backbrain has fared well in the nomination stakes (see titles highlighted in red), in a field that is very daunting indeed — and very deserving. Congratulations to all concerned.
The Ditmar Nominees
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, 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, 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
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
What Are They?
For those readers outside Australia, the Ditmars are the Oz equivalent of the Hugo Awards — the year’s best speculative genre writing and art by Australians, nominated by fans and voted for at the National SF Convention. This year voting will take place at Conjecture — the 48th Australian National SF Convention, and is on in Adelaide, South Australia, from 5th to the 8th of June. If you possibly can, join the convention (even if as a non-attending member) and vote!
