For those that don’t know, the Ditmar Awards are the Australian equivalent of the US Hugo Awards — awards voted for by members of the previous and current (Australian) National SF Convention from a shortlist of nominations received via the whole speculative fiction community\/audience. Ditmars are awarded to works and projects considered by voters to be the best in various fields of speculative fiction, some “professional” (paid) and some “fan” (unpaid). This year I did rather well in the preliminary vote, getting a tick in five categories and in one by association. This is particularly gratifying as (in the words of losers everywhere) it is nearly as great an honour to be shortlisted as it is to win … perhaps more so:<\/p>\n
The winners were announced in Adelaide over the long weekend, and in the event I took the Award for Best Fan Writer: Robert Hood for Undead Backbrain<\/strong>. I feel extremely honoured that the community values this blog enough to grant me the award and would like to thank everyone who voted (and those who meant to and forgot).<\/p>\n A special thanks goes to my comrade-in-crime Avery Battles (aka Kaiju Search-Robot Avery). I may do all the writing (or most of it), but I could not make the blog and its subsite Undead Brainspasm<\/strong><\/a> anywhere near as informed without his uncanny ability to ferret out obscure snippets of information, to acquire early scoops and to establish informative contacts. Seriously, Avery inundates me with information — more than I can possibly process, particularly when life gets a little thwart and deadlines loom. So, Avery, though my name might be on the Award for doing the actual writing, some part of it belongs to you. Thanks once again!<\/p>\n Congratulations, too, to all the other nominees and winners. It was a strong year and, unusually, I thoroughly agree that the final result is a worthy one.<\/p>\n Further Information<\/strong>:<\/p>\n For those that don’t know, the Ditmar Awards are the Australian equivalent of the US Hugo Awards — awards voted for by members of the previous and current (Australian) National SF Convention from a shortlist of nominations received via the … Continue reading \n