Oh look, here's that press release I promised you... :)

Expressions of Interest are now invited to become a judge for the 2008 Aurealis Awards. If you are interested, head over to the Aurealis Awards website to download the form:

http://www.aurealisawards.com/Judges.htm

So, I know you all listened to my radio debut this evening? No? Well it's not too late!

Go here (RTRfm in Perth) and restream the Thursday 13th show!! I get two segments about a third (closer to half I guess) of the way through the show, and I talk about ASIM, Twelfth Planet Press (Shiny and 2012) and Swancon and stuff! Go, listen!

http://www.rtrfm.com.au/shows/burning

Cheers
Tehani

Congratulations to Chris Barnes and Marissa Lingen whose stories in ASIM issue 28 have been recognised on Dave Truesdale's Recommended Reading List for 2007!

http://www.blackgate.com/articles/years_best_2007.htm

Interestingly, the ASIM cover right at the TOP of the page is actually the issue 29 cover (which has issue 28 written on it!) :)

The 2007 Shortlist has now been released. Congratulations to all the authors who have been either shortlisted or given an Honourable Mention this year (especially the multi-recognised Rick Kennett, whose piece was also Shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards AND some other stuff we can't talk about yet!).

2007 Shortlist (alphabetical order):

Matthew Chrulew - "Between the Memories" (Aurealis #38/39)
David Conyers - "Subtle Invasion" (The Black Book of Horror, Mortbury Press)
Terry Dowling - "Toother" (Eclipse 1, Night Shade Books)
Rick Kennett - "The Dark and What It Said" (ASIM #28)
Martin Livings - "There Was Darkness" (Fantastic Wonder Stories, Ticonderoga Publications)
Jason Nahrung - The Darkness Within (Hachette Livre)

2007 Honourable Mentions:

David Conyers & John Sunseri - The Spiraling Worm (Chaosium)
Kaaron Warren - "Cooling the Crows"(In Bad Dreams, Eneit Press)
Marty Young - "The Wildflowers" (Fantastic Wonder Stories, Ticonderoga Publications)

The winner of the 2007 Australian Shadows Award will be announced in April 2008.

For more information, including reports from the Judging Panel, please visit the AHWA website:

http://www.australianhorror.com/index.php?view=118

Best wishes,

Kirstyn McDermott
Director - Australian Shadows Award
http://www.australianhorror.com/index.php?view=39

Now's your chance to participate in the process of change!

via </a></font></b></a>punkrocker1991

Recent discussions have made it completely obvious that people think that there are many problems with the current Ditmar guidelines.

To promote discussion, I've created a googlegroup where interested parties can request membership (membership only denied if you're an evil spammer) and debate these in a fairly relaxed forum that will hopefully avoid the misunderstandings that can come from public debate.

I would like to state that I'm not intending to use this to force, push or promote any agendas I may have, but to be a fairly neutral host and moderate thoughtful discussion among others who do have definite ideas and opinions on these awards.

I will moderate this where necessary, but my goal is to promote constructive debate. For more info go here:

http://groups.google.com/group/ditmar-amendments2008?hl=en
 
Russell B Farr

Congratulations to all the shortlisted works and people, especially of course to the ASIM nominees, and to our ASIM-friends!

2008 Ditmar Awards Shortlist
 

Best Novel:

The Company of the Dead by David Kowalski
(Published by PanMacmillan.)
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
(Published by Simon & Schuster.)
Dark Space by Marianne de Pierres
(Published by Orbit.)
Saturn Returns by Sean Williams
(Published by Orbit.)
Magic's Child by Justine Larbelestier
(Published by Penguin.)
The Darkness Within by Jason Nahrung
(Published by Hachette Livre.)

Best Novella/Novelette:

Yamabushi Kaidan and the Smoke Dragon by Shane Jiraiya-Cummings.
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications in Fantastic Wonder Stories edited by Russell B. Farr.)
Where is Brisbane and How Many Times Do I Get There? by Paul Haines
(Published by Izvori in Fantastical Journeys to Brisbane edited by Geoffrey Maloney, Trent Jamieson and Zoran Zivkovic.)
The Bluebell Vengence by Tansy Rayner Roberts
(Published by Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine in ASIM #28 edited by Zara Baxter)
Lady of Adestan by Cat Sparks
(Published by Orb Publications in Orb #7 edited by Sarah Endacott.)
Cenotaxis by Sean Williams
(Published by MonkeyBrain Books)
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Go To War Again by Garth Nix
(Published by Jim Baen's Universe)

Best Short Story:

The Dark and What It Said by Rick Kennett
(Published by Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine in ASIM #28 edited by Zara Baxter)
Domine by Rjurik Davidson
(Published by Chimaera Publications in Aurealis #37 edited by Stephen Higgins and Stuart Mayne.)
A Scar for Leida by   Deb Biancotti
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications in Fantastic Wonder Stories edited by Russell B. Farr.)
Bad Luck, Trouble, Death and Vampire Sex by Garth Nix
(Published by Nightshade Books in Eclipse One edited by Jonathan Strahan)
The Sun People by  Sue Isle
(Published by Twelth Planet Press in Shiny #2 edited by Alisa Krasnstein, Ben Payne and Tansy Rayner Roberts.)
His Lipstick Minx by Kaaron Warren
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications in The Workers' Paradise edited by Russell B. Farr and Nick Evans.)

Best Collected Work:

Orb #7 edited by Sarah Endacott
(Published by Orb Publications.)
The Workers' Paradise edited by Russell B. Farr and Nick Evans
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications.)
New Ceres edited by Alisa Krasnstein
(Published by Twelth Planet Press.)
The New Space Opera edited by Jonathan Strahan
(Published by HarperCollins Australia.)
Fantastic Wonder Stories edited by Russell B. Farr
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications.)

Best Art Work:

Daryl Lindquist for the ASIM #28 Cover
Nick Stathopolous for the Daikaju #3 Cover
Eleanor Clark for ASIM #31 Internal Art
Amanda Rainey for The Workers' Paradise Cover
Nick Stathopolous for the Rhinemonn Cover
Eleanor Clark for ASIM #30 Internal Art

Best Fan Writer:

Alexandra Pierce for Last Short Story on Earth and for ASiF! reviews.
Shane Jiraiya-Cummings for Horrorscope.
Grant Watson for the 'angriest' Livejournal.
Rob Hood for film reviews on his website.

 
Best Fan Art:

'Exterminate!' Dalek Postcards – Katherine Linge
'Nights Edge' Convention Poster Art – John Parker

Best Fan Production:
 

2007 Snap Shot Project – interviews with influential members of the Australian speculative fiction scene conducted by Alisa Krasnstein, Ben Payne, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Kathering Linge, Kaaron Warren and Rosie Clark.
Inkspillers Website – maintained by Tony Plank
'The Liminal' short film – directed by Clair McKenna
Daikaju Limerick Competition – by Robert Hood on his website.
Talking Squid Website – by Chris Lawson

Best Fanzine:

The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet edited by Ted Scribner and Edwina Harvey
Not If You Were the Last Short Story on Earth edited by Alisa Krasnstein, Ben Payne, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts
Steam Engine Time edited by Bruce Gillespie
Horrorscope edited by Shane Jiraiya-Cummings 

Best Professional Achievement:

Gary Kemble for his continued coverage of speculative fiction on Articulate and ABC news online. 

Russell B. Farr for Ticonderoga Publications; in 2007, Russell produced an issue of Ticonderoga Online, The Workers' Paradise and Fantastic Wonders stories, which produced five Aurealis Award nominees.

Jonathan Strahan for a prolific body of work editing 'The Jack Vance Treasury', 'The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the year', 'Best Short Novels of 2007', 'The New Space Opera', 'Ascendancies: The Best of Bruce Sterling' and 'Eclipse One: New Science Fiction and Fantasy'. 

Andromeda Spaceways Publishing Co-Operative Ltd for five issues in 2007, including three electronic Best Of anthologies.

Jonathan Strahan, Garth Nix, Deb Biancotti and Trevor Stafford for compiling and promoting the new Australian Fantasy and SF catalogue in the United States to increase awareness and appreciation of forthcoming Australian SF and to expand creative and professional opportunities for writers. 

Best Fan Achievement:

Alisa Krasnstein for ASiF! Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus
Marty Young for his work as President of the Australian Horror Writers Association
John Parker, Sarah Parker and Sarah Xu for Night's Edge Convention
Sarah Xu for the CyPEC Cyber-feminist Conference held as part of Night's Edge convention.

Best New Talent:

Angela Slatter
Jason Nahrung
Nathan Burrage
Tehani Wessely

William Atheling Jr Award:

Ian Nichols for "Seriatem, Seriatum, omnia Seriatem"
(Published by Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine in ASIM #30, edited by Robbie Matthews.)
Tansy Rayner Roberts and Alexandra Pierce for review of Elizabeth Bear's "New Amsterdam" (Published as Podcast #2 on ASiF!)
Jonathan Strahan for editorial for "The New Space Opera"
(Published in The New Space Opera by HarperCollins Australia.)
Grant Watson for "The Bad Film Diaries"
(Published in Borderlands #9.)
Ben Peek for the Aurealis Awards Shortlist Feature Article
(Published on ASiF!)
Shane Jiraiya-Cummings for review of David Conyers' "The Spiraling Worm"
(Published on Horrorscope.)
Ian Nichols for "The Shadow Thief"
(Published by The West Australian Weekend Magazine on 22/09/07.)

What are you giving your loved one this Valentine’s Day? Flowers and chocolates are so passé for the keen speculative fiction reader! Why not offer your sweetie the delectable Andromeda Spaceways #32 instead? When ingested by the eyes, doesn't hang around the thighs! What better gift could there be?!

Available for devouring in print and PDF right now, issue 32 - edited by Monissa Whiteley - has a firm outer coating by the delicious Dan Skinner, and mouth-watering insides from scrumptious authors such as Brian Dolton, Ian Nichols, Dave Luckett and Karen Maric. Other goodies are served up by D Gellen and M Owton, Damon Kaswell, Eugenie Edquist and Kent Purvis. To really put the icing on the cake, Tansy Rayner Roberts interviews the yummy Justine Larbalestier about her writing and Simon Petrie gives us a “Little Nut Tree”.

ASIM #32 is available to purchase in print and PDF at www.andromedaspaceways.com and in specialty bookshops around Australia including our newest supplier, Gleebooks at Blackheath in the NSW Blue Mountains. You can also get a print or PDF subscription to ASIM on line. Go on, give your loved one what they REALLY want.