Well, I didn't win. I did say I didn't expect to. The other finalists were spectacular each and every one. And as I said, just being among them is honour enough for me in one go. And Chris Mason's story 'The Stairwell' was a standout.So, congratulations to Chris and of course all the other winners and finalists, and I encourage you to go read The Stairwell, it really is worth your time.
Aurealis Awards - and me!
Y'see that image right there? That one, just above these words? That applies to me. I know, I'm shocked too. So shocked it would seem I completely forgot to mention that my story Grind from the Pacific Monsters anthology was shortlisted for the horror novella category.It is, of course, an honour as much as a surprise to be included among such talented work. Looking through the other nominees you can't help but see some of Australia's best spec fic writers and artists. I feel like a complete imposter to be among them. I am told that everyone feels that way, but then again that's exactly what I would say to someone else too.The winners are announced at SwanCon in Perth next weekend. I'm doing my best not to think about it too much. I don't think I stand a shifty cat in hell's chance of winning, but then again being included int he shortlist makes me feel as thought I've won already.You better believe I'll be posting about whoever won next week, but in the mind time, fingers, toes and other bits crossed. Michael
2017 Aurealis Awards – Finalists
BEST CHILDREN’S FICTIONHow to Bee, Bren MacDibble (Allen & Unwin)The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, Jaclyn Moriarty (Allen & Unwin)The Shop at Hoopers Bend, Emily Rodda (HarperCollins Australia)The Exile, Jo Sandhu (Penguin Random House Australia)Accidental Heroes, Lian Tanner (Allen & Unwin)Nevermoor, Jessica Townsend (Hachette Australia)BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL / ILLUSTRATED WORKAction Tank, Mike Barry (Mike Barry Was Here)Changing Ways book 3, Justin Randall (Gestalt)Dungzilla, James Foley (Fremantle Press)Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts, Craig Phillips (Allen & Unwin)Home Time, Campbell Whyte (Penguin Random House Australia)Tintinnabula, Margo Lanagan & Rovina Cai (ill.) (Little Hare)BEST YOUNG ADULT SHORT STORY“One Small Step”, Amie Kaufman (Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, HarperCollins Australia)“I Can See the Ending”, Will Kostakis (Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, HarperCollins Australia)“Competition Entry #349”, Jaclyn Moriarty (Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, HarperCollins Australia)“First Casualty” Michael Pryor (Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, HarperCollins Australia)Girl Reporter, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Book Smugglers)“Oona Underground”, Lili Wilkinson (Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, HarperCollins Australia)BEST HORROR SHORT STORY“Reef”, Kat Clay (SQ Mag 31, IFWG Publishing Australia)“Outside, a Drifter”, Lisa L Hannett (Looming Low, Dim Shores)“Angel Hair”, Deborah Sheldon (Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories, IFWG Publishing Australia)“The Endless Below”, Alfie Simpson (Breach Issue #02)“Old Growth”, J Ashley Smith (SQ Mag 31, IFWG Publishing Australia)“On the Line”, J Ashley Smith (Midnight Echo 12, Australasian Horror Writers Association)BEST HORROR NOVELLAThe Mailman, Jeremy Bates (Ghillinnein Books)Hope and Walker, Andrew Cull (Vermillion Press)“Grind”, Michael Grey (Pacific Monsters, Fox Spirit Books)“The Stairwell”, Chris Mason (Below The Stairs – Tales from the Cellar, Things In The Well)“No Good Deed”, Angela Slatter (New Fears 1, Titan Books)“Furtherest”, Kaaron Warren (Dark Screams Volume 7, Cemetery Dance)BEST FANTASY SHORT STORY“Hamelin’s Graves”, Freya Marske (Andromeda Spaceways Magazine #69)“The Curse is Come Upon Me, Cried”, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Please Look After This Angel & Other Winged Stories, self-published)“The Little Mermaid, in Passing”, Angela Slatter (Review of Australian Fiction Vol 22 Issue 1)“Duplicity”, J Ashley Smith (Dimension6 #11)“The Rainmaker Goddess, Hallowed Shaz”, Marlee Jane Ward (Feminartsy)“Oona Underground”, Lili Wilkinson (Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, HarperCollins Australia).BEST FANTASY NOVELLAThe Book Club, Alan Baxter (PS Publishing)“Remnants”, Nathan Burrage (Dimension6 #11, Coer de Lion)“The Cunning Woman’s Daughter”, Kate Forsyth & Kim Wilkins (The Silver Well, Ticonderoga Publications)In Shadows We Fall, Devin Madson (self-published)“Braid”, Kirstyn McDermott (Review of Australian Fiction Vol 24 Issue 1)Humanity for Beginners, Faith Mudge (Less Than Three Press)BEST SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORY“The Missing Years”, Lyn Battersby (Andromeda Spaceways Magazine #66)“A Little Faith”, Aiki Flinthart (Like a Woman, Mirren Hogan)“Cards and Steel Hearts”, Pamela Jeffs (Lawless Lands: Tales from the Weird Frontier, Falstaff Books)“One Small Step”, Amie Kaufman (Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, HarperCollins Australia)“Conversations with an Armoury” Garth Nix (Infinity Wars, Solaris)“Hurk + Dav”, Arthur Robinson (Breach Issue #01)BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVELLA“This Silent Sea”, Stephanie Gunn (Review of Australian Fiction Vol 24 Issue 6)“I Can See the Ending”, Will Kostakis (Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, HarperCollins Australia)“The Wandering Library”, DK Mok (Ecopunk!, Ticonderoga Publications)“Island Green”, Shauna O’Meara (Ecopunk!, Ticonderoga Publications)Matters Arising from the Identification of the Body, Simon Petrie (Peggy Bright Books)Girl Reporter, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Book Smugglers)BEST COLLECTIONThe Birdcage Heart & Other Strange Tales, Peter M Ball (Brain Jar Press)The Silver Well, Kate Forsyth & Kim Wilkins (Ticonderoga Publications)Beneath the Floating City, Donna Maree Hanson (self-published)Singing My Sister Down and Other Stories, Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin)Please Look After This Angel & Other Winged Stories, Tansy Rayner Roberts (self-published)Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories, Deborah Sheldon (IFWG Publishing Australia)BEST ANTHOLOGYMidnight Echo #12, Shane Jiraiya Cummings & Anthony Ferguson (eds.) (Australasian Horror Writers Association)The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror 2015, Liz Grzyb & Talie Helene (eds.) (Ticonderoga Publications)Dimension6: Annual Collection 2017, Keith Stevenson (ed.) (coeur de lion publishing)Infinity Wars, Jonathan Strahan (ed.) (Rebellion/Solaris)The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume 11, Jonathan Strahan (ed.) (Rebellion/Solaris)BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVELIn The Dark Spaces, Cally Black (Hardie Grant Egmont)Ida, Alison Evans (Echo, Bonnier Publishing Australia)Frogkisser!, Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin)This Mortal Coil, Emily Suvada (Puffin UK)Psynode, Marlee Jane Ward (Seizure)The Undercurrent, Paula Weston (Text Publishing)BEST HORROR NOVELAletheia, J S Breukelaar (Crystal Lake Publishing)Who’s Afraid Too?, Maria Lewis (Hachette Australia)Soon, Lois Murphy (Transit Lounge)BEST FANTASY NOVELCrossroads of Canopy, Thoraiya Dyer (Tor Books)Gwen, Goldie Goldbloom (Fremantle Press)Cassandra, Kathryn Gossow (Odyssey Books)Godsgrave, Jay Kristoff (HarperCollins Publishers)Gap Year In Ghost Town, Michael Pryor (Allen & Unwin)Wellside, Robin Shortt (Candlemark & Gleam)BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVELClosing Down, Sally Abbott (Hachette Australia)Terra Nullius, Claire G Coleman (Hachette Australia)Year of the Orphan, Daniel Findlay (Penguin Random House Australia)An Uncertain Grace, Krissy Kneen (Text Publishing)From the Wreck, Jane Rawson (Transit Lounge)Lotus Blue, Cat Sparks (Skyhorse)