The final ballot for the 2008 Ditmar Awards (for works published in 2007) has been announced. The Ditmars are the Australian equivalent of the Hugo Awards (i.e., awards for the best science fiction of the year as voted by the readers and fans). This year’s winners will be announced during Swancon 2008, the 33rd annual West Australian Science Fiction Convention (also the 47th Australian National Science Fiction Convention), which will be held 20-24 March in Perth, Australia. Members of Convergence 2 (last year’s Australian National Convention) and Swancon 2008 are eligible to vote.
This year’s nominees are:
Best Novel:
Dark Space by Marianne de Pierres (published by Orbit)
The Company of the Dead by David Kowalski (published by PanMacmillan)
Magic’s Child by Justine Larbalestier (Penguin)
The Darkness Within by Jason Nahrung (Hachette Livre)
Extras by Scott Westerfeld (Simon & Schuster)
Saturn Returns by Sean Williams (Orbit)
Best Novella/Novelette:“Where is Brisbane and How Many Times Do I Get There?” by Paul Haines (Fantastical Journeys to Brisbane)
“Yamabushi Kaidan and the Smoke Dragon” by Shane Jiraiya-Cummings (Fantastic Wonder Stories)
“Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Go to War Again” by Garth Nix (Jim Baen’s Universe)
“The Bluebell Vengence” by Tansy Rayner Roberts (Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #28)
“A Lady of Adestan” by Cat Sparks (Orb #7)
Cenotaxis by Sean Williams (MonkeyBrain Books)
Best Short Story:
“A Scar for Leida” by Deborah Biancotti (Fantastic Wonder Stories)
“Domine” by Rjurik Davidson (Aurealis #37)
“The Sun People” by Sue Isle (Shiny #2)
“The Dark and What It Said” by Rick Kennett (Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #28)
“Bad Luck, Trouble, Death and Vampire Sex” by Garth Nix (Eclipse One)
“His Lipstick Minx” by Kaaron Warren (The Workers’ Paradise)
Best Collected Work:
Orb #7 edited by Sarah Endacott (Orb Publications)
Fantastic Wonder Stories edited by Russell B. Farr (Ticonderoga Publications)
The Workers’ Paradise edited by Russell B. Farr and Nick Evans (Ticonderoga Publications)
New Ceres edited by Alisa Krasnostein (Twelth Planet Press)
The New Space Opera edited by Jonathan Strahan and Gardner Dozois (HarperCollins Australia)
Best Art Work:
Eleanor Clark for Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #30 Internal Art
Eleanor Clark for Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #31 Internal Art
Daryl Lindquist for Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #28 Cover
Amanda Rainey for The Workers’ Paradise Cover
Nick Stathopolous for Daikaju #3 Cover
Nick Stathopolous for Rynemonn Cover
Best Fan Writer:Rob Hood for film reviews on his website
Shane Jiraiya-Cummings for Horrorscope
Alexandra Pierce for Last Short Story on Earth and for ASiF! reviews
Grant Watson for the “angriest” Livejournal
Best Fan Art:
Exterminate! Dalek Postcards by Kathryn Linge
Nights Edge Convention Poster Art by John Parker
Best Fan Production:
Daikaju Limerick Competition by Robert Hood on his website
2007 Snap Shot Project—interviews with influential members of the Australian speculative fiction scene conducted by Alisa Krasnostein, Ben Payne, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Kathryn Linge, Kaaron Warren, and Rosie Clarke
Talking Squid Website by Chris Lawson
The Liminal short film, directed by Clair McKenna
Inkspillers Website maintained by Tony Plank
Best Fanzine:
The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet edited by Edwina Harvey and Ted Scribner
Horrorscope edited by Shane Jiraiya-Cummings
Not If You Were the Last Short Story on Earth edited by Alisa Krasnostein, Ben Payne, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts
Steam Engine Time edited by Bruce Gillespie
Best Professional Achievement:
Andromeda Spaceways Publishing Co-Operative Ltd for five issues in 2007, as well as three electronic Best Of anthologies
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
Gary Kemble for his continued coverage of speculative fiction on Articulate and ABC news online
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
Jonathan Strahan, Garth Nix, Deborah 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 Krasnostein for ASiF! Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus
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
Marty Young for his work as President of the Australian Horror Writers Association
Best New Talent:
Nathan Burrage
Jason Nahrung
Angela Slatter
Tehani Wessely
William Atheling Jr. Award:
Shane Jiraiya-Cummings for review of David Conyers’ The Spiraling Worm (Horrorscope)
Ian Nichols for “Seriatem, Seriatum, omnia Seriatem” (Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #30)
Ian Nichols for “The Shadow Thief” (The West Australian Weekend Magazine, 22 September 2007)
Ben Peek for the Aurealis Awards Shortlist Feature Article (published on ASiF!)
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 (HarperCollins Australia)
Grant Watson for “The Bad Film Diaries” (Borderlands #9)
The Australian Science Fiction Awards, commonly referred to as the Ditmar Awards or Ditmars, recognize excellence by Australians in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. The Ditmars were first presented in 1969. They are named after Martin James Ditmar (Dick)Jenssen, a founding member of the Melbourne Science Fiction Club. Martin financially supported the awards until about 1975, and is still active in fandom. Each year, the Australian National Science Fiction Convention presents the Ditmar Awards for the previous calendar year.