2014 Chronos Awards Shortlist.

Congratulations to all those who have been shortlisted for a Chronos award. These works are all worthy and these names deserve to be on this list.

Having said that, this shortlist is a very shortlist. And I'm surprised by that. In fact, it's embarrassingly short. OK, the first category is full, but apart from that?

I've resisted posting about this for some time, simply because I wasn't sure what to say or how to phrase it.  But here goes.

Why is the list so short? Surely it's not from a shortage of eligible works. That list was long enough. Is it apathy from the nominating public? Not enough awareness of the nominated works? Not enough promotion? Is our state and this convention simply too small to operate these awards? Is the continuum membership more interested in the 'pop culture' side of the convention, and not so much in the 'speculative' side? All, some, one or none of the above?

I certainly don't know the answer.

One thing I noticed this year, in the lead up to both the Chronos and Ditmar awards, was how little self-promoting and touting there seemed to be from those who were eligible. At least that's how I saw it on Facebook. I'm not so sure how it was on other social media. Is this lack of promotion a symptom of how these awards are perceived in writing and fandom?

Now, I'm not one of those rushing to suggest the Hugos need to be cancelled because I don't like certain nominations. Simply vote on which nominee you believe to be the most worthy. And I'm not suggesting the Chronos awards needs to be discontinued. But I do think the Chronos awards need reviewing.

My thoughts? Either the SF community needs to value and support these awards, and make them relevant, or we have to accept the state is too small to continue with them.

Here's the shortlist.

Best Long Fiction (including collected works)

• Gamers' Rebellion by George Ivanoff (Ford Street Publishing)
• This Mutant Life: A Neo-Pulp Anthology edited by Ben Langdon (Kalamity Press)
• The Beckoning by Paul Collins (Damnation Books)
• Tales of Australia: Great Southern Land edited by Stephen C. Ormsby and Carol Bond (Satalyte Publishing)
• Caution: Contains Small Parts by Kirstyn McDermott (Twelfth Planet Press)

Best Short Fiction

• "Fairy Pie" by George Ivanoff in Stories for Girls (Random House Australia)

Best Artwork

• Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan (Hachette Australia)

Best Fan Writer

• No award

Best Fan Publication in any Medium

• The Angriest by Grant Watson
• SF Commentary edited by Bruce Gillespie

Best Achievement

• Gamers' Rebellion book trailer by Henry Gibbens

Awards And Such.

Awards season is here, and although I don't really feel comfortable promoting myself in this manner, I recognise it is necessary to at least mention which works are eligible for nomination.

For those who are eligible to nominate in both the Ditmar and Chronos Awards (and if you have to ask, you probably aren't), a quick look at my bibliography page will show what was published last year.

I guess the work that received the most recognition is I Was The Walrus, my John Lennon re-incarnation story which was published in the Bram Stoker Award nominated After Death collection. This piece had many favourable reviews, including one in Publishers Weekly.

While I would dearly love to be recognised for my work and the progress I'm making, I would encourage you all to nominate in these awards, and to nominate the works you feel most deserving.

Which, if it happens to be mine, would make me very happy.

Ditmar rules:

http://wiki.sf.org.au/Ditmar_rules

Ditmar  nominations:

http://ditmars.sf.org.au/2014/nominations.html

Chronos rules:

 http://confound.wikispot.org/Chronos_Awards

Chronos nominations email:

awards@continuum.org.au

I Gotta Wear Shades.

Like any other skilled activity, the writing experience is a series of improvements punctuated with plateaus where not much seems to happen - either in sales or personal writing growth. Or at least that's how it has been with me.

Recently I've felt that I've been stuck, wheels spinning and not advancing, not getting anywhere at all - although no doubt I was improving and honing my skill. I was just too close to see it myself. But I've recently started to feel that I was getting closer to another burst of improvement.

I've got two stories on hold, two stories just sold and another re-subbed after a rewrite request. And I have high hopes for a couple of others.

Yesterday, I came away from Jack Dann's workshop with some excellent criticism on my subbed story from my fellow participants and Jack, along with positive and encouraging words. And while I don't agree with everything that was said about my story, I will look at everything, consider carefully, and rewrite parts as appropriate.

Continuum is creeping up on us, and I'm looking forward to catching up with a bunch of people. I've signed up to be on a panel with my friend, David McDonald - and that should be a lot of fun. It's a shame Gitte Christensen won't be able to make it, but it was lovely catching up with her yesterday and I look forward to reading her current work-in-progress. Once it's completed, of course.

I must admit I'm also very excited about hearing my name listed among the nominations for both the Chronos and Ditmar awards. And, of course, attending the launch of Epilogue.

Timbuk 3, anyone?

2012 Chronos Awards.

The shortlist for the 2012 Chronos Awards has been announced. Congratulations to all those included in the nominations.

I must say I'm thrilled to have had my story, So Sad, The Lighthouse Keeper, from Anywhere But Earth shortlisted. Keith Stevenson posted on its inclusion here.

Thanks to all those who nominated me. I truly appreciate it. Now it's up to the Convention membership to vote on which work they believe is the most worthy.

Thanks again.