I guess I’m officially a Victorian now …

I’ve only just caught up with the nominations for the 2011 Chronos awards, which recognise achievement within Victoria’s speculative fiction community. It’s a popularly nominated award, voted upon by members of the year’s national convention. Voting rights can also be bought for $5 for non-convention members. This year’s natcon is Continuum 8, in June, in Melbourne, and it’s going to be a hoot with Kelly Link and Alison Goodman as writer guests of honour.

Anyhow, a look at the shortlists shows I’ve been nominated as a fan writer, which is very cool. But allow me to be partisan for a moment and say just how happy I am to see the late Paul Haines on the list for both his collection, The Last Days of Kali Yuga, and his absolutely unforgettable story ‘The Past is a Bridge Best Left Burnt’. Fuck but he’s missed, and when you read these yarns, you realise just what a talent we’ve lost.

Chronos finalists

Best Long Fiction
Black Glass, Meg Mundell (Scribe Publications)
Mole Hunt, Paul Collins (Ford Street Publishing)
The Key to Starveldt, Foz Meadows (Ford Street Publishing)
The Last Days of Kali Yuga, Paul Haines (Brimstone Press)
Scape e-zine, edited by Peta Freestone
Changing Yesterday, Sean McMullen (Ford Street Publishing)
Thief of Lives, Lucy Sussex (Twelfth Planet Press)
No Award

Best Short Fiction
Neverspring, Peta Freestone (in M-BRANE SF #25)
The Past is a Bridge Best Left Burnt, Paul Haines (in The Last Days of Kali Yuga)
Gamer’s Challenge, George Ivanoff (by Ford Street Publishing)
One Last Interruption Before We Begin, Stephanie Lai (in Steampowered II: More Lesbian Steampunk Stories)
So Sad, the Lighthouse Keeper, Steve Cameron (in Anywhere But Earth)
No Award

Best Fan Writer
Jason Nahrung
Alexandra Pierce
Peta Freestone
No Award

Best Fan Artist
Nalini Haynes
Marta Tesoro
Rebecca Ing
Rachel Holkner
No Award

Best Fan Written Work
Dear Space Diary, Sam Mellor (Blog – Fiction)
Tiptree, and a collection of her short stories, Alexandra Pierce (in Randomly Yours, Alex)
Interview with Meg Mundell, Nalini Haynes (in Dark Matter 3)
No Award

Best Fan Artwork
Girl Torque, Nalini Haynes (Cover for Dark Matter 3)
Dangerous Penguins, Marta Tesoro
Blue Locks, Rebecca Ing (Scape 2)
No Award

Best Fan Publication
The Writer and the Critic, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond
Galactic Suburbia, Alisa Krasnostein, Tansy Rayner Roberts, and Alexandra Pierce
Bad Film Diaries, Grant Watson
Dark Matter, edited by Nalini Haynes
No Award

Best Achievement
Trailer for Gamer’s Challenge, Henry Gibbens (Ford Street Publishing)
Continuum 7 Opening Ceremony Video, Rachel Holkner (Continuum 7)
Conquilt, Rachel Holkner and Jeanette Holkner (Continuum 7)

No award is to be presented for Best Artwork due to insufficient nominations being received.