The shortlists for the 2008 Ditmar Awards have been announced. These awards have been presented annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention, to recognise professonal achievement in Australian science fiction (including fantasy and horror) and science fiction fandom. Nominations are accepted from "natural persons" within the Australian sf community, and the awards are determined by ballot of the members of the awarding convention.
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 "Andromeda Spaceways
Inflight Magazine" #28 edited by Zara Baxter)
"Lady of Adestan" by Cat Sparks (Published by 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 in "Andromeda Spaceways
Inflight Magazine" #28 edited by Zara Baxter)
"Domine" by Rjurik Davidson (Published in "Aurealis" #37 edited by Stephen Higgins and Stuart Mayne)
"A Scar for Leida" by Deb Biancotti (Published in Fantastic Wonder Stories edited
by Russell B. Farr)
"Bad Luck, Trouble, Death and Vampire Sex" by Garth Nix (Published in Eclipse One edited by Jonathan Strahan)
"The Sun People" by Sue Isle (Published by in "Shiny" #2 edited by Alisa Krasnstein, Ben Payne and Tansy Rayner Roberts)
"His Lipstick Minx" by Kaaron Warren (Published 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 - interviewswith 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 Wonder
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" #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 22/09/2007)
Winners of these awards will be announced during Swancon 2008, the 47th Australian National SF Convention, which will be held over the Easter weekend, March 20-24, 2008.
