Thursday, April 29, 2010

But, Ugly

But, Ugly
Word Count: 470
By Scott Wilson
“That's the ugliest thing I ever saw,” Bree said, screwing up her face and turning away from the troll chained to the back of the cage.
“What about your mother?” Brian said, which resulted in him receiving a swift kick to the rear.
“Yeah, well they say that to know what someone will look like when they get older, all you have to do is look at their parents,” Bree said. “So you’re saying that I’m ugly, but in twenty years time.”
Brian fidgeted with his keys, he knew that he’d dug himself a hole that would not be easy to get out of, no matter what he said.
“Guess who’s not getting any tonight?” Bree said.
“Aww, come on. It was just a joke,” Brian said. “Let me make it up to you. I’ll get us some tickets to ride the dragon.”
Bree’s face lit up immediately, “How are you going to get them?”
Brian opened his coin purse and jingled the coins about. Most of them were just copper pieces, but one gold piece stood out from the others, like a beacon of hope. He pulled it out and ran in across his knuckles.
“I think this will be enough,” he said.
“How did you get that?”
“Old man Rufus paid me to clean out his Wizard’s tower. It was a disaster, what with all of the experimental spells he’d been working on the last year. I even managed to stash a few of the smaller creatures he enchanted out of the tower in my pockets. Got a pretty penny for the Imps, too.”
Bree took Brian’s hands and pulled him close to plant a big, sloppy kiss on his lips.
“Let’s go,” Brian said. “The first rides start at mid-morn.”
By the time they reached the other end of Ye Royal Zoo, a crowd was just starting to accumulate. Brian almost dragged Bree, rushing to get to the front of the crowd.
“Cool,” Brian said. “We’ll be first.”
Bree kissed him again and hugged him until the dragon-keeper opened the gate to the platform. Bree ran towards the dragon, “I’ve got to kiss it,” she said.
Brian quickly ran after her and just managed to grab her arm before she reached the giant beast.
“It’ll burn you,” he said. “Their scales are red hot around the face.”
Bree gasped, not realising how close she’d come to actually burning he petite and delicate little face.
“Thanks,” she said.
Brian was about to reply when the dragon turned suddenly to face them. The heat from its nostrils scorched the side of Brian’s face.
Bree screamed and ran off.
“Man, you are butt ugly now,” the dragon-keeper said.


THE END

Blocked

Blocked
Word Count: 512
By Scott Wilson

The streets were blocked with emergency vehicles. Uniforms were everywhere, and escape seemed impossible...but was it? Desmond let go of the blind and scampered to his study, where he took his shotgun off the mantle above the fireplace.

“You’re not going to get me,” he mumbled as he loaded two shells.

A loud thud at the front of the house startled him and he also blew a hole in the roof when he jumped from the fright.

“Bastards,” he said. “Tryin’ to make me take myself out now?”

Desmond peered around the corner and saw four heavily armed police officers storm through the front door, which they had so kindly knocked down. He ducked across the hall and retrieved the large duffle bag he’d stashed under his bed. It was heavy, not in the Neil from the Young Ones Heavy, but rather completely stuffed with hundred dollar bills from the local Commonwealth Bank. They weren’t going to get the money if they caught him; he’d see to that by torching the duffle bag, and the rest of his house so there was no evidence they could pin on him.

Desmond heard the police mumbling away, they seemed to have stopped searching the house for him.

“You dumb pigs,” he said. “I’m going to get away with this, cool.”

“I’m sorry I’m a tad late,” a voice boomed behind Desmond.

Desmond turned around to face a tall skeletal figure in a white robe.

“Who...who are you?” Desmond said.

“Death!”

“What...?”

“I know, I’m a tad late and wearing the wrong colour,” Death said. “The dry cleaners botched my robe and I spent a good half hour trying to convince them that, white was not the new black.”

“I’m not dead, why are you here?”

“Oh, I’m afraid you are, Sir.” Death said. “If you care to take a look in your lounge room, I think you’ll see yourself, or rather, the body you used to live in...I love that line, live in, quite witty I think. Made that one up myself to, you know, to break the ice.”

Desmond cautiously walked to the lounge room and saw the officers standing around, what looked remarkably like his body, lying on the floor with an awkwardly positioned pen sticking out of his left ear.

“Whaa...”

“Apparently you were quite clumsy when you were working out your getaway plan.

Shouldn’t run with a pen behind your ear you know. These sorts of things tend to happen, you know, if you aren’t careful. They always used to warn you about running with scissors, but any sharp object will do the trick.”


Desmond looked at the duffle bag on his shoulder and turned to Death.

“Oh that,” Death said. “Another thing they got wrong, yes you can take it with you when you’re gone. But there’s not much call for money in the afterlife you know.

Except maybe for stoking the fire under you where you’re going.”

THE END

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Self Service

Self Service
Word Count: 390
By Scott Wilson
Bruce tinkered with the circuitry in his left leg, pulling at the frayed and spilt wires recently severed by the attack. He was pretty sure that he would be capable of repairing the electrics, but he didn’t know if the bio casing would repair itself this time. Even the life sustaining plasma was beginning to lose its bright red colour and looking more and more like pink lemonade than blood. After splicing the wires and pulling the flesh back over to cover his internals as best he could, Bruce used his rifle as a crutch and stood up. He flinched as a sharp pain shot up his leg.
“Looks like the pain circuits are back online,” he said to himself.
Jake, his dog, barked in an uneven and screeching tone. Bruce looked down and frowned. Jake was in worse shape than he was, what with two uneven pieces of metal for the legs on his right side and an almost flat battery cell, Bruce didn’t know how much longer his companion would be around to keep him company.
“Yeh, Jake. Good as new.”
Jake jerked his head and licked his metal leg, or would have if his co-ordination and judgment hadn’t missed the mark by a couple of inches.
“Aarf.”
Bruce patted his dog gently on the head.
“Let’s head back home,” Bruce said. “Hey, boy. Might take us the rest of the afternoon. But we should make if before nightfall.”
“A....aarf.” Jake barked, well almost.
Jake nudged Bruce’s leg, almost knocking him over, before hobbling in front to lead the way down the rocky hillside. Bruce winced at the pain, both from putting pressure on his injured leg and at the sight of his sole companion of the last ten years, falling to pieces, just as Bruce was himself.
Halfway down the hill, Bruce stopped to view the disturbing horizon. The sight of the open desert with the Sydney Harbour Bridge protruding from it still upset him, as did the fact he couldn’t travel further in a day, without his power cells running low, to seek out other survivors.
“Back home in another five hundred yards, boy,” he said, but Jake had stopped moving, his cells finally gave up.

THE END

Taxi Please

Taxi Please
Word Count: 323
By Scott Wilson
“Watch out for that grav car!” Sarjul yelled.
Her male companion, Tom, jumped back from the sidewalk, narrowly escaping the front bumper of the taxi. The Indian cabbie flicked a single finger at the pair, speeding around the corner and out of sight. Tom shook his head.
“I thought taxi drivers were bad back on Earth. It looks like they’ve got the monopoly everywhere.” Tom said.
Sarjul licked her tentacles, hugged Tom, then let out a howling screech. Tom heard glass shattering, followed closely by the taxi slamming into a streetlight.
“How did you do that?” Tom said.
“Kind of like a ventriloquist. I can project my voice, and fluctuate the octave to any given range.”
“But we can’t even see the cab...how did you know where to throw your...”
Sarjul pointed to the window of Starbucks Venus store, where the reflection of the crashed taxi stood our clearly. The taxi driver was rubbing his turban and looking around, cursing anyone who stopped to ask if he was all right. Each window of the cab was shattered and the bonnet of the grav car stood up to attention with a large dint running from the bumper to the windscreen, or where the windscreen previously stood.
“Won’t the police arrest you?” Tom said. “I mean, that sort of thing would get you thrown in the slammer on Earth.”
Sarjul’s foot long lips quivered, which Tom knew meant she was laughing. He travelled to Venus on the last refugee junk from Earth two months back, but thought we was getting to know the local culture quite well.
“Not at all,” Sarjul said, ripping Tom’s right arm off. “We like you immigrants as much as you seem to like taxi drivers.”
Tom thought he saw two locals feasting on the cab driver as he lost consciousness.
THE END

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Survivor Type R7

Survivor Type R7
Word Count: 770
By Scott Wilson

R7 peered over the edge of the grilled, steel mesh barrier encasing the platform. Below, fire burned wildly, enveloping the base of the immense gas mining facility.
“Danger still present,” R7 chirped to his master. “I calculate that the fire will burn for another two weeks before the fuel source is exhausted.”
“Yeah, thanks R7,” Galloway said. “Can you pick up any other survivors...there has to be more than just me?”
The droid pivoted to face the badly burnt and battered miner. It hovered over to him and opened a small compartment in its chest cavity, producing a hypodermic needle and dressings.
“I have been unable to detect life readings below us, master,” R7 replied as it began administering first aid. “With the ruptured tanks on level nine, I believe that the employees on levels three to twelve would not have survived the initial explosion. Given that the roster indicates only two employees, including yourself, to be working past level twelve at the time of the accident, I calculate that ninety five percent of the staff would have perished at this juncture.”
“Who else should be up here then?” Galloway said, grunting as the burnt flesh began healing rapidly.
“My records indicate...Jane Stark, Level fifteen cleaner, would be alive and without serious injury...if she adhered to her schedule. It is highly probable that she...”
“I know,” Galloway said. “She probably snuck down to the refectory to have an early coffee break with Dirk.”
“Management has known of this relationship for seventy eight days. I am unsure why this issue has not been addressed yet...it is highly illogical that...”
“Human,” Galloway said. “Highly human, you mean. You can’t expect a crew to work isolated from civilization for years at a time without forming...”
The platform shook violently as another explosion rumbled in the belly of the gas mine somewhere well below level fourteen where Galloway and his work-bot rested.
“Master,” R7 said. “I recommend that we traverse to the rooftop platform to evacuate immediately. The probability that the fire will spread to the lower storage chambers and thus, into the pipelines down to the mine is extremely high. My calculations indicate that there is a seventy percent probability that this will occur within the next forty minutes.
Galloway stood up, flexing his healed arms. His uniformed stuck to the flesh above his elbows where the fire burnt to before R7 extinguished it. While he couldn’t feel the pain now, he could smell the charred flesh and felt sick to the stomach at the sight of the intertwined fabric and flesh. R7 opened another chest cavity and pointed a pencil-sized device at Galloway’s arms.
“I suggest we repair that damage before leaving master,” R7 said. “The probability that any further explosions will cause you to stumble and tear the flesh open again is ninety five percent.
“Go ahead then,” Galloway said, preparing himself for the next needle and field surgery.
R7 completed this minor operation, extended a small extinguisher nozzle in preparation for the journey to the roof, and then lead the way along the small platforms leading to the fire-stairs.
“I have not detected any other life forms on the upper levels, master,” R7 said as they entered the fifteenth level. “It is most likely that Jane was not on the designated work level when the explosion occurred...”
“I think you’re wrong,” Galloway said, running towards to stairwell at the end of the room.
As he opened the door to the landing platform, Galloway was just in time to see Jane crashing the escape craft into the side barrier of the roof, causing it to explode. The burst of flames flung Galloway back into the stairwell. R7 caught him and steadied him, preventing Galloway from tumbling down the stairs and breaking his neck.
“Not much point in saving me now,” Galloway said. “How am I going to get off this platform now?”
R7 released Galloway and hovered to the edge of the platform. It extended a small antenna, which began flashing slowly with a small red light the size of a pea.
“I calculate there is a twenty percent chance that the distress call will be responded to before the platform collapses...if this does in fact actually occur.”
Galloway rubbed his chin, looking at R7 thoughtfully.
“What are the chances that you can support my weight?”
R7 turned around, grabbing onto Galloway as he leapt at the work bot, sending them both over the side of the platform.



THE END
1969: Melbourne
[edit] Best Australian Science Fiction of any length, or collection
Pacific Book Of Australian SF, John Baxter
False Fatherland, A. Bertram Chandler
Final Flower, Stephen Cook
[edit] Best International Science Fiction of any length, or collection
An Age, Brian Aldiss
Camp Concentration, Thomas M. Disch
The Ring of Ritornel, Charles Harness
[edit] Best Contemporary Writer of Science Fiction
Brian Aldiss
R.A. Lafferty
Samuel R. Delany
Roger Zelazny
[edit] Best Australian Amateur Science Fiction Publication or Fanzine
Australian Science Fiction Review, John Bangsund
The Mentor, Ronald L Clarke
Rataplan, Leigh Edmonds
[edit] 1970: Melbourne
[edit] Best Australian Science Fiction
Dancing Gerontius, Lee Harding
Anchor Man, Jack Wodhams
Split Personality, Jack Wodhams
Kinsolving Planet's Irregulars, A. Bertram Chandler
[edit] Best International Publication
Amazing Stories
Vision of Tomorrow
[edit] Best International Fiction
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. LeGuin
Cosmicomics, Italo Calvino
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
The Journal of Omphalistic Epistemology, John Foyster
[edit] 1971: Melbourne
[edit] Best Australian SF
After Ragnarok, Robert Bowden
The Bitter Pill, A. Bertram Chandler
Squat, David Rome
[edit] Best International Fiction
Time And The Hunter, Italo Calvino
The Region Between, Harlan Ellison
Towers Of Glass, Robert Silverberg
No Award
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
The Somerset Gazette, Noel Kerr
The New Forerunner, Gary Mason
[edit] Special Awards
SF in the Cinema, John Baxter
Visions of Tomorrow, Ron Graham
[edit] 1972: Melbourne
[edit] Best Australian Fiction
What You Know, A. Bertram Chandler
Fallen Spaceman, Lee Harding
The Immortal, Olaf Ruhen
Man Of Slow Feeling, Michael Wilding
The Authentic Touch, Jack Wodhams
[edit] Best International Fiction
To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer
Continued On Next Rock, R.A. Lafferty
The Lathe Of Heaven, Ursula K. LeGuin
Ringworld, Larry Niven
Time Of Changes, Robert Silverberg
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Scythrop, John Bangsund
The Mentor, Ron L. Clarke
The Fanarchist, David Grigg
Chao, John Alderson
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
[edit] 1973: Adelaide
[edit] Best Australian Fiction
The Hard Way Up, A. Bertram Chandler
"Let it Ring", John Ossian (John Foyster)
Gone Fishing, David Rome
Budnip, Jack Wodhams
[edit] Best International Fiction
The Gods Themselves, Isaac Asimov
The Gorgon Festival, John Boyd
The IQ Merchant, John Boyd
Dying Inside, Robert Silverberg
[edit] Best Dramatic Presentation
Aussiefan
A Clockwork Orange
Slaughterhouse Five
Tales From The Crypt
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Chao, John Alderson
Gegenschein, Eric Lindsay
Rataplan, Leigh Edmonds
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
[edit] 1974: Melbourne
[edit] Special Award
Robin Johnson
[edit] 1975: Melbourne
[edit] Best Australian SF
The Bitter Pill, A. Bertram Chandler
The Soft Kill, Colin Free
The Ark of James Carlyle, Cherry Wilder
[edit] Best International Fiction
Protector, Larry Niven
The Dispossessed, Ursula K. LeGuin
Frankenstein Unbound, Brian Aldiss
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Osiris, Del & Dennis Stocks
Forerunner, Sue Clarke
Fanew Sletter, Leigh Edmonds
Chao, John Alderson
Gegenschein, Eric Lindsay
[edit] 1976: Melbourne
[edit] Best Australian Fiction
The Big Black Mark, A. Bertram Chandler
Way Out West, Cherry Wilder
The Frozen Sky, Lee Harding (Ruled as ineligible, published in 1976)
[edit] Best International Fiction
The Indian Giver, Alfred Bester
The Shockwave Rider, John Brunner
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
Inferno, Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
Down to a Sunless Sea, Cordwainer Smith
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Chao, John Alderson
Fanew Sletter, Leigh Edmonds
Mad Dan's Review, Marc Ortlieb
Osiris, Del & Dennis Stocks
Interstellar Ramjet Scoop, Bill Wright
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Algis Budrys, Foundation & Asimov
James Gunn, Alternative Worlds
David Ketterer, New Worlds For Old
George Turner, Paradigm and Pattern; Form and Meaning in "The Dispossessed"
George Turner, Philip Dick by 1975
[edit] 1977: Adelaide
[edit] Best Australian Science Fiction
"The Ins and Outs of the Hadhya City State", Phillipa Maddern
Kelly Country, A. Bertram Chandler
Future Sanctuary, Lee Harding
Walkers on the Sky, David Lake
[edit] Best International Fiction
A World Out of Time, Larry Niven
The Space Machine, Chris Priest
The Hand of Oberon, Roger Zelazny
Piper At the Gates of Dawn, Richard Cowper
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
Mad Dan's Review, Marc Ortlieb
Enigma, Van Ikin
South of Harad, East of Rhun, Jon Noble
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
George Turner, "Theme as an Element of Fiction"
George Turner, "The Jonah Kit"
George Turner & Peter Nichols, "Plumbers of the Cosmos"
[edit] Special committee award
"The Ins and Outs of the Hadhya City State", Phillipa Maddern
[edit] 1978: Melbourne
[edit] Australian Science Fiction, Best Novel
The Right Hand of Dextra, David Lake
The Wildings of Westron, David Lake
The Weeping Sky, Lee Harding
The Luck of Brins Five, Cherry Wilder
[edit] Australian Science Fiction, Best Short Fiction
"Albert's Bellyful", Francis Payne, (Yggdrasil, Feb '77)
"Ignorant of Magic", Phillipa C. Maddern, (View From The Edge)
"The Two Body Problem", Bruce Barnes, (View From The Edge)
"The Long Fall", A. Bertram Chandler, (Amazing, July '77)
[edit] Best International Fiction
In the Hall Of the Martian Kings, John Varley, F&SF, Feb '77
The Silmarillion, J. R. R. Tolkien, (Allen & Unwin)
Our Lady Of Darkness, (aka The Pale Brown Thing) Fritz Leiber, (Berkeley Putnam/F&SF, Jan February 77)
A Dream of Wessex, Chris Priest, (Faber)
"The House of Compassionate Sharers", Michael Bishop, (Cosmos No 1)
The Silver in the Tree, Susan Cooper, (Chatto & Windus)
Gateway, Frederik Pohl, (Gollancz or Ballantine)
[edit] Best Amateur Australian Publication (Fanzine)
Yggdrasil, Dennis Callegari & Alan Wilson
Enigma, Van Ikin
Minardor, Marc Ortlieb
Fanew Sletter, Leigh Edmonds
Epsilon Eridani Express, Neville J. Angove
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
George Turner, "The Martial Art of SF Criticism", Yggdrasil, Feb, May & August 1977
Andrew Whitmore, "The Novels of D.G. Compton", SF Commentary, (No 52.)
Robert Scholes & Eric S. Rabkin, Science Fiction: History Science Vision, O.U.P
George Turner, "The Silverberg Phenomenon", SF Commentary, No 51
Van Ikin, "Review of 'Going'"
[edit] 1979: Sydney
[edit] Best Australian Fiction
To Keep The Ship, A. Bertram Chandler, DAW
Beloved Son, George Turner, Faber
Play Little Victims, Kenneth Cook, Pergamon Press
"Pie Row Joe", Kevin McKay
The Rooms of Paradise, Quartet
[edit] Best International Fiction
The Far Call, Gordon R. Dickson, Quantum
Dreamsnake, Vonda McIntyre, Houghton & Mifflin
Stardance II, Spider and Jeanne Robinson, Analog, Sept to November 1978
"The Persistence of Vision", John Varley, F&SF, March 1978
The White Dragon, Anne McCaffrey
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Forerunner, Jack R. Herman
Yggdrasil, Denis Callegari & Alan Wilson
Scytale, Peter Toluzzi
The Epsilon Eridani Express, Neville J. Angove
Chunder!, John Foyster
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Leanne Frahm
John Bangsund
Marc Ortlieb
Anthony Peacy
Eric Lindsay
John Foyster
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Susan Wood, "Women and Science Fiction", Algol 33, 1978
John Bangsund, Parergon Papers 10, ANZAPA, October 1978
John McPharlin, "On The Ebb Tide of the New Wave", Auto Delerium, March 1978
Lloyd Biggle Jr, "The Morasses of Academe Revisited", Analog, September 1978
[edit] 1980: Swancon 5, Perth
[edit] Australian Fiction
Moon in the Ground, Keith Antill
Displaced Person, Lee Harding
Australian Gnomes, Robert Ingpen
One Clay Foot, Jack Wodhams
[edit] Best International Fiction
The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Castle Roogna, Piers Anthony
The Flight of Dragons, Peter Dickinson
Dragondrums, Anne McCaffrey
Titan, John Varley
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Bionic Rabbit, Damian Brennan
The Wasffan, Roy Ferguson
Chunder, John Foyster
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
Forerunner, Jack Herman
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Damian Brennan
Roy Ferguson
Leanne Frahm
Jack R. Herman
Marc Ortlieb
[edit] Australian Fantasy/SF Artist
Bevan Casey
Chris Johnston
Rob McGough
John Packer
Marilyn Pride
Jane Taubman
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Terry Dowling, The Art of Xenography, Science Fiction 3
Bruce Gillespie, The Man Who filled the void & By our fruits, S.F. Commentary 55/56
Jack R. Herman, Paradox as Paradigm: A Review of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Forerunner, May
George Turner, Delany: A Victim of the Great Applause, Yggdrasil 3/79
[edit] 1981: Adelaide
[edit] Best Australian Novel
The Dreaming Dragons, Damien Broderick
Breathing Space Only, Wynne Whiteford
Looking for Blucher, Jack Wodhams
The Fourth Hemisphere, David Lake
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
Deus Ex Corporus, Leanne Frahm
The Pastseer, Phillipa Maddern
Passage to Earth, Leanne Frahm
Horg, Jay Hoffman
[edit] Best International Fiction
Mockingbird, Walter Tevis
The Snow Queen, Joan D. Vinge
Timescape, Gregory Benford
The Wounded Land, Stephen R. Donaldson
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Australian Science Fiction News, Mervyn R. Binns
Q36, Marc Ortlieb
Chunder, John Foyster
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Leigh Edmonds
Leanne Frahm
David Grigg
Marc Ortlieb
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist
John Packer
Marilyn Pride
Jane Taubman
Julie Vaux
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Algis Budrys, Charting Paradise
Christopher Priest, Outside the Whale
John Sladek, Four Reasons for Reading Thomas M. Disch
George Turner, Frederik Pohl as a Creator of Future Societies, and Samuel Delany: Victim of great Applause
[edit] 1982: Melbourne
[edit] Best Long Australian Science Fiction or Fantasy
The Anarch Lords, A. Bertram Chandler
Bard, Keith Taylor
Behind the Wind, Patricia Wrightson
City of Women, David Ireland
The Man Who Loved Morlocks, David Lake
[edit] Best Short Australian Science Fiction or Fantasy
Armstrong, Jack Wodhams
Tales of Mirric, Elizabeth Travers
Where Silence Rules, Keith Taylor
[edit] Best International Fiction
The Affirmation, Chris Priest
The Claw of the Conciliator, Gene Wolfe
Radix, A.A. Attanasio
The Sirian Experiments, Doris Lessing
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Australian SF News, Mervyn R. Binns
Q36, Marc Ortlieb
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
Thyme, Andrew Brown and Irwin Hirsh
Weberwoman's Wrevenge, Jean Weber
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Leigh Edmonds
Judith Hanna
Eric B. Lindsay
Marc Ortlieb
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist
Steph Campbell
Chris Johnston
John Packer
Marilyn Pride
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Damien Broderick, The Lately Great Alfred Bester, S.F. Commentary 62/66
Thomas Disch, The Labor Day Group F&SF, February 1981
Bruce Gillespie, Sing a Song of Daniel
[edit] 1983: Sydney
[edit] Best Australian Science Fiction or Fantasy
The Ones Who Walk Away Behind the Eyes, Terry Dowling, Omega, May 1982
The Lances of Nengesdul, Keith Taylor
Vaneglory, George Turner
[edit] Best International Fiction
No Enemy But Time, Michael Bishop
The One Tree, Stephen R. Donaldson
Ridley Walker, Russell Hoban
Roderick, John Sladek
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Ornithopter, Leigh Edmonds
Q36, Marc Ortlieb
Science Fiction, Van Ikin
Thyme, Andrew Brown, Irwin Hirsh, Roger Weddall
Weberwoman's Wrevenge, Jean Weber
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Terry Dowling
Leigh Edmonds
Marc Ortlieb
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist
Kerrie Hanlon
Chris Johnston
Marilyn Pride
Nick Stathopoulos
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Cartoonist
Terry Frost
Michael McGann
John Packer
Jane Taubman
Julie Vaux
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Editor
Neville Angove
Mervyn Binns
Ron L. Clarke
Paul Collins
Van Ikin
Norstrilia Press Rob Gerrand, Bruce Gillespie & Carey Handfield
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Terry Dowling, Kirth Gersen: The Other Demon Prince, Science Fiction 11
Terry Dowling, The Lever of Life: Winning and Losing in the Fiction of Cordwainer Smith, Science Fiction 10
Bruce Gillespie, S.F. Commentary, The First Year
[edit] Special Award
Robin Johnson, Contribution to Fandom
[edit] 1984: Melbourne
[edit] Best Australian Long Science Fiction or Fantasy
The Tempting of the Witchking, Russell Blackford, (Cory & Collins.)
The Judas Mandala, Damien Broderick, (Timescape.)
Valencies, Damien Broderick & Rory Barnes, (UQP.)
Kelly Country, A. Bertram Chandler, (Penguin.)
Yesterday's Men, George Turner, (Faber.)
Thor's Hammer, Wynne Whiteford, (Cory & Collins.)
[edit] Best Australian Short Science Fiction or Fantasy
Crystal Soldier, Russell Blackford
Life the Solitude, Kevin McKay
Land Deal, Gerald Murnane
Above Atlas His Shoulders, Andrew Whitmore
[edit] Best International Fiction
The Birth of the People's Republic of Antarctica, John Calvin Batchelor, (Dial Press.)
The Tempting of the Witchking, Russell Blackford, (Cory and Collins.)
Dr Who, (BBC)
Pilgerman, Russell Hoban, (Jonathan Cape.)
Yesterday's Men, George Turner,(Faber.)
Thor's Hammer, Wynne Whiteford, (Cory & Collins.)
No Award
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Australian Science Fiction News, Mervyn R. Binns
Rataplan/Ornithopter, Leigh Edmonds
Science Fiction, Van Ikin
Thyme, Roger Weddall
Wahf-full, Jack Herman
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Leigh Edmonds
Terry Frost
Jack Herman
Seth Lockwood
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist
Neville Bain
Steph Campbell
Michael Dutkiewicz
Chris Johnston
Nick Stathopoulos
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Cartoonist
Bill Flowers
Terry Frost
Craig Hilton
Michael McGann
John Packer
Clint Strickland
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Editor
Paul Collins
Van Ikin
David King
Norstrilia Press Rob Gerrand, Bruce Gillespie & Carey Handfield
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
No Award
[edit] 1985: Adelaide
[edit] Best Australian Novel
Beast of Heaven, Victor Kelleher
The Last Amazon, A. Bertram Chandler
The Wild Ones, A. Bertram Chandler
Suburbs of Hell, Randolph Stow
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
Terrarium, Terry Dowling, Omega, May/June 1984
The Maze Man, Terry Dowling, Men's Journal, Summer 1984
Resurrection, Damien Broderick, IASFM, August 1984
Three Star Trek, Ron Ferguson, Omega, Sept/October 1984
[edit] Best International Fiction
Neuromancer, William Gibson, Ace
The Final Encyclopedia, Gordon R. Dickson, Tor
Native Tongues, Suzette Haden Elgin, DAW
Damiano's Lute, R.A. MacAvoy, Bantam
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Australian SF News, Merv Binns
The Mentor, Ron L. Clarke
Rataplan, Leigh Edmonds
Science Fiction, Van Ikin
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Leigh Edmonds
David Grigg
Leanne Frahm
Yvonne Rousseau
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist, Cartoonist or Illustrator
Nick Stathopoulos
Craig Hilton
Kerrie Hanlon
Peter Reading
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Editor
Paul Collins
Van Ikin
Philip Gore
Bruce Gillespie
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Dramatic Presentation
Boiling Frog, Stage play with productions in Adelaide & Sydney
Beach Blanket Tempest, Rock Fantasy stage musical Half Moon Production
Iceman, Fred Schepisi Director
Iceman, Bruce Smeaton Musical score
Thief of Sydney, Animated feature 15 minutes
Kindred Spirits, ABC Telemovie
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
George Turner, In The Heart or in the Head
John Foyster, Article on George Turner, "ASFN" 1984
Damien Broderick, SF Reviews, "The Age", 1984
John Baxter, SF Reviews, "The Australian", 1984
[edit] 1986: Swancon 11, Perth
[edit] Best Australian Science Fiction Novel
Landscape With Landscapes, Gerald Murnane, Norstrilia
Illywacker, Peter Carey, UQP
Changelings of Cha'an, David Lake, Hyland House
Transing Syndrome, Kurt von Trojan, Rigby
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
The Twist of Fate, David Grigg, Urban Fantasies
Glass Reptile Breakout, Russell Blackford, Strange Attractors
Montage, Lucy Sussex, Urban Fantasies
The Fittest, George Turner, Urban Fantasies
Lipton Village Society, Lucy Sussex, Strange Attractors
The Bullet That Grows in the Gun, Terry Dowling, Urban Fantasies
[edit] Best International Fiction
Devil in a Forest, Gene Wolfe, Granada
Tik-Tok, John Sladek, Corgi
Free Live Free, Gene Wolfe, Gollancz
Peace, Gene Wolfe, Chatto
Compass Rose, Ursula K. LeGuin, Bantam, also Underwood & Miller, and Harper and Row
Elleander Morning, Jerry Yulsman, Orbit/Futura
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
The Notional, Leigh Edmonds
The Metaphysical Review, Bruce Gillespie
Thyme, Roger Weddall & Peter Burns
Tigger, Marc Ortlieb
Sikander, Irwin Hirsh
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Bruce Gillespie
Damien Broderick
Leigh Edmonds
Yvonne Rousseau
Marc Ortlieb
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist
Lewis Morley
John Packer
Betty deGabrielle
Nick Stathopoulos
Marilyn Pride
Craig Hilton
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Norman Talbot
Russell Blackford
George Turner, "Neuromancer" et al.
Yvonne Rousseau
[edit] 1987: Canberra
[edit] Best Australian Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel
Bard III: The Wild Sea, Keith Taylor, (Ace.)
Oasis, Patrick Urth, Aphelion 1-4
Taronga, Victor Kelleher, Viking Kestrel
The Black Grail, Damien Broderick, Avon
Adventures Of Christian Rosy Cross, David Foster, Penguin
[edit] Best Australian Science Fiction or Fantasy Short Fiction
Shut the Door When You Go Out, George Turner, Aphelion 4
The Man Who Lost Red, Terry Dowling
Time of the Star, Terry Dowling, Aphelion 3
A Dragon Between His Fingers, Terry Dowling, Omega, May/June
For the Man Who Has Everything, Chris Simmons, Aphelion 1
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
The Space Wastrel, Mark Loney, Michelle Muijsert, Julian Warner
Motional, Anonymous
Larrikin, Irwin Hirsh & Perry Middlemiss
Metaphysical Review, Bruce Gillespie
Thyme, Roger Weddall and Peter Burns
[edit] Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist
Craig Hilton
Nick Stathopoulos
Kerrie Hanlon
Betty deGabriele
John Packer
[edit] Outstanding Contribution to Australian Fandom
Carey Handfield, T.R.O. (The Real Official.)
[edit] William Atheling Award
Russell Blackford, Debased and Lascivious
Dave Luckett
Margaret Winch, Frank's Tank
Michael J Tolley
[edit] 1988: Sydney
[edit] Best Australian Long Fiction
For as Long as You Burn, Terry Dowling, Aphelion 5
The Makers, Victor Kelleher, Viking, Kestrel
Bard IV: Raven's Gathering, Keith Taylor, Ace
The Sea And The Summer, George Turner, Faber
The Hyades Contact, Wynne Whiteford, Ace
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
The Dirty Little Unicorn, Stephen Dedman
The Last Elephant, Terry Dowling, Australian Short Stories #20
Marmordesse, Terry Dowling, Omega, January 1987
The Supramarket, Leanne Frahm, Doom City
The Celestial Intervention Agency, Karen Herkes, Time Loop #70
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Australian Science Fiction Review, Melbourne Collective eds
Larrikin, Irwin Hirsh, Perry Middlemiss
Science Fiction, Van Ikin
The Space Wastrel, Mark Loney, Michelle Muijsert, Julian Warner
[edit] Best Australian Fan Writer
Karen Herkes
Jack R. Herman
Irwin Hirsh
Van Ikin
Perry Middlemiss
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Donna Angus
Kerrie Hanlon
Craig Hilton
David Kenyon
Stephen McArthur
Lewis Morley
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Russell Blackford, Deconstructing the Demon: John Calvin Bachelor's Novels ASFR #11
Richard Erlich & Peter Hall, A Prefilmic, Post-Poststructurialist Prostruction of Alien/Alien3, ASFR #11
John Foyster, Review of Trillion Year Spree, ASFR #7
Van Ikin, Mirror Reversals and the Tolkien Writing Game, Science Fiction #25
Susan Margaret, Structural Analysis of SF. Why? The Space Wastrel
Janeen Webb, I Know Who I am, But What is my Brand Name?
[edit] 1989: Swancon 14, Perth
[edit] Best Australian Long Fiction
Striped Holes, Damien Broderick, Avon
West Of The Moon, David Lake, Hyland
Huaco Of The Golden God, Carolyn Logan, A&R
Beyond The Labyrinth, Gillian Rubinstein, Hyland
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
A Tale of Nine Cats, Katherine Cummings, Conviction Programme
Scatter My Ashes, Greg Egan, Interzone #23
Things Fall Apart, Philippa Maddern, Matilda at the Speed of Light
The Colors of the Masters, Sean McMullen, F&SF March 1988
My Lady Tongue, Lucy Sussex, Matilda at the Speed of Light
[edit] Best International Fiction
Dawn, Octavia Butler, Gollancz
Seventh Son, Orson Scott Card, Legend
Aegypt, John Crowley, Gollancz
Mona Lisa Overdrive, William Gibson, Gollancz
On Stranger Tides, Tim Powers, Grafton
Life During Wartime, Lucius Shepard, Grafton
Islands In The Net, Bruce Sterling, Century
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
SFR, SF Collective
Get Stuffed, Jacob Blake
Larrikin, Perry Middlemiss & Irwin Hirsh
Science Fiction, Van Ikin
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Bruce Gillespie
Jack Herman
Van Ikin
Perry Middlemiss
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Ian Gunn
Kerrie Hanlon
Craig Hilton
Mike McGann
Kiera McKenzie
Phil Wlodarczyk
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Russell Blackford, ASFR Articles
Martin Bridgestock, Sea & Summer, ASFR, Counter Earth/Counter Humanity, Metaphysical Review
Janeen Webb, ASFR Articles
Arthur Webster, Speaker for the Dead, Get Stuffed
[edit] 1990: Melbourne
The William Atheling Jr Award was withdrawn for insufficient nominations
[edit] Best Australian Long Fiction
Victor Kelleher, The Red King, Viking Kestrel
Keith Taylor, The Sorcerer's Sacred Isle, Ace
Wynne Whiteford, Lake Of The Sun, Ace
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
Terry Dowling, The Quiet Redemption of Andy the House, Australian Short Stories #26, June 1989.)
Rosaleen Love, If You Go Down to the Park Today, Total Devotion Machine
Rosaleen Love, Total Devotion Machine, Total Devotion Machine
Petrina Smith, Over the Edge, Mirrors: Redress Novellas
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
SF Collective, ASFR
Melbourne Science Fiction Club, Ethel The Aardvark
Jacob Blake, Get Stuffed
Jack Herman, Sweetness and Light
[edit] Best Australian Fanwriter
Terry Frost
Bruce Gillespie
Ian Gunn
Jack R. Herman
Yvonne Hintz
Alan Stewart
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Ian Gunn
Kerrie Hanlon
Craig Hilton
Phil Wlodarczyk
[edit] 1991: Suncon, Brisbane
[edit] Best Fannish Cat
Constantinople, human: Phil Wlodarczyk
Emma Peel, human: Terry Frost
Godzilla, humans: Ian Gunn & Karen Pender-Gunn
Honey, humans: Gerald [Smith] & Womble
Satan, human: Phil Wlodarczyk
Truffle, humans Mark Loney & Michelle Muijsert
Typo, human: Roger Weddall
[edit] Best Fanzine
Australian Science Fiction Review, (Second series) Edited by the Science Fiction Collective
Doxa!, Roman Orszanski
Doxy, John Foyster
Ethel the Aardvark, Alan Stewart
Pink, Karen Pender-Gunn
StunGunn, Ian Gunn
[edit] Best Australian Novel or Anthology
A Pursuit of Miracles, George Turner, Aphelion
Fortress of Eternity, Andrew Whitmore, Avon
My Lady Tongue and Other Tales, Lucy Sussex, William Heinemann
Rynosseros, Terry Dowling, Aphelion
The Specialist, Wynne Whitford, Ace
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
Generation Gap, George Turner, A Pursuit of Miracles, Aphelion
God and Her Black Sense of Humour, Lucy Sussex, My Lady Tongue and Other Tales
Red Ochre, Lucy Sussex, My Lady Tongue and Other Tales, William Heinemann
The Caress, Greg Egan, Isaac Asimov's SF Magazine January 1990
Turtle Soup, Rosaleen Love, Eidolon December 1990
While the Gate is Open, Sean McMullen, F&SF March 1990
[edit] Best Australian Fan Artist
Ian Gunn
Craig Hilton
Marion Plumridge
Phil Wlodarczyk
[edit] Best Australian Fan Writer
Terry Frost
Bruce Gillespie
Ian Gunn
Marc Ortlieb
Alan Stewart
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Russell Blackford, Analogues of Anomie: Lee Harding's Novels in Science Fiction 30 & Australian Science Fiction Review (Second Series
Bruce Gillespie, The Non-SF Novels of Philip K. Dick presented at the Nova Mob and published in ANZAPA
Peter Nicholls, Fantastic World reviews in the Melbourne Sunday Herald
Alan Stewart, Reviews in Ethel the Aardvark and SF Commentary
[edit] 1992: Syncon, Sydney
[edit] Best Novel or Collection
From Sea to Shining Star, A. Bertram Chandler
Wormwood, Terry Dowling
Brother Night, Victor Kelleher
Del Del, Victor Kelleher
Brainchild, George Turner
[edit] Best Short Fiction
Vanities, Terry Dowling
Nobody's Fool, Terry Dowling
A Deadly Edge Their Red Beaks Pass Along, Terry Dowling
Olive Truffles, Leanne Frahm
The Dominant Style, Sean McMullen
Alone in his Chariot, Sean McMullen
[edit] Best Fanzine
Eidolon, Jeremy Byrne
Ethel the Aardvark, Alan Stewart
Inconsequential Parallax, Tim Richards & Narelle Harris
Thyme, LynC & Clive Newall
Thyme, Greg Hills & Mark Loney
[edit] Best Fan Writer
James Allen
Terry Frost
Bruce Gillespie
Greg Hills
Alan Stewart
[edit] Best SF or Fantasy Artist
Ian Gunn
Craig Hilton
Nick Stathopoulos
Phil Wlodarczyk
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Jonathan Carroll, Storyteller, Bruce Gillespie
Going Commercial, Sean McMullen
Review of The Fantastic Civil War, Blair Ramage
[edit] Special Award for Services to Fandom
Susan Batho
Ron Clarke
Jack Herman
[edit] 1993: Swancon 18, Perth
[edit] Best Long Fiction
Blue Tyson, Terry Dowling
Quarantine, Greg Egan
Back Door Man, Ian M. Hails
Call to the Edge, Sean McMullen
Brainchild, George Turner
And Disregards the Rest, Paul Voermans
[edit] Best Short Fiction
Privateer's Moon, Terry Dowling
Ship's Eye, Terry Dowling
Closer, Greg Egan
Worthless, Greg Egan
The Seas of Castle Hill Road, Rick Kennett
It's All In The Way You Look At It, Michael Pryor
[edit] Best Periodical
Slow Glass Books Catalog, Justin Ackroyd
Eidolon, Jeremy Byrne
Ethel the Aardvark, Alan Stewart
Thyme, Alan Stewart
Aurealis, Dirk Strasser & Stephen Higgins
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Paul Ewings
Terry Frost
Robin Pen
Karen Pender-Gunn
Alan Stewart
Roger Weddall
[edit] Best Artwork
Fanimals, Ian Gunn
Space Time Buckaneers, Ian Gunn
1992 Ditmar Award, Lewis Morley
Cover art for Blue Tyson, Nick Stathopoulos
Relics, Shaun Tan
Snowman, Leisl Yvette
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Five Go Camping with 12-01 Club, Paul Ewings
James Morrow and the Erni, Bruce Gillespie
Australian SF Art Turns 50, Sean McMullen
From Fantasy to Gallileo, Sean McMullen
Reviews in Ethel the Aardvark Karen Pender-Gunn
[edit] 1994: Melbourne
[edit] Best Long Fiction or Collection
The Destiny Makers, George Turner
Graffiti, Dirk Strasser
Twilight Beach, Terry Dowling
The Weird Colonial Boy, Paul Voermans
[edit] Best Short Fiction
Catalyst, Leanne Frahm, Terror Australis
Starbaby, Rosaleen Love, Overland, December 93
The Lottery, Lucy Sussex, Overland December 93
Ghosts of the Fall, Sean Williams, Writers of the Future IX
[edit] Best Professional Art Work
Galaxy Bookshop Dragon, Lewis Morley
Twilight Beach Cover, Nick Stathopoulos
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Paul Ewins
Terry Frost
Bruce Gillespie
Jan MacNally
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Ian Gunn
Craig Hilton
Pamela Rendall
Steve Scholz
Kerry Valkova
Phil Wlodarczyk
[edit] Best Fanzine
Black Light
Ethel the Aardvark
Get Stuffed
SF Commentary
The Mentor
Thyme
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Five Bikers Of The Apocalypse, Leigh Edmonds, Eidolon #12
SF Sucks, James Allen, Get Stuffed #6
Silverberg Not Moving, Damien Broderick, SF Commentary 73/74/75
[edit] 1995: Thylacon, Hobart
[edit] Best Australian Long Fiction
Deersnake, Lucy Sussex, Hodder
Genetic Soldier, George Turner, William Morrow
Permutation City, Greg Egan, Millennium
Voices in the Light, Sean McMullen, Aphelion
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
Cocoon, Greg Egan, Asimov's SF, May 94
Jinx Ship, Leanne Frahm, The Patternmaker
Land's End, Leanne Frahm, Alien Shores
Our Lady of Chernobyl, Greg Egan, Interzone 83, May 1994
The Patternmaker, Dave Luckett, The Patternmaker
[edit] Best Professional Artwork
Shaun Tan, for artwork in Aurealis and Eidolon Publications
[edit] Best Fanzine
Gegenschein, Eric Lindsay
The Mentor, Ron Clarke
Sirius, Garry Wyatt
Thyme, Alan Stewart
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Terry Frost
Ian Gunn
Graham Stone
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Ian Gunn
Kerri Valkova
[edit] Special Committee Award
Peter Nicholls
[edit] 1996: Swancon 21, Perth
[edit] Best Long Fiction
An Intimate Knowledge of the Night, Terry Dowling, Aphelion
Mirrorsun Rising, Sean McMullen, Aphelion
Sabriel, Garth Nix, Moonstone/Harper Collins
She's Fantastical, Lucy Sussex & Judith Buckrich, Sybylla
The Unknown Soldier, Sean Williams & Shane Dix, Aphelion
[edit] Best Short Fiction
Entropy, Leanne Frahm, She's Fantastical, Sybylla
Schrödinger's Fridge, Ian Gunn, Aurealis #15
A Sky Full of Ravens, Sue Isle, She's Fantastical, Sybylla
Angel Thing, Petrina Smith, She's Fantastical, Sybylla
A Map of the Mines of Barnath, Sean Williams, Eidolon #16
The Perfect Gun, Sean Williams, Eidolon #17/18
[edit] Best Publication/Fanzine/Periodical
Eidolon, J. Byrne, R Scriven & J Strahan
Ethel the Aardvark, Paul Ewins
The Metaphysical Review, Bruce Gillespie
Pinkette, Karen Pender-Gunn
Thyme, Alan Stewart
[edit] Best Artwork
Thyme 106 (Cover), Ian Gunn
An Intimate Knowledge of the Night (Cover), Nick Stathopoulos
Eidolon 19 (Cover), Shaun Tan
[edit] Best Non-Professional/Fan Writer
Terry Frost, Ian Gunn, Cheryl Morgan, Alan Stewart
[edit] Best Non-Professional/Fan Artist
Ian Gunn, Steve Scholz, Kerri Valkova
[edit] William Atheling Jnr Award
Reading by Starlight, Damien Broderick, Rutledge
The Hunt for Australian Horror Fiction, Bill Congreve, Sean McMullen & Steven Paulsen, The Scream Factory #16
[edit] 1997: Spawncon I, Melbourne
[edit] Best Australian Long Fiction
Dreamweavers, Paul Collins (ed), Penguin Books
The Memory Cathedral, Jack Dann, Bantam
Scarlet Rider, Lucy Sussex, Tor/Forge
Metal Fatigue, Sean Williams, Harper Collins
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
The Sword of God, Russell Blackford
Dreamweavers, Paul Collins (ed), Penguin Books
The Ichneumon and the Dormeuse, Terry Dowling, Interzone #106
Borderline, Leanne Frahm, Borderline, Mirrordanse Books
The Stray Cat, Steven Paulsen, Lothian
[edit] Best Fanzine
The Communicator, Derek Screen
Emerald City, Cheryl Morgan
Oscillation Overthruster, Sue Ann Barber
Pinkette, Karen Pender-Gunn
Science Fiction, Van Ikin
Thyme, Alan Stewart
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Terry Frost
Bruce Gillespie
Ian Gunn
Cheryl Morgan
Karen Pender-Gunn
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Ian Gunn
Steve Scholz
Kerri Valkova
Phil Wlodarczyk
[edit] Best Professional Artwork
Trudi Canavan for art in Aurealis #17, and Eidolon #22/23
Norm & Margaret Hetherington for Mr Squiggle, ABC TV
Elizabeth Kyle Cover of Dreamweavers
Shaun Tan for artwork in Eidolon and the cover of The Stray Cat
Jason Towers for Valdo Over Evora cover, Australian Realms #28
[edit] William Atheling Jr. Award
Russell Blackford, for The Tiger in the Prison House, Science Fiction #37, Reviews of Distress in Science Fiction and NYRSF, and Jewels in Junk City in Review of Contemporary Fiction
Alan Stewart, for reviews in Thyme
Janeen Webb, for Post human SF: Lost In Cyberspace, The Festival of Imagination Programme Book
[edit] 1998: Thylacon II, Hobart
[edit] Best Long Fiction
The White Abacus, Damien Broderick, Avon Books
Winter, Simon Brown, Harper Collins
Darkfall, Isobelle Carmody, Penguin
Old Bones, Paul Collins
Sinner, Sara Douglass, Harper Collins
[edit] Best Short Fiction
Niagara Falling, Janeen Webb & Jack Dann, Black Mist
Lucent Carbon Russell Blackford, Eidolon 25/26
The Willcroft Inheritance, Rick Kennett and Paul Collins, Gothic Ghosts
Reasons to be Cheerful, Greg Egan, Interzone #118, [Withdrawn.]
Grievous Music, Carole Nomarhas, Eidolon 24
[edit] Best Dramatic Presentation
Spellbinder 2, Nine Network
Degree Absolute Bedlam Theatre Company
Multiverse Ceremonies Video
[edit] Best Artwork/Artist
Kerri Valkova
Mack McBride, Shivers Series
Nick Stathopoulos
Robert Jan
R & D Studios, Eidolon Cover
Shaun Tan, The Viewer
[edit] Best Fanzine
Eidolon
Frontier
Thyme
Captain's Log
Oscillation Overthruster
[edit] Best Fan Writer
George Ivanoff
Terry Frost
Bruce Gillespie
Leanne Frahm
Karen Johnson
Cathy Cupitt
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Katharine and Darren Maxwell, for X-files episode reviews in Frontier #59;
Sean McMullen and Steven Paulsen, Australian Contemporary Fantasy, Encyclopedia of Fantasy #173, Orbit
[edit] 1999: Spawncon II, Melbourne
Presented as part of Aussiecon III
[edit] Best Australian Long Fiction
Pilgrim, Sara Douglass, Harper Collins
Feral, Kerry Greenwood, Hodder and Stoughton
The Centurion's Empire, Sean McMullen, Tor
The Tilecutter's Penny, Caseal Mor, Random House
The Resurrected Man, Sean Williams, Harper Collins
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
The Marsh Runners, Paul Brandon, Dreaming Down Under
The Evil Within, Sara Douglass, Dreaming Down Under
Dream Until God Burns, Andrew Enstice, Dreaming Down Under
The Truth About Weena, David Lake, Dreaming Down Under
Queen of Soulmates, Sean McMullen, Dreaming Down Under
To Avalon, Jane Routley, Dreaming Down Under
[edit] Best Australian Magazine or Anthology
Altair, Rob Stephenson
Aurealis, Paul Higgins & Dirk Strasser
Dreaming Down-Under, Jack Dann & Janeen Webb, Harper Collins
Eidolon, Jonathan Strahan & Jeremy Byrne
Fantastic Worlds, Paul Collins, Harper Collins
MUP Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction, Paul Collins, M.U.P
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
The Captain's Log, Rose Mitchell
Ethel the Aardvark, Ian Gunn
Interstellar Ramjet Scoop, Bill Wright
Metaphysical Review, Bruce Gillespie
Out of the Kaje, Karen Johnson
Thyme, Alan Stewart
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Ian Gunn
Robert Jan
Dick Jenssen
Marco Nero
Kerri Valkova
[edit] Best Professional Artwork
Emma Barber, Cover Cannibals of the Fine Light Cover, A View Before Dying
Mark McBride, Cover Fantastic Worlds
Marilyn Pride, Peregrine Besset/A3 PRs
Nick Stathopoulos, Cover The Man Who Melted, Cover Dreaming Down Under
Shaun Tan, The Rabbits
[edit] William Atheling Jr. Award
Damien Broderick Reviews, The New York Review of Science Fiction
Paul Collins, MUP Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction
Stephen Paulsen, Contributions to MUP Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction
Jonathan Strahan, Reviews in Locus
Janeen Webb and Andrew Enstice, Aliens & Savages, Harper Collins
Sean Williams & Simon Brown, No Axis No Boundary, Altair 1
[edit] 2000: Swancon 25, Perth
Original Nominations
[edit] Best Written Work (Professional)
Paul Collins & Jack Wodhams, Generation X, Cicada Nov/December 1999
Stephen Dedman, The Lady of Situations, Ticonderoga Publications
Dave Luckett, A Dark Journey, Omnibus
Paul Collins, The Nabakov Affair, Australian Short Stories #63
Rory Barnes & Damien Broderick, The Book of Revelation, Harper Collins
[edit] Best Written Work (Unpaid or Fan)
Colin Sharpe & Kate Langford, Magical Cream Puff Destiny, JAMWAF Magazine
Kyla Ward, Night Cars, Abaddon #2
Robin Pen Eidolist 1999 Reviews, Eidolist
Bill Wright, Interstellar Ramjet Scoop
Alan Stewart, Thyme
[edit] Best Professional Production In Any Medium
Sarah Endacott (ed), Orb 0
Russell B. Farr (ed), The Lady of Situations, Ticonderoga Publications
Roadshow and Warner Brothers, The Matrix
Paul Collins & Meredith Costain (ed), Spinouts, Pearson Education
MP Books, Antique Futures: The Best of Terry Dowling, MP Books
[edit] Best Non-Professional Production In Any Medium
Jonathan Strahan & Steve Paulsen, The Coode Street Review of Science Fiction
Team, Twenty3, Swancon 2000 Launch Video
Cathy Cupitt, The Rhyzome Factor
Danny Heap, The Opening Ceremony Video at Aussiecon Three
Ion Newcombe, The Antipodean SF website
[edit] Best Artwork (Professional.)
Nick Stathopoulos, The Cover of Antique Futures
Graeme Bliss, The Cover of Clementine
Marc McBride, The Cover of Spinouts
Shaun Tan, The Cover of Orb 0
Nick Stathopoulos, The Cover of The Aussiecon Three Souvenir Book
[edit] Best Artwork (Unpaid or Fan)
Jeremy Nelson, The Cover of The Rhyzome Factor #4
Colin Sharpe, Illustrations for The Magical Cream Puff Destiny
Dick Jenssen, Body of Work
Phil Wlodarczyk, Cover to Ethel the Aardvark
[edit] William Atheling Award for Criticism or Review
Van Ikin, Russell Blackford & Sean McMullen, Strange Constellations: A History of Australian Science Fiction, Greenwood
Judith Buckrich, George Turner: A Life 1916-1997, M.U.P
Robert Hood, Articles in i.am ezine
Janeen Webb & Andrew Enstice, The Fantastic Self, Eidolon Press
Jonathan Strahan & Steve Paulsen, The Coode Street Review of Science Fiction
Second Round Nominations and Winners
[edit] Best Novel
Damien Broderick and Rory Barnes, The Book of Revelation
Greg Egan, Teranesia (Award declined.)
Richard Harland, Hidden From View
Dave Luckett, A Dark Victory
Stephen Dedman, Foreign Bodies
Jane Routley, Aramaya
Sean McMullen, Souls In The Great Machine
[edit] Best Short Fiction
Paul Collins, The Habokov Affair, Australian Short Stories 63
Robert Hood, Ground Underfoot, Aurealis 23
Paul Collins and Jack Wodhams, Generation X, Cicada Nov/December 99
Robert Hood, Primal Etiquette, Orb 0
Chris Lawson, Written In Blood, Asimov's, June 1999
[edit] Best Collected Work
Sean Williams, New Adventures in Sci-Fi
Damien Broderick and David Hartwell, Centaurus
Terry Dowling, Antique Futures
Paul Collins and Meredith Costain, Spinouts
Stephen Dedman, The Lady Of Situations
[edit] Best Artwork
Shaun Tan, Cover to The Coode St Review Of Science Fiction
Nick Stathopoulos, Cover to Aussiecon 3 Programme Book
Nick Stathopoulos, Cover to Dreaming Down Under Volume 2, (Ineligible, withdrawn.)
Marc McBride, Covers to Spinouts
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Bruce Gillespie
Alan Stewart
Karen Johnson
Robin Pen
Merv Binns
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Brad Foster withdrawn as ineligible (non-Australian)
Dick Jenssen
Catriona Sparks
[edit] Best Fan Production
Jonathan Strahan and Stephen Paulsen, The Coode St Review Of Science Fiction
Alan Stewart, Thyme
Cathy Cupitt, The Rhizome Factor
Danny Heap, Nick Stathopoulos, Aussiecon 3 Masquerade Ceremony
Danny Heap, Aussiecon 3 Opening Ceremony Video
Bill Wright, Interstellar Ramjet Scoop
Ethel The Aardvark
[edit] William Atheling Jr. Award
Robert Hood, Writings in i.am website
Tess Williams and Helen Merrick, Women Of Other Worlds
Jonathan Strahan, Reviews in Locus
Russell Blackford, Van Ikin and Sean McMullen, Strange Constellations: A History Of Australian Science Fiction
Jonathan Strahan and Stephen Paulsen, The Coode St Review of Science Fiction
[edit] 2001: Swancon 26, Perth
[edit] Best Novel
Cyberskin, Paul Collins, Hybrid Publishers
The Miocene Arrow, Sean McMullen, Tor Books
Sea as Mirror, Tess Williams, HarperCollins Australia
Evergence 2: The Dying Light, Sean Williams and Shane Dix, Ace Books
[edit] Best Short Fiction
Included Best Novella or Novelette eligible nominees
That Old Black Graffiti, Robert Hood, Tales from the Wasteland, ed. Paul Collins, Hodder Headline
The Devotee, Stephen Dedman, Eidolon 29/30
The First and Final Game, Deborah Biancotti, Altair #6/7
The King with Three Daughters, Russell Blackford, Black Heart, Ivory Bones, Avon, eds. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
The Saltimbanques, Terry Dowling, Blackwater Days, Eidolon Publications
Basic Black, Terry Dowling, Blackwater Days, Eidolon Publications
[edit] Best Collected Work
Tales from the Wasteland, ed. Paul Collins, Hodder Headline
Blackwater Days, Terry Dowling, Eidolon Publications
White Time, Margo Lanagan, Allen and Unwin, Australia
[edit] Best Artwork
Shaun Tan, The Lost Thing, Lothian Books
Otto Schmidinger, Space, Stamp Issue, Australia Post
Marc McBride, Cover to Tales from the Wasteland, Hodder Headline
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Grant Watson
Robin Pen
Bruce Gillespie
Alan Stewart
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Grant Watson
Jade Todd
Dick (Ditmar)Jenssen
[edit] Best Fan Production
The Rhizome Factor, ed. Cathy Cupitt
First Sight, dir. Chris Dickinson
Angriest Video Store Clerk in the World, Grant Watson
SwanCon 2001 Launch Video
The Unrelenting Gaze: SF Commentary # 76, ed. Bruce Gillespie
Mitch? Short Stories for Short Attention Spans, ed. Mitch?
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism and Review
Waking Henson: A Jim Henson Retrospective, Grant Watson and Simon Oxwell
The Unrelenting Gaze: SF Commentary # 76, ed. Bruce Gillespie
Reviews in Locus: The Newspaper of the Science Fiction Field, Jonathan Strahan
Transrealist Fiction, Damien Broderick, Greenwood
Time Travel, Time Scapes and Timescape, Russell Blackford, The New York Review of SF #150
[edit] Best New Talent
Deborah Biancotti
[edit] Best Professional Achievement
‘’Two items ruled ineligible; category withdrawn’’

Farscape, Channel 9/Henson Productions
Spinouts Bronze, eds. Paul Collins & Meredith Costain, Pearson Educational
The Lost Thing, Shaun Tan, Lothian Books
[edit] 2002: Convergence, Melbourne
Best Novella/Novelette category left off the nomination form
Best Australian Artwork and William Atheling Jr. removed for insufficient nominees
[edit] Best Australian Novel
Eyes of the Calculor, Sean McMullen, Tor
Lirael, Garth Nix, Allen and Unwin
The Year of the Intelligent Tigers, Kate Orman, (BBC.)
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
Included Best Novella or Novelette eligible nominees
Absolute Uncertainty, Lucy Sussex,F&SF, April 2001
The Boneyard, Kyla Ward, Gothic.Net, September 2001
The Diamond Pit, Jack Dann, Jubilee, Harper Collins
Rotten Times, Robert Hood, Aurealis 27/28
Tower of Wings, Sean McMullen, Analog, December 2001
Whispers, Rick Kennett & Paul Collins, Stalking Midnight, Cosmos Books
[edit] Best Australian Collected Work
Earth is But a Star, Damien Broderick, UWA Press
Jubilee, Jack Dann, Harper Collins
Orb #2, Sarah Endacott
Stalking Midnight, Paul Collins, Cosmos Books
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Adrian Gaetano withdrew nomination
Geoff Allshorn
Deb Biancotti
Bill Wright
Bruce Gillespie
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Miriam English
Dick Jenssen
Cat Sparks
[edit] Best Australian Fan Production, Fanzine
Diverse Universe, Geoff & Miriam
Fables and Reflections, Lily Chrywenstrom
Interstellar Ram Jet Scoop, Bill Wright
SF Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
Solar Spectrum, Geoff & Miriam
[edit] Best Australian Fan Production, Other
Included Best Australian Fan Achievement eligible nominee
Consensual, Stephen Dedman et al.
JB Resurrection, Garth Thomas
Mitch? 2, Tarts of the New Millennium, Anthony Mitchell
Spaced Out Website
Tabula-Rasa, David Carroll & Kyla Ward
[edit] Best Australian Professional Achievement
Meredith Costain and Paul Collins, Editing
Robert Hood for the Young Adult Series, Shades, Hodder Headline
Dirk Strasser & Stephen Higgins, for editing and production of Aurealis over so many years
[edit] Best New Talent
Cat Sparks
[edit] 2003: Swancon 28, Perth
[edit] Best Australian Novel
Transcension, Damien Broderick
Echoes of Earth, Sean Williams & Shane Dix
Sovereign, Simon Brown
The Storm Weaver and the Sand, Sean Williams
Blue Silence, Michelle Marquardt
The Sky Warden and the Sun, Sean Williams
Time Past, Maxine McArthur
[edit] Best Australian Short Fiction
Father Muerte and the Thief, Lee Battersby, Aurealis 29
Stealing Alice, Claire McKenna, Agog! Fantastic Fiction
Scratches in the Sky, Ben Peek, Agog! Fantastic Fiction
Cigarettes and Roses, Ben Peek, Passing Strange
King of All and The Metal Sentinel, Deborah Biancotti, Agog! Fantastic Fiction
[edit] Best Australian Collected Work
Machinations, ed. Chris Andrews, CSFG Publishing
Agog! Fantastic Fiction, ed. Cat Sparks, Agog! Press
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, ed. ASIM Collective
AustrAlien Absurdities, ed. Chuck McKenzie & Tansy Rayner Roberts, Agog! Press
Passing Strange, ed. Bill Congreve, Mirrordanse
[edit] Best Australian Artwork
Passing Strange Cover, Cat Sparks
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Cover Issue #3, Les Peterson
AustrAlien Absurdities Cover, Dion Hamill
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Cover Issue #1, Les Peterson
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Cover Issue #4, Les Peterson
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Cover Issue #2, Les Peterson
[edit] Best Australian Fan Writer
Edwina Harvey
Chris Lawson
Robin Pen
Dave Cake
Jonathan Strahan
Grant Watson
Bill Wright
[edit] Best Australian Fan Artist
Miriam English
Les Peterson
Sarah Xu
Dick Jenssen
Colin Sharpe
Cat Sparks
[edit] Best New Talent
Lily Chrywenstrom
Chris Mowbray
Brendan Duffy
Lee Battersby
[edit] Best Australian Fanzine
Interstellar Ramjet Scoop, ed. Bill Wright
Fables & Reflections, ed. Lily Chrywenstrom
Australian SF Bullsheet, ed. Edwina Harvey and Ted Scribner
Visions, ed. Stephen Thompson
Antipodean SF, ed. Antipodean Computer Services
[edit] Best Australian Production
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Launch
Spaced Out Website
The View From Mt. Pootmootoo
Eidolon Website
[edit] Best Australian Professional Achievement
Lee Battersby
Trent Jamieson
Jonathan Strahan
[edit] Best Australian Fan Achievement
Borderlands: That which scares us, ed. Simon Oxwell, Grant Watson and Anna Hepworth
Robin Pen
Spaced Out Website, ed. Miriam and Geoff
[edit] The William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review
Tama Leaver
Jonathan Strahan
Robin Pen
Bill Congreve
Justine Larbalestier
[edit] 2004: Conflux, Canberra
[edit] Best Novel
The Etched City, K. J. Bishop, Prime Books
Abhorsen, Garth Nix, Allen & Unwin
Fallen Gods, Jonathan Blum & Kate Orman, Telos Publishing
The High Lord, Trudi Canavan, HarperCollins
Orphans of Earth, Sean Williams & Shane Dix, HarperCollins
[edit] Best Novella or Novelette
La Sentinelle, Lucy Sussex, Southern Blood: New Australian Tales of the Supernatural
Alien Space Nazis Must Die, Chuck McKenzie, Elsewhere
Louder Echo, Brendan Duffy, Agog! Terrific Tales
Rynemonn, Terry Dowling, Forever Shores
Sigmund Freud & the Feral Freeway, Martin Livings, Agog! Terrific Tales
Uncharted, Leigh Blackmore, Agog! Terrific Tales
[edit] Best Short Story
Room for Improvement, Trudi Canavan, Forever Shores
Frozen Charlottes, Lucy Sussex, Forever Shores
Kijin Tea, Kyla Ward, Agog! Terrific Tales
The Mark of His Hands, Chuck McKenzie, Orb #5 April 2003
The Singular Life of Eddy Dovewater, Deborah Biancotti, Agog! Terrific Tales
The Truth About Pug Roberts, Kirstyn McDermott, Southern Blood: New Australian Tales of the Supernatural
[edit] Best Collected Work
Agog! Terrific Tales - Cat Sparks ed. Agog! Press
Forever Shores - Peter McNamara & Margaret Winch eds. Wakefield Press
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine - ASIM Publishing Cooperative
Elsewhere - Michael Barry ed. CSFG Publishing
Southern Blood: New Australian Tales of the Supernatural, Bill Congreve ed. Sandglass Enterprises
[edit] Best Fan Production
CSFG - for Elsewhere Book Launch
Aaron Jacks & Mitch - for The Mega Panel, Continuum 2003
Ian Mond - for Mondys's Perfect Match, Continuum 2003
Swancon 2003 Committee - for Swancon 2003 Opening Ceremony & Video
Spaced Out - Geoff & Miriam
[edit] Best Fanzine
The Australian SF Bullsheet - Edwina Harvey & Edwin Scribner (ed.)
Dark Animus - James Cain
Fables & Reflections - Lily Chrywenstrom
Fandom is my life - Danny Oz
No Award - Russell B. Farr
Three-Eyed Frog - Paul Ewins & Sue Ann Barber
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Bruce Gillespie
Paul Ewins
Edwina Harvey
Danny Oz
Grant Watson
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Les Petersen - for Battle Elf (Conflux) poster
Miriam English - for Diverse Universe
Dick Jenssen - for extensive body of work
Phil Wlodarczyk - for cartoons in Ethel the Aardvark
[edit] Best Artwork
Cat Sparks - Cover of Agog! Terrific Tales by Cat Sparks (ed.)
Trudi Canavan - Cover of Fables & Reflections
Greg Bridges - Cover of Axis Trilogy by Sara Douglass/i>
Les Petersen - Cover of Elsewhere by Michael Barry (ed.)
Les Petersen - Cover of The High Lord by Trudi Canavan
[edit] Best New Talent
K. J. Bishop
Monica Carroll
Brendan Duffy
Glenda Larke
Ben Peek
Anna Tambour
[edit] William Atheling Jr. Award
Bruce Gillespie
Lee Battersby
Jason Nahrung
Jonathan Strahan
Grant Watson
[edit] 2005: Thylacon III, Hobart
[edit] Best Novel
The Black Crusade, Richard Harland
Less than Human, Maxine McArthur
The Crooked Letter, Sean Williams
[edit] Best Collected Work
Agog! Smashing Stories: Cat Sparks (ed.)
Black Juice: - Margo Lanagan
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine: Lyn Triffitt, Edwina Harvey, Andrew Finch, Robbie Matthews & Tehani Croft (ed.)
Orb 6: Sarah Endacott (ed.)
Encounters: Donna Hanson and Maxine McArthur (ed.)
[edit] Best Novella or Novelette
Simon Brown: Water Babies, Agog! Smashing Stories, April
Stephen Dedman: The Whole of the Law, ASIM 13
Paul Haines: - The Last Days of Kali Yuga, NFG Magazine, Volume 2 Issue 4, August 2004
Richard Harland: Catabolic Magic, Aurealis #32
Cat Sparks: Home By The Sea, Orb #6, July
[edit] Best Short Story
Deborah Biancotti: Number 3 Raw Place, Agog! Smashing Stories, April
Rjurik Davidson: The Interminable Suffering of Mysterious Mr Wu, Aurealis #33
Margo Lanagan: - Singing My Sister Down, Black Juice
Ben Peek: R, Agog! Smashing Stories, ed by Cat Sparks
[edit] Best Professional Artwork
Les Petersen: cover of ASIM 12
Kerri Valkova: - Cover of The Black Crusade, Chimaera Publications
Cat Sparks: Agog! Smashing Stories cover
Les Petersen: Encounters Book Cover
Les Petersen: cover and internal ASIM 16
[edit] Best Professional Achievement
The Clarion South Team (Fantastic Queensland; Convenors Robert Hoge, Kate Eltham, Robert Dobson & Heather Gent): negotiating with the US Clarion people, then promoting and establishing Clarion South which gives emerging writer the chance to work with the best in the business.
Cat Sparks: editing and writing including winning third place in the writers of the future award
Margo Lanagan: for Black Juice
Geoff Maloney: for Tales of the Crypto-System, his short story publications
Sean Williams for The Crooked Letter and efforts in teaching
Jonathan Strahan for work over the year in internationally published reviews and in editing anthologies
[edit] Best Fan Achievement
Super Happy Robot Hour
Conflux convention committee
Continuum 2 convention committee
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Sarah Xu
[edit] Best Fanzine/website
Antipodean SF: Ion Newcombe (ed.)
Bullsheet: - ed Edwina Harvey & Ted Scribner
Gynaezine: Emma Hawkes and Gina Goddard (ed.)
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Edwina Harvey
Bruce Gillespie
[edit] Best New Talent
Chris Barnes
Stuart Barrow
Grace Duggan
Paul Haines
Barbara Robson
Brian Smith
[edit] William Atheling Jr. Award
Robert Hood: - review of Weight of Water at HoodReviews, asking "is this film a ghost story?"
Jason Nahrung: - Why are publishers afraid of horror, BEM, Courier Mail, 20 March 2004
Ben Peek: review of Haruki Murakami's work in the Urban Sprawl Project
[edit] 2006: Conjure, Brisbane
[edit] Best Novel
Magic or Madness - Justine Larbalestier, Razorbill
Drowned Wednesday - Garth Nix, Harper Collins
Midnight 2: Touching Darkness - Scott Westerfeld, Eos
Peeps - Scott Westerfeld, Razorbill
Uglies - Scott Westerfeld, Simon Pulse
Geodesica: Ascent - Sean Williams & Shane Dix, Ace
[edit] Best Collected Work
Shadowed Realms - Angela Challis & Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Years Best Australian SF & Fantasy - Bill Congreve & Michelle Marquardt, MirrorDanse
Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales - Robert Hood & Robin Pen, Agog! Press
A Tour Guide in Utopia - Lucy Sussex, MirrorDanse Books
The Grinding House - Kaaron Warren, CSFG Publishing
[edit] Best Novella or Novelette
Passing of the Minotaurs - Rjurik Davidson, SciFiction, April 2005
The Red Priest's Homecoming - Dirk Flinhart, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #17
Countless Screaming Argonauts - Chris Lawson, Realms of Fantasy
The Memory of Breathing - Lynn Triffitt (Battersby), Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #17
The Grinding House - Kaaron Warren, The Grinding House
[edit] Best Short Story
Summa Seltzer Missive - Deborah Biancotti, Ticonderoga Online #6
Leviathan - Simon Brown, Eidolon SF: Online
Once Giants Roamed the Earth - Rosaleen Love, Daikaju!
Matricide - Lucy Sussex, SciFiction
Fresh Young Widow - Kaaron Warren, The Grinding House
[edit] Best Professional Artwork
The Blood Debt (cover) - Greg Bridges, HarperCollins Australia
The Grinding House (cover) - Robin Evans, CSFG
Australian Speculative Fiction: A Genre Overview (cover) - Nick Stathopoulos, Australian Speculative Fiction Project
Fell #3 - Ben Templesmith, Image Comics
[edit] Best Professional Achievement
Damien Broderick, Wilson da Silva and Kylie Ahern - Cosmos (magazine)
Robert Dobson, Robert Hoge, Kate Eltham, Heather Gammage - Clarion South 2005, Clarion South Workshop
Donna Maree Hanson - Australian Speculative Fiction: a genre overview, Australian Speculative Fiction Project
Michael Rymer - Screenwriting and directing, Battlestar Galactica Season 2.0, Sci-Fi Channel
Jonathan Strahan - for co-editing Best Short Novels: 2005 (SFBC), Science Fiction: Best of 2004 (ibooks), and Fantasy: Best of 2004 (ibooks)
[edit] Best Fan Production
Edwina Harvey - The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet, website and newsletter
Alisa Krasnostein - ASif!: Australian Specfic In Focus, website
Tony Plank - Inkspillers website
Conflux Committee - Conflux 2, convention
Continuum Committee - Continuum 3, convention
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Dick Jenssen - Artwork in eI20 and eI23, efanzines.com
Elaine Kemp - ConSensual a Trois interior artwork, ConSensual a Trois
Shane Parker - Conflux Poster Art, Conflux
[edit] Best Fanzine/website
Horrorscope - Shane Jiraiya Cummings et al.
Ticonderoga Online - Russell B Farr, et al.
Interstellar Ramjet Scoop - Bill Wright (ed), Interstellar Ramjet Scoop
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Shane Jiraiya Cummings - Writer/reviewer, Horror Scope
Bruce Gillespie - Writer/reviewer, Steam Engine Time and Science Fiction Commentary, *brg*, Earl Kemp's ezines
Stephanie Gunn - Writer/reviewer, Horror Scope
Martin Livings - Skeletor_Hordak, LiveJournal web comic
Bill Wright - Interstellar Ramjet Scoop, Published by Bill Wright
[edit] Best New Talent
Lyn Battersby/Triffit
Rjurik Davidson
Karen Miller
[edit] William Atheling Jr. Award
Ferocious Minds: Polymathy and the New Enlightenment - Damien Broderick, Wildside Press
Divided Kingdom: King Kong vs Godzilla - Robert Hood, King Kong is Back, Benbella Books
Body Parts - Chris Lawson, Borderlands
PK Dick: The Exhilaration and the Terror - Rosaleen Love, Borderlands
The 2005 Snapshot Australian Speculative Fiction writers, editors, publishers - Ben Peek, website
[edit] 2007: Convergence 2, Melbourne
[edit] Best Novel
Carnies, Martin Livings, Lothian
Prismatic, Edwina Grey, Lothian
The Mother, Brett McBean, Lothian
The Pilo Family Circus Will Elliot, ABC Books
The Silver Road, Grace Dugan, Penguin
[edit] Best Novella/Novelette
Aftermath, David Conyers, Agog! Ripping Reads, Agog! Press
The Dead of Winter, Stephen Dedman, Weird Tales, #339
The Devil in Mr Pussy (Or how I found God inside my wife), Paul Haines, C0ck, Couer de Lion Publishing
The Souls of Dead Soldiers are for Blackbirds, Not Little Boys, Ben Peek, Agog! Ripping Reads, Agog! Press
Under the Red Sun, Ben Peek, Fantasy Magazine #4, Prime Books
World's Whackiest Upper Atmosphere Re-Entry Disasters Dating Game, Brendan Duffy, Agog! Ripping Reads, Agog! Press
[edit] Best Short Story
Burning from the Inside, Paul Haines, Doorways for the Dispossessed, Prime Books
Cold, Kirstyn McDermott, Shadowed Realms #9
Honeymoon, Adam Browne and John Dixon, C0ck, Couer de Lion Publishing
Surrender 1: Rope Artist, Deborah Biancotti, Shadowed Realms #9
The Bat's Boudoir, Kyla Ward, Shadowed Realms #9
The Fear of White, Rjurik Davidson, Borderlands #7
[edit] Best Collected Work
Agog! Ripping Reads, Cat Sparks (ed.), Agog! Press
C0ck, Keith Stevenson & Andrew Macrae (eds.)
Doorways for the Dispossessed, Paul Haines and Geoffrey Maloney (eds.), Prime Books
The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Vol.2, Bill Congreve & Michelle Marquardt (eds.), Mirrordanse Books
Eidolon I, Jonathan Strahan and Jeremy Byrne (eds.), Eidolon Books
[edit] Best Artwork/Artist
26Lies/1Truth, cover art by Andrew MacRae, Wheatland Press
Agog! Ripping Reads, cover art by Cat Sparks, Agog! Press
Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century cover art by Cat Sparks, Wesleyan University Press
The Devoured Earth, cover art by Greg Bridges, HarperCollins Press
The Arrival, cover art by Shaun Tan, Lothian
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Stephanie Gunn
Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Danny Oz
Miranda Siemienowicz
Mark Smith-Briggs
Matthew Tait
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Christopher Johnstone
Jon Swabey
[edit] Best Fan Production
ASif website, Alisa Krasnostein – Executive Editor
Inkspillers website, Tony Plank
Outland, Directed by John Richards
Tabula Rasa website, David Carroll
The Bullsheet website & ezine, Edwina Harvey & Ted Scribner
[edit] Best Fanzine
AntipodeanSF, editor Ion Newcombe
ASIF – Australian Specific in Focus, editor Alisa Krasnostein
The Captain's Log, Austrek clubzine. Edited by Clare McDonald
Ethel the Aardvark, MSFC clubzine
HorrorScope, editor Shane Jiraiya Cummings
[edit] Best Professional Achievement
Angelia Challis for establishing Brimstone Press as a mass market publisher
Bill Congreve for Mirrordanse Press and 2 issues of the Australian Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy
Russell B Farr for Ticonderoga Publications
Gary Kemble for work on ABC's Articulate and promoting the genre through radio and other mediums
Alisa Krasnostein for providing new paying markets for readers and writers of both fiction/ non fiction, art as well as forums for reviews/interviews within the speculative fiction genre, enhancing the profile of Australian speculative fiction.
Justine Larbalestier, for editing Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century
[edit] Best Fan Achievement
Marty Young for his work establishing and promoting the Australian Horror Writers Association
Alisa Krasnostein for establishing ASIf
Tony Plank for establishing and maintaining the Inkspillers website
[edit] Best New Talent
Stephanie Campisi
David Conyers
Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Alisa Krasnostein
Brett McBean
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Miranda Siemienowicz for her review of Paraspheres appearing in Horrorscope
Justine Larbalestier for Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century
Robert Hood for Man and Super-Monster: A History of Daikaiju Eiga and its Metaphorical Undercurrents. Borderlands #7
Grant Watson for Bad Film Diaries - Sink or Swim: The Truth Behind Waterworld. Borderlands #8
Kathryn Linge for her review Through Soft Air, ASif
[edit] 2008: Swancon, Perth
[edit] Best Novel
The Company of the Dead, David Kowalski PanMacmillan
Extras, Scott Westerfeld Simon & Schuster
Dark Space, Marianne de Pierres Orbit
Saturn Returns, Sean Williams Orbit
Magic's Child, Justine Larbalestier Penguin
The Darkness Within, Jason Nahrung Hachette Livre
[edit] Best Novella/Novelette
Yamabushi Kaidan and the Smoke Dragon, Shane Jiraiya Cummings Fantastic Wonder Stories edited by Russell B. Farr
Where is Brisbane and How Many Times Do I Get There?, Paul Haines Fantastical Journeys to Brisbane edited by Geoffrey Maloney, Trent Jamieson and Zoran Zivkovic
The Bluebell Vengeance, Tansy Rayner Roberts "Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine" #28 edited by Zara Baxter
Lady of Adestan, Cat Sparks "Orb" #7 edited by Sarah Endacott
Cenotaxis", Sean Williams MonkeyBrain Books
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Go To War Again, Garth Nix Jim Baen's Universe
[edit] Best Short Story
The Dark and What It Said, Rick Kennett "Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine" #28 edited by Zara Baxter
Domine, Rjurik Davidson "Aurealis" #37 edited by Stephen Higgins and Stuart Mayne
A Scar for Leida, Deb Biancotti Fantastic Wonder Stories edited by Russell B. Farr
Bad Luck, Trouble, Death and Vampire Sex, Garth Nix Eclipse One edited by Jonathan Strahan
The Sun People, Sue Isle "Shiny" #2 edited by Alisa Krasnostein, Ben Payne and Tansy Rayner Roberts
His Lipstick Minx, Kaaron Warren The Workers' Paradise edited by Russell B. Farr and Nick Evans
[edit] Best Collected Work
Orb #7, Sarah Endacott (ed.) Orb Publications
The Workers' Paradise, Russell B. Farr and Nick Evans (eds.) Ticonderoga Publications
New Ceres, Alisa Krasnstein (ed.) Twelfth Planet Press
The New Space Opera, Jonathan Strahan (ed.) HarperCollins Australia
Fantastic Wonder Stories, Russell B. Farr (ed.) Ticonderoga Publications
[edit] Best Artwork/Artist
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
[edit] 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
[edit] Best Fan Art
'Exterminate!' Dalek Postcards - Katherine Linge
'Nights Edge' Convention Poster Art - John Parker
[edit] Best Fan Production
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, Katherine Linge, Kaaron Warren and Rosie Clark
Inkspillers Website - Tony Plank
'The Liminal' short film - directed by Clair McKenna
Daikaju Limerick Competition - Robert Hood on his website
Talking Squid Website - Chris Lawson
[edit] Best Fanzine
"The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet", Ted Scribner and Edwina Harvey (eds.)
"Not If You Were the Last Short Story on Earth", Alisa Krasnostein, Ben Payne, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts (eds.)
"Steam Engine Time" edited by Bruce Gillespie
"Horrorscope", Shane Jiraiya Cummings (ed.)
[edit] 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
[edit] Best Fan Achievement
Alisa Krasnostein 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
[edit] Best New Talent
Angela Slatter
Jason Nahrung
Nathan Burrage
Tehani Wessely
David Conyers
[edit] 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' and John Sunseri's The Spiraling Worm (Published on Horrorscope)
Ian Nichols for "The Shadow Thief" (Published by "The West Australian" Weekend Magazine on 22/09/2007)
[edit] 2009: Conjecture, Adelaide
[edit] Best Novel
Hal Spacejock: No Free Lunch, Simon Haynes
Daughter of Moab, Kim Westwood
Earth Ascendant, Sean Williams
Fivefold, Nathan Burrage
How to Ditch Your Fairy, Justine Larbalestier
Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan
[edit] Best Novella/Novelette
“Creeping in Reptile Flesh”, Robert Hood
“Soft Viscosity”, David Conyers
“Angel Rising”, Dirk Flinthart
“Night Heron’s Curse”, Thoraiya Dyer
“Painlessness”, Kirstyn McDermott
[edit] Best Short Story
“The Goosle”, Margo Lanagan
“This Is Not My Story”, Dirk Flinthart
“Pale Dark Soldier”, Deborah Biancotti
“Sammarynda Deep”, Cat Sparks
“Her Collection of Intimacy”, Paul Haines
“Ass-Hat Magic Spider”, Scott Westerfeld
“Moments of Dying”, Robert Hood
[edit] Best Collected Work
Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine, edited by Angela Challis
Creeping In Reptile Flesh, Robert Hood
2012, edited by Alisa Krasnostein and Ben Payne
Canterbury 2100, edited by Dirk Flinthart
Midnight Echo, edited by Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond
Dreaming Again, edited by Jack Dann
The Starry Rift, edited by Jonathan Strahan
[edit] Best Artwork
Tales from Outer Suburbia, Shaun Tan
The Last Realm, Book 1: Dragonscarpe, Michal Dutkiewicz
Gallery in Black Box, Andrew McKiernan
Aurealis #40 cover, Adam Duncan
Creeping in Reptile Flesh cover, Cat Sparks
2012 cover, Cat Sparks
[edit] Best Fan Writer
Mark Smith-Briggs, for work in Horrorscope
Edwina Harvey, for work in The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet
Chuck McKenzie, for work in Horrorscope
Craig Bezant, for work in Horrorscope
Brenton Tomlinson, for work in Horrorscope
Robert Hood, for work in Undead Backbrain
[edit] Best Fan Artist
Cat Sparks, for Scary Food Cookbook
Anna Tambour, for “Box of Noses” and other works
Rachel Holkner, for “Gumble Soft” toy and other works
Tansy Rayner Roberts, for “Daleks are a girl’s best friend”
Andrew McKiernan, for body of work
David Schembri, for body of work
Nancy Lorenz, for body of work
[edit] Best Fan Publication In Any Medium
ASif! (Australian Specific in Focus), edited by Alisa Krasnostein and Gene Melzack
Horrorscope, edited by Shane Jiraiya Cummings et al.
The Australian SF Bullsheet, edited by Edwina Harvey and Ted Scribner
Scary Food Cookbook, edited by Cat Sparks
[edit] Best Achievement
Angela Challis, for Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine and Brimstone Press
Damien Broderick, for fiction editing in Cosmos
Talie Helene, for her work as AHWA News Editor
James “Jocko” Allen and KRin Pender-Gunn, for “The Gunny Project: A tribute to Ian Gunn 1959-1998”
Steven Clark, for Tasmaniac Productions
James Doig, for preserving colonial Australian horror fiction and editing Australian Gothic and Australian Nightmares
Marty Young and the AHWA Committee, for promoting Australian horror through the AHWA
[edit] Best New Talent
Amanda Pillar
Jason Fischer
Peter M. Ball
Felicity Dowker
Gary Kemble
[edit] William Atheling Jr Award
Kim Wilkins, for “Popular genres and the Australian literary community: the case of fantasy fiction”
Shane Jiraiya Cummings, for “Dark Suspense: The End of the Line”
Grant Watson, for “Bad Film Diaries - Sometimes the Brand Burns: Tim Burton and the Planet of the Apes”
Robert Hood, for “George A. Romero: Master of the Living Dead”
The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Fifth Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
LevelScore
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)Moderate
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)Moderate
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)Very High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)Very High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

Class Action

Class Action
By Scott Wilson
“Good morning, Jessica,” the temp placement officer said in a chirpy voice. “How are you?”
“Fantastic thanks, Patricia.”
“I have an assignment that I think you are perfect for. It's a data entry role with the Department of Health.”
“That sounds great. I worked there a few years back and really loved the place.”
“Cool. Can you start tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“Okay then. Go to level seven, one hundred Queen Street and ask for Jason McIntyre. The assignment is for two months and you’ll use Oracle for the data entry. I see that you have extensive use of this software already.”
“Yes, I actually learned it there last time I worked with them.”
“Okay, good luck. I’ll ring you at the end of the day to see how you went.”
“Thanks.”
Jess rang the hairdresser and made an appointment for later that day. She liked making a good first impression and felt confident when she had a fresh, crisp haircut.
* * * *
“Good morning, I’m Jessica Norbitt,” Jess said to the receptionist. “I am here work for Mr. McIntyre.”
After waiting a few minutes, a tall and slender businessman with red hair in a ponytail, dressed in khaki trousers and a checkered Country Road shirt walked into the foyer talking on his mobile phone. The receptionist pointed to Jess and he waved at her to follow back through the door he came through. She followed him through the door, to the lift lobby and up to the seventh floor. The workplace looked worse for wear since Jess last worked there. The paint looked faded, carpet worn and even the atmosphere seemed somehow, stale. Jess did not see any familiar faces working in the cubicles, nor recognize any names on the directory.
Jason flipped his phone shut, turned to face Jess and finally addressed her.
“My name is Jason, I run this section. The agency said you worked here a few years ago.”
“Hi, Jason,” Jess said, taken back by how cold this guy appeared to be. “Yes, I worked her when David was the manager...”
“Yes, well things have changes a lot since then,” Jason, said abruptly. “We’ve weeded out the dead wood and I run a tight ship.”
Jess did not reply, too shocked by this middle-aged wannabe’s attitude.
“You’ll start at nine, half hour for lunch at twelve and finish at five. No mobile phones in the office, if it’s a business call, and then it’ll come through the switchboard,” Jason said.
He slowly stood up and walked towards the office door, motioning for Jess to follow. “Right, let’s get you set up at your workstation.”
Jess followed him though the door, down the hall and into an overcrowded, open plan office, filled with plain light blue cubicles. There was no sign of any personal effects, like photos or kids drawings, everything looked cold and sterile, like a hospital ward.
“Maria,” Jason said to a large, overweight Italian woman in her late forties. “This is the temp; she’ll be helping you catch up with the data-entry.”
Jason turned and walked back to his office.
Jess could not believe that the guy did not even introduce her to Maria by name, just, The Temp.
“You’ll be sitting over there,” Maria said, pointing to the cubicle directly across from her own. The desk had piles of paperwork stacked on each side of the desk, with little room for working. She handed Jess a Post-It note with a user name and password scrawled on it in smudged blue handwriting.
“Okay,” Jess said softly, walking to her home for the next two months.
Maria wheeled across on her chair and said, “This pile is the invoices, and that one is the client sheets. You need to match them up and enter the details in the system. When you’ve done that, they get filled in the archive boxes in that storeroom.”
Maria rolled back and went back to her own job. Jess stared at her desk blankly for a few seconds, drinking in the reality that this place was nowhere near the happy go lucky place she previously worked.
Only two months, she eventually thought to herself, and then began working through the piles of paper. Despite being happy-go-lucky and cheerful, Jess was unable to have a decent conversation with anyone in the workplace. She completed the entire backlog by the end of the day, headed home feeling flat, and exhausted both physically and mentally. Her back was aching from lifting archive boxes of full of files that no one would give her a hand moving.
Early the following morning, Jess woke up with a shooting pain running up and down her left arm and back. It felt like someone had shoved a hot poker inside her body and left there overnight. She was in excruciating pain and had great difficulty in getting ready for work, every movement hurt. Putting her button up shirt felt worse than if she were stretched on a torturers’ rack.
“How am I going to get through today?” she said to herself.
Jess could not find a seat on the train, so she stood in agony for the twenty-minute trip to work. The ten-minute walk was even worse.
At work, Jess rang her placement officer as soon as she sat down at her desk, “Hi Patricia.”
“How’s it going, Jess?”
“Not so good, Patricia. I hurt my back lifting some archive boxes yesterday and I’m in absolute agony.”
“Why were you lifting boxes for?”
“The files I finished had to be stacked in the boxes ready for collection. Nobody helped me and I’ve really hurt myself. I haven’t been in this much pain before.”
“Okay, see how you go the rest of the day and let me know.”
“I’ll try, bye Patricia.”
Maria almost pounced on Jess as soon as she hung up.
“Who was that!” she demanded.
“Just my placement officer, Patricia. I had to let her know about hurting my back yesterday lifting those boxes.”
Maria gave Jess the evils and huffed.
“What are you talking about? You never mentioned anything to me about hurting yourself.”
“Well, one of those boxes slipped when I put in on the top shelf, it jarred my back when I caught it. It didn’t hurt that much when I did it so I didn’t mention it at the time.”
“Oh, they’re not that heavy. You probably did it at home or something.”
Maria went back to her desk and made a brief phone call. She kept looking at Jess whilst talking, making Jess feel uncomfortable and very self-conscious.
Jess could only work for just over an hour before she had to leave work. She stopped at her family doctor on the way home and was lucky enough to get in to see her. Having seen Jess for over ten years, Dr Landy knew there was something wrong just from looking at her.
“What have you done to yourself, Jess?”
“I think I’ve really hurt my back lifting archive boxes at work. The pain is unbearable.”
Dr Landy did a few tests, got Jess to move in specific directions, and then nodded.
“I think we’d better get an X-Ray on your back today.”
“Is it bad?”
“I just want to make sure there’s nothing serious. Better to be safe than sorry, is my motto.”
* * * *
After a week of trying unsuccessfully to work, Jess went back to her GP again.
“I think we’d better send you to see a neurosurgeon, Jess,” Dr Landy said.
“The Panadeine Forte doesn’t seem to be helping much, Doctor. I think I’ve done something really bad.”
“Once you see the neurosurgeon, we’ll be able to determine exactly what is wrong. I’d like to get an MRI done, but only a specialist can request them. From the X-Ray, I cannot be one hundred percent sure what the problem is. There looks to be a lump near the C6/C7 Cervical joints, but I can’t tell from an X-Ray if it is nerve of disc damage.”
“Thank you Doctor. The temping agency hasn’t even bothered checking up on me to see how I’m going. After ten years of working for them I, thought there’d be some loyalty, but nope. I’m just a temp, a disposable piece of equipment.”
“Don’t worry, Jess. This is definitely a workplace injury. The symptoms and signs are consistent with the accident you have described. You are still covered by Work Cover as a temp, and that includes your medical costs and wages.”
“Thank you Doctor Landy, I don’t know what I’d do without your support.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Look it will take at least two weeks to get in to see a neurosurgeon. I will write out a Work Cover certificate for you so you don’t aggravate that injury anymore.”
Jess caught a taxi home and rang Patricia to update her with what was happening.
“Look, Jess,” Patricia said. “We’ll have to get our Workplace Health and Safety Advisor in to investigate this. Just send your Doctor’s Certificate to me via email.”
“Thanks, Patricia,” Jess said. “I have booked in to see a specialist next week, so I’ll let you know what he finds.”
At the end of the call, Jess had a feeling that the agency would not be helping her find work after this whole incident blew over. Patricia did not sound happy with having to investigate anything in one of her client’s workplace and it even felt like she blamed Jess for having the accident.
* * * *
Jess walked into the neurosurgeon’s reception ten minutes before her appointment, just like they asked. She completed the six pages of personal details and waited for her appointment with Doctor Reece. The chairs in the waiting room were cheap and uncomfortable. Jess did not understand how a surgery that specialized in back injuries could have such a lack of regard for their patient’s comfort.
“Jessica Norbitt,” the young doctor said, walking briskly into the waiting room. Jess thought he looked like he was even younger that she was.
She followed the young doctor into his surgery. No expense was spared in furnishing this room, solid teak bookcases lining each two walls, thousands of dollars of textbooks sat neatly stacked on the bookshelves. In the centre of the room sat a large well-polished antique desk with solid brass fittings. Expensive gadgets, like a HTC Touch screen mobile phone, pager and PDA sat on the desk charging.
Jess noticed his Degree hanging on the wall in a gold frame on the wall to the left of the desk. It was dated two years ago, confirming Jess’ gut instinct that he was not very experienced.
“I see you did this injury at work,” he said.
“Yes, I was putting archive boxes on shelves, ready for...”
“Where exactly is the pain,” the Doctor said, interrupting Jess before she had finished answering the last question.
“It is in my back, between my shoulders. The pain runs down my left arm and into my fingers. At first I thought I’d broken my elbow, it hurt so much.”
“Okay, stand up against the wall over there.”
Jess could not believe how rude the doctor seemed. First the workplace and now this doctor, she was shocked.
She stood by the wall and complied with the tests and examinations without a word of complaint.
“Okay, sit back down.”
The doctor scribbled something on a pad and thrust it at Jess.
“I need you to have an MRI as soon as possible. You can go to the Mater Private for this.”
Jess looked at him, wondering what was happening. The doctor was cold, abrupt and rude. She had no idea what the outcome of this consultation was.
“See the receptionist to book an appointment later this week when you should have the MRI.”
Jess slowly stood up and said, “Er, thanks.”
She made the follow up appointment and caught a taxi to the Mater, hopping that she could get the MRI done straight away, which she was able to do. Jess went home and spent the rest of the week in excruciating agony and emotional turmoil. She was not used to people being so rude and cold hearted.
* * * *
The appointment later in the week seemed like months away by the time she got to see the neurosurgeon again.
Doctor Reece looked at the MRI, and then read the brief report.
“You have a ruptured C6 and C7 disc causing pressure on the spinal nerve. We can operate to relieve the pressure of wait and see if it heals over the next nine months.”
Jess sat with her mouth open. While the pain was excruciating, she was not prepared for the announcement that she had to have spinal surgery from lifting a box at work.
“Can I think about it, please?” she eventually said.
She left the surgery in a state of disbelief, thinking about the operation, the appalling communication skills of the doctor, money and how she would cope. Jess decided to wait and see if the injury would heal naturally, not wanting to go through the pain of major spinal surgery. This meant that she would take a series of CT Nerve Root Block injections, pain-killers and physiotherapy while trying to rest and recover.
Jess made the first physio appointment for the following day and had a restless nights sleep. In the morning, her back was even stiffer, from tossing and turning in her sleep. She did perk up once she arrived at the physiotherapist and saw the hunk of a man that was going to help her rehabilitate over the next nine months, Cameron Stone.
The saying about tall, dark and handsome could have been coined for him. At a little over six feet in height, Cameron was tall enough to stand out in a crowd and that was before you added in all the rest. With his black hair and cobalt-blue eyes, he drew admiring glances wherever he went. His features were both attractive and very masculine—a strong chin, chiseled lips, a straight nose.
Cameron smiled at Jess, a broad grin lighting his face and radiating across the room.
“Good morning, Jessica Norbitt?” he said in a deep and powerful voice that made her quiver. His smile broadened, he definitely liked her scent. It wasn't the heavy, sickly sweet scent of expensive perfume he smelled so often on some of the rich elderly ladies that always asked for his services.
“Jess, please,” she replied. “Just Jess.”
She tried ignoring the warmth of sensations that seeped through her veins. Jess had never met a man who radiated so much sensuality. Part Australian and part French, at thirty-four he was the epitome of every woman’s fantasy and a major player in numerous women’s nightly dreams. The sexiness was there in his looks, his body, when he walked, talked or just plain stared at you. He was definitely the most gorgeous man she’d ever encountered.
He motioned for Jess to follow him into the rehabilitation centre behind the reception area. She momentarily forgot the aching pain in her back and concentrated on watching his sexy, muscular buttocks in his tight training shorts as she followed behind him. Jess almost walked right into Cameron when he stopped and turned around slowly, almost like a model pivoting on the cat walk.
Cameron checked with watch as he turned, so missed Jess’ glance anyway.
“Okay, Jess,” he said softly. “I’ll start with a few movement tests to see exactly how much pain you are in and the extent of your mobility. Don’t want to cause you any more pain than you’re already in.”
Jess was dressed in a pair of casual khaki knee length shorts and a tight white t-shirt. She was glad she wore a good quality sports bra, it hide the tell tale signs of her excitement that would otherwise be quite noticeable.
At the end of the hour Jess looked utterly exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes and a haggard hollowness in her cheeks. Jess was usually very precise about her appearance, but there was no hiding the pain that the extensive session took on her. Even through the pain, Jess was worried how she looked to Cameron though.
“Right, Jess,” Cameron said. “I think that we may make some progress over a period of time. I can really feel how knotted your muscles are in your neck and shoulders.”
“How many sessions do you think I need?” Jess said, hoping that it would be numerous.
“I think we should try two sessions a week for the next four weeks and see how you are at the end. If you are making progress, then we should be able to reduce it down to once a week.”
“Do you think I’ll get better over time?” she said hopefully. “Or will I need to have an operation?”
“Off the record, Jess,” Cameron said, leaning close to her as though he was going to kiss her. “Doctor Reece is not that experienced. He is a young gun who thinks his hands will cure all spinal injuries through expensive operations. If I were you, I’d get a second opinion.”
“Really?” Jess said. “Will that stop my Work Cover payments if I get another opinion?”
“No, you are entitled to a second opinion, but make sure you get a good specialist the next time. One poor lady that saw Doctor Reece made the mistake of seeing the other specialist in the same surgery, just so she didn’t have to get another referral and wait longer. The other guy, Doctor Franklin, is a young gun to. I think they met at University and decided to open their own practice once they could. They don’t have enough experience between them to make a competent decision.”
“That’s horrible.”
“I know, and after six months of pain and suffering, she went to get a third opinion because Doctor Franklin was flip flopping, changing his mind about whether to operate or not. It almost drove her crazy, the poor thing. When she did told Work Cover, they offered her a pitiful lump sum payout, that wouldn’t have covered the medical expenses and recovery time and closed her case. I am still working with her now, but she had to get a loan from her parents for forty-thousand dollars to cover the operation and living expenses.”
“What did she do about the doctors?” Jess said.
“She wanted to take them for malpractice but the medical profession looks after itself so she couldn’t do anything. No one was interested. Luckily, she found a good lawyer and is taking them to court.”
“There’s no way I’d be able to survive without being paid, and my health insurance wouldn’t cover this yet as I only joined ten months ago. She’s lucky she had parents that could help her out.”
“I only wish I’d known about these two doctors before, so I could have helped her. It’s going to take years in the courts to get her money back.”
Jess realized she was holding his arm tightly and let go. Cameron smiled at her.
“I’m just glad I was able to warn you,” he said.
“Thank you so much, Cameron,” Jess said. “I’ll make an appointment with my GP to get a referral as soon as possible.”
Jess kissed him on the cheek and walked out to catch a taxi home. She stopped at her family doctor on the way home and explained what Cameron had said to her. Her GP wrote out a referral to a highly regarded neurosurgeon, with twenty years experience.
* * * *
“I’ve got great news, Cameron,” Jess said. “I saw another specialist, this lovely man, Doctor Noble. He looked at my X-Rays and MRIs and said I won’t need an operation.”
“That’s great news, Jess,” Cameron said, giving Jess a heartfelt hug.
Jess kissed Cameron passionately while they continued embracing each other like lovers.
“I am so glad I met you, Cameron,” Jess said. “I can’t imagine the pain and suffering I would have had to go through having an operation when I didn’t need one.”
“I am glad I met you too, Jess,” Cameron said. “You are such a beautiful and intelligent young lady.”
Jess dated Cameron while she was completing her physiotherapy program over the following months, gradually strengthening her back and their relationship until they decided to become engaged after a year.
Cameron supported Jess through her rehabilitation and the legal battle against Doctor Reece for malpractice. Jess was instrumental in forming a class action against Doctor Reece for his constant misdiagnosis and eagerness to operate on anyone coming to him with suspected spinal injuries.