Tokyo To Toronto.

I've just returned from visiting my friend Allan in Toronto. We were pretty close in Tokyo, and always stayed in touch, but we haven't actually seen each other since 1996.

It was great, and we very quickly fell back into the easy relaxed friendship we had in those days. Our interests and tastes are still very similar so we discussed a lot of film, music and literature. There are not many people who I can sit and discuss The Beatles with, and even fewer who are familiar with the differences between various takes of their songs.

But I'm back now, and almost ready to return to work this week.

It's going to be interesting, returning to my old school. A place I feel so familiar and yet have not been part of for almost a year.

But 2015 is the year of changes for me. In many ways. And, I hope, most of those changes will be for the better.

Sigh.

Dear Steve's story,

Thanks for coming along to the party. It was great having you here.

You're a lot of fun. You were well written and action packed and we loved everything you said, but ultimately you just don't fit in with the rest of the guests. I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to leave now.

Don't take this the wrong way. You're a good story, and we hope you can find another party where you will fit in. We'd certainly be delighted should one of your friends join us at our next party.

With love,

The other stories who were accepted.

Ditmar Awards Again

Nominations have opened for the 2014 Ditmar Awards.

I'm eligible with a whole bunch of stories, but there are two in particular that have achieved some success and recognition.

Holland:1944 

published by Mike Resnick in Galaxy's Edge #7. It has garnered some great reviews, and was selected by Mike for inclusion in The Best of Galaxy's Edge.

The Last of the Butterflies

published by Keith Stevenson in Dimension6 #3. Again some great reviews, and reprinted in Dimension6: Annual Collection 2014.

Should you feel these stories are worthy of a nomination, I would certainly appreciate the support.

Nominations for the 2015 Australian SF (“Ditmar”) awards are now open and will remain open until one minute before midnight Perth time on Sunday, 1st of February, 2015 (ie. 11.59pm, GMT+8). Postal nominations must be postmarked no later than Friday, 30th of January, 2015.
The current rules, including Award categories can be found HERE.

You must include your name with any nomination. Nominations will be accepted only from natural persons active in fandom, or from full or supporting members of Swancon 40, the 2015 Australian National SF Convention. Where a nominator may not be known to the Ditmar subcommittee, the nominator should provide the name of someone known to the subcommittee who can vouch for the nominator’s eligibility. Convention attendance or membership of an SF club are among the criteria which qualify a person as “active in fandom”, but are not the only qualifying criteria. If in doubt, nominate and mention your qualifying criteria. If you received this email directly, you almost certainly qualify.

You may nominate as many times in as many Award categories as you like, although you may only nominate a particular person, work or achievement once. The Ditmar subcommittee, which is organised under the auspices the Standing Committee of the Natcon Business Meeting, will rule on situations where eligibility is unclear. A partial and unofficial eligibility list, to which everyone is encouraged to add, can be found HERE.

Online nominations an be made via this form.

On A Tangent.

What a great way to start the New Year.

I woke up this morning to find my story, Holland:1944, had made Tangent's recommended reading list. 

This story has a strange genesis. 

The short version is it evolved from an anonymous post I made on a forum in response to comments made by someone who, I found out much later, had been bullying some friends of mine. That post became a running joke on the forum for well over a year before this story was published. 

The long version is probably best told over a couple of beers - especially if you're buying.

Mike Resnick bought the story for Galaxy's Edge #7, and then selected it for his anthology, The Best of Galaxy's Edge.  Tangent's list is quite long, so I won't reproduce it here. Congratulations to everyone who made the list. Below are inclusions by some of my friends.

"A Perfect Day Off the Farm" by Patty Jansen (Extreme Planets)

"The Nursery Corner" by Kaaron Warren (Fearsome Magics)

"Elsa's Spheres" by Marina J. Lostetter (IGMS #37)
"Human Strandings and the Role of the Xenobiologist" by Thoraiya Dyer (Clarkesworld #90)
"Holland: 1944" by Steve Cameron (Galaxy's Edge #7)
"The Nechronomator" by Brad R. Torgersen (Galaxy's Edge #7)
"Pocket Full of Mumbles" by Tina Gower (Galaxy's Edge #8)
"Honey, Plums and Cinnamon" by Andrea G. Stewart (Galaxy's Edge #9)
"Matial" by Lou J. Berger (Galaxy's Edge #9)
"Song of the Sargasso" by Marina J. Lostetter (Galaxy's Edge #11)
"The Mandelbrot Bet" by Dirk Strasser (Carbide Tipped Pens)
"Imma Gonna Finish You Off" by Marina J. Lostetter (Galaxy's Edge #6)
"The Cuckoo" by Sean Williams (Clarkesworld #91)
"The Newboy’s Last Stand" by Krystal Claxton (UFO 3)
"Life Flight" by Brad R. Torgersen (Analog, 3/14)
"Recapturing the Dream" by Brad R. Torgersen (Racers of the Night)