It is nomination season for speculative fiction awards.

My stories are eligible for a bunch of awards.  The Hugo Awards, the Ditmar Awards and the Chronos Awards are all open for nominations.

My eligible stories from last year include:

Hokkaido Green, Strange Horizons

Salary Ninja, Port Iris

Stone Flowers, Fantasy

Mr. Nine & the Gentleman Ghost, Weird Tales

Inksucker, Worlds Next Door

If I had to choose one story to recommend, then it would be Hokkaido Green.

Chronos Awards (for residents of Victoria)

Nomination form: http://continuum.org.au/chronos-awards/

There is a list of eligible works at http://confound.wikispot.org/2011_Chronos_Award_Eligibles

To my surprise, someone nominated for Best Fan Writer and my WorldCon report for best fan writing.

Ditmar Awards (for Australian citizens & residents)

Nomination form: http://ditmars.sf.org.au/2011/nominations.html

A long list of eligible works is at http://wiki.sf.org.au/2011_Ditmar_eligibility_list

I particularly enjoyed:

Novellas / Novelettes

• A Glimpse of the Marvellous Structure (and the threat it entails), Sean Williams, in Godlike Machines

Short Stories

• “All the Love in the World”, Cat Sparks, in Sprawl
• “The Duke of Vertumn’s Fingerling“, Elizabeth Carroll, in Strange Horizons

Collected Works

• Worlds Next Door
• Godlike Machines

Hugo Awards (only members of last year’s and this year’s World Con are able to nominate works).

Particular favorites include (in addition to works mentioned above):

Novelettes:

• The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen’s Window by Rachel Swirsky

Short Stories:

A Sweet Calling by Tony Pi

The Gold Silkworm by Tony Pi

Standard Loneliness Package by Charles Yu

Related Works:

• Packing For Mars by Mary Roach

Tangent Online has put out their recommended reading list for 2010

http://www.tangentonline.com/news-mainmenu-158

One of my fellow Clarionites, L.Hannett gets a mention for her Commonplace Sacrifices.

Hokkaido Green gets a 3-star mention.

“Hokkaido Green,” by Aidan Green (Strange Horizons, 11/10) F*** (CS)

First someone translates the story into Mandarin without my permission.  Now this Aidan Green has been stealing my stories.

I emailed the editors and informed them that although I was fond of the color green, I hadn’t considered changing my name yet. So perhaps they will update the list soon.

The Australian Shadow Horror Award Finalists have also been recently announced.  Another member of Clarion South 2009, Angela Slatter is shortlisted for her collection The Girl With No Hands and her short story Brisneyland By Night.

http://australianhorror.com/index.php?view=256

Fantasy Magazine is holding a reader’s poll to choose their favorite story from 2010.

http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2011/02/best-fantasy-story-of-2010/

My story Stone Flowers is eligible.

My favorite Fantasy stories from last year were:

The Gold Silkworm by Tony Pi

Stereogram of the Gray Fort, in the Days of Her Glory by Paul M. Berger

Abandonware by An Owomoyela

I overheard this converation on the train. It took place between two schoolgirls that looked around 16 years old.

A: Did you hear Carla’s boyfriend bought her a rose for Valentine’s Day?

B: That is so adorable. Did Jason get you anything?

A: Not yet. This is the third year we’ve been going out and I haven’t mentioned Valentine’s Day once to him. I’m such a good girlfriend.

B: It’s so Americanised anyway.

A: Yeah. When I was young, I used to get excited about it, but now it’s no big deal.

My thoughts on what the future holds for Egypt.