Aurealis Award for best horror novel

Aurealis Award for best horror novel

A gold colored circle with the words "aurealis awards" across the middle, and "winner" situated in the lower portion. In the top portion is a smaller black and white circle with various curving lines and a shape of an eye in the middle

The Aurealis Award design is often placed on the winning book's cover as a promotional tool.[1]
Awarded for Excellence in horror fiction novels
Country Australia
Presented by Chimaera Publications,
Conflux Inc
First awarded 1995
Currently held by Kirstyn McDermott
Official website Official site

The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and Conflux Inc to published works in order to "recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, horror writers".[2] To qualify, a work must have been first published by an Australian citizen or permanent resident between 1 November of the prior year and 31 October of the current year;[3] the presentation ceremony is held the following year. It has grown from a small function of around 20 people to a two-day event attended by over 200 people.[4]

Since their creation in 1995, awards have been given in various categories of speculative fiction. Categories currently include science fiction, fantasy, horror, speculative young-adult fiction—with separate awards for novels and short fiction—collections, anthologies, illustrative works or graphic novels, children's books, and an award for excellence in speculative fiction.[2] The awards have attracted the attention of publishers by setting down a benchmark in science fiction and fantasy. The continued sponsorship by publishers such as HarperCollins and Orbit has identified the award as an honour to be taken seriously.[5]

The results are decided by a panel of judges from a list of submitted nominees; the long-list of nominees is reduced to a short-list of finalists.[2] Ties can occur if the panel decides both entries show equal merit, however they are encouraged to choose a single winner.[6] The judges may declare a "no award" if there is unanimous agreement that none of the nominees are worthy.[6] The judges are selected from a public application process by the Award's management team.[7]

This article lists all the short-list nominees and winners in the best horror novel category, as well as novels that have received honourable mentions or have been highly commended. Since 2005, honourable mentions and high commendations have been awarded intermittently. Kim Wilkins and Kirstyn McDermott both have won the award multiple times, with three and two wins respectively. Wilkins also holds the record for most nominations, with five. Stephen Dedman and Jason Nahrung share the record for most nominations without winning, both having been nominated twice.

Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years correspond to the year of the book's eligibility; the ceremonies are always held the following year. Each year links to the corresponding "year in literature" article. Entries with a blue background have won the award; those with a white background are the nominees on the short-list.

  *   Winners and joint winners
  *   Nominees on the shortlist

Year Author Novel Publisher Ref
1995 Dowling, TerryTerry Dowling* An Intimate Knowledge of the Night Aphelion Publications [8]
1995 Armanno, VeneroVenero Armanno My Beautiful Friend Arrow Books [8]
1995 Bird, CarmelCarmel Bird The White Garden UQP [8]
1995 Brooks, DavidDavid Brooks The House of Balthus Allen & Unwin [8]
1995 Ettler, JustineJustine Ettler The River Ophelia Picador [8]
1996 No award given [9]
1997 Wilkins, KimKim Wilkins* The Infernal Random House [10]
1997 Dedman, StephenStephen Dedman The Art of Arrow Cutting Tor Books [10]
1997 Harland, RichardRichard Harland The Dark Edge Pan Macmillan [10]
1997 Tom, EmmaEmma Tom Dead Set Random House [10]
1998 No award given [11]
1999 Harris, ChristineChristine Harris* Foreign Devil Random House [12]
1999 Kelleher, VictorVictor Kelleher Into the Dark Viking Press [12]
1999 Kelleher, VictorVictor Kelleher The Ivory Trail Viking Press [12]
1999 Scot-Bernard, P.P. Scot-Bernard Deadly Sister Love HarperCollins [12]
2000 Wilkins, KimKim Wilkins* The Resurrectionists Voyager Books [13]
2000 Dowling, TerryTerry Dowling Blackwater Days Eidolon Publications [13]
2001 Wilkins, KimKim Wilkins* Angel of Ruin Voyager Books [14]
2001 Rogers, CameronCameron Rogers The Music of Razors Penguin Books [14]
2002 McCann, A. L.A. L. McCann* The White Body of Evening Flamingo [15]
2002 Croggon, AlisonAlison Croggon The Gift Penguin Books [15]
2002 Cusack, LouiseLouise Cusack Daughter of the Dark Simon & Schuster [15]
2002 Dedman, StephenStephen Dedman Shadows Bite Tor Books [15]
2003 Kelleher, VictorVictor Kelleher* Born of the Sea Viking Press [16]
2003 O'Neill, AnthonyAnthony O'Neill The Lamplighter HarperCollins [16]
2003 Wilkins, KimKim Wilkins The Autumn Castle Voyager Books [16]
2004 Harland, RichardRichard Harland* The Black Crusade Chimaera Publications [17]
2004 Pennicott, JosephineJosephine Pennicott Fire in the Shell Simon & Schuster [17]
2004 Wilkins, KimKim Wilkins Giants of the Frost Voyager Books [17]
2005 No award given [18]
2006 Elliott, WillWill Elliott* The Pilo Family Circus ABC Books [19]
2006 Grey, EdwinaEdwina Grey* Prismatic Lothian Books [19]
2006 Livings, MartinMartin Livings Carnies Lothian Books [19]
2006 McBean, BrettBrett McBean The Mother Lothian Books [19]
2007 Parisi, SusanSusan Parisi* Blood of Dreams Viking Press [20]
2008 Harwood, JohnJohn Harwood* The Seance Jonathan Cape [21]
2008 Dann, JackJack Dann The Economy of Light PS Publishing [21]
2008 Gadd, NickNick Gadd Ghostlines Scribe Publications [21]
2009 Brown, HoneyHoney Brown* Red Queen Penguin Books [22]
2009 Ball, PeterPeter Ball Horn Twelfth Planet Press [22]
2009 Irwin, Stephen M.Stephen M. Irwin The Dead Path Hachette [22]
2009 O'Hara, TraceyTracey O'Hara Night's Cold Kiss HarperCollins [22]
2009 Warren, KaaronKaaron Warren Slights Angry Robot Books [22]
2010 McDermott, KirstynKirstyn McDermott* Madigan Mine Pan MacMillan [23]
2010 Fischer, JasonJason Fischer After the World: Gravesend Black House Comics [24]
2010 Jamieson, TrentTrent Jamieson Death Most Definite Orbit Books [24]
2011 No award given [25]
2012 McDermott, KirstynKirstyn McDermott* Perfections Xoum [26]
2012 Franks, JasonJason Franks Bloody Waters Possible Press [27]
2012 Nahrung, JasonJason Nahrung Blood and Dust Xoum [27]
2012 Nahrung, JasonJason Nahrung Salvage Twelfth Planet Press [27]
2013 Near, AllyseAllyse Near* Fairytales for Wilde Girls Random House Australia [28][29]
2013 Battersby, LeeLee Battersby The Marching Dead Angry Robot Books [28]
2013 Beck, GreigGreig Beck The First Bird Momentum [28]
2013 Flinthart, DirkDirk Flinthart Path Of Night FableCroft Publishing [28]
2014 Larbalestier, JustineJustine Larbalestier* Razorhurst Allen & Unwin [30]
2014 Baxter, AlanAlan Baxter Obsidian HarperVoyager [31]
2014 Beck, GreigGreig Beck Book of the Dead Momentum [31]

^ I Publisher names in parentheses indicate the imprint under which the book was published.

Honourable mentions and high commendations

In the following table, the years correspond to the year of the book's eligibility; the ceremonies are always held the following year. Each year links to the corresponding "year in literature" article. Entries with a grey background have been noted as highly commended; those with a white background have received honourable mentions.

  *   Highly commended
  *   Honourable mentions

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher Ref
2005 Burke, J. C.J. C. Burke* Nine Letters Long Random House [18]
2007 Arthur, KeriKeri Arthur Dangerous Games Piatkus [18]
2007 Conyers, DavidDavid Conyers & John Sunseri The Spiraling Worm Chaosium [18]
2007 Nahrung, JasonJason Nahrung The Darkness Within Hachette Livre [18]
2011 Irwin, Stephen M.Stephen M. Irwin The Broken Ones Hachette [25]
2011 Jamieson, TrentTrent Jamieson The Business of Death Hachette [25]

See also

References

  1. "Eon by Alison Goodman". HarperCollins. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Aurealis Awards – About Us". Aurealis Awards. Archived from the original on 2010-08-15. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  3. "Aurealis Awards – Rules and Conditions". Aurealis Awards. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  4. Nahrung, Jason (2007-02-02). "Horror a hit". The Courier-Mail. Queensland Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2010-01-04. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  5. Koval, Ramona (presenter) (2009-02-05). Spotlight on speculative fiction writers (mp3) (Radio broadcast). ABC Radio and Regional Content. Event occurs at 1:18–2:16. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Guidelines for Judges". Aurealis Awards. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
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  11. "The Locus Index to SF Awards: 1999 Aurealis Awards". Locus Online. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
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  13. 13.0 13.1 "The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2001 Aurealis Awards". Locus Online. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
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  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 "The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2004 Aurealis Awards". Locus Online. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 "The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2005 Aurealis Awards". Locus Online. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
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  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 "The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2007 Aurealis Awards". Locus Online. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  20. "The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2008 Aurealis Awards". Locus Online. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 "The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2009 Aurealis Awards". Locus Online. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 "Aurealis Awards 2009: Horror Judges' Report" (PDF). Aurealis Awards. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  23. "2010 Aurealis Award winners" (PDF). SpecFaction NSW. 21 May 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-05-30. Retrieved 2011-05-30.
  24. 24.0 24.1 "Aurealis Awards Finalists 2010" (PDF). SpecFaction NSW. Archived from the original on 2011-05-30. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 "Aurealis Awards Finalists 2011" (PDF). SpecFaction NSW. Archived from the original on 2012-05-19. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  26. "2012 Aurealis Award winners". SpecFaction NSW. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 "2012 Aurealis Awards finalists announced" (PDF). SpecFaction NSW. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 "2013 Aurealis Awards finalists announced" (PDF). Conflux. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  29. "2013 Aurealis Awards Winners". Conflux. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
  30. "And the winners are...". Conflux. 2015-04-12.
  31. 31.0 31.1 2014 Aurealis Awards finalists announced, Conflux, retrieved 2015-03-08

External links