2008 Judge's Comments: Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Another year, another set of very fine horror stories! This year's short-list is an all short story affair, a first for the Australian Shadows Award. It wasn't an entirely deliberate decision, but as we judges sifted through our long lists, we found that our shared preferences were for the shorter, more focussed works.
The finalists
It should be noted that Aussie dark fiction is a fairly small pond, and because of the editorial involvement of some of this year's officials (namely Kirstyn McDermott and me), several significant publications were excluded from consideration. Had Midnight Echo #1, Black Box, and Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine #1 – #3 been considered, the shortlist may well have been different. Fortunately, only the publications themselves were excluded (such is the nature of the award: short stories are compared against anthologies, magazines, and novels). Therefore, the stories in these publications were allowed to be considered, which resulted in the short-listing of Paul Haines' incredibly disturbing meditation on death and obsession, "Her Collection of Intimacy" (Black #2). Haines' story exemplifies all of the dark sexuality for which the author is known, and is the perfect example of modern, understated horror.
Obsession is a theme that sprouted up a few times amongst the short-listed finalists.
Lee Battersby's young colonial soldier in his novelette "The Claws of Native Ghosts" has it in spades as he pines for a lady beyond his station. It is an impressive piece with a distinctive authorial voice, made all the more impressive by its bold tackling of one of the touchiest subjects in Australian literature: Aboriginal mythology.
"Rick Gets a Job" by new talent Jason Fischer is a raw, bloody story of a future world conquered by aliens and the protagonist's struggle in a human harvesting factory. Think 1984 meets Soylent Green.
Dreaming Again (HarperVoyager) was the most subtantial of the anthologies published in Australia in 2008. It is without doubt the finest mixed genre anthologies of the year and it produced several noteworthy short stories, including two Australian Shadows finalists.
The first, Christopher Green's "Lakeside", is an ethereal story, emphasising mood and a subtle sense of dread of action and plot. "Lakeside" is Green's first published story, which bodes well for the career of this talented newcomer.
Sara Douglass' "This Way To The Exit" was dark fantasy rather than horror. The authentic tone, detailed world-building of Industrial-Age London, and sense of the sinister and fey set this story head and shoulders above most others.
Other works of merit
Other stories from Dreaming Again that did not make the Australian Shadows short-list but were worthy of meritorious mention were Richard Harland's "A Guided Tour in the Kingdom of the Dead" (a deadly stroll through the Egyptian Underworld), Peter M. Ball's "The Last Great House of Isla Tortuga" (a piratical encounter with undead prostitutes and a meditation on lust and loss), Jason Nahrung's outback vampire tale "Smoking, Waiting For the Dawn", and possibly the best colonial time-travelling zombie story ever, John Birmingham's "Heere Be Monsters".
Morrigan Books' first anthology, Voices (ed. Mark S. Denis & Amanda Pillar), showcased several fine stories set in the world's creepiest hotel. The anthology itself was a contender, for me, and individual story standouts included Pete Kempshall's brutal police procedural "Just Us", Martin Livings' "Bedbugs", and Robert Hood's flash fiction pieces (titled "Remainders").
Hood's collection Creeping in Reptile Flesh (Altair Australia Books) was the finest Aussie collection released in 2008. Although the book's distribution is limited, it contains several of Hood's best stories and spans two decades of his career.
New magazine Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine hosted more of Hood's fine fiction. His five linked flash fiction pieces entitled "Moments of Dying" were published in issue #1. Aside from Paul Haines' short-listed story, the other especially noteworthy work of fiction was Miranda Siemienowicz's short and bloody piece "The Casting Out".
Another new magazine, Midnight Echo, published a strong line-up of horror fiction in its one and only issue of 2008. The best of the bunch were Felicity Dowker's "They Live Under the House" and Paul Haines' "Tanihwa, Swim With Me".
Quality stories published elsewhere were Tansy Rayner Roberts' "Fleshy" (from the anthology 2012) and Stephen Dedman's "Teeth" (Clarkesworld Magazine).
With paranormal fiction's current popularity, it was encouraging to read some fine home-grown novels: The Opposite of Life by Narelle M. Harris (Pulp Fiction Books), which has a decidedly unromantic take on vampire heroes, and the latest in Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen series, Darkest Kiss.
All of these books and stories are well worth searching out! A good place to start is the Australian Horror Writers Association website or following the links at HorrorScope . Viva la darkness!
Back to 2008 Shortlist