Quack Deal

A couple of people have drawn my attention to the upcoming Swancon sci-fi convention here in Perth this coming April, not only as something I might like to pop along to but also for something called the Tin Ducks.

The Tin Ducks are the awards handed out each year by the West Australian Science Fiction Foundation for achivement by WA writers and artists, and it seems that I have a couple of stories that are eligible for nomination.

The obvious candidate I suppose is Link, my story in the Doctor Who collection Short Trips: Transmissions. But it's a bit of a surprise to find that Just Us, from the horror anthology Voices, is also a possibility.

Now I'd have thought that particular story wouldn't qualify (not being sci-fi and all) but WA dark fiction stalwart Shane Jiraiya Cummings would beg to differ. He has listed it as one of a handful of short stories worth a nom, and I'd be mad to argue with the vice president of the Australian Horror Writers Association, wouldn't I?

There's stiff competition for these gongs in the shape of several multiple-award-winning scribes, so my chances of getting anywhere are slim. But if you've read either or both of those stories and you liked what you read, do please pop along to the Tin Ducks nomination page and fling a vote their way.

It can't hurt, can it?