The Ditmars had that award nominations on the weekend. If you're not up on the award, it's the popular vote award in Australia speculative fiction, where you can win an award because you and a handful of mates decide you want one. That pretty much begins and ends all that's worthwhile to say about it.

But that's not important.

What's important is that I didn't win again and that's awesome.

It's awesome because, according to Locus, I have now been nominated nine times for a Ditmar and, having never won, reached a tally only equaled by Bill Wright, the fanzine writer and the owner of the 'zine Interstellar Ramjet Scoop, who has been working on his nine losses from 1976, the year I was, coincidently, born in. Sure, there are people who have lost out more than Bill and I, but they've won awards, and it remains only the pair of us who have not been tarnished by winning. Hard work on an award in which you can win with twenty people, really, and worth that bit of respect you show to people who are trying to cure cancer, I'm sure.

At any rate, I have decided that I must defeat Bill next year, so look for the campaign here of Non Award Winning, in which I use the audience I've got to nominate a story of mine. Most likely there'll just be two choices, but it'll be block voting for a good cause, which is the laugh, of course.

So, heads up everyone. I'll let you know when it's time.

Peace out.