"Dream Machine" shortlisted for Australia's Top Horror Award

Fantastic news today in that I have made the short list for the Australian Shadows Award, the top speculative fiction award for horror fiction in Australia. This is the second time I've made the shortlist, the last time was in 2007 for my short story "Subtle Invasion".

Congrats to everyone who made the list, especially Angela Challis, Marty Young, Amanda Pillar and Pete Kempshall for Macabre and Scenes from the Second Storey, which included my short stories.

What follows is the song "Dream Machine" from The God Machine which influenced my story in an anthology Scenes from the Second Storey. The anthology was a tribute to the album, with each story corresponding to a track on the album a concept created by Morrigan Books publisher Mark S. Deniz.

The press release follows:

The Australian Horror Writers Association is proud to announce the finalists for the 2010 Australian Shadows Awards. The Australian Shadows Awards are Australia's top honour for horror fiction.

Congratulations to the 2010 finalists:

LONG FICTION

• Madigan Mine by Kirstyn McDermott (Picador Australia)
• The Girl With No Hands by Angela Slatter (Ticonderoga Publications)
• Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healy (Allen & Unwin)
• Under Stones by Bob Franklin (Affirm Press)
• Bleed by Peter M. Ball (Twelfth Planet Press)

EDITED PUBLICATION

• Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears, edited by Angela Challis & Marty Young (Brimstone Press)
• Scenes From The Second Storey, edited by Amanda Pillar & Pete Kempshall (Morrigan Books)
• Dark Pages 1, edited by Brenton Tomlinson (Blade Red Press)
• Scary Kisses, edited by Liz Gryzb (Ticonderoga Publications)
• Midnight Echo #4, edited by Lee Battersby (AHWA)

SHORT FICTION

• "Bread and Circuses" by Felicity Dowker ()
• "Brisneyland by Night" by Angela Slatter (Sprawl)
• "She Said" by Kirstyn McDermott (Scenes from the Second Storey)
• "All The Clowns In Clowntown" by Andrew J. McKiernan (Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears)
• "Dream Machine" by David Conyers (Scenes from the Second Storey)

The AHWA would sincerely like to thank the Australian Shadows judging panel - Stephanie Coxon, Craig Bezant, and Jeff Ritchie - for their tireless work over the past twelve months. The Australian Shadows team would like to thank every author, editor, and publisher who submitted their work for consideration.

Guest judges Chuck McKenzie, Rocky Wood, and Kaaron Warren will now read the finalists and determine the winners. The winners will be announced on April 15.

Further information about the Australian Shadows Awards can be found at http://australianshadows.australianhorror.com/.