Monday, May 25, 2015

Stop-Watch Gang Sweeps the Aurora Short-Form Nominations!

Some BIG news for members of the Stop-Watch Gang, both past and present!

As announced over the weekend, the 2015 nominations for the Aurora Awards--Canada's top SF prize--are now live, and include a who's-who of Canadian spec fic, especially in the Best Novel and Best YA Novel categories.

But most excitingly for The Stop-Watch Gang is that both Suzanne Church and Tony Pi are once again nominees. While each have been nominated before (Suzanne has been nominated several times, and won Best Short Form in 2012) this time--mostly to show off--they are each nominated in MULTIPLE categories!

Suzanne's two stories “Jelly and the D-Machine” (available to read online) and “Soul-Hungry” are nominated in the Best Short-Form category, and her first collection of stories--Elements: A Collection of Speculative Fiction--is nominated in Best Related Work.

Tony's story “No Sweeter Art” is nominated in the Best Short-Form category (and is available to read or listen to online at Beneath Ceaseless Skies), and his poem “A Hex, With Bees” is nominated in the Best Poem/Song category.

These stories were all workshopped with The Stop-Watch Gang, and we're all thrilled that they've been nominated. It's going to make for some VERY difficult decisions come voting time.

In addition (as the headline suggests) the other two nominees in the Best Short-Form category--“Crimson Sky” by Eric Choi, and “Mecha-Jesus” by Derwin Mak--were written by founding members of The Stop-Watch Gang. Meaning that between current and former members of The Stop-Watch Gang, its a clean sweep of the nominations. And all without the aid of a voting slate! Just some great, great stories earning the recognition they deserve from people who read and enjoyed them.

The full list of nominees follow, and information on voting can be found here. Voting opens one week from today--Monday, June 1st.

Good luck to all the nominees!

- S.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Voting for this year’s awards will begin on June 1st. CSFFA (Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association) members have until Midnight, EDT on October 17th to cast their ballots. Membership is open to all Canadians and Landed Immigrants.

The awards will be given out at Canvention 35, hosted by SFContario 6 in Toronto, Ontario on the weekend of November 20 – 22nd. Full details about CSFFA, the awards and voting can be found at www.prixaurorawards.ca.

Best Novel – English

Echopraxia by Peter Watts, Tor Books
The Future Falls by Tanya Huff, DAW Books
My Real Children by Jo Walton, Tor Books
The Peripheral by William Gibson, Penguin Canada
A Play of Shadow by Julie E. Czerneda, DAW Books

Best Young Adult Novel – English

Lockstep by Karl Schroeder, Tor Books
Mabel the Lovelorn Dwarf by Sherry Peters, Dwarvenamazon
Out of This World by Charles de Lint, Razorbill Canada
Rain by Amanda Sun, Harlequin TEEN
Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong, Doubleday Canada
Twist of the Blade by Edward Willett, Coteau Books
The Voices in Between by Charlene Challenger, Tightrope Books

Best Short Fiction – English

Crimson Sky” by Eric Choi, Analog, July/August
Jelly and the D-Machine” by Suzanne Church, Elements: A Collection of Speculative Fiction, EDGE
Mecha-Jesus” by Derwin Mak, Wrestling With Gods: Tesseracts Eighteen, EDGE
No Sweeter Art” by Tony Pi, Beneath Ceaseless Skies #155, September 4, 2014
Soul-Hungry” by Suzanne Church, Elements: A Collection of Speculative Fiction, EDGE

Best Poem/Song – English

A Hex, With Bees” by Tony Pi, Wrestling With Gods: Tesseracts Eighteen, EDGE
Aversions” by Helen Marshall, Goblin Fruit, October
The Machine” by David Clink, Wrestling With Gods: Tesseracts Eighteen, EDGE
The New Ways” by Amal El-Mohtar, Uncanny Magazine, November
The Perfect Library” by David Clink, If the World were to Stop Spinning (Chapbook)

Best Graphic Novel – English

Cassie & Tonk by Justin Currie and GMB Chomichuk, Chasing Artwork
It Never Rains by Kari Maaren, Webcomic
Raygun Gothic Vol. 2 by GMB Chomichuk, Alchemical Press
Treadwell by Dominic Bercier, Mirror Comics
Trillium by Jeff Lemire, DC Comics-Vertigo

Best Related Work – English

Elements: A Collection of Speculative Fiction by Suzanne Church, EDGE
Gifts for the One Who Comes After by Helen Marshall, CZP
Lackington’s speculative prose edited by Ranylt Richildis|
Strange Bedfellows
edited by Hayden Trenholm, Bundoran Press

Best Artist

James Beveridge, cover for Tantamount and Out Dweller
Erik Mohr
, cover for The Door in the Mountain and ChiZine Publications
Derek Newman-Stille, cover for Elephants and Omnibuses
Dan O’Driscoll
, covers for Bundoran Press and On Spec magazine
Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk & Steve Fahnestalk, “Walking on the Moon”, cover for On Spec, No. 95 (Vol. 25 No. 4),

Best Fan Publication

Broken Toys edited by Taral Wayne
Ecdysis edited by Jonathan Crowe
Pubnites & Other Events edited by Yvonne Penney
Space Cadet edited by R. Graeme Cameron
Speculating Canada edited by Derek Newman-Stille

Best Fan Music

Brooke Abbey, Weirdness from 2014, Bandcamp
Copy Red Leader, Crossing the Streams CD, The Pond Studio
Debs & Errol (Deborah Linden and Errol Elumir), OVFF Concert (Ohio Valley Filk Fest)
Kari Maaren, YouTube Channel
Stone Dragons, Dream of Flying CD, Stone Dragon Studios

Best Fan Organizational

Sandra Kasturi, Chair, Chiaroscuro Reading Series: Toronto
Derek Künsken, Farrell McGovern, Caycee Price and Elizabeth Buchan-Kimmerly, Executive, Can*Con 2014, Ottawa
Randy McCharles, Chair, When Words Collide, Calgary
Matt Moore, Marie Bilodeau and Nicole Lavigne, Co-chairs, Chiaroscuro Reading Series: Ottawa
Alana Otis-Wood and Paul Roberts, Co-chairs, Ad Astra Convention, Toronto

Best Fan Related Work

R. Graeme Cameron, weekly column in Amazing Stories Magazine
Steve Fahnestalk, weekly column in Amazing Stories Magazine
Kevin B. Madison, Thunder Road Trip
Derek Newman-Stille, Speculating, Canada on Trent Radio 92.7 FM
Lloyd Penney, fan writing for fanzines and e-zines

Monday, September 29, 2014

Overheard at the Stop-Watch Gang Meeting - 28 September 2014

"Jeez--did you bring her a shot of tequila to go with that critique?"

"I either don't believe her, or I hate her. It's one of those two..."

1: "We still love you."
2: "Yeah, I don't have anything to say."

A: "I find it funny THIS is the part of the story we're arguing about."
B: "She started it!"

"I get that Melcolm loved Annie (which is a little too close to Anakin Skywalker for my taste)..."

Her: "Okay. So..."
Him: "Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it."

"Yeah, it's clap magic. Actually, that doesn't sound right."

"It felt like watching Return of the King. 'Is it over? No. Is it--no. Finally, its--NO.'"

Thing 1: "It lacks tension. Despite the fact that they torture Boner...Bohner."
(laughter)
Thing 2: "Boner does lack tension."

X: "Steve's solution is actually very good."
Y: "Why do you say it like that?"
Z: "It's so rare."

"I didn't agree with Mike about the ending. But once Suzanne explained it--better than Mike--I actually do agree."

"Well, go put that in and let people reject it for that reason!"

- SWG

Friday, August 01, 2014

Two SWG Members on the Final Ballot for the 2014 Aurora Awards

This year, two of the members of the Stop-Watch Gang have short stories on the final ballot for the Aurora Awards.

If you pay the small fee to join CSFFA, you'll have access to the voters' package which includes free samples of all of the nominated works.

Voting closes at 11:59PM ET, Saturday, September 6, 2014.

"A Bunny Hug for Karl" by Mike Rimar was published in Masked Mosaic, Canadian Super Stories (Tyche Books).

"Living Bargains" by Suzanne Church was published in When the Hero Comes Home 2 (Dragon Moon Press).

Read "Living Bargains" on Suzanne's blog.

Click here for a full list of all the 2014 Aurora Award nominated works.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Ad Astra Stop-Watch Gang Reading

Ad Astra Convention is April 4th to 6th.

Several members of the Stop-Watch Gang will be attending the convention.

Our big SWG Reading is:

Saturday, Apr 5 4:00-5:00 PM READING – Stop-Watch Gang, Ian Donald Keeling, Mike Rimar, Pippa Wysong, Stephen Kotowych, Suzanne Church (Oakridges)

Suzanne Church's Complete Schedule

Saturday, Apr 5 10:00-11:00 AM The Writing Life, Ada Hoffman, Julie Czerneda, Karina Sumner-Smith, Stephanie Bedwell-Grime, Suzanne Church (Newmarket)

Saturday, Apr 5 12:00-1:00 PM READING – Writing in the 'Loo, Marcy Italiano, Sarah Tolmie, Suzanne Church (Markham A)

Saturday, Apr 5 2:00-4:00 PM GoH + Many Other Authors Signing A mass autograph session. Bring your copies of ELEMENTS (available at the Bakka Phoenix Books table in the Dealers’ Room) to be signed (Richmond A)

Saturday, Apr 5 4:00-5:00 PM READING – Stop-Watch Gang, Ian Donald Keeling, Mike Rimar, Pippa Wysong, Stephen Kotowych, Suzanne Church (Oakridges)

The big party and launch for...

ELEMENTS: A Collection of Speculative Fiction

and

The Milkman

Suzanne and Michael would love it if you would RSVP via the Facebook Events page. Come for the cake, stay for the fun!

Monday, March 10, 2014

It's time to nominate for the Aurora Awards

The Prix Aurora Awards celebrate speculative fiction in Canada.

Click on the link for A Full List of Eligible Works

All nominations must be made by 11:59PM, Saturday, April 12, 2014

Stop-Watch Gang members have the following stories available for nomination.

In the BEST SHORT FICTION – ENGLISH category:

Suzanne Church

Living Bargains,
When the Hero Comes Home 2, edited by Gabrielle Harbowy and Ed Greenwood, Dragon Moon Press, 2013.

Costi Gurgu

Secret Recipes,
Tesseracts Seventeen: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast to Coast, edited by Colleen Anderson and Steve Vernon, EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2013.

Mike Rimar

A Bunny Hug for Karl,
Masked Mosaic: Canadian Super Stories, edited by Claude Lalumiere and Camille Alexa, Tyche Books, 2013.

Interview with Steve Vernon

As part of Suzanne Church's "Content Month" on her blog, she's posted an interview with Steve Vernon.

Happy reading.