Nominate "The Faun and the Sylphide", "Flying Devils" and Shanghai Steam for the Aurora Awards

Calling all Canadians citizens at home and abroad and permanent residents of Canada: our national science fiction awards, the Aurora Awards, are now open for nominations. This year, I have two short stories that are eligible to be nominated in the category of Best Short Fiction - English:

"The Faun and the Sylphide", from Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound, edited by Mark Leslie, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Calgary, 2012

"Flying Devils", from Shanghai Steam, edited by Ace Jordyn, Calvin D. Jim and Renee Bennett, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Calgary, Alberta, 2012.

 

During the nomination period, these stories will be available free on my website at: http://www.derwinmaksf.com/Auroras-2013.html

Also, Shanghai Steam is the first Chinese-theme steampunk anthology ever, so please consider nominating it for the Aurora Award for Best Related Work - English. Editors are Ace Jordyn, Calvin D. Jim, and Renee Bennett. Publisher is Absolute XPress / EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing.

To learn more about the Aurora Awards and to nominate stories and individuals, visit:

 http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/Membership/

The CSFFA charges a $10 membership fee, so both new and returning members will be asked to pay $10 by Paypal. Renewing members can access the membership portal and make nominations after paying the membership fee. New members will receive a Society number by email and can go back to the Aurora Awards website and submit nominations. Nominees do not get any sort of monetary gain from the fees. The CSFFA is a non-profit organization, and its small budget, raised by the membership and voting fees, goes to administer the awards program and produce the trophies. $10 is a low price to promote national pride in our science fiction and to give a small reward to your favourite authors, artists, and fan organizers.

Nomination deadline is noon, April 15, 2013.

Constellation Awards and the Starlost Reunion at Polaris Science Fiction Convention, July 6-7, 2012

The cast of The Starlost, left to right: Robin Ward, Gay Rowan, Keir Dullea.

I'll be presenting a Constellation Award at the Constellation Awards ceremony at Polaris Science Fiction Convention at the Sheraton Parkway North Toronto Hotel and Convention Centre on Friday, July 6, 2012. Emily Alatalo, the actress from Canadian science fiction and horror movies Dead Genesis, If A Tree Falls, and Neverlost, will be presenting the award with me.

Also at the Constellation Awards ceremony will be Gay Rowan and Robin Ward, two of the stars of the cult Canadian science fiction TV series The Starlost. This is the first time that they have appeared at a science fiction convention together, so this will be the long-awaited Starlost Reunion. I will be moderating their panel discussion about The Starlost on Saturday, July 7, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the King City Room, lower convention level. They'll have an autograph session in that same room from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. If you're a Starlost fan, come with your questions and your photos and DVD's.

Aurora Award Nominations are Open: Support Canadian Science Fiction

Calling all Canadians citizens at home and abroad and permanent residents of Canada: our national science fiction awards, the Aurora Awards, are now open for nominations. This year, I will nominate the following works and individuals, and I hope you will too.

Eligible for Best English Novel:

Triptych, by J.M. Frey

Read my review of it here

Eligible for Best English Short Story:

My 2 recommendations:

"The Needle's Eye" by Suzanne Church, in Chilling Tales: Evil Did I Dwell; Lewd I Did Live, EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. Available online at Suzanne's website. Note: this is a science fiction horror story, so some graphic content might not be suitable for some readers.

"We Who Steal Faces" by Tony Pi, in Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show #22, April 2011. Available online at Tony's website .

Eligible for Best Artist:

Costi Gurgi, for the cover art of Outer Diverse. See it on his website.

Eligible for Best Fan Organizational

Andrew Gurudata, organizing the Constellation Awards 2011. Read about him here

To learn more about the Aurora Awards and to nominate stories and individuals, visit:

http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/Membership/

To make your nominations, go to the above website and register for membership in the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA). Starting this year, the CSFFA charges a $10 membership fee, so both new and returning members will be asked to pay $10 by Paypal. After receiving your Society number by email (if you are a new member), you can go back to the Aurora Awards website and submit your nominations. Nominees do not get any sort of monetary gain from the fees. The CSFFA is a non-profit organization, and its small budget, raised by the membership and voting fees, goes to administer the awards program and produce the trophies. $10 is a low price to promote national pride in our science fiction and to give a small reward to your favourite authors, artists, and fan organizers.

 

Nomination deadline is March 31, 2012. Nominate your favourites now!

Constellation Awards 2012: What I'll Nominate

It's time to nominate science fiction and fantasy movies and TV series for the Constellation Awards, Canada's awards for excellence in science fiction film and television ( http://constellations.tcon.ca/ ). Here are the movies, TV series, and artists whom I will be nominating. 2011 was another year of overhyped blockbuster movies like Green Lantern, Thor, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, or Captain  America, but I'll nominate the underrated and understated works. While they didn't have massive explosions or giant robots, they did have well-written stories about people and great performances by their actors.

In particular, the CBC TV series Being Erica had a splendid season, and though it's overlooked by hard-core, convention-going science fiction fans, I think it deserves several nominations this year.

You too can nominate your favourite science fiction and fantasy films and television series for the Constellation Awards. Visit the website above and nominate them.

Television Categories:

1. Best Male Performance in a 2011 Science Fiction Television Episode:

Michael Riley in Being Erica "Sins of the Father"

In "Sins of the Father", Doctor Tom, so used to giving advice to others, realizes that he needs therapist to fix his life of broken relationships. Michael Riley gives his best performance of the series.

2. Best Female Performance in a 2011 Science Fiction Television Episode:

Erin Karpluk in Being Erica "Dr. Erica"

 

Erin Karpluk has to tie up all the loose threads of Erica Strange's life in this episode, and she does it so well.

3. Best Science Fiction Television Series of 2011:

Being Erica

Season four was full of drama, humour, and romance. The three previous seasons have been building towards it. What could be better?

Film/ TV Movie / Mini-Series Categories:

4. Best Male Performance in a 2011 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series:

Jake Gyllenhaal in Source Code

  

This is an intellectual thriller that deserved to do better at the box office. Jake Gyllenhaal is superb as an Air Force officer who gets sent back in time repeatedly to the same train bombing.

5. Best Female Performance in a 2011 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie or Mini-Series:

Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia

Kirsten Dunst's character both neurotically ruins her own wedding and calmly prepares for the end of the world without any change in her personality. She won the Best Actress Award at Cannes for this one.

6. Best Science Fiction Film, TV Movie or Mini-Series of 2011:

Another Earth

 This is an art house movie about the discovery of a twin Earth, where there is a duplicate of everyone on our planet. Quiet and thought-provoking.

Other Categories:

7. Best Technical Accomplishment in a 2011 Science Fiction Film or Television Production:

Douglas Trumbull for special effects in The Tree of Life

In The Tree of Life, he created the universe, matter, energy, the planets, life, evolution, and dinosaurs, and that darn meteorite, all in twenty minutes.

8. Best Overall 2011 Science Fiction Film or Television Script:

Being Erica episode "Dr. Erica"

This is the end of season four, and it's a remarkable episode, showing how Erica and her friends and family have made dramatic changes in their lives. In four years, Erica Strange has gone from neurotic, single therapy patient to a confident book publisher with a steady boyfriend. But that's not the end of her story, as "Dr. Erica" sets her up for a new stage in her life.

9. Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television in 2011:

Being Erica (TV series)

 

Being Erica is an underrated fantasy series. True, it's not about interstellar wars or superheroes saving the world. But it is about people creating relationships and coping with them and daily struggles with a much-needed sense of humour. Best of all, it's about book editors and writers in Toronto, so it's a science fiction or fantasy TV series that I can relate to.

On the Red Carpet at the Constellation Awards, July 16, 2011

The Constellation Awards are Canada's awards for excellence in science fiction film and television and are presented annually at the Polaris Science Fiction Convention in Richmond Hill, Ontario. This year, I presented the award for Best Female Performance in a 2010 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie or Miniseries. My co-presenter was the beautiful and talented Katherine Curtis, reporter for The Naked News. The award went to Chloe Grace-Moretz in Kick-Ass.

Photo above: Katherine Curtis and I hold the results envelope for Best Female Performance in a 2010 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie or Mini-Series. My white tuxedo jacket is a Pierre Cardin.

After the ceremony, Katie Uhlmann of TTN-HD News interviewed me about my anthology The Dragon and the Stars, which is nominated for an Aurora Award, Canada's national science fiction award for science fiction. The interview can be seen here on YouTube.

Photo above: Interview with Katie Uhlmann of TTN HD News

Teddy Wilson and Ajay Fry, hosts of the TV series Innerspace on Space: the Imagination Station, hosted the awards ceremony. They sang the opening song, the first musical act ever in the Constellation Awards. They also won the award for Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television in 2010.

Photo above: I'm with Teddy Wilson and Ajay Fry.

Also present at the ceremony were actors Jewel Staite (Firefly, Stargate Atlantis) and Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis).

Photo above: Jewel Staite and Paul McGillion.

Photo above: me, Paul McGillion, and Jewel Staite.

Actor Adam Baldwin (Firefly) won the award for Best Best Male Performance in a 2010 Science Fiction Television Episode for his performance in the Chuck episode "Chuck Versus the Couch Lock".

Photo above: Adam Baldwin accepts his award while Jewel Staite looks on.

Guelph, Ontario, has become a center of independent horror and fantasy filmmaking, and Aidan Harris and Claire Moran are two young actors from Mind's Eye, a fantasy web series made in Guelph. They presented a Constellation Award. Claire was also nominated for Best Female Performance in a 2010 Science Fiction Television Episode.

Photo above: Aidan Harris and Claire Moran from Mind's Eye.

Other awards presenters included science fiction author J.M. Frey (Triptych) and actor Paul Lee (of the TV series Train 48).

Photo above: J.M. Frey and Paul Lee.

The Constellation Awards ceremony was classy, entertaining and fun. It's definitely the most glamorous red carpet event for Canadian science fiction. Many thanks to awards committee chairman Andrew Gurudata, who is nominated for an Aurora Award for Best Fan - Organizational for organizing the Constellation Awards.

Photo above: Andrew Gurudata, chairman of the Constellation Awards.

Nominate Andrew Gurudata (the Constellation Awards) for a Prix Aurora Award for Fan Achievement - Organizational

The Prix Aurora Awards has a category for Fan Achievement - Organizational.

I attend various science fiction awards ceremonies, and one of the best organized and entertaining is undoubtedly the Constellation Awards, held annually at the Polaris Science Fiction Convention. It's got videos that work, comedy skits, celebrity emcees, and Canadian actors, actresses, and models. And it's also the best-dressed of the Canadian science fiction award ceremonies (Fashion TV should do a report from the Constellations).

Andrew Gurudata organizes this ceremony, so please consider nominating Andrew Gurudata for the Constellation Awards Organization.

You can nominate him online at: http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/English/AwardProcess/nominationVoting.htm

Also please nominate people and works in other categories as well.

Act now! The nomination deadline is February 15!