Australian Shadows Awards

Awards Criteria & History

Awards Winners and Nominees

2005

Judges

• Guest judge: Kim Wilkins
• Award Director: Marty Young

  Winner

• "Father Muerte and the Flesh", Lee Battersby, ''Aurealis #36

  Nominees

• "Pater Familias", Lee Battersby, Shadowed Realms #3
• Shadow Box, Shane Jiraiya Cummings & Angela Challis
• "The Red Priest's Homecoming", Dirk Flinthart, 'Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #17
• The Grinding House'', Kaaron Warren

  2006

Judges

• Judging panel: David Schembri, Miranda Siemienowicz, Mark Smith-Briggs
• Guest judge: Robert Hood
• Award Director: Marty Young

  Winner

• The Pilo Family Circus, Will Elliott

  Nominees

• "Father Renoir's Hands", Lee Battersby, Through Soft Air
• "The Dying Light", Deborah Biancotti, Eidolon I
• "The Blow-Off", Stephen Dedman, Brutarian #47
• "The Bridal Bier", Carol Ryles, Eidolon I

  Honourable mentions

• "Silk and Pearls", K. J. Bishop, Shadowed Realms #9
• "The Cup of Nestor", Simon Brown
• , Terry Dowling
• The Mother, Brett McBean

  2007

Judges

• Judging panel: Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Gary Kemble, Mark Smith-Briggs
• Guest judge: Richard Harland
• Award Director: Kirstyn McDermott

  Winner

• "Toother", Terry Dowling, Eclipse 1

  Nominees

• "Between the Memories", Matthew Chrulew, Aurealis #38/39
• "Subtle Invasion", David Conyers, The Black Book of Horror
• "The Dark and What It Said", Rick Kennett, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #28
• "There Was Darkness", Martin Livings, Fantastic Wonder Stories
• The Darkness Within, Jason Nahrung

  Honourable mentions

• The Spiraling Worm, David Conyers & John Sunseri
• "Cooling the Crows", Kaaron Warren, In Bad Dreams
• "The Wildflowers", Marty Young, Fantastic Wonder Stories

  2008

Judges

• Judging panel: Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Brett McBean, Chuck McKenzie
• Guest judge: Sarah Endacott
• Award Director: Kirstyn McDermott

  Winner

• "The Claws of Native Ghosts", Lee Battersby, The Beast Within

  Nominees

• "This Way To The Exit", Sara Douglass, Dreaming Again
• "Rick Gets A Job", Jason Fischer, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #37
• "Lakeside", Christopher Green, Dreaming Again
• "Her Collection of Intimacy", Paul Haines, Black: Australian Dark Culture #2

  2009

Judges

• Judging panel: Craig Bezant, Stephanie Gunn, Chuck McKenzie
• Guest judges: Bill Congreve, James Doig, Martin Livings
• Award Director: Shane Jiraiya Cummings

  Long Fiction

Winner

• Slights, Kaaron Warren

  Nominees

• A Book of Endings, Deborah Biancotti
• Red Queen, Honey Brown
• "Wives", Paul Haines, X6
• The Dead Path, Stephen M. Irwin

  Edited Publication

Winner

• Grants Pass, Jennifer Brozek & Amanda Pillar

  Nominees

• Festive Fear, Stephen Clark
• Aurealis #42, Stuart Mayne,

  Short Fiction

Winner

• "Six Suicides", Deborah Biancotti, A Book of Endings

  Nominees

• "The Emancipated Dance", Felicity Dowker, Midnight Echo #2
• "Busking", Jason Fischer, Midnight Echo #3
• "The Message", Andrew J. McKiernan, Midnight Echo #2
• "The Gaze Dogs of Nine Waterfalls", Kaaron Warren, Exotic Gothic 3, Ash-Tree Press

  2010

Judges

• Judging panel: Craig Bezant, Stephanie Gunn, Jeff Ritchie
• Guest judges: Kaaron Warren, Rocky Wood, Chuck McKenzie
• Award Director: Shane Jiraiya Cummings

  Long Fiction

Winner

• Under Stones, Bob Franklin

  Nominees

• Bleed, Peter M. Ball
• Guardian of the Dead, Karen Healy
• Madigan Mine, Kirstyn McDermott
• The Girl With No Hands, Angela Slatter

  Edited Publication

Winner

• Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears, Angela Challis & Marty Young

  Nominees

• Midnight Echo #4, Lee Battersby
• Scary Kisses, Liz Grzyb
• Scenes From The Second Storey, Amanda Pillar & Pete Kempshall

  Short Fiction

Winner

• "She Said", Kirstyn McDermott, Scenes from the Second Storey

  Nominees

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

  2011

Judges

• Judging Panel: Marty Young, James A. Moore

  Novel

Winner

• No award

  Honourable Mention

• The Broken Ones, Stephen M. Irwin

  Long Fiction

Winner

• "The Past is a Bridge Best Left Burnt", Paul Haines, The Last Days of Kali Yuga

  Nominees

• "And the Dead Shall Outnumber the Living", Deborah Biancotti, Ishtar
• "Sleeping and the Dead", Cat Sparks, Ishtar
• "From the Teeth of Strange Children", Lisa L. Hannett, Bluegrass Symphony

  Short Fiction

Winner

• "Shovel Man Joe", Amanda J. Spedding, Shades of Sentience

  Nominees

• "Out Hunting for Teeth", Joanne Anderton, Midnight Echo #6
• "The Sea at Night", Joanne Anderton, Dead Red Heart
• "Taking It for the Team", Tracie McBride, Dead Red Heart
• "The Wanderer in Darkness", Andrew J. McKiernan, Midnight Echo #6

  Edited Publication

Winner

• Dead Red Heart, Russell B. Farr

  Nominees

• More Scary Kisses, Liz Grzyb
• Midnight Echo #6, David Kernot, David Conyers and Jason Fischer
• The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Liz Grzyb and Talie Helene

  Collection

Winner

• Tales of Sin and Madness, Brett McBean

  Nominees

• Bluegrass Symphony, Lisa L. Hannett
• The Last Days of Kali Yuga, Paul Haines
• Matilda Told Such Dreadful Lies, Lucy Sussex
• Apocrypha Sequence, Shane Jiraiya Cummings

  2012

Judges

• Short Stories/Collections/Edited Works Panel: Steve Gerlach, Greg Chapman, Stephen Clark
• Novels/Novellas Panel: Gerry Huntman, Jenny Blackford, B. Michael Radburn

  Novel

Winner

• Perfections, Kirstyn McDermott

  Nominees

• The Corpse Rat King, Lee Battersby
• Blood and Dust, Jason Nahrung

  Long Fiction

Winner

• "Sky", Kaaron Warren, Through Splintered Walls

  Nominees

• "Critique", Daniel I. Russell
• "Escena de un Asesinato", Robert Hood, Exotic Gothic 4

  Short Fiction

Winner

• "Birthday Suit", Martin Livings, Living with the Dead

  Nominees

• "To Wish On A Clockwork Heart", Felicity Dowker, Bread and Circuses
• "Pigroot Flat", Jason Fischer, Midnight Echo #8
• "Birthday Suit", Martin Livings, Living with the Dead
• "They Don't Know That We Know What They Know", Andrew J. McKiernan, Midnight Echo #8
• "Creek", Kaaron Warren, Through Splintered Walls
• "Mountain", Kaaron Warren, Through Splintered Walls
• "Road", Kaaron Warren, Through Splintered Walls
• "A Monstrous Touch", Marty Young, Dangers Untold

  Edited Publication

Winner

• Surviving The End, Craig Bezant

  Nominees

• Cthulhu Unbound 3, David Conyers and Brian M. Sammons
• The Year's Best Australian Fantasy & Horror, Liz Grzyb and Talie Helene

  Collection

Winner

• Through Splintered Walls, Kaaron Warren

  Nominees

• Bread and Circuses, Felicity Dowker
• Living With The Dead, Martin Livings

  2013

Judges

• Short Stories/Collections/Edited Works Panel: Steve Gerlach, Gitte Christensen, Lee Pletzers
• Novels/Novellas Panel: Gerry Huntman, Geoff Brown, Chuck McKenzie

  Novel

Winner

• 809 Jacob Street, Marty Young

  Nominees

• Undead Kelly, Timothy Bowden
• Topsiders, Scott Tyson

  Paul Haines">Paul Haines (fiction writer)">Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction

Winner

• "The Unwanted Women of Surrey", Kaaron Warren, Queen Victoria's Book of Spells

  Nominees

• "Soul Killer", Robert Hood, Zombies vs Robots: Diplomacy
• "The Home For Broken Dolls", Kirstyn McDermott, Caution: Contains Small Parts

  Short Fiction

Winner

• "Caterpillars", Debbie Cowens, Baby Teeth - Bite Sized Tales of Terror

  Nominees

• "Nip, Tuck, Zip, Pluck", John Paul Fitch, Psychopomp Volume 4
• "Fence Lines", Joanne Anderton, The Bone Chime Song and other stories
• "The Nest", C. S. McMullen, Nightmare Magazine #12
• "The Dead Way", J. C. Hart, Baby Teeth - Bite Sized Tales of Terror

  Edited Publication

Winner

• Baby Teeth - Bite Sized Tales of Terror, Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray

  Nominees

• Midnight Echo #9, Geoff Brown
• A Killer Among Demons, Craig Bezant
• Star Quake 1, Sophie Yorkston

  Collection

Winner

• The Bone Chime Song and other stories, Jo Anderton

  Nominees

• There was no nominee shortlist in 2013.

  2014

Judges

• Short Stories/Collections/Edited Works Panel: Christine Ferdinands, Natalie Satakovski, B. R. de Loryn
• Novels/Novellas Panel: Jay Caselberg, Kathy Williams-DeVries, Lee Pletzers, B. R. de Loryn

  Novel

Winner

• Wolf Creek: Origin, Aaron Sterns and Greg McLean

  Nominees

• Suicide Forest, Jeremy Bates
• Book of the Dead, Greig Beck
• Dark Deceit, Lauren Dawes
• Davey Ribbon, Matthew Tait

  Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction

Winner

• Dreams of Destruction, Shane Jiraiya Cummings

  Nominees

• Ghost Camera, Darcy Coates
• "The Shark God Covenant", Robert Hood, Dimension6 #3

  Short Fiction

Winner

• "Shadows of the Lonely Dead", Alax Baxter, Suspended in Dusk

  Nominees

• "Mephisto", Alan Baxter, Daily Science Fiction
• "Mummified Monk", Rebecca Fung, Daylight Dims Volume 2
• "Bones", Michelle Jager, SQ Mag #14
• "Last Year When We Were Young", Andrew J. McKiernan, Last Year When We Were Young

  Edited Publication

Winner

• SQ Mag #14, Sophie Yorkston

  Nominees

• SNAFU, Geoff Brown and Amanda J. Spedding
• Suspended in Dusk, Simon Dewar

  Collection

Winner

• Last Year When We Were Young, Andrew J. McKiernan

  Nominees

• There was no nominee shortlist in 2014.

  2015

The Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction

Winner

• In Vaulted Halls Entombed – Alan Baxter

  Nominees

• The Haunting of Gillespie House – Darcy Coates
• Night Shift – Dirk Flinthart
• The Whimper – Robert Hood

  Edited Works

Winner

• Blurring the Line – Marty Young

  Nominees

• Bloodlines – Amanda Pillar
• Lighthouses – Cameron Trost
• Midnight Echo 11 – Kaaron Warren

  Collected Works

Winner

• Peripheral Visions: The Collected Ghost Stories – Rob Hood

  Nominees

• The Abandonment of Grace and Everything After – Shane Jiraiya Cummings
• Cherry Crow Children – Deborah Kalin

  Short Fiction

Winner

• "Mine Intercom" – Kaaron Warren

  Nominees

• The Bone Maiden – Greg Chapman
• Eight Seconds – Pandora Hope
• El Caballo Muerte – Martin Livings
• Perfect Little Stitches – Deborah Sheldon

  Comics/Graphic Novels

Winner

• The Road to Golgotha – G.N. Braun & Amanda J Spedding

  Nominees

• Troll – Michael Michalandos
• The Monster – Ben Rosenthal
• Undad – Shane W. Smith

  The Rocky Wood Award for Non-fiction and Criticism

Winner

• The Literary Gothic – Marija Elektra Rodriguez

  Novels

Winner

• 'The Catacombs'' – Jeremy Bates

  Nominees

• The Haunting of Blackwood House – Darcy Coates
• The Transgressions Cycle: The Mothers – Mike Jones
• The Transgressions Cycle: The Reparation – Mike Jones
• The Big Smoke – Jason Nahrung

  2016

Best Short Fiction

Winner

• "His Shining Day", Richard Harland

  Nominees

• "D Is for Death", Pete Aldin
• "Midnight in the Graffiti Tunnel", Terry Dowling
• "Protege", Anthony Ferguson
• "No Other Men in Mitchell", Rose Hartley
• "Selfie", Lee Murray
• "What the Sea Wants", Deb Sheldon
• "Uncontainable", Helen Stubbs
• "All Roll Over", Kaaron Warren
• "Fade to Grey", Janeen Webb

  Best Collected Works

Winner

• Crow Shine, Alan Baxter

  Nominees

• Concentration, Jack Dann
• Everything Is Fine, Grant Stone

  Best Edited Work

Winner

• Dead of Night, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, ed.

  Nominees

• Dreaming in the Dark, Jack Dann, ed.
• At the Edg'e, Dan Rabarts & Lee Murray, eds.

  Best Novel

Winner

• The Grief Hole, Kaaron Warren

  Nominees

• Hollow House, Greg Chapman
• The Devil’s Prayer, Luke Gracias
• Presumed Dead, Rick Kennett
• The Invasion, Brett McBean
• Into the Mist, Lee Murray
• Unbidden, TJ Park
• Devil Dragon, Deborah Sheldon

  Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction

Winner

• "Tipuna Tapu", Dan Rabarts

  Nominees

• "Box Of Bones", Jeremy Bates
• "Served Cold", Alan Baxter
• "The Eschatologist", Greg Chapman
• "The Heart of the Mission", Matthew R Davis
• "Burnt Sugar", Kirstyn McDermott

  2017

The Rocky Wood Award for Non-Fiction and Criticism

Winner

• The Body Horror Book, Claire Fitzpatrick

  Nominees

• "101 Weird Writers #46 – Ryūnosuke Akutagawa", Kat Clay
• Literary Serial Killer Fiction: The Evolution of a Genre, William Cook
• It Follows is the Millennial STD Parable of Our Time, Maria Lewis
• "A Shared Ambition: Horror Writers in Horror Fiction", Kyla Lee Ward

  Best Written Work in a Comic/Graphic Novel

Best Edited Work

Winner

• Cthulhu Deep Down Under Volume 1, Steve Proposch, Christopher Sequeira & Bryce Stevens

  Nominees

• Midnight Echo #12, Shane Jiraiya Cummings & Anthony P Ferguson
• Below the Stairs – Tales from the Cellar, Steven Dillon

  Best Collected Work

Winner

• Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories, Deborah Sheldon

  Nominees

• Singing My Sister Down and Other Stories, Margo Lanagan

  Best Short Fiction

Winner

• "The Banksia Boys", Matthew J Morrison

  Nominees

• "Outside a Drifter'', Lisa L. Hannett
• "The Hand Walker", Rue Karney
• "The Circle Line", Martin Livings
• "The Little Mermaid", in Passing, Angela Slatter
• "The Big Reveal", David Stevens

  The Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction

Winner

• "Ismail’s Expulsion", Brian Craddock

  Nominees

• "Hope and Walker", Andrew Cull
• "This Impossible Gift", Matthew R Davis
• "No Good Deed", Angela Slatter
• "Furtherest", Kaaron Warren
• "Eden in the End", Ashlee Scheuerman

  Best Novel

Winner

• Corpselight, Angela Slatter

  Nominees

• Aletheia, J.S. Breukelaar
• Slithers, W.W. Mortensen
• Soon, Lois Murphy
• Providence Place, Matthew Tait

  2018

Best Poetry

Winner

• "Revenants of the Antipodes", Kyla Lee Ward

  Nominees

• "Polarity", Jay Caselberg
• "The Middle of the Night", Rebecca Fraser
• "Your Mortician Knows", Bee Nielsen
• "Matinee", Hester J. Rook

  Best Written Work in a Comic/Graphic Novel

Winner

• The Demon: Hell is Earth, Andrew Constant, Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy & Chris Sotomayor

  Best Edited Work

Winner

• Hellhole: An Anthology of Subterranean Horror, Lee Murray, ed.

  Nominees

• Behind the Mask, Steve Dillon, ed.
• Cthulhu: Land of the Long White Cloud and Cthulhu Deep Down Under, Volume 2, Steve Proposch, Christopher Sequeira & Bryce Stevens, eds.

  Best Collected Work

Winner

• Shadows on the Wall, Steven Paulsen

  Nominees

• Singing My Sister Down and Other Stories, Margo Lanagan
• Bones, Andrew Cull
• The Dalziel Files, Brian Craddock
• Exploring Dark Fiction #2: A Primer to Kaaron Warren, Eric J. Guignard, ed.
• Beneath the Ferny Tree, David Schembri

  Best Short Fiction

Winner

• "Riptide", Dan Rabarts

  Nominees

• "The House of Jack’s Girls", Lee Battersby
• "The Ward of Tindalos", Debbie Cowens & Matt Cowens
• "Planned and Expected", Piper Mejia
• "Slither", Jason Nahrung

  The Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction

Winner

• "The Black Sea", Chris Mason

  Nominees

• "Time and Tide", Robert Hood
• "Thylacines", Deborah Sheldon
• "Love Thee Better", Kaaron Warren

  Best Novel

Winner

• Tide of Stone, Kaaron Warren

  Nominees

• Devouring Dark, Alan Baxter
• Teeth of the Wolf, Dan Rabarts & Lee Murray
• Contrition, Deborah Sheldon