Look, I know it’s easy to be cynical about the Ditmars, and for that matter local awards like the Chronos and the Tin Ducks. Fuck all people nominate for them, even less actually vote and so the results always feel at best open to calls that the process is corrupt or at worst meaningless.

The thing is that awards like the Ditmars are only partly about the ballot or the winners. What they’re also about is the health of the fan community. They’re an indication that the community actually gives a shit about the state of genre in the country.

When I look at the quality of Australian writers (especially in short fiction) and publishers and editors and critics / bloggers I can only feel proud. On the world stage, the quality of our work is not an embarrassment. Rather, Aussies continue to feature frequently on international award ballots. But while we might put up a strong front outside of Australia, at home we’re a bit of a joke.

Ben Peek’s post here is not only hilarious it’s also true. The Ditmars is a long winded gag with a shitty punch line. And it will remain that way while the community sit there and yawn while a handful of people – most of them the writers and publishers who’ll feature on the ballot – nominate.

Fuck that. It’s time that this community took these awards seriously. Otherwise, let’s just be done with it and disband them. It’ll be less embarrassing.

Now that I’ve got you all inspired to nominate, head here to do so.

A list of possible nominees can be found here.

And by the way, the Best Fan Production this year was not a podcast, or a blog or a panel or a fanzine. But it was this piece of genius by Robin Pen about last years Ditmar wank. Not only is The Ballad of the Unrequited Ditmar piss-funny it also sums up the shitty state of the Ditmars. As goods as it is, let’s hope Robin doesn’t need to produce another Ballad this year.