What’s that, you say?

The Aurora Awards are awarded annually to the best in Canadian science fiction and fantasy. Past winners include authors such as Robert J. Sawyer, Peter Watts and William Gibson. But what sets the Auroras apart from other awards is that all Canadians citizens and residents can nominate and vote for up to three works in a number of categories. That’s right – YOU get to choose.

Lots of great fiction gets written in Canada every year, but I’d like to give you five reasons why you should vote for The Old Boys Club before April 15, 2013:


1.You can read my story for free!

All of the fiction on AE Science Fiction’s website is readily accessible, under 3000 words, and covers a wide variety of genres. So, with one click you can transport yourself into a great story and back – all in under 30 minutes. Did I mention it’s free?

Here’s an outline of The Old Boys Club, to whet your appetite:

Jonathan Lichtmann, a boy in danger of falling in with the wrong crowd, is admitted to an old-name boarding school as a “promising young man”. However, as the year progresses it becomes clear that certain aspects of life at the school are not what they seem, and Jonathan’s mother sees a number of disturbing changes in her son. Is this simply a case of a young boy becoming a man, or is Jonathan changing into something more?


2. The Old Boys Club is a fast-paced, spooky read.

There’s no blood-and-guts violence. Bat-winged terrors cavorting in fog-enshrouded cemeteries are conspicuously absent. As author James Bambury wrote:

“The Old Boys Club” by Geoff Gander is an interesting take on an epistolary story told through email and letters. It’s also a good example of how to cue the reader’s imagination through sparse details and providing only one side of the correspondence. A quick and engaging read.


3. By voting for my story, you will be supporting a great magazine.

AE is a great online magazine that is paying pro rates, that focuses on growing Canadian talent. That’s pretty hard to find. Every time one of their stories gets nominated for (or better yet, wins) an award, that’s another feather in their cap. We want more magazines like AE, and this sort of prominence will help make that happen.


4. You will have a voice in selecting the best of Canadian science fiction and fantasy in 2012.

Once you pay your $10 fee to the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (registration is fast and you won’t be spammed), you will be able to nominate up to three works in categories that include novels, novellas, short stories, artists, magazines, graphic novels, and more! $10 is a small price to pay for the power to help decide which authors and artists get the nod.


5. You would be helping an up-and-coming writer get more established.

I won’t lie here – I’m trying to break into the huge and scary world of being a published author. It’s a long and very bumpy road, and more often than I care to admit my morale takes a pounding, but it’s worth it, in the end. Getting nominated for an Aurora Award will give me the energy to dig even deeper, and produce ever better prose.


Nominations close on April 15, 2013. I hope I can count on your vote!