Australian science fiction

Australian science fiction grew in 1960s and became a notable field around 1980s. Many Australian sci-fi writers are writing for the international market.

David G. Hartwell noted that while there is perhaps "nothing essentially Australian about Australian science-fiction", many Australian science-fiction (and fantasy and horror) writers are in fact international English language writers, and their work is commonly published worldwide. This is further explainable by the fact that Australian inner market is small (with Australian population being around 21 million), and sales abroad are crucial to most Australian writers.

History

Early (pre-Second World War) Australian sf was often what today one could consider racist and xenophobic, fueled by contemporary worries about invasion and foreigners. But by the 1950s Australian sf, just as that in the United States and pretty much anywhere else, became influenced by the issues of technological progress and globalization. Australian science-fiction became a notable field of world's science-fiction literature around 1960s. In 1966 "Australian Science-Fiction Review" was first published; in 1969 it was joined by "SF Commentary" and the Ditmar Awards, given to the best sf in the world and Australia, were established. The first Australian World Science Fiction Convention (Aussiecon) was held in 1975 in Melbourne; that year also Paul Collins begun publishing the science fiction magazine "Void". The number of authors and publications grew, particularly with the field of short fiction becoming established by mid 1980s, with the first professional Australian sf magazine being published that decade ("Omega Science Digest"); in the 1990's it was joined by "Aurealis: The Australian Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" and "The Journal of Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy".

Critical contributions

Donald H. Tuck, an amateur scholar from Tasmania, wrote the first major encyclopedia of science fiction, "The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy", in three parts (1974, 1978, 1983), receiving the 1984 Hugo Award for his contribution. [http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=35 1984 Hugo Awards] ] Another Australian, Peter Nicholls, was awarded a Hugo in 1980 [http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=39 1980 Hugo awards] ] and shared one in 1994 [http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=124 1994 Hugo Awards] ] (for a revised version) of a similar critical review of the world's sf, "The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction".

Writers

Notable Australian science fiction and fantasy writers include:
*Damien Broderick
*Simon Brown
*Trudi Canavan
*Peter Carey
*Isobelle Carmody
*A. Bertram Chandler
*Paul Collins
*Cecilia Dart-Thornton
*Sara Douglass
*Terry Dowling
*Greg Egan
*Jennifer Fallon
*Rob Gerrand
*Lee Harding
*Traci Harding
*Ian Irvine
*Margo Lanagan
*Fiona McIntosh
*Sean McMullen
*Garth Nix
*Joel Shepherd
*Lucy Sussex
*George Turner
*Sean Williams

ee also

*Australian National Science Fiction Convention
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External links

* [http://www.ericlindsay.com/ozwriter/index.htm A list of SF bookshops, publishers, authors, writers and artists]
* [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~asff/ THE AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION FOUNDATION]
* [http://www.theage.com.au/news/Reviews/The-Best-Australian-Science-Fiction-writing/2005/02/11/1108061845066.html The Best Australian Science Fiction writing] - review of
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20020204085446/http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sfoz/ Australian Science Fiction Information] (archival version of the site, now offline)
* [http://aurealis.com.au/ Aurealis] , Australia’s major SF/fantasy magazine

References

* Damien Broderick, "Introduction", in David G. Hartwell, Damien Broderick (ed.), "Centaurus: The best of Australian science fiction", Tor Books, 1999m ISBN 0312865562, p.10.21 and David. G. Hartwell, "The other editor's introduction", ibid., p.22-25
* Russell Blackford, Van Ikin & Sean McMullen (eds). "Strange Constellations: A History of Australian Science Fiction". (Greenwood Press, 1999).
* Paul Collins (ed). "The MUP Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy". (Assistant Editors Steven Paulsen & Sean McMullen). Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1998.