The Aurealis Awards have been going since 1995, when they were founded by Chimera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine. Their purpose is to recognize Australian SFF and horror. I wanted to put a spotlight on the finalists this year because, particularly in the U.S., we don’t get to hear a lot about the SFF scene in Australia. So here are the finalists for best science fiction and best fantasy novel! Congratulations to all! (Since I’m reporting the award short list in its entirety, please note that the authors aren’t quite as diverse as we normally try to get.) Unfortunately, The Mother Fault may be difficult to find in the U.S. If you want to try another of Kate’s books, you can get Skylarking, though! Sadly, this book is not currently available in the U.S., but if you want to check out another of Dirk’s books, try Zenith.