David McDonald's Blog

Over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, spec fic fans gathered for Continuum 13: Triskaidekaphilia. Continuum is always a great convention, and this year it was also the Aussie Natcon so it was also the host of the annual Ditmar Awards (the Australian popular vote awards for spec fic).

It was a great list of nominees, who all would have been deserving winners…the only problem being that not everyone can win! I was very happy to see a number of friends pick up an award, and especially thrilled that...

Back in 2015, I was lucky enough to be part of an amazing collaborative event put together by the talented Dr. Laura E. Goodin. The Cabinet of Oddities, a show piece of original compositions for flute inspired by short stories from a group of Australian Spec Fic writers, was first performed at Conflux X. Since then, it has also appeared at the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

My story, Guardians of Her Galaxy, was used as the inspiration for a composition by Gary Butler, and performed by flautist A...

The 2017 Ditmar Awards Ballot has been released, and I think it’s goimg to cause a lot of people some real problems in deciding who gets their vote–talk about a strong list!

I’m delighted to see a number of my friends and mentors on the list and, as always, honoured to see my name mentioned alongside them. I was grateful to be included in some great projects last year, and it’s wonderful to see them recognised

I have shamelessly stolen the full ballot from the official site, and at the end yo...

In the mad scramble to get things done before my overseas trip, I forgot to do a roundup post for the Aussie Spec Fic Snapshot! There were a heap of amazing interviews (that you can find by following that link), and I was lucky enough interview some incredibly talented people. I’ve listed the people I interviewed below, but I would encourage you to check out the rest, too.

Oh, and if you get really bored, I was snapshotted, too–by the wonderful Tehani, our fearless leader.

Jane Rawson
Trudi C...

I have been so caught up with the Aussie Snapshot that I forgot how close Worldcon is! *freaks out a little*

I am delighted to have been invited to be on a few panels, and I have no doubt I will have a blast when not doing programming.

If you are at the con, and want to catch up, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. And, I am always happy to be approached at a convention, in fact I am far too shy to approach people so that works way better for me!

MY SCHEDULE:

Australian SF
Thursday 16:00 –...

The Aussie Spec Fic Snapshot has taken place fivetimes in the past 11 years. In 2005,Ben Peekspent a frantic week interviewing 43 people in the Australian spec fic scene, and since then, it’s grown every time, now taking a team of interviewers working together to accomplish.

From August 1 to August 14 2016, this year’s team of interviewers have their turn. Greg Chapman,Tsana Dolichva, Marisol Dunham,Nick Evans, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Stephanie Gunn, Ju Landéesse,David McDonald, Belle McQuattie...

To be honest, I am a little overwhelmed right now–andincredibly excited to announce that my new novel,Captain America: Sub Rosa, is now available on Amazon!

I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope that you enjoy reading it just as much!

To celebrate the release of Alan Baxter’s trilogy (the Alex Caine Series), I asked him a few questions about this funny old game called writing…

How does your background in martial arts affect your writing?

It’s taught me discipline and focus. I’m slowly making notes for a book on the subject, in fact, as the parallels are legion. But being good at anything requires dedication – that’s focus and discipline above all else.

Over the course of your writing career, you have experimented with nume...

If you’re in Melbourne this weekend, you should come and check out Continuum XII – Melbourne’s very own spec fic convention. From the website:

Continuumis an annual fan run speculative fiction and pop culture convention. From sci-fi to epic fantasy and everything in between, Continuum 12 will celebrate the theme “Stranger Than Fiction”. Continuum runs every year on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. In 2016 the convention will be held betweenJune 10-13.

Run by fans for fans, Continuum feature...

More information to follow…