Category Guidelines
If you’re unsure whether your piece is eligible for one of our genre-related awards (available for Novels, Novellas, and Short Stories), please refer to the following definitions when making your final decisions, and contact us if you are still unsure.
These guidelines are not intended to be proscriptive on the nature of genre in these categories. Rather, they are offered as an outline to determine eligibility within the context of the Aurealis Awards
Science Fiction
Best Novel: Over 40,000 words | Best Novella: 7,500–40,000 words | Best Short Story: 7,499 wordsA work in the Science Fiction category often contains elements based on imagined future scientific or technological advances, or major social or environmental changes, and may portray space or time travel or life on other planets. Science Fiction may include content such as futuristic settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, faster than light travel, parallel universes and extraterrestrial life, and its imaginary elements are largely plausible within the scientifically established context of the story. The genre often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other innovations, and has been called a literature of ideas and change.
Horror
Fantasy
Best Novel: Over 40,000 words | Best Novella: 7,500–40,000 words | Best Short Story: 7,499 wordsA work in the Horror category should be intended to disturb or inspire fear, dread or trepidation in the reader. The genre may include psychological suspense, occult fiction, dark fiction, and paranormal fiction. A work need not contain supernatural elements to be considered horror.
Young Adult
Best Novel: Over 40,000 words | Best Novella: 7,500–40,000 words | Best Short Story: 7,499 wordsIn this category, the genre guidelines should be considered in conjunction with the age range of Young Adult. For the purposes of the Aurealis Awards, young adult can best be described as ‘teen fiction’, broadly 12-18 years.
Best Novel: Over 40,000 words | Best Novella: 7,500–40,000 words | Best Short Story: 7,499 wordsA work in the Fantasy category usually incorporates imaginative and fantastic themes. These themes may involve magic or supernatural phenomena as a primary plot element. Events in these works frequently occur outside the ordinary laws that operate within the universe, whether in the acknowledged real world or in a wholly created one. A work of Fantasy often includes the activity of imagining impossible or improbable things.