Rick Kennett'

(born 1956) is an Australian writer of science fiction, horror and ghost stories. He is the most prolific and widely published genre author in Australia after Paul Collins (fantasy writer), Paul Collins,

Terry Dowling Terence William (Terry) Dowling (born 21 March 1947), is an Australian writer and journalist. He writes primarily speculative fiction though he considers himself an "imagier" – one who imagines, a term which liberates his writing from the cons ...

and

Greg Egan Greg Egan (born 20 August 1961) is an Australian science fiction writer and amateur mathematician, best known for his works of hard science fiction. Egan has won multiple awards including the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Hugo Award, an ...

, with stories in a wide variety of magazines and anthologies in Australia, the US and the UK. His first published short story was "Troublesome Green" (1979). A number of his stories have been printed multiple times due to his habit of resubmission - for instance, "Isle of the Dancing Dead" and "The Battle of Leila the Dog". A number of his ghost stories feature the recurring character Ernie Pine, known as "the reluctant ghost-hunter". An excerpt of an intended novel featuring Pine, ''Abracadabra'', appeared in ''Bloodsongs'' 2 (1994). Retitled ''The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea'', the novel was published by Cooperative Press in 2013. Another continuing character in his work is the Lesbian "trained killer for the state" Cy De Gerch, the heroine of his novel ''Presumed Dead'' and the collection ''Thirty Minutes for New Hell.'' Some of Kennett's work is science fiction, but some of his science fiction stories feature ghosts, thus his work crosses genre boundaries that are often kept separate. Kennett was an early contributor to

The Australian Horror and Fantasy Magazine ''The Australian Horror and Fantasy Magazine'' (1984–86) was edited by (Michael) Barry Radburn and Stephen Studach. The first Australian semi-professional publication devoted to the weird and the macabre, it was published by Radburn's imprint D ...

and also had stories published in its successor

Terror Australis ''Terror Australis: the Australian Horror and Fantasy Magazine'' (1988–1992) was Australia's first mass market horror magazine. It succeeded the '' Australian Horror and Fantasy Magazine'' (1984–87) edited by Barry Radburn (who has gone o ...

and the anthology Terror Australis: Best Australian Horror. Several stories by Kennett including "Out of the Storm", his story from the ''Terror Australis'' anthology, have been produced as audio productions at The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine

He has collaborated on occasion with other Australian writers of horror, for instance Barry Radburn, Paul Collins (fantasy writer), Paul Collins and

Bryce J. Stevens Bryce John Stevens (born 1957) is a horror writer, illustrator and editor. He grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand and moved to Sydney in the mid-1980s. From childhood he was fascinated with the supernatural and terrifying consequences of even ...

. The ''St James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers'' points out that Kennett is "really the one Australian writer to have produced a substantial body of work in the ghost-story field" - while

Rob Hood Robert Maxwell Hood (born 24 July 1951) is an Australian writer and editor recognised as one of Australia's leading horror writers, although his work frequently crosses genre boundaries into science fiction, fantasy and crime. He has publishe ...

and

have also produced significant quantities of ghost stories, Kennett's concentration on the genre makes him the leading specialist in Australia. Reggie Oliver, reviewing ''472 Cheyne Walk: Carnacki, the Untold Stories'', has called Kennett "prodigally inventive" and Peter Worthy of ''Black Book'' webzine has called the book "a dazzling continuation of William Hope Hodgson's ''Carnacki the Ghost-Finder''" Kennett works as possibly the longest-serving motorbike courier in Australia.

Bibliography

Novels

* ''The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea'' (Cooperative Ink, 2013) (Ernie Pine series) * ''In Quinn's Paddock'' (Cooperative Ink, 2016) * ''Presumed Dead'' (Cooperative Ink, 2016)

Collections

*''The Reluctant Ghost-Hunter'' (UK: Ghost Story Society, 1991) *''No. 472 Cheyne Walk'' (UK: Ghost Story Society, 1992) (with A. F. 'Chico' Kidd)Chapbook *''Thirteen: Ghost Stories'' (Jacobyte Books, 2001) *''472 Cheyne Walk: Carnacki, the Untold Stories'' (with A.F. 'Chico' Kidd) (Ash-Tree Press, 2002) * ''The Dark and What It Said'' (Cooperative Ink, 2016) * ''Thirty Minutes for New Hell'' (Cooperative Ink, 2016)

Short fiction

*"In Quinn's Paddock" (2003) in '' Southern Blood: New Australian Tales of the Supernatural'' (ed.

Bill Congreve Bill Congreve is an Australian writer, editor and reviewer of speculative fiction. He has also published the work of Australian science fiction and horror writers under his MirrorDanse imprint. Biography Congreve's first work was published in 1 ...

) *"The Dark and What It Said" (2007) in ''

Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine ''Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine'' or ''ASIM'' is a fantasy and science fiction magazine published out of Canberra, ACT, Australia. The publishers of ''ASIM'' describe it as "Australia's Pulpiest SF Magazine". The magazine is currentl ...

'' #28 (ed.

Zara Baxter Zara may refer to: Businesses * Zara (retailer), a fashion retail company based in Spain * Zara Investment Holding, a Jordanian holding company * Continental Hotel Zara, Budapest, Hungary Music * ''ZaRa'', an EP by Merzbow * "Zara", a 2011 s ...

)

Awards

Wins

* ''EOD magazine'' Best Short Story Award (for "Dead Air"), 1992. * 2008 Ditmar Award: Short Fiction: "The Dark and What it Said" * 2013 Parsec (podcast award) large cast, short form "The Road to Utopia Plain" * 2013 Parsec (podcast award) single reader, short form "Now Cydonia"

Nominations

*2008

Ditmar Award The Ditmar Award (formally the Australian SF ("Ditmar") Award; formerly the "Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award") has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention (the "Natcon") to recognise a ...

, Short story: "The Dark and What It Said" *2008

Aurealis Award The Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award. History The Aurealis Award was established in 1995 by ...

, Horror short story: "The Dark and What It Said" *2002 Ditmar Award: Short fiction: "Whispers" (with Paul Collins) Note: Story appeared in Collins' collection ''Stalking Midnight''(Cosmos Books). *2002 Aurealis Award: Horror short story: "Whispers" (with Paul Collins) *1998 Ditmar Award: Short fiction: "The Willcroft Inheritance" (with Paul Collins) *1993 Ditmar Award: Short fiction: "The Seas of Castle Hill Road"

References

* Mike Ashley & William G. Contento. ''The Supernatural Index: A Listing of Fantasy, Supernatural, Occult, Weird and Horror Anthologies''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995, pp. 332–33.
Aurealis Awards winners archive
Retrieved 17-2-2008. *

Leigh Blackmore Leigh (David) Blackmore (born 1959) is an Australian horror writer, critic, editor, occultist, musician and proponent of post-left anarchy. He was the Australian representative for the Horror Writers of America (1994–95) and served as the se ...

. "Rick Kennett" in S.T. Joshi and Stefan Dziemianowicz (eds). ''Supernatural Literature of the World: An Encyclopedia''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2005, pp. 653–4. *

Russell Blackford Russell Blackford (born 1954) is an Australian writer, philosopher, and literary critic. Early life and education Blackford was born in Sydney, and grew up in the city of Lake Macquarie, near Newcastle, New South Wales. After graduating with ...

;

Van Ikin Van Ikin (born 25 November 1951) is an academic and science fiction writer and editor. A professor in English at the University of Western Australia, he retired from teaching in 2015 and is now a senior honorary research fellow. He has acted as ...

and

Sean McMullen Sean Christopher McMullen (born 21 December 1948 in Sale, Victoria) is an Australian science fiction and fantasy author. Biography McMullen is one of Australia's leading science-fiction and fantasy authors and has written over 70 stories and 1 ...

. ''Strange Constellations: A History of Australian Science Fiction''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999, p. 126. * Paul Collins (fantasy writer), Paul Collins (ed). ''The MUP Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy''. Melbourne, Vic: Melbourne University press, 1998, pp. 103–04. *

. "From Troublesome Green to Ernie Pine: An Interview with Rick Kennett". ''Science Fiction'', 40 (1997):36-44.
Inkspillers Ditmar Awards archive.
Retrieved 17-2-2008. *

Steven Paulsen Steven Paulsen (born 1955) is an Australian writer of science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction whose work has been published in books, magazines, journals and newspapers around the world. He is the author of the best selling children's book, ...

and

"Rick Kennett" in

David Pringle David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic. Pringle served as the editor of ''Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective whic ...

(ed). ''The St James Guide to Horror, Ghosts and Gothic Writers''. Detroit, MI; St James Press, 1998.

External links

* * Various audio adaptations of stories by Kennett are available for download

* "Out of the Storm" story originally published in Terror Australis: Best Australian Horror Audio production available a

* ''Time in a Rice Bowl" (Ernie Pine story) Audio production available a

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennett, Rick 1956 births Living people Australian horror writers Australian science fiction writers