Amongst the Best: Canadian Science Fiction

Amongst the Best: Canadian Science Fiction

by Stew Savard
eLibrarian,
Comox Valley 

Canadian Science Fiction writers are amongst the best in the world.  Teacher-librarians can bring a rich selection of exciting, interesting, and challenging Science Fiction material to their students and staff through the excellent works of a number of authors.   Homegrown talent, through the genre of Science Fiction, using Canadian settings and cultural perspectives, can help us to learn things about ourselves and our country.    

This article identifies 12 authors, or short-story collections, for TLs to consider as part of their collection development plans.  All of these authors have been nominated, in the last few years, for either one, or both, of the major Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy awards: the Auroras and the Sunbursts.  I hope to follow this article up with articles dealing with recommendations from nominated works for the major international awards (Hugo and Nebula) and other English language regional awards in the United Kingdom, Australia  and New Zealand (British Science Fiction Award, Aurealis and Ditmar, and Vogel respectively).

The audience for these suggestions includes both students and staff.  Why students?  A good Science Fiction collection can set up life-long interest in this multi-dimensional genre.  Science fiction can also be a way to make sense of, and give purpose to, some of the themes in Science that students are exposed to.  Science Fiction author and biologist Julie Czerneda (Czerneda 2006) suggests that "...science fiction stories...speculate from known concepts. The authors of these stories ask: “What if this happens?” “What if that continues or even stops?”...good science fiction stories...guide thought experiments through to possible consequence”.  A broad collection of quality Science Fiction material can engage students in ways that other genre might find difficult. 

School library collections should also attract teaching and support staff.  Staff, as they finish material from within this genre, can use what they read to promote the authors, themes, ideas and ideals found in Science Fiction.  Quality material helps to cement the image of reading being both an enjoyable and worthwhile endeavor. Students seeing adult role models may decide to explore Science fiction or non-fiction materials.  Staff, with access to quality material in their school libraries, can serve as the best champions for school libraries in general.

Authors and series

These five authors have written strong series.  Serried novels often bring readers back to the same authors and can establish life-long connections between readers and authors or readers and sub-sections within this genre.

Julie Czerneda – Species Imperative (three novels: Survival, Migration, Regeneration).  The Dhryn turn to BC salmon researcher, Mackenzie Winifred Conner, to save them from possible extinction, while the Interspecies Union itself tries to decide whether to eliminate the threat posed by the Dhryn by exterminating them.

James Alan Gardner – League of Peoples (seven novels: Expendable, Commitment Hour, Vigilant, Hunted, Ascending, Trapped, Radiant).  Festina Ramos and the Technocracy Explorer Corps are featured in all of these novels.  While not consistently marketed as a series, the shared settings and characters within Gardner’s writing will draw readers eager to continue the adventures he presents.

Karen Lowachee (three novels: Warchild, Burndive, Cagebird).  Interstellar pirates and slavers inhabit the space between the human race and the alien Strits.  Enslaved child victims become the next generation of soldier-pirates used by the worst elements of both sides.  The point-of-view of the main character shifts in each novel as they struggle with the damage done to them as child soldiers.

Carrie Mac – Triskelia Series (three novels: Droughtlanders, Retribution, Storm).  This futuristic series combines elements of science fiction and fantasy and deals with conflict between different groups of survivors in this dystopian story.

Lynda Williams  (Okal Reg Saga: Courtesan Prince, Righteous Anger, Pretenders, Throne Price – with Alison Sinclair).  The William’s saga blends bio-engineered humans with a neo-feudal society which may attract fantasy and historical fiction fans.  Ten books are planned in this universe.

Authors and themes

These authors are recommended because of the specific themes presented in some of their novels.  The recommendations are not serried works, but allow readers to pursue Czerneda’s “thought experiments rather than a common character set and plot”.

Robert Sawyer (Calculating God, Mindscan, and Rollback).  Sawyer has a number of other novels, such as his Hominids trilogy, but in these three volumes he uses the science fiction genre to explore possible scientific and medical ‘breakthroughs’ in order to examine some possible ethical issues.  These writings open up a number of interesting topics which may be used to promote discussion.  All three novels should be pre-read to determine school suitability.  Staff may welcome these reads.

Karl Schroeder (Permanence and Sun of Suns and Ventus and Lady of Mazes).  Set in the same universe these four novels look at the different relationships between technology and humans and routinely ask who is really in charge and how does one shape the other.

Authors through the style of their work 

These three authors rate consideration for the style of their work.  These are authors whom readers may turn to over and over again because of the style they bring to their writing rather than a desire to return to a specific setting or plot line.

Cory Doctorow – (Little Brother, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Over Clocked).  Doctorow has a mix of sometimes edgy novels and collections of short stories that frequently aim at the YA market.  He frequently uses near future elements within his stories.  His writing reminds me of William Gibson’s work.

Nalo Hopkinson (Brown Girl in the Ring, Midnight Robber).  Hopkinson brings her Caribbean roots to her writing.  She also explores life in rough urban settings.  She provides a needed cross-cultural element to this genre. 

Robert Charles Wilson (Blind Lake, Spin, Axis, Chronoliths).  Wilson’s novels routinely ask fascinating “what if” questions in terms of possible encounters with aliens.  While some of his books are not for the timid (because of their length), his multiple Canadian and International awards reinforce his standing amongst Canada’s best authors in any genre.

Short Stories/Anthologies

I’ve used short-story collections as a way to introduce new authors to students looking for material suitable for their SSR blocks.  Students sometimes find that these stories fit the time available and then come back for more material in the same sub-genre or by the same author.

Tesseracts  (Tesseracts 10, 11, 12).  This short story series has been publishing material from Canadian Science Fiction authors for a generation.  This should be considered as a series which can be used to introduce readers to the many Canadian authors whose works have never been nominated for an Aurora or Sunburst.  More info from: http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/tess11/t11-catalog-about.html

The Wonder Zone (Stardust, Explorer, Orbiter) presently edited by Julie Czerneda, these provide story collections aimed at younger readers new to this genre.  More info from: http://ca.geocities.com/wonderzone@rogers.com/

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Bibliography

Czerneda, J. E. (2006). “Science Fiction & Scientific Literacy” Science Teacher 73(2): 38-42.

Comments

[Lynda Williams]

Many thanks, Al Smith ... or is it Stew Savard, or both ... for including the Okal Rel Saga in your line up. I do have a growing number of young adult readers whose willingness to engage with the characters I love keeps me going on those gloomy nights when plots resist closure. I sometimes buy art from them for the ORU Legacies line, and those close to me give input and feedback on the love lives of the characters, in particular who have -- as my daughter says -- "issues".

[x-ray fluorescence]

Canadian science fiction emerged from a variety of isolated sources, including A. E. van Vogt, the fantasy works of John Buchan, the poetry of Phyllis Gotlieb, and a handful of other writers. Political upheavel in the United States brought such talents as Spider Robinson and Judith Merril...