CanadianContent discussion

Since we've just got a genre section I thought I'd start a thread for sci-fi and fantasy. I'm a lifelong reader of the genre and find that discussions of Canadian literature tend not to include sci-fi or fantasy, which is a shame since there's some excellent Canadian sci-fi and fantasy out there.

Some recommendations that I've read recently are:

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll which is a fantastically terrifying fantasy horror graphic novel.

Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de Castell is the first book in the Greatcoat's series and is a great fantasy read. Less high magic and dragons and more complicated internal country relations as the kingdom is falling apart.

Cold Hillside by Nancy Baker is an absolutely amazing book that turns the concept of the Fay on it's head and had me crying by the end.

A Prayer for Dead Kings and Other Tales by Scott Fitzgerald Gray is an excellent collection of fantasy short stories all set in the same world.

Glad to have this genre section.
Not sure how complete this site is but wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of... has a list of names some of whom I confess I was not aware were Canadian.

Mary Anne wrote: "Glad to have this genre section.
Not sure how complete this site is but wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of... has a list of names some of who..."

Thanks for this. I can't believe I forgot about Charles de Lint!

Some of my favourites (or people I keep meaning to read) off that list include: Charles de Lint, Margaret Atwood, Guy Gavriel Kay, William Gibson, and Nalo Hopkinson. I remember liking Kelley Armstrong when I was a teenager but can't remember much about the books.

I read The Dragon and the George many times as a kid. Didn't know/remember that Gordon R. Dickson was Canadian. If anyone has read it recently, does it lose its charm for an adult reader?

That's a great list. I only know 2 of those authors: Margaret Atwood and Guy Gavriel Kay.

I've enjoyed a couple of Kay's books:
The Fionavar Tapestry, which was some of Kay's early works. It starts out rather clunky but he really hones his skills through the trilogy and it just gets better.
Under Heaven, which is historical fiction. I don't remember any sci-fi elements, but it's been awhile.

I like some sci-fi and fantasy now and then but I don't think I've ever read any by Canadian authors so it's great to have some titles to try!

Petra wrote: "That's a great list. I only know 2 of those authors: Margaret Atwood and Guy Gavriel Kay.

I've enjoyed a couple of Kay's books:
The Fionavar Tapestry, which was some of Kay's earl..."

I remember really enjoying Kay's Tigana when I read it years ago. It's also on the 100 books that make you proud to be Canadian list if you're looking to kill two birds with one stone.

a list of the Sunburst shortlist winners for 2015 and 2016 as well as the long list for 2016.
http://www.sunburstaward.org/
......
The Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic is a juried award which recognizes exceptional writing in three categories: adult, young adult and short story. The awards are presented each fall to the best Canadian speculative fiction novel, book-length collection, or short story published any time during the previous calendar year.
Named after the first novel by Phyllis Gotlieb (1926–2009), one of the first celebrated writers of contemporary Canadian science fiction, the award is a cash prize of $1,000 for each of the Adult and Young Adult categories, and of $500 for the short story category. All three awards are presented with the distinctive Sunburst medallion. The awards are presented in the fall of each year.

I had a quick look at the shortlist and I see Daydreams of Angels by Heather O'Neill is on it as Adult Fiction and not included in the Short Story section though that's what it is! Anyway, I've gone and borrowed the ebook from the library and I think i'm going to use that to replace the one i had in place on my Bingo square. I really wasn't keen on the one i read (Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro) and already, just finishing one of O'Neill's, I know i'm going to love this!

@Diane I think you mentioned in another post that you were interested in YA. There are some interesting speculative YA in the Sunburst YA long list .

Yes, i'm going to have a deeper look at it. :)

it appears my only comment here is not here, so I am putting it out again. it appears that as far as sci fi/fantasy goes, I am more interested in themes than nationalities:
alternative futures, satire,and other cultures are my main interests at the moment.
it will be fun to explore these lists.
@ Susan...how about a dedicated bingo square for next year??

Have a number of genres added but which missed this genre - but there is an apocolyptic/dystopia square, a poetry and a mystery square so trying to reach into new genres. There are also a couple that are a bit more open where this would fit - a book outside your comfort zone might work for some; or one of your favourites. I spent a fair bit of time trying to add some new squares and cover off things like Canada reads and organize it so it looks nice so am not too keen on revamping at this point. Will for sure add this as a square for 2018!! :)

http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/c...
Might be a good square. Most of these books will have been published by next year (or could pick from one of their other crazy for canlit years, also on that page.

@Diane - it is all done and the Giller Prize is definitely a square. :)

Kay definitely has some good ones. I loved Tigana and River of Stars/Under Heaven. Not a fan of the Fionavar Tapestry, though.

I also remember reading a great Novel by Cory Doctorow, but I can't figure out which one it was by looking at his list of books! lol

Robert J Sawyer is also Canadian, I believe. He has some great books, some I didn't really enjoy, but they're worth checking out for sure if you like Sci Fi.

Anyway, thanks all for the great suggestions, I'll have to check out some of those! :)

Looks like this thread may get a boost with the release of the Canada Reads 2017 long list, which includes a lot of Canadian sci-fi books, including:

Company Town
Quantum Night
Today I Learned It Was You
Sleeping Giants
The Just City

I don't have a great deal of experience with sci-fi. I didn't like Station Eleven much (maybe it's more dystopia), but a long time ago I did enjoy Time's Arrow and Contact.

I'm excited to get started with The Just City and Sleeping Giants, the first two sci-fi of the long list that I've picked up.

Just wanted to let you know that book 2 came out today for Binti. It was $2.99 on Amazon US website

Home

Once I finish this book I will have a Bingo. Yeah

The Canada Reads shortlist for 2017 includes 3 books which are of interest here:

http://www.cbc.ca/books/2017/01/meet-...

I think that's remarkable!

I was quite surprised. Sci/Fi/Fantasy doesn't often get a name check in awards and things like this. I've already started in on Nostalgia. Interesting premise.

I unfortunately had to give up of Nostalgia. Not sure if it was the book itself or because I was reading an ebook version. I'll give it another go when I can get my hands on a paper version.

From the short list I really enjoyed The Just City and Sleeping Giants. Both of them were excellent and unexpected reads for me.

I really liked Fifteen Dogs and hope it does well. Company Town was also an amazing read as was The Break. I am about to read The Right to be cold.

Agreed. Fifteen Dogs, from the shortlist is a fabulous read. Sleeping Giants, from the longlist was a refreshing surprise - a debut novel from a writer writing with all the assurance of someone writing his dozenth.

Now I have to read Nostalgia and Company Town.

Wondering if maybe this post belongs in "Promote your Book/Blog" section, although it isn't mine!

Here is a link to a course in utopian/dystopian literature that is produced and presented by my lifelong (Canadian) family friend, Pamela Bedore, who is now a prof at U Connecticut. I've heard through the small-town grapevine that she's had a surge in interest since the US election!

http://www.thegreatcourses.com/course...

(So fascinating to see where people end up as adults! She had a really neat upbringing, totally bilingual with a hardcore francophone mother and anglo father, living on a simple farm, quite hippy/organic long before it was cool, she and her sister both incredibly intelligent, lovely, positive and curious people.)

The Great Courses are wonderful, and her course looks intriguing. Thanks for the pointer!

Read the Canadian All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai; it was released on the 7th. A brilliant book and a refreshing take on time travel. An award contender if there is any justice.

Also read Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough (not Canadian) and "reviewed' it.

Both are superlative works.

@Allison, thanks for the list of sci fi from the Canada Reads long list. Those are some great suggestions to try.

I didn't realize Jo Walton was Canadian, and had forgotten how much I loved 'Among Others'. I've put a hold on 'The Just City' and several other of her books, I'm looking forward to reading them.

I really liked her stuff for kids but this was very adult - more sci fi with what feels like fantasy at times
Anne McCaffrey Freedom Collection: Freedom's Landing, Freedom's Challenge, Freedom's Choice

This author published more recently but has good urban fantasy stuff with a strong female main character. The author has a science background and I got a kick out of magic being published in pubmed - awesome. There are some uses of her research expertise.
Kristi Charish
The Voodoo Killings
or her other series
Owl and the Japanese Circus

And really the titles are so much fun.

I am glad to hear about the list on Wikipedia, even though I don't find myself on it. I will be able to intentionally choose Canadian SF from many more authors.

The Sunburst Award announced their 2018 Shortlists today.

Dunno about anyone else but I think it's one helluva list!

http://www.sunburstaward.org/2018-sho...