Speculating Canada: Canadian Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy

March 10, 2013

Upcoming Interview with Corey Redekop on Thursday, March 14

Even though I research the use of monstrous protagonists in Canadian SF to express ideas of the outsider and socially oppressed groups, for some reason I haven’t done much work on the figure of the zombie…. largely because they just creep me out too much. I had been hearing so many amazing things about this book Husk by Canadian SF...

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March 9, 2013

Quote – Iridescent Love

“I wanted a place that was iridescent, that lit without burning. Being in love is sort of like that, when it’s real. When it’s true.” -Leah Bobet – Above (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2012)

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March 8, 2013

Interview with Scott Fotheringham

An Interview with Scott Fotheringham By Derek Newman-Stille This was a great interview to follow up with our interview of Julie Czerneda since Scott Fotheringham also has a background in biology and has experienced both the worlds of science and Canadian fiction authorship. I have been pondering the relationship between speculative fiction writing and science for some time, and have...

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March 7, 2013

Magic, Mazes, and Math

A Review of Ari Goelman’s The Path of Names (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013) By Derek Newman-Stille Despite wanting to go to math camp and magic camp, Dahlia is convinced by her parents to attend Jewish camp. It comes complete with everything she would expect – sports, crafts, outdoor activities, friends, Hebrew lessons, and mean girls… and a few things...

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March 6, 2013

Quote – Don’t Voice Ideas If Don’t Want Them Realized

“Don’t voice your ideas if you don’t want them realized.” -Scott Fotheringham – The Rest is Silence (Goose Lane Editions, 2012)

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March 5, 2013

Upcoming Interview with Scott Fotheringham on Friday March 8

This is a great interview to follow the interview with Julie Czerneda. Join Speculating Canada on Friday March 8 to hear another scientist who has turned to fiction writing discuss their ideas, thoughts, and inspirations. Scott Fotheringham is a former molecular biologist who is currently a fiction author. Although he does not identify as an author of SF, much of...

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March 4, 2013

“Plain Kate” Reading Questions

Some Book Club Discussion Questions for Erin Bow’s “Plain Kate” When Plain Kate was first with the Roamers, she had to quickly learn their ways. What did you find unique or interesting about their ways? The characters in this book often blame witches for their misfortune. How does this relate to our world – who do people blame for misfortune?...

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March 3, 2013

Rejected by Magic

A Review of Erin Bow’s Plain Kate (Scholastic Inc., 2012) By Derek Newman-Stille In a world where magic is real and witches are hunted, Erin Bow’s Plain Kate explores society’s trend of scapegoating people who are different, making villains out of people who don’t fit the ideas of normal behaviour. Plain Kate is a woman whose appearance is plain, but...

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March 2, 2013

Quote – The Storytelling Ritual

It was part of the storytelling ritual; the hints, the reticence, and then the reluctant recitation. Whatever wild tale he would spin would at least be entertaining and perhaps there might even be enough truth in it that it would give him some clues to the world he was entering.” -Nancy Baker –  A Terrible Beauty (Penguin Books, 1996)

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March 1, 2013

Speculating Canada on Air on Trent Radio for Geek Day

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