Tag: community

October 9, 2013

Quote – Need Collective Stories

“People are losing touch with themselves and with each other. They need stories because they really are the only thing that brings us together. Gossip, anecdotes, jokes, stories – these are the things that we used to exchange with each other. It kept the lines of communication open, let us touch each other on a regular basis.”             -Charles de...

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May 28, 2013

Quote – Art About Opening Lines of Communication and Resisting Uncritical Media

‘That’s what art’s all about too… they’re all lines of communication. But they’re harder to keep open now because it’s so much easier for most people to relate to a TV set than it is to another person. They get all this data fed into them, but they don’t know what to do with it anymore. When they talk to...

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April 27, 2013

Spec Can made the short list for a Prix Aurora Award

Dear Readers, I have exciting news – Speculating Canada has made the short list for the Prix Aurora Awards. I am excited to see that Speculating Canada has made such an impact and that people are excited about the unique way that Spec Can explores Canadian SF. I want to thank everyone who has participated in various ways in shaping...

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March 20, 2013

Interview with Leah Bobet

An interview with Leah Bobet by Derek Newman-Stille I was fortunate enough to meet Leah Bobet at CAN CON: The Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature in Ottawa this past year. We had a brief chat about SF and inclusivity, and I got back in touch with her again after reading her novel Above, which I was...

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March 15, 2013

Upcoming interview with Leah Bobet on Wednesday March 20th

I met Leah Bobet at CAN CON: The Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature in Ottawa this past year. After chatting with her about her work, I wanted to share some of her insights with readers. You will have a chance to hear from her about her involvement in politics, studies of intersectionality, advocacy, supporting local food...

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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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February 21, 2013

Empowering the Freak

A Review of Leah Bobet’s Above (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2012) By Derek Newman-Stille Leah Bobet’s novel Above focusses on a group of people who have taken up residence in the sewers. Chased from society above the ground and called “Freak”, “Monster”, “Sick”, and “Cursed”, they retreated beneath the city to create their own society, free of discrimination. Their most...

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February 3, 2013

Oracular Warnings

A Review of Joseph Macchiusi’s The Betelgeuse Oracle (2009) By Derek Newman-Stille Joseph Macchiusi’s The Betelgeuse Oracle straddles the line between science fiction and fantasy, presenting an apocalyptic present that is partially scientific and partially supernatural, challenging the firm boundaries that are often placed between them. Macchiusi’s protagonist, James, is a security guard at York University who has always had...

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January 28, 2013

Dragonville

A review of Charles de Lint’s The Painted Boy (Viking, 2010) By Derek Newman-Stille Charles de Lint often takes his readers into the hidden parts of the world and brings attention to the things that people ignore in the world around them, whether that be the fantastic side of the world and the potential for a magical viewpoint or attention...

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January 3, 2013

Avatars of Reality

A review of Ven Begamudre’s Vishnu Dreams (Gaspereau Press, 2008) By Derek Newman-Stille The Hindu god Vishnu sleeps and dreams the lives of mortals in Ven Begamudre’s Vishnu Dreams, allowing for the intersection of Hindu cosmology and the physical reality of everyday existence. Tales of the Hindu gods are interspersed amongst a seemingly magic-less narrative. Stories and sacred tales become...

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