Tag: fantasy

November 17, 2023

An Interview with Jen Desmarais

In this episode of Speculating Canada, I interview Jen Desmarais. Jen is the author of Crushing It, co-author of Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers, a crafter, and ghost writer. We discuss Queer writing, the interrelationship between craft-making and writing, writing with a community, and writing with a partner. Jen Desmarais is the creator of the sex education game Blush and co-author of...

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October 28, 2020

Living Through Fairy Tales

A review of Nathan Frechette’s “Cinderfella” in Whispers Between Fairies (Renaissance, 2020) Nathan Frechette’s “Cinderfella” is a biotext, a story of Frechette’s own body and transition told through fairy tales. Frechette explores the way that fairy tales have shaped his life, from providing a world away from a harsh outside world when he was young to providing a text of...

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June 21, 2020

On The MacGuffin and Exponential Growth Economies

By Derek Newman-Stille For folks who are unfamiliar with the term, a “MacGuffin” is an object, a device, an event, or a character used in fiction as a plot device to advance the story that is unfolding. We see MacGuffins regularly in speculative fiction, whether it be the Infinity Gauntlet, the Death Star, the One Ring, or the Ark of...

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May 11, 2020

Second Speculating Canada Writing Workshop: Writing Fairy Tales

Sign up  for the  second of Speculating Canada’s writing workshop series taught by Trent University instructor Derek Newman-Stille, MA, PhD ABD. Our workshop series allows us connect and write together and maybe to collapse some of the social distance by coming together online as a community. This workshop is free. Date: Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 PM EST Location: Online on...

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May 2, 2020

Authors in Quarantine – Karen Dudley

With this this series, I am hoping to capture how this cultural moment is affecting our speculative fiction authors and how our authors are surviving during the COVID-19 outbreak Spec Can: What have you been up to during the COVID-19 outbreak? Karen Dudley: The pandemic really hit at terrible time for me. My dad is quite unwell and I am...

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April 4, 2020

Interview with Marie Bilodeau and Kerri Elizabeth Gerow about Wishstamp

By Derek Newman-Stille Spec Can: What inspired you to begin Wishstamp? KEG: It was all her idea. MB: I stayed up too late one night and drafted a business plan for no reason except it sounded like fun! KEG: And then she realized she needed an artist. MB: She’s easy to win over with chocolate. Spec Can: Okay, wait, can...

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October 24, 2019

No More Magical Cures

No More Magical Cures A Review of Jamieson Wolf’s “The Descent” in Nothing Without Us edited by Cait Gordon and Talia C. Johnson (Renaissance Press, 2019) By Derek Newman-Stille Jamieson Wolf’s “The Descent” explores a trope of disability that is often apparent in fantasy literature – the Magical Cure. Frequently, this trope is used because abled authors can’t imagine the...

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June 24, 2019

A Fantasy Trans Memoir

A Fantasy Trans Memoir A review of Kai Cheng Thom’s Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir (Metonymy Press, 2016). By Derek Newman-Stille Kai Cheng Thom decided to include the word “Memoir” in the title of her book Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir, yet she also cleverly weaves fantasy elements...

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June 25, 2018

Mute Power

Mute Power A review of Savannah Houston-McIntyre and Andrew Hewitt’s Amya Vol 1 (2014) By Derek Newman-Stille Amya Vol 1 is a fantasy tale of mystery and suspense, filled with secrets and magic. It is about two kingdoms on the brink of war and the possibility of the return of a divinity who may be able to save everything. This...

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May 18, 2018

Who Said Unicorns Were Majestic?

Who Said Unicorns Were Majestic? A review of Katie Shanahan and Steven Shanahan’s Silly Kingdom: A New Steed Indeed (www.sillykingdom.com , 2105) People frequently portray unicorns as majestic, gentle, caring creatures… but not the Shanahans. In their comic Silly Kingdom: A New Steed Indeed, The Prince becomes obsessed with the fact that a neighbouring prince, Peatrid, manages to have a...

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