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Festival of Words wrap-up
So, on Saturday I returned to Moose Jaw, this time with my lovely wife and daughter, for the final two days of the Festival of Words. My big event was at 4 p.m. in the Mae Wilson Theatre of the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre, a beautifully restored 430-s eatVaudeville-era theatre. There I conducted an on-stage interview with one of the headliners of the festival this year, best-selling author Jack Whyte (that's me and him and a representative of the sponsor at left). Whyte proved to be a natural raconteur and therefore easy to interview. I had a chance before hand to go over my line of questioning, and he ...Photos of the (yester)day
I don't usually feel the need to unburden myself of deep philosophical musings on politics, the meaning of life, or the place of humanity in the universe, but after deep soul-searching, I have come to the point where I simply must--oh, look, a squirrel! Sorry. As I was saying, I don't usually feel the need to unburden myself of deep philosophical musings on politics, the meaning of life, or the place of humanity in the universe, but after deep soul-searching, I have come to the point where I simply must--oh, look, Robert J. Sawyer! Where ...A recommendation from Robert J. Sawyer
Robert J. Sawyer, Canada's best-known science fiction writer, has written a series of blog posts discussing people and things he believes are deserving of nominations for the Aurora and Hugo Awards, which will be presented at the World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal this August. In the last of the series, he recommends work by his writing students...one of whom is me!It was in Rob's class in writing science fiction, part of the Writing With Style program at the Banff Centre, that Marseguro was born, on September morning in 2005.Besides Marseguro, he also recommends Tony Pi, one of his students at the University of Toronto in 2001, who has stories ...Robert J. Sawyer to be writer-in-residence at the Canadian Light Source
I'm tickled pink with the announcement that Robert J. Sawyer, a friend of mine and Canada's most acclaimed science fiction writer, will be writer-in-residence at the Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon this June and July.If you're an aspiring writer, book a time to talk to Rob. I twice took part in his classes on writing science fiction at the Banff Centre (part of the Writing With Style program) and he's an excellent teacher, critiquer and mentor. (And as I've recounted before, Marseguro was born from a writing exercise one morning in one of his classes, which is why Sawyer's Point is a prominent landmark in a key scene in that novel, and the name ...2008 World Fantasy Award Winners
Last day of the World Fantasy Convention! The awards banquet wrapped up just an hour or so ago, and so without further ado, here are the winners of this year's World Fantasy Awards (with pictures of the actual recipients who were present--not a very high percentage, I'm afraid). Winners, as you can probably guess, are in bold.Life AchievementLeo & Diane DillonPatricia McKillipNovel Ysabel - Guy Gavriel Kay [Viking Canada/Penguin Roc] Territory - Emma Bull [Tor]Fangland - John Marks [Penguin Press]Gospel of the Knife - Will Shetterly ...World Fantasy Convention, Day 2
I had a pretty slow day today since I didn't go to any panels (because the ones I was interested in coincided with other things). First thing I did this morning was take the obligatory Photo From My Hotel Room Window.Once I'd been out and had coffee and all that stuff (I had a nice chat with artist James Beveridge while I drank my second cup) I took a few turns through the dealer's room (and took a photo). It's quite different from the one at the World Science Fiction Convention: smaller, of course, since there are ...Willett of the Day: Marcia Willett, novelist
I'm not the only writing Willett, by any means. Allow me to introduce you to Marcia Willett (that's her at left, with her agent, Dinah Wiener, in Christ Church Meadows). From the Macmillan Books website:Born in Somerset, in the west country of England, on the day the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Marcia Willett was the youngest of five girls. Her family was unconventional and musical, but Marcia chose to train as a ballet dancer. Unfortunately her body did not develop with the classical proportions demanded by the Royal Ballet, so she studied to be a ballet teacher. Her first husband ...A grumpy response to the aforementioned melding of minds
Andrew Wheeler reacts grumpily to the Mind Meld at SF Signal that I'm part of this week (his title: King Canute Has a Posse), and has this to say about my small contribution:Edward Willet [sic--I really wish I had a dime for every time someone leaves the second "T" off my name] opines that the grass is much, much greener over there, and those darn literary kids keep stealing our ideas. He also thinks that the average mainstream novel sells better than the average SFF novel, which is not true.Well, I do think the grass is much, much greener over there when it comes to being taken seriously. I don't think, however--nor do I ...Mind-melded
SF Site has posted its latest Mind Meld, in which it asks various SF writers to weigh in with their answer to a particular question. I was one of those asked this time around; read my (and other's) responses to the question "If You Could Change Any Aspect of The Science Fiction Field, What Would it Be?" here.Denvention: Day 4 & 5
And so the whole thing winds down.Yesterday was my favorite day in a lot of ways, although the most important factor there was only peripherally connected to the convention: I spent two hours with my DAW editor, Sheila Gilbert, in the morning going over revisions for Terra Insegura. ("Does everyone get notes like these?" I asked plaintively. "Yes," she assured me.) As usual, everything she said made sense and I'll be tackling those revisions this fall--I've got a bit of time (with the book not coming out until May of next year) to get them done, which is great since I've got non-fiction deadlines keeping me hopping until the end of October (when I hope to see ...
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Magebane
“Spectacular” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Evil wizards, multi-level conspiracies, hidden kingdoms…Lee Arthur Chane…has done a marvelous job…Magebane is a very entertaining book and well worth the time.” – A.M. Donovan, Night Owl Reviews
I happily recommend Magebane and I’ll certainly give Chane’s next novel a try based on this one.” —Bill Capossere, Fantasy Literature
“…an original and delightful tale of epic fantasy and magic, steampunk science, adventure, tragedy, and love…” – Errant Dreams Reviews
Eight centuries ago, the world changed. A devastating war swept the lands, and the MageLords, who had long ruled by virtue of their spell powers, were driven to a distant place, separated from those they had ruled by a magical Barrier. With magic banished from the rest of the world, the MageLords became mere legend and people turned to science to improve their lives. But if one man has his way, all that is about to change….
Written as Lee Arthur Chane (the middle names of my older brothers, Jimmy Lee and Dwight Arthur, and myself, Edward Chane Willett).
Marseguro
Winner of the 2009 Prix Aurora Award for Best Long-Form Work in English
Water world Marseguro is home to the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from human DNA. When an unmodified human seeks revenge on a Selkie by activating a distress beacon taken from the remains of the original colony ship, a strikeforce is sent from Earth to eradicate the genetic abomination. Yet Marseguro will not prove as easy to conquer as the Earth force anticipates…
Terra Insegura
Finalist for the 2010 Prix Aurora Award for Best Novel in English
Marseguro, a water world far from Earth, is home to a colony of humans and the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from modified human DNA. For seventy years the colony has lived in peace. Then Earth discovers Marseguro, and a strike force is sent to eradicate this “abomination.” But Marseguro has created a genetically tailored plague to use against Earth’s Holy Warriors. With the enemy defeated, the people of Marseguro feel they are safe. But Chris Keating, the traitor who signaled Marseguro’s location to the Holy Warriors, has fled to Earth, unknowingly carrying the deadly plague within him. The people of Marseguro feel they must send a ship to Earth with a life-saving vaccine. Only time will tell what awaits them when they reach their destination.
Lost in Translation
Kathryn was a human empath whose world and life had been destroyed when the alien S’sinn slaughtered her parents before her very eyes. Jarrikk was a young S’sinn, an unproven warrior who’d seen his flight mates slaughtered by the humans who’d sought to colonize his world.
As humans and S’sinn found themselves on the brink of war, these two Translators had to work together to find a common ground and avert catastrophe. But whether their Translators’ oath and training could overcome the enemies leagued against them was very much in doubt…
Archives
Song of the Sword
My new YA fantasy novel from Lobster Press
Before the Lady called her, Ariane’s life was a mess. Two years ago, her mother disappeared. She bounced around different foster homes until her aunt finally took her in. The meanest clique at her new high school has decided to make Ariane their prime target. And to top it all off, she is having frightening premonitions, and they are becoming more intense. The moment water touches her skin, she sees visions of a lake, a lady, and a sword. When a staircase opens up in the middle of Wascana Lake and the water begins singing to her, she has no choice but to answer the call….
Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw
Ten walks to points of historic and architectural interest in the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw (eight walks for Regina, two for Moose Jaw).
Johnny Cash: The Man in Black
When country music legend Johnny Cash took the stage at Folsom State Prison in 1968, he solidified the public’s perception of him as a rebel who followed his own path. Born in Arkansas during the Great Depression, Cash endured poverty, the death of his older brother, and a difficult relationship with his father. He turned to gospel and country music to express the pain, and after many years of struggling, his songs of hardship and hope would finally reach the ears of those waiting for an artist who represented them, ordinary people fighting to survive.
Andy Warhol: Everyone Will Be Famous for 15 Minutes
“Paintings are too hard. Machines have less problems…” In the 1960s, Andy Warhol became the most famous creator of a new style of art called pop art, which transformed mass-produced items of popular culture into fine works of art. From Campbell’s Soup cans to photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Warhol’s willingness to use anything and everything from the mass media in his work expanded the range of subject matter available to artists. His avant-garde films, artistic usage of American icons, and unconventional social life made him a controversial figure, both greatly admired and deeply reviled. A trendsetter rather than a trend-follower, a dispassionate observer of both the seamy and celebrity sides of life, Warhol was a true American rebel.
Disease-Hunting Scientist
The true stories of six real disease hunters. Epidemiologists travel the world trying to keep us safe from deadly diseases—from high-tech labs in Canada to remote villages in Africa. Learn how these “disease detectives” are coming up with new ways to fight disease, and find out if you have what it takes to become an epidemiologist, too!
The Bounty Mutiny
The Bounty was a British ship visiting Tahiti in 1789 when some of the crew overthrew the captain, William Bligh, and set him adrift in a tiny boat with sailors loyal to him. The mutiny resulted in a number of trials–both of the men who mutinied and of Bligh for losing command of his ship. These fascinating events have been the source for numerous Hollywood movies, most recently The Bounty. The Bounty Mutiny: From the Court Case to the Movie explores the famous case and the movies it inspired.
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