Sawyer on Science Fiction: new non-fiction release

Hard on the heels of the release of Robert J. Sawyer’s new novel, The Downloaded 2: Ghosts in the Machine (the sequel to his 2024 novel, The Downloaded) and the new edition of what he considers his best novel, The Oppenheimer Alternative, Shadowpaw Press is releasing a massive non-fiction book, Sawyer on Science Fiction, a 225,000-word collection of Rob’s articles, reviews, and speeches about science fiction.

ISBN: 9781998273744 | 672 pp | $39.95 CDN | $29.95 USD

Shadowpaw Press | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Indigo

From talks at venues including the Library of Congress through columns in SF magazines to pieces published in fanzines, Sawyer looks at all aspects of the field he loves so much.

The book was just glowingly reviewed in the Toronto Star (today, in fact!), where Alex Good wrote, “What we have here is a wonderful anthology of columns, addresses, introductions, interviews, profiles, reviews and autobiographical sketches that mainly address the subject of science fiction — its past, present and future — but that also have something to say about writing and the art of fiction, as well as science, politics and even how being Canadian may have impacted Sawyer’s thinking about these things.” Rob, he says, “has all the qualities you could want in a guide, being well read, perceptive and a keen and generous critical writer. You can dip into this book at any point and come away with some insight that will stick.

“For Sawyer the goal of science fiction is ‘to shake up complacency’ and not make predictions, but provide visions of potential futures. It’s the same for writing about science fiction, and Sawyer does so with experience, brio and an optimistic faith in the shape of things to come.”

As Rob himself puts it, “Science fiction has always said―and continues to insist―that humankind does have a future, a future that stretches far ahead for hundreds, thousands, and even millions of years. This deeply held conviction that the human journey has only just begun is the most important, and the most wondrous, prediction of all.”

Rob has won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel of the Year. The ABC TV series Flashforward was based on his novel of the same name. A member of the Order of Canada, he lives near Toronto.

The official book launch will be held at When Words Collide, the annual writing conference in Calgary, on Saturday, August 15, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Thomson Social Hub at the downtown Hyatt Regency. Are you in Calgary, but not attending the conference? No problem! This is a FREE PUBLIC EVENT. Anyone is welcome to attend!

I’ll be there selling books, of course, but the main part of the launch will be an interview with Rob by Richard Graeme Cameron, who has published the Canadian science fiction and fantasy magazine Polar Borealis and, since 2021, Polar Starlight, producing four issues of each annually.

Hope to see some of you there!

A few weeks ago I let you know about the Aurora Award and Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards nominations for contemporary young-YA/middle-grade fantasy Fireboy by (ahem) Edward Willett.

I’m thrilled to say that the book has picked up another major award nomination, this time in the Best YA category for the High Plains International Book Awards, which recognize outstanding literary works that celebrate and explore the people, cultures, histories, and landscapes of the American and Canadian West. Eleven Canadian authors and creators are among the forty-four finalists, chosen from more than 200 nominations.

The other finalists in the Young Adult category are Away by Megan E. Freeman and K-Jane by Lydia Kang.

You can see all the nominees in all the categories here.

The awards will be presented in Billings, Montana, on October 3.

ISBN: 978-1998273423 - 240 pp. - $22.99 CDN

Shadowpaw Press | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Indigo

“I knew things were getting weird when I saw my best friend’s face in the campfire. I didn’t realize how weird until the campfire followed me home . . .”

Thirteen-year-old Samantha “Sam” MacReady is nervous about the start of Grade 8, especially science class, which isn’t too surprising: last year, her Grade 7 science class mysteriously disappeared on the way to a field trip she missed out on.

But when her best friend, Lorenzo—whom no one has seen since he got on the bus with the rest of that class—suddenly appears in a campfire, she moves from nervous to freaked out. She teams up with Meg LeBlanc, the sole student survivor of what all adults refer to as “The Tragedy,” to uncover just what went on that day and why Lorenzo is now showing up in her back yard made entirely of flames.

What the two girls find out is far freakier and scarier than they ever imagined. Sam and Meg must use all their grit and intelligence to save the day and free their friends from magical enslavement . . . or fall victim to the very same fate.

Praise for Fireboy

“An exciting action-hero adventure centered on a compelling and competent narrator.”―Kirkus Reviews

“Fireboy is a story jam-packed with mystery, action, humour, and surprises. You’ll never look at science class or elementals the same way again.” – Arthur Slade, Governor General’s Award-winning author of Dust

“A gripping read! . . . Sam’s engaging narrative voice in Fireboy is certain to draw readers into this mystery in which things are far from what they appear to be, and Sam herself is plunged deeper and deeper into mortal danger. Highly recommended!”―Alison Lohans, award-winning author of more than thirty books for young readers and adults

“Edward Willett’s Fireboy is a joy to read. His charming and clever main character faces an interesting and unusual situation that feels both like fantasy and like science fiction…the plot is quite exciting and kept me rapidly turning pages. An enjoyable book all around.” – L. Jagi Lamplighter, author of The Books of Unexpected Enlightenment

“A murderous tangle of kidnappings, treachery, weird alchemy, and an ancient evil that never dies.” – Matt Hughes, author of The Emir’s Falcon

It took a lot of reading and consideration, and hard choices had to be made, given the quality of the work submitted, but the final line-up of stories for On Spec 2026: New Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, the Kickstarted anthology carrying on the storied name of On Spec, the long-running Canadian science fiction and fantasy magazine, has been announced:

Contracts have been signed, and editing is underway! Here’s what you can look forward to when the book releases on October 13:

“The Usual Journey” by Candas Jane Dorsey
“Web We Weave” by Fiona Moore
“The Light Within All Things” by J. Y. Zhang
“Scorch” by Noah Chinn
“Written in the Bones” by Rebecca Bennett
“The Necromancer’s Garden” by Claire Scherzinger
“What Befalls the Beast” by Liz Westbrook-Trenholm
“The Gloaming” by Marcelle Dubé
“Ghostlane” by Rhea Rose
“Fell Seraph at the Black Cathedral of Trappist-1” by R.H. Wesley
“The Heavy Light of the Drowned” by Peter Darbyshire
“Where Barnacles Whisper” by D.S. Burton
“The Wyvern in the Tower” by Sharon Plumb Hamilton
“A Natural History of the Victorian Schoolboy” by Sarah Totton
“The Three-Dice Game” by Darry Dinnell
“Biggar” by Dave Margoshes
“Ruby in the Barn” by Mark Morton
“Growth Medium” by O. L. Drake
“Door To Door To Door” by Dave Cherniak
“George and Ginger Take a Vacation” by Hayden Trenholm
“Cans of Worm” by Michèle Laframboise
“Prodigy” by Douglas Smith
“Gloaming Skies” by U.M. Agoawike
“Rubicon” by Catherine MacLeod
“The Buzzing Of Flies” by Colleen Anderson
“Catherine’s Wheel” by Mike Rimar
“The Absolutely Final Appearance of the Legendary Dead Boys” by Cliff Burns
“Who’s Still Out There?” By Brandon Alexander Rossi

Are you excited? I’m excited!

Have a great rest of your summer! Next book release after Sawyer on Science Fiction is Struck in the Heart by Sharon Butala in late September. Something to look forward to!