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Neo-opsis Review
Tesseracts 9
New Canadian Speculative Fiction
Edited by Nalo Hopkinson and Geoff
Ryman
Edge Publishing
ISBN: 1-894063-26-0
While popular now, speculative fiction
publishing in Canada was comparatively rare as recently as the early 1980’s. It
wasn’t until 1985, for instance, that the first of the acclaimed “Tesseracts”
anthologies came out. The editor(s) have changed with every edition of this
long-running series, giving each volume its own unique flavour. As such, the
recently released “Tesseracts Nine”: New Canadian Speculative Fiction features
a diverse range of science fiction and fantasy stories and poems from 25
Canadian writers. (Interestingly, the original “Tesseracts” books were
published by Press Porcepec right here in Victoria, with the first one being
edited by the late Judith Merrill. Tesseracts Books in Edmonton, and now Edge
Publishing in Calgary have continued the series.
“Speculative fiction” is a term often
used to categorize the combination of fantasy and science fiction, and some of
the stories chosen by editors Nalo Hopkinson and Geoff Ryman for “Tesseracts
Nine”, live in that undefined grey area between speculative fiction and mainstream
fiction. If you’re looking for some John Norman style hack and slash fantasy,
or space battle / space opera style science fiction (ala E. E. Doc Smith), this
is likely the wrong anthology for you. But if you’re looking for
character-driven fiction with high literary standards, then this collection has
a good chance of being to your liking.
Steve
Stanton’s story “The Writing on the Wall”, Is one of the stories on the science
fiction side of the speculative fiction spectrum. After a visit at age eight
from his future-self, a man spends his life obsessed with figuring out time
travel; yet while he struggles with mathematics and physics, social
interaction, social interaction rules manage to elude him. Also In the science
fiction realm, "Mayfly," by Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy, considers
the implications of such complex issues as artificial intelligence and
parenting a difficult child - all wrapped within the subject of a scientific
study which is sentient and self-aware. This story receives what tends to be
the highest praise I give fiction: not only did I enjoy it, but it made me
think.
Over
in the fantasy side of things is "Newbe," by Timothy J. Anderson. He
presents us with a person finding themselves in the afterlife; and while such
an idea isn’t uncommon to speculative fiction, Anderson manages an original
enough slant on the theme to keep the short work interesting. (People sometimes
carry the last items they were thinking about into the afterlife with them,
often the musical instruments they played while alive.)
Finally,
Jerome Stueart's "Lemmings in the Third Year," arguably runs down the
centre of the fantasy / science fiction spectrum. This story focuses on a
character spending time in Canada’s north, studying and talking with the
various animals there. One thing I liked about this story was the lack of an
explanation as to why the lemmings and other creatures were capable of human
speech. This left the reader to decide if it’s a matter of magic or a similar
fantasy effect, or if it’s some other, more science fiction, phenomenon such as
genetic engineering. The author uses the allegory of talking with lemmings, to
discuss many people’s misconceptions of the methods of science.
With “Tesseracts Ten” already in
process (edited by Canadian writers Robert Charles Wilson and Edo Van Belkom)
it’s clear Edge Publishing intends to continue this Canadian tradition. Watch
for “Tesseracts 10”, to be released sometime in 2006.
Review by Karl Johanson.
Published
in the October 13 – 19 issue of Monday Magazine.
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