| Calgary publisher EDGE has been on the scene for a few years now, offering readers sci-fi and fantasy works from local and international authors. The general perception for those who aren’t fans of the genres is of two-dimensional or impenetrable books that explore imaginary worlds in minutiae, with only a handful of authors, like Philip K. Dick and Harlan Ellison, possessing any crossover appeal.
It would be a shame if that prejudice kept people from reading EDGE’s three latest publications. Eclipse by K.A. Bedford, Stealing Magic by Tanya Huff and A Game of Perfection by Élisabeth Vonarburg represent the best of the genre, being at once both informative and escapist, and ranging from space-age philosophy to dragons and wizards.
Stealing Magic is a change of pace for Huff, who’s probably best known for her "Blood" series, following a vampire and an ex-cop’s war on crime. Her new work is a collection of 11 intertwined short stories. One-half follows Magdelene, a powerful wizard, who, despite her laziness, manages to both ward off demons and navigate government bureaucracy. Flip the book over and there’s a series of stories following Terazin, one of the best thieves around, as her penchant for the five-finger discount takes her into unexplored worlds and a lot of trouble. It’s nice to see two strong female characters in a typically male-driven genre, and Huff’s language is able to create unique landscapes without succumbing to the usual fantasy jargon.
The latest English-translated instalment in award-winning author Vonarburg’s five-part Tyranael series, A Game of Perfection follows the acclaimed Dreams of the Sea, the first book in the series. It traces the further adventures of the colonists on the planet Virginia; in particular, Eilai, whose prophetic dreams told of the colonists, and Simon, whose abilities allow him to telepathically see the dreams of others. Vonarburg’s genre-bending take on gender and reality often doesn’t read like a sci-fi tale, except for the detailed creation of "the sea" where the colonists live – and often disappear.
Finally, probably the best of the three is Australian author Bedford’s Eclipse, a dark, brutal sci-fi tale that alternately recalls Platoon, Lord of the Flies and the aforementioned Dick. The novel follows the exploits of James Dunne, newly graduated from the brutal Royal Interstellar Service Academy, whose first flight into space turns out to be a violent nightmare. Dunne’s battles with corruption read like a space-age memoir, offering enough vulgarity and blood-spray to satisfy more than just sci-fi fans.
Bedford's Eclipse was recently named as a finalist for the Australian Aurealis award for the best sci-fi book of the year.
And speaking of awards, Calgary’s Brian Keating has won the Readers Digest Heroes Award for the Environment. Keating, education head for the Calgary Zoo, was nominated by Readers Digest readers throughout Canada. He’ll be receiving the prize on Wednesday, January 4. |
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