Canada Day has me thinking about science fiction.
Not because there is anything particularly Canadian about spaceships or distant planets, but because I’m continually surprised by just how many of my favourite science fiction writers turn out to be Canadian. It seems to happen over and over again: I discover an author whose work I admire, and only later learn they’re one of us.
Jo Walton was one of those discoveries. So was Douglas Smith. Cory Doctorow, whose Radicalized remains one of my favourite collections of speculative fiction, is another. Robert J. Sawyer has been one of the most recognizable names in Canadian science fiction for decades, while Candas Jane Dorsey has long been a respected voice in the field—and, as it happens, comes from my own city. Add writers like Peter Watts and Karl Schroeder, and it becomes clear that Canada has contributed far more to science fiction than our relatively small population might suggest.
The same is true of fandom.
Canada has hosted Worldcons, built thriving convention communities, and supported the Aurora Awards for decades. Those awards celebrate the work of Canadian writers, artists, editors, and fans, reminding us that science fiction isn’t just created by authors. It’s sustained by an entire community of readers, volunteers, publishers, reviewers, convention organizers, and enthusiasts who all contribute to the genre’s continued growth.
Science fiction has always been an international conversation. Stories cross borders with ease, and readers are just as likely to discover a favourite author from another country as from their own. That’s one of the things I love about the genre. It has always welcomed ideas from everywhere.
Even so, I think Canada has quietly punched above its weight.
Perhaps it’s our geography. Perhaps it’s our history of looking both outward and inward at the same time. Perhaps it’s simply that speculative fiction appeals to people who spend long winters asking “what if?” Whatever the reason, Canada has produced an extraordinary number of writers whose work has shaped the genre, often without making a great deal of noise about it. All this from a country whose population is still smaller than California’s.
As someone writing science fiction from Canada today, I appreciate that legacy. Every novel I write joins a conversation that has been going on here for generations. It’s a conversation built by remarkable authors, passionate fans, dedicated editors, and organizations like the Aurora Awards that continue to celebrate Canadian speculative fiction.
That seems like something worth acknowledging on Canada Day.
So wherever you’re celebrating—or simply enjoying a quiet day with a good book—I hope you find time to appreciate the stories that inspire you. And if one of those stories happens to have been written by a Canadian, all the better.
Happy Canada Day. And watch out for the mosquitoes. 😊
Latest releases:
The Woman Who Remembered Yesterday
Quiet Like Fire — Aurealis Award Finalist for Best SF Novella!
Solar Whisper