A strong element in
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
culture is rich, diverse, thoughtful and witty
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
.
History of Canadian science fiction
The first recorded Canadian works of science fiction or proto-science fiction include
Napoléon Aubin's unfinished serial, ''Mon Voyage à la Lune'', a satirical Moon voyage published in 1839, and
James De Mille's novel, ''
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder'', published posthumously in 1888.
Another early instance is the 1896 work ''
Tisab Ting, or, The Electrical Kiss'', a pseudonymous first novel by an Ida May Ferguson of
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
"Dyjan Fergus". Set in late 20th century
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, it features an "electrical genius": a "learned Chinaman" who woos and wins a Canadian wife through his superior scientific knowledge as embodied in "the Electrical Kiss". It is of interest mainly because of its early publication date and female authorship; a microfiche reprint was issued in 1980.
In 1948, the
6th World Science Fiction Convention, also called Torcon, was held in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
. Although it was organized by members of a local
science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...
group called "The Derelicts" and chaired by local fan Edward "Ned" McKeown, the Guests of Honor,
Robert Bloch
Robert Albert Bloch (; April 5, 1917September 23, 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime fiction, crime, psychological horror fiction, horror and Fantasy Fiction, fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and ...
(pro) and
Bob Tucker (fan), were both Americans. Among those in attendance were
Forrest J Ackerman, Bloch,
Leslie A. Croutch,
E. Everett Evans,
James "Rusty" Hevelin,
David H. Keller,
Judith Merril,
Sam Moskowitz,
Chad Oliver,
George O. Smith,
Will Sykora, Tucker, and
Donald Wollheim.
Like many aspects of
Canadian culture, Canadian science fiction emerged from a variety of isolated sources, including
A. E. van Vogt, the fantasy works of
John Buchan
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, British Army officer, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation.
As a ...
, the poetry of
Phyllis Gotlieb, and a handful of other writers. In the late 20th century, political upheaval in the United States brought such talents as
Spider Robinson and
Judith Merril to Canada.
In 1973, the
World Science Fiction Convention was held again in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, bringing a new generation of interest to writers like
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. This led to a range of activities and interest in the genre. Merril began hosting quarterly gatherings of authors in a loose group called "Toronto Hydra", a tradition she had brought from the New York SF community. In 1977, the
Ottawa Science Fiction Society was founded, providing a venue for writers such as
Charles R. Saunders and
Charles de Lint through their club fanzine ''Stardock'', as well as sponsoring
Maplecon in its early years.
In the early 1980s, the Ontario Science Fiction Club was set up by
Robert J. Sawyer, while the
Bunch of Seven became the first known science fiction writing circle in Canada, helping the success of authors like
S. M. Stirling and
Tanya Huff, which later led to the Cecil Street Irregulars which included writers like
Cory Doctorow. De Lint, Huff and
Guy Gavriel Kay became notable for using Canadian settings in science fiction and fantasy, and
William Gibson pioneered the
cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting said to focus on a combination of "low-life and high tech". It features futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyberwa ...
subgenre with his novel ''
Neuromancer''.
In Quebec,
Élisabeth Vonarburg and other authors developed a related tradition of French-Canadian SF. Th
Prix Borealwas established in 1979 to honour Canadian science fiction works in French. The
Prix Aurora Awards (briefly preceded by the Casper Award) were founded in 1980 to recognize and promote the best works of Canadian science fiction in both French and English.
Regular annual science fiction conventions, notably
Ad Astra, brought fans and writers together to further broaden awareness and appreciation of science fiction literature in Canada.
By the 1990s, Canadian science fiction was well established and internationally recognized; mainstream authors such as
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, and an inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight chi ...
began including SF in their repertoire.
SF Canada, Canada's National Association of Speculative Fiction Professionals, was established in 1992.
Canadian science fiction authors
Some of the most famous Canadian writers of
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
include
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, and an inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight chi ...
,
John Clute
John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part ...
,
Charles de Lint,
Cory Doctorow,
James Alan Gardner,
William Gibson,
Ed Greenwood,
Tanya Huff,
H. L. Gold,
Nalo Hopkinson
Nalo Hopkinson (born 20 December 1960) is a Jamaican-born Canadian speculative fiction writer and editor. Her novels – ''Brown Girl in the Ring (novel), Brown Girl in the Ring'' (1998), ''Midnight Robber'' (2000), ''The Salt Roads'' (2003), ' ...
,
Guy Gavriel Kay,
Judith Merril,
Spider Robinson,
Robert J. Sawyer,
Karl Schroeder,
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens,
A. E. van Vogt, and
Robert Charles Wilson.
Canadian science fiction in film and television
The
Canadian Broadcasting Company began producing science fiction as early as the 1950s. CTV produced ''
The Starlost'' at the CFTO studios in Scarborough. In the early 1990s, Toronto and Vancouver became prominent centres of television and film production, with shows like ''
Forever Knight'' and ''
RoboCop'', then ''
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
'' raised the profile of Canadian science fiction television much higher, although only ''Forever Knight'' was itself set in Canada. By the late 1990s, a significant fraction of science fiction and fantasy on television was produced in Canada. In the early 2000s, due to changes in tax laws, production companies shifted much of their operations from Toronto to Vancouver.
Some of the most popular science fiction movies and TV shows seen around the world are made primarily or entirely in
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
&
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
which are both often called
Hollywood North, or elsewhere in Canada.
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
produces shows in
French. Canadian studios also produced a large volume of animation, notably specializing in 3D animation.
Canadian science fiction films of note include:
* ''
eXistenZ''
*
''Cube''
*
''Nothing''
*
''Johnny Mnemonic''
* ''
Scanners''
*
''Screamers'' (1995)
*
''Last Night''
Awards
*
Aurora Awards—Canadian science fiction novels (English and French), administered by the Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association
*
Prix Boréal - Canadian science fiction awards for works in French
*
Sunburst Awards - annual juried award for Canadian speculative fiction novel in two categories: adult and young adult
*
Constellation Awards - given to actors, writers, and technical artists for excellence in science fiction film and television, as selected by the Canadian viewing public
References
External links
SF Canada Canada's national association of SF professionals
''Made in Canada'' comprehensive website about Canadian science fiction(No longer updated)
*
SF Site - world-renowned resource on science fiction literature (based in Ottawa)
The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculation- major science fiction library collection, part of the Toronto Public Library system
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canadian Science Fiction