Edward Willett's Blog

A new edition of my award-shortlisted YA novel The Dark Unicorn available now!

I’ve been meaning to create a new edition of my second novel, The Dark Unicorn, for a long time, and I finally did it, bringing it out in paperback and ebook (and AI-narrated audiobook) through my Endless Sky Books.

Here are some links, but it is widely distributed, so you should be able to get it from your favourite online store.

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Shadowpaw Press

Finalist, Best Children’s Book, 1999 Saskatchewan Book Awards

A gripping tale of courage, loyalty, and the fight for hope in a world on the edge of destruction

In the Kingdom of the Heartland, where magic is thought of as nothing more than a centuries-old legend, Nels, a young flutist scraping by in a ragtag theatrical troupe, stumbles upon a deadly secret: a mysterious black unicorn carving, thrumming with ancient power. Thrust into his hands by a dying stranger, it makes Nels the target of the Red Horseman, a sinister agent of the Blood Empire, seeking to destroy the ancient Wall that is all that protects the Heartland from the rapacious forces of its ancient enemy.

Fleeing through a land scarred by destruction, Nels finds an unlikely ally in Dart, a cunning thief with a shadowy past. Together, they brave treacherous forests, ruined villages, and the terrors of a reawakening magic that could either doom or save their world. As the Wall weakens and monstrous fiend-soldiers close in, Nels must unlock the unicorn’s power—a power tied to his heart and the bonds he dares to forge.

Can Nels wield the Dark Unicorn’s magic to restore the Wall and save the Heartland, or will the Blood Empire’s shadow consume them all?

Final Shapers of Worlds anthology has been out for a while now . . .

I really can’t believe I neglected to highlight this one when it came out! Shapers of Worlds Volume V is, of course, the fifth (and final) installment in a series of anthologies featuring science fiction and fantasy by authors who were guests on my Aurora Award-winning podcast, The Worldshapers. (Which, by the way, was once again a finalist for an Aurora Award this year). It includes a short story by me, “Quid Est Veritas?”, and wonderful black and white illustrations by Calgary artist Wendi Nordell (who happens to be my niece.)

It’s available everywhere, including Shadowpaw Press, Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Indigo.

More info:

The fifth and final installment in a series of powerhouse anthologies featuring some of today’s top authors of science fiction and fantasy

From outer space to inner space, from realms of the never-were to those of the here-and-now and the soon-to-be, the twenty-four authors in this fifth and final collection of science fiction and fantasy by writers featured on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers plunge readers into fantastic worlds filled with unforgettable characters.

Teenagers are disappearing in a mysterious grove, and no one knows why—not even those who escape it. The god of love finds magical arrows just don’t cut it in the modern world of digital matchmaking. A prisoner discovers he has been stripped of thirty-five years of memories as punishment for a crime he cannot remember. Far from being a refuge from humdrum reality, dreams become a trap for one young man when he encounters those who dwell there. A man who hunts angels for a living has the tables turned on him by the last angel he corners. Talking beasts from the island of a certain infamous doctor arrive in London to make their way in the world of men, only to be caught up in the ongoing Martian invasion . . .

Shapers of Worlds Volume V showcases stories by Brad C. Anderson, Edo van Belkom, J. G. Gardner, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, Chadwick Ginther, Evan Graham, M. C. A. Hogarth, M. J. Kuhn, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Kevin Moore, Robin Stevens Payes, James S. Peet, Omari Richards, Lawrence M. Schoen, Alex Shvartsman, Alan Smale, Richard Sparks, P. L. Stuart, Brad R. Torgersen, Hayden Trenholm, Brian Trent, Eli K. P. William, Edward Willett, and Natalie Wright. Every story is illustrated with an original black-and-white drawing by Wendi Nordell.

Travel into the past, the present, and the future in stories set in our world, in deep space, in the land of dreams, and in worlds of pure imagination, shaped by an outstanding roster of authors featuring many bestsellers and award-winners. All you have to do is turn the page . . .

My latest! Middle-grade/YA modern-day fantasy Fireboy

My latest novel, the middle-grade/younger YA modern-day fantasy Fireboy, is now available everywhere! Buy it wherever you buy books, or have your local bookstore or library order it in! Or, get it directly from Shadowpaw Press in either ebook or print.

ISBN: 978-1998273423 – 240pp – $22.99 print – $6.99 ebook.

“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―who 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

New middle-grade/YA novel coming in July: Fireboy

It’s been a while since my last novel (The Tangled Stars came out in late 2022), but I’m pleased to say I’ll have a new novel out this summer.

This one is a middle-grade/YA modern-day fantasy called Fireboy. The cover is by Saskatchewan artist Dwayne Wingert.

Here’s the blurb:

Here’s the blurb:

“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―who 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.

Watch for it in July 2025 from Shadowpaw Press!

Enjoy my rendition of “O Holy Night”

Last night, I had the privilege of performing one of my favourite Christmas songs, “O Holy Night,” for Westhill Park United Church’s Christmas Eve service. And here’s my performance! I hope you enjoy it.

Also, apparently a bright-red sweater confused the camera no end…

Listen to me read “A Visit from St. Nicholas”

Andy Philp, host of The Philp Side on CJTR Community Radio here in Regina, asked me to record “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore (better known by it’s first line, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” It aired in the final half-hour of his December 21, 2024, program…and here it is now, for you!

“A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore, read by Edward Willett

The accompanying photo is me as Santa Claus. I played him AND Scrooge in a play in Moose Jaw a few years ago. Photoshop did the courtesy of generating the Christmas-tree background.

New Kickstarter to support Shadowpaw Press titles succeeds

The Kickstarter to support three of the titles Shadowpaw Press is publishing this fal, two science fiction novels and one fantasy, funded at $1,805 of the $1,500 CDN goal. Thanks to everyone who kicked in!

You can still be part of it! Kickstarter now accepts late pledges. Here’s the link:

One fantasy, two science fiction novels from Shadowpaw Press

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And here are the three titles in detail:

I, Brax: 1. A Battle Divine (A Dragon Assassin Adventure)By Arthur Slade

Brax, hero of several Dragon Assassin tales, finally gets to tell his own story . . .

On a diplomatic mission, Brax and his rider, Carmen, encounter a ghostly vision of The Nameless Goddess. She’s a part leopard, part crocodile deity, who warns them she is coming to conquer their world. Brax, in his usual snarky way, makes fun of her hairy legs and, after she vanishes, dismisses this threat.

But things soon get a lot worse . . .

When the duo arrives at the capital of the Akkad empire, they discover the emperor has been horrifically murdered by what looks to be an astral servant of that goddess, and his young nephew ascends to the throne. Both Brax and Carmen swear to protect the wetling from the Nameless Goddess. But power-hungry enemies circle the throne. Those dangers, along with the creatures sent from the netherworlds, makes protecting the emperor almost impossible.

Their only choice it to battle this goddess face to face . . .

Once they discover the true name of The Nameless Goddess, the hunt is on. Will they be able to destroy her before she rises to take over their world?

About the Author

Arthur Slade was raised in the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan (on a ranch). He wasn’t raised by wolves. It was elves. And one grumpy dwarf. He began writing at an early age. It took a few years but he is now the author of more than thirty novels, including Dust (which won the Governor General’s award), Dragon Assassin, and The Hunchback Assignments.  He currently lives in the mythical city of Saskatoon and does all of his writing on a treadmill desk while he listens to heavy metal. Really. It’s true.

Find him online at arthurslade.com, on Facebook @arthursladefan, or on X @arthurslade.

The Sun RunnersBy James Bow

“Hello, people of Mercury. This is planet Earth. Are you receiving this? Please respond.”

Lieutenant Adeheid Koning was only twenty-three when the Earth’s long fight against its environment ended in collapse and nuclear war. Earth’s sudden silence leaves the colonies of the inner solar system without lifelines, in various stages of self-sufficiency.

Or, in Mercury’s case, not.

To help her fellow stranded colonists of Mercury survive starvation and a breakdown of order, Adelheid fights some cold equations and makes some hard choices, ending up wearing an iron crown as queen of one of the rail cities of Mercury, constantly moving to stay ahead of the Sun.

Fifty years later, Adelheid’s granddaughter, Frieda, is a seventeen-year-old princess who would rather be an engineer. Frieda’s life is shattered when a suspicious accident takes one of her arms—and is then turned upside-down when her mother dies from that accident. Frieda is left a young and vulnerable queen, locking horns with her grandmother, who is now regent and dowager.

When the Earth makes contact again, after fifty years of silence, Frieda is eager to end Mercury’s isolation, but Adelheid is suspicious of the Earth’s sudden return, and wary of the other latitude towns’ desires to accept all that the Earth is offering, without question.

With thousands of lives on the line, is it wise to hope for healing? Or are we forever defined by what we do in the dark?

About the Author

James Bow writes science fiction and fantasy for both kids and adults. He’s been a fan of science fiction since his family introduced him to Doctor Who on TV Ontario in 1978, and his mother read him classic sci-fi and fantasy from such authors as Clifford Simak and J.R.R. Tolkien. James won the 2017 Prix Aurora Award for best YA Novel in Canada for Icarus Down.

By day, James is a communications officer for a charitable land trust protecting lands from development in Waterloo Region and Wellington County. He also loves trains and streetcars.

He lives in Kitchener, Ontario, with his two kids, and his spouse/fellow writer/partner-in-crime, Erin Bow. You can find him online at jamesbow.ca.

Ashme’s SongBy Brad C. Anderson

Ashme is a New Mesopotamian-a “Meso.” She dreams of being a hero, fighting against the brutal Ostarrichi ruling her country. She is an indigo child, her DNA modified by sentient AI, enabling her to control computer systems at will. With this power, she has something to offer the Meso resistance. Her twin brother, Shen, however, suffers from a neurological disorder and needs someone to care for him. Increasingly, that task falls on her.

How can she become the hero her people need when her brother’s needs are overwhelming? If she continues caring for Shen while joining the resistance, she risks leading Ostarrichi forces to her home. If she leaves, then looking after Shen will fall to her cousin, who is already overworked caring for his frail grandmother.

As her society collapses into violence, Ashme must choose between her fellow Mesos, her family, and her values…and making the wrong choice could destroy everything and everyone she loves.

About the Author

Brad C. Anderson lives with his wife and puppy in Vancouver, Canada. He teaches undergraduate business courses at a local university and researches organizational wisdom in blithe defiance of the fact most people do not think you can put those two words in the same sentence without irony. Previously, he worked in the biotech sector, where he made drugs for a living (legally!).

His stories have appeared in a variety of publications. His short story “Naïve Gods” was longlisted for a 2017 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. It was published in the anthology Lazarus Risen, which was itself nominated for an Aurora Award.

His first novel, Duatero, originally published by Bundoran Press, was re-released in a new editioni from Shadowpaw Press in 2022.

You can find Brad online at bradanderson2000.com.

Rewards!

That’s the lineup you’re supporting, and there are great rewards to be had–not only the books, but additional ebooks by the authors, your choice of ebooks and print books from Shadowpaw Press, and even the opportunity for online chats with the authors.

New Kickstarter to support Shadowpaw Press titles

Well, I’ve certainly been remiss about updating my own website, mainly because all of my attention has been on Shadowpaw Press.

As it is again this time, because there’s a new Kickstarter currently running (just $20 shy of the $1,500 goal as I type this) to support three of the titles Shadowpaw Press is publishing this fall: two science fiction novels and one fantasy. Please check it out and kick in if interested!

Here’s the link:

One fantasy, two science fiction novels from Shadowpaw Press

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And here are the three titles in detail:

I, Brax: 1. A Battle Divine (A Dragon Assassin Adventure)By Arthur Slade

Brax, hero of several Dragon Assassin tales, finally gets to tell his own story . . .

On a diplomatic mission, Brax and his rider, Carmen, encounter a ghostly vision of The Nameless Goddess. She’s a part leopard, part crocodile deity, who warns them she is coming to conquer their world. Brax, in his usual snarky way, makes fun of her hairy legs and, after she vanishes, dismisses this threat.

But things soon get a lot worse . . .

When the duo arrives at the capital of the Akkad empire, they discover the emperor has been horrifically murdered by what looks to be an astral servant of that goddess, and his young nephew ascends to the throne. Both Brax and Carmen swear to protect the wetling from the Nameless Goddess. But power-hungry enemies circle the throne. Those dangers, along with the creatures sent from the netherworlds, makes protecting the emperor almost impossible.

Their only choice it to battle this goddess face to face . . .

Once they discover the true name of The Nameless Goddess, the hunt is on. Will they be able to destroy her before she rises to take over their world?

About the Author

Arthur Slade was raised in the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan (on a ranch). He wasn’t raised by wolves. It was elves. And one grumpy dwarf. He began writing at an early age. It took a few years but he is now the author of more than thirty novels, including Dust (which won the Governor General’s award), Dragon Assassin, and The Hunchback Assignments.  He currently lives in the mythical city of Saskatoon and does all of his writing on a treadmill desk while he listens to heavy metal. Really. It’s true.

Find him online at arthurslade.com, on Facebook @arthursladefan, or on X @arthurslade.

The Sun RunnersBy James Bow

“Hello, people of Mercury. This is planet Earth. Are you receiving this? Please respond.”

Lieutenant Adeheid Koning was only twenty-three when the Earth’s long fight against its environment ended in collapse and nuclear war. Earth’s sudden silence leaves the colonies of the inner solar system without lifelines, in various stages of self-sufficiency.

Or, in Mercury’s case, not.

To help her fellow stranded colonists of Mercury survive starvation and a breakdown of order, Adelheid fights some cold equations and makes some hard choices, ending up wearing an iron crown as queen of one of the rail cities of Mercury, constantly moving to stay ahead of the Sun.

Fifty years later, Adelheid’s granddaughter, Frieda, is a seventeen-year-old princess who would rather be an engineer. Frieda’s life is shattered when a suspicious accident takes one of her arms—and is then turned upside-down when her mother dies from that accident. Frieda is left a young and vulnerable queen, locking horns with her grandmother, who is now regent and dowager.

When the Earth makes contact again, after fifty years of silence, Frieda is eager to end Mercury’s isolation, but Adelheid is suspicious of the Earth’s sudden return, and wary of the other latitude towns’ desires to accept all that the Earth is offering, without question.

With thousands of lives on the line, is it wise to hope for healing? Or are we forever defined by what we do in the dark?

About the Author

James Bow writes science fiction and fantasy for both kids and adults. He’s been a fan of science fiction since his family introduced him to Doctor Who on TV Ontario in 1978, and his mother read him classic sci-fi and fantasy from such authors as Clifford Simak and J.R.R. Tolkien. James won the 2017 Prix Aurora Award for best YA Novel in Canada for Icarus Down.

By day, James is a communications officer for a charitable land trust protecting lands from development in Waterloo Region and Wellington County. He also loves trains and streetcars.

He lives in Kitchener, Ontario, with his two kids, and his spouse/fellow writer/partner-in-crime, Erin Bow. You can find him online at jamesbow.ca.

Ashme’s SongBy Brad C. Anderson

Ashme is a New Mesopotamian-a “Meso.” She dreams of being a hero, fighting against the brutal Ostarrichi ruling her country. She is an indigo child, her DNA modified by sentient AI, enabling her to control computer systems at will. With this power, she has something to offer the Meso resistance. Her twin brother, Shen, however, suffers from a neurological disorder and needs someone to care for him. Increasingly, that task falls on her.

How can she become the hero her people need when her brother’s needs are overwhelming? If she continues caring for Shen while joining the resistance, she risks leading Ostarrichi forces to her home. If she leaves, then looking after Shen will fall to her cousin, who is already overworked caring for his frail grandmother.

As her society collapses into violence, Ashme must choose between her fellow Mesos, her family, and her values…and making the wrong choice could destroy everything and everyone she loves.

About the Author

Brad C. Anderson lives with his wife and puppy in Vancouver, Canada. He teaches undergraduate business courses at a local university and researches organizational wisdom in blithe defiance of the fact most people do not think you can put those two words in the same sentence without irony. Previously, he worked in the biotech sector, where he made drugs for a living (legally!).

His stories have appeared in a variety of publications. His short story “Naïve Gods” was longlisted for a 2017 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. It was published in the anthology Lazarus Risen, which was itself nominated for an Aurora Award.

His first novel, Duatero, originally published by Bundoran Press, was re-released in a new editioni from Shadowpaw Press in 2022.

You can find Brad online at bradanderson2000.com.

Rewards!

That’s the lineup you’re supporting, and there are great rewards to be had–not only the books, but additional ebooks by the authors, your choice of ebooks and print books from Shadowpaw Press, and even the opportunity for online chats with the authors.

Two new titles from Shadowpaw Press!

On May 7, I was in Calgary for the joint book launch of the first two titles of the Shadowpaw Press Spring/Summer list, The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer and The Traitor’s Son by the late, great Dave Duncan. Both are now available everyhwere, as well as, of course, directly from Shadowpaw Press.

Here’s more about them both:

The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer

192 pp · $19.95 CAD · $14.95 USD · ISBN: 978-1989398999

Available through bookstores everywhere, or directly from Shadowpaw Press!

The new novel by Canada’s top Science Fiction writer

In 2059, two very different groups have their minds uploaded into a quantum computer in Waterloo, Ontario.

One group consists of astronauts preparing for Earth’s first interstellar voyage. The other? Convicted murderers, serving their sentences in a virtual-reality prison.

But when disaster strikes, the astronauts and the prisoners must download back into physical reality and find a way to work together to save Earth from destruction.

The Downloaded debuted in a six-month exclusive window as an Audible Original narrated by Academy Award-winner Brendan Fraser, promoted by national TV and radio ad campaigns. This print edition is coming out immediately after Audible’s exclusivity ends and is being supported by a six-city cross-Canada author book tour.

Reviews

“Hope wins out in this triumph of a postapocalyptic tale from Hugo and Nebula award winner Sawyer . . . Sawyer keeps the stakes climbing ever higher as he toggles between the perspectives of his disparate cast. A smattering of droll humor breaks up the gloom and plot twists aplenty keep the pages flying. Sci-fi fans will eat this up.”―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“The Downloaded absolutely sizzles with fascinating ideas. You want space travel, a ruined Earth, virtual worlds, a cast of relatable characters, and a glimpse into the labyrinth of human destiny? Look no further: this book has all that and more.”―Robert Charles Wilson, Hugo Award-winning author of Spin

“The Downloaded is a wonderful demonstration of Sawyer’s deep understanding of―and compassion for―people, regardless who or what they are, or even what they have done. It’s a rare and potent humanity that elevates his work high above the rest.”―Julie E. Czerneda, Aurora Award-winning author of To Each This World

“In The Downloaded, Sawyer proves he’s not just a master at using science fiction to address social issues but also a master at portraying diverse characters.”―James Alan Gardner, Theodore Sturgeon Award-winning author of Commitment Hour

“The Downloaded is a wicked-smart thrill ride from start to finish. I loved it.”―Sylvain Neuvel, bestselling author of A History of What Comes Next

“One of the best SF novels I’ve read in years.”―Allen Steele, Hugo Award-winning author of Coyote

About the Author

Robert J. Sawyer―“the dean of Canadian science fiction,” according to the CBC, and a Globe and Mail and Maclean’s bestseller―is the only Canadian to have won all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. A member of both The Order of Canada and The Order of Ontario, Rob has won more Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards (“Auroras”) than anyone else in history. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name; The Downloaded is his twenty-fifth novel. A popular TEDx and keynote speaker with over 700 radio and TV interviews under his belt, Rob physically lives in Mississauga and in cyberspace he’s at sfwriter.com.

The Traitor’s Son by Dave Duncan

Available through bookstores everywhere, or directly from Shadowpaw Press!

346 pp · $26.99 CAD · $19.99 USD · ISBN: 978-1989398913

“They know the world is dying, but they hope not in their lifetimes. Meanwhile, they’re top dogs and will do anything to stay that way.”

Doig Gray is fifteen when his father is killed in a mining accident, which Doig comes to realize was no accident. Torn from his mother and sister, Doig is sent off to college, his every movement monitored in case he has inherited his dissident father’s unacceptable attitudes . . . or passwords. Doig has nothing but his own sense that there’s something desperately wrong with the world―and a last name that evokes the assumption that he’s destined to be the next traitor-hero.

The Traitor’s Son is a science fiction novel about a colony world where everything that could go wrong already has. Stuck on the wrong world at the wrong site, with the wrong leaders, the colony is doomed to extinction unless immediate steps are taken to correct―everything. But 500 years of hiding from the reality of their situation has created an unchallengeable status quo―and the Accident Squad, determined to ensure it remains that way.

The Traitor’s Son is a fast-paced SF adventure in the best tradition of Duncan’s Hero, West of January, and Eocene Station.

Praise for Dave Duncan

“Dave Duncan writes rollicking adventure novels filled with subtle characterization and made bitter-sweet by an underlying darkness. Without striving for grand effects or momentous meetings between genres, he has produced one excellent book after another.“―Locus Magazine

“Duncan is an exceedingly finished stylist and a master of world-building and characterization.”―Booklist

“Dave Duncan has long been one of the great unsung figures of Canadian fantasy and science fiction, graced with a fertile imagination, a prolific output, and keen writerly skills.”―Quill & Quire

“When you’re looking for a good adventure, Dave Duncan is a sure thing . . . [with] his sly and fast-paced plotting, his ability to construct intriguingly different worlds, and his knack for quick and entertaining characterization and dialogue.”―Eclectic Ruckus

About the author

Born and raised in Scotland, Dave Duncan moved to Calgary, Alberta, after graduating from university to take up his thirty-year career as a geologist. As the oil boom faltered in the 1980s, he sold his first novel and switched careers to become one of the most prolific and popular Canadian authors of science fiction and fantasy, with more than sixty-five traditionally published novels. Early in his career, he was producing books so fast his publisher could not keep up, so he wrote a fantasy trilogy under the name Ken Hood for a different house and a historical novel about the fall of Troy as Sarah B. Franklin. Duncan won the Aurora Award for Best Novel in 1990 and again in 2007 and was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in 2015. Duncan was awaiting final edits on The Traitor’s Son when he died on October 29, 2018.

Shadowpaw Press Crowdfundr succeeds!

It takes money to publish books, and most of that money flows out the door before the book is released and sales begin, so my publishing company, Shadowpaw Press, turned to Crowdfundr to help ensure that the wonderful books we’ll (“we” meaning me and the cat) currently plan to publish in Spring/Summer 2024 list come to fruition.

I’m pleased to say the campaign brought in $3,190, well over the (modest) goal of $2,000.

What the money is for

Our planned titles: The Downloaded, science fiction by Hugo- and Nebula Award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer; The Traitor’s Son (science fiction) and Corridor to Nightmare (fantasy), the last two unpublished novels from the late, great Canadian science fiction author Dave Duncan; new editions of the popular Canadian Chills series of middle-grade fantasy/science fiction books (Return of the Grudstone Ghosts, Ghost Hotel, and Invasion of the IQ Snatchers) by Governor General’s Award-winning author Arthur Slade; a new edition of the multiple award-nominated literary historical novel Let us Be True by Erna Buffie; the new mental health-focused poetry collection The Door at the End of Everything by Lynda Monahan; and The Glass Lodge, a new edition, with facsimile illustrations of the original handwritten poems, of award-winning poet and artist John Brady McDonald’s debut collection about life as a young, urban Indigenous man.

Detailed information about all of these titles can be found a little farther down in this story.

Your contributions to this Crowdfundr campaign will help us ensure that these titles are not only published, but find the readership they deserve, defraying the cost of editing, book design, printing, and marketing. In exchange, you’ll receive recognition on our website and in our newsletter, and to receive ebook or print copies of these and other books published by Shadowpaw Press.

Looking ahead

We anticipate making a Crowdfundr campaign a regular feature of Shadowpaw Press’s publishing program. We’re already working on our fall list. Back Shadowpaw Press, and you’ll also receive regular updates on our plans through our newsletter and updates on this campaign.

Now, the planned books for Spring/Summer 2024 in more detail:

Our Lead TitleThe Downloaded 
By Robert J. Sawyer

In 2059 two very different groups have their minds uploaded into a quantum computer in Waterloo, Ontario. One group consists of astronauts preparing for Earth’s first interstellar voyage. The other? Convicted murderers, serving their sentences in a virtual-reality prison. But when disaster strikes, the astronauts and the prisoners must download back into physical reality and find a way to work together to save Earth from destruction…

“ The Downloaded absolutely sizzles with fascinating ideas.” —Robert Charles Wilson, Hugo Award-winning author of Spin

“A wicked-smart thrill ride from start to finish. I loved it.” —Sylvain Neuvel, author of A History of What Comes Next 

“ The Downloaded is a wonderful demonstration of Sawyer’s deep understanding of — and compassion for — people. It’s a rare and potent humanity that elevates his work high above the rest.” —Julie E. Czerneda, Aurora Award-winning author of To Each This World

“In  The Downloaded, Sawyer proves he’s not just a master at using science fiction to address social issues but also a master at portraying diverse characters.” —James Alan Gardner, Theodore Sturgeon Award-winning author of Commitment Hour

“One of the best SF novels I’ve read in years.” —Allen Steele, Hugo Award-winning author of Coyote

The last two unpublished novels by the late, great Dave DuncanThe Traitor’s SonDave Duncan

“They know the world is dying, but they hope not in their lifetimes. Meanwhile, they’re top dogs and will do anything to stay that way.”

Doig Gray is fifteen when his father is killed in a mining accident, which Doig comes to realizes was no accident. Torn from his mother and sister, Doig is sent off to college, his every movement monitored in case he has inherited his dissident father’s unacceptable attitudes . . . or passwords. Doig has nothing but his own sense that there’s something desperately wrong with the world—and a last name that evokes the assumption that he’s destined to be the next traitor-hero.

The Traitor’s Son is a science fiction novel about a colony world where everything that could go wrong already has. Stuck on the wrong world at the wrong site, with the wrong leaders, the colony is doomed to extinction unless immediate steps are taken to correct—everything. But 500 years of hiding from the reality of their situation has created an unchallengeable status quo—and the Accident Squad, determined to ensure it remains that way.

The Traitor’s Son is a fast-paced SF adventure in the best tradition of Duncan’s Hero , West of January, and Eocene Station.  

Corridor to Nightmare

When one life ends, another begins.

After forty years as the village school teacher in the idyllic valley of Greenbottom, Agatha is looking forward to a quiet retirement. Instead, an enigmatic stranger arrives to drag her through a long-closed portal to another world.

Confronted with a completely foreign culture steeped in magic and violence, Agatha finds herself a crucial pawn being played between rival factions. The only way forward through the rigid traditions and convoluted politics of the Archons of Otopia is to remain true to herself and her Greenbottom ideals.

The Canadian Chills middle-grade horror/science fiction series by Arthur Slade

The Canadian Chills series, originally published by Coteau Books, combines Arthur Slade’s comic genius and his ability to make your heart freeze with terror. Each story is chock full of mystery and surprises and set in a strange Canadian setting.  And at the centre of these tales are dynamic, smart characters who aren’t afraid of a little adventure, whether that adventure includes ghosts, aliens, or Sasquatches.

Return of the Grudstone Ghosts

When Daphne’s sixth-grade teacher, Miss Vindez, plummets from the belfry of St. Wolcott School, Daphne and her friends Nick and Peach are plunged into a mystery that includes a long-ago fire that left behind twelve dead schoolchildren, tiny ghosts with nowhere to go, and an ancient evil just dying to break through into modern-day Moose Jaw.

Miss Vindez survives her fall, but things just aren’t the same–she’s spouting gibberish, and both Principal Peterka and the school janitor are definitely not themselves at all any more.

Determined to get to the bottom of what’s going on, Daphne, Nick, and Peach dig up the troubled history of Grudstone, the school that used to stand where St. Wolcott is now. They uncover evidence of a crime so terrible it can hardly be believed. Worse, the terrifying perpetrator of that crime isn’t done yet–he has more horrible plans in mind. And all that stands in his way are three Moose Jaw school kids.

Ghost Hotel

Walter Biggar Bronson (a.k.a. Wart), and his friend Cindy meet a ghost one night after school. The small, mournful boy leads them across the Broadway Bridge to the gracious Bessborough Hotel. After a strange incident in the elevator, they find themselves still in the hotel–but back in 1936. Some spooky things are going on. The room numbers are all mixed up. The library on the mezzanine is filled with hundreds of copies of the same book. And out on the street, the cars are all the same–vintage Studebakers. Back in the present, Wart and Cindy follow their motto–“Gather, identify, solve”–until they crack the case, with help from Wart’s distinctly odd parents, and the loan of his mother’s time-travel-proof cell phone.

Young Archie Tortle, drowned along with his parents in 1936, has not been able to accept his death. He has created his own world in the hotel, where everything serves his needs. Only Wart and Cindy can help him come to terms with his loss and stop him haunting the hotel.

Invasion of the IQ Snatchers

Gordon Whillickers and his friend Sophia are the only ones who can stop a sinister plot to steal the brain power of the people of Nanaimo.

Someone is delivering plates of scrumptious Nanaimo bars to every household in Nanaimo, and the people who eat them are behaving very strangely. Gordon Whillickers doesn’t get to eat his because at the last minute a hairy arm reaches through his window and steals them. He and Sophia chase after the thief and meet an amazing Sasquatch named Cheryl, who is also puzzled by the sudden appearance of the mouth-watering delicacies.

With the help of Cheryl and the technological wizardry of a local librarian, the two kids move ever closer to the alien creature at the centre of the plot. They must stop him before the Nanaimoites’ IQs are lost forever.

A new edition of a multiple award-nominated literary historical novel

Finalist for the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction

Finalist for the the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book at the 2016 Manitoba Book Awards

Originally published by Coteau Books

From the killing fields of Europe to the merciless beauty of the Canadian prairies, Let Us Be True tells the story of three women, whose lives have been shaped and damaged by secrets–their own and those that stretch back through time, casting their shadow from one generation to the next.

At the heart of the novel is 74-year-old Pearl Calder, a woman who has thrown away her past and kept it a secret from her daughters. But as Pearl confronts her own mortality, she begins to understand what her dead husband, Henry, has always known.

Secrets are like dark and angry ghosts. And they don’t just haunt you. They haunt everyone you love.

Alternating between the past and present, and between Pearl’s voice and the voices of her family members, both living and dead, the story explores how all of our lives, to a greater or lesser degree, are shaped by secrets: our own as well as ancestral secrets we may know nothing about, but which affect who we are and who we become.

Pearl is no exception. With a life that spans the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the deep conservatism of the postwar boom, Pearl’s secrets are rooted in events over which she had no control: the death of her mother; a father destroyed by war; a brother who adores her but who dies on the beaches of Dieppe, and a sister who abandons Pearl to save herself.

“ Let Us Be True remains vital, present and taut throughout. A story as starkly beautiful as a prairie landscape.”- The  Globe and Mail 

A new poetry collection with a focus on mental health by award-winning poet Lynda Monahan

Written while Lynda Monahan was hospital writer-in-residence at the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert, working often on the adult and youth mental health wards, the tight, pared poems in The Door at the End of Everything give voice to and honour those living with mental illness, speaking to not only the suffering but also the courage and hope that is so clearly there as well.

Several of the poems and poetry sequences have seen publication in various literary journals, including Grain, The Society, The New Quarterly, Transition, Bareback, and Dalhousie Review, and in the poetry anthologies Writing Menopause (Inanna Publications), Lummox Anthology of Canadian Poetry, Worth More Standing (Caitlin Press), the Apart pandemic anthology (SWG), and Line Dance(Burton House Books), and in various tanka publications such as Atlas Poetica, A Hundred Gourds,and Gusts. A series of online readings from this manuscript, created with the help of a Canada Council grant, are available on YouTube.

  Praise for The Door at the End of Everything

“This is a terrific poetry collection. The poems are presented in a variety of styles, but always with a light, lyrical touch, notwithstanding the seriousness of the content of many of them: the poems explore mental illness, not in a clinical way, but from the inside, as well as aging, grief, loneliness, and loss. Despite the grim subject matter, the poems are infused with lovely imagery and a sense of hope . . . filled with vivid, arresting images and well-turned lines, coloured by shades of darkness and light.” – Dave Margoshes

A new illustrated edition of the poetry collection that began the career of award-winning First Nations writer John Brady McDonald

John Brady McDonald, a Nehiyawak-Metis multidisciplinary artist and writer from Treaty Six Territory, the author of five books, was shortlisted for the Saskatchewan Book of the Year Award in 2022, was a finalist for the High Plains Book Award that same year, and was a finalist for the 2023 Lambda Literary Award in New York City. He has presented around the world, including at the Edmonton and Fort McMurray Literary Festivals, the Eden Mills Writers Festival, Bookfest Windsor, the Toronto Word On The Street Festival, and the Ottawa International Writers Festival.

Before all this, however, he was a young, urban Indigenous youth, struggling with addictions, the streets, and the pain and turmoil of intergenerational trauma as a residential school survivor and the child of residential school survivors. While his struggle was not uncommon, what made it unique was that he documented it through free-verse poetry, filling countless notebooks and paper boxes with hundreds of poems over a ten-year period, providing a glimpse into the life of an Indigenous youth who had to overcome so much and grow up way too fast.

These raw, lyrical poems are a glimpse of the birth of a poet, recklessly using language and words with abandon and without restraint. It is the poetry of an individual experimenting with the language, influenced by the works of Shakespeare and Jim Morrison, mixed with the teenage goth writing style of youth–the base metals from which a lifetime of words was forged.

Originally published by Kegedonce Press in 2004, The Glass Lodge was presented across Canada and the US at esteemed festivals. Chosen for the First Nations Communities Read program, it was also nominated for the Anskohk Aboriginal Book of the Year in 2005. Since that first edition went out of print a few years ago, McDonald has re-edited and restored the work. He also rediscovered many of the original, handwritten poems, which serve as illustrations in this new edition.