Many of us use literature as a way of escaping our reality through imaginative worlds and speculative scenarios. The following fantastical works can also shed light on the inequalities present in contemporary society or create an image of possible futures. These picks are perfect for readers who are devoted fans of deeply intricate worlds that tackle complex and thought-provoking themes, or works of non-fiction that explore uncomfortable questions about society and humanity that will leave you intrigued by the possibilities of the future.
The Weekender Effect: Hyperdevelopment in Mountain Towns by Robert William Sandford (Rocky Mountain Books)
As cities continue to grow at unprecedented rates, more and more people are looking for peaceful weekend retreats in mountain or rural communities. More often than not, these retreats are found in and around resorts or places of natural beauty. As a result, what once were small towns are fast becoming mini cities, complete with expensive housing, fast food, traffic snarls, and environmental damage, all with little or no thought for the importance of local history, local people, and local culture.
The Weekender Effect is a passionate plea for considered development in these bedroom communities and for the necessary preservation of local values, cultures, and landscapes.
Out Now!
Airlock by Tash McAdam (Orca Book Publishers)
There’s nothing left for them on the dusty, barren wasteland of Earth anyway. Brick stows away on a cargo ship headed for the moon. They reluctantly allow a local teenage enforcer named Amar to tag along. But the ship ends up containing unusual cargo, and the crew members may not be who they appear to be.
Suddenly, the spaceship is taken over by pirates, who imprison the crew in the airlock. Brick and Amar come up with a plan to rescue the crew. The only problem is that, in order to succeed, Brick must venture out into the deep darkness of space.
Out Now!
Do you mind if I sit here? by James Long & Marcus Youssef (Talonbooks)
Thirty years from now, three social planners visit Vancouver’s Russian Hall, long abandoned due to earthquakes and flooding, with a seemingly straightforward task: repurpose the hall for common use. But the trio soon discovers the project won’t be an easy fix. An eccentric squatter, armed with a trove of Soviet industrial films on 16mm stock, has made the damaged hall their home… and they’re not leaving.
From award-winning playwrights James Long and Marcus Youssef, Do you mind if I sit here? dares us to seriously consider the possibilities of radical transformation and to imagine a future born from our most important beliefs, fears, and hopes.
Out Now!
Beast by Richard Van Camp (Douglas & McIntyre)
For as long as Lawson can remember, his life in a small Northwest Territories town has been centered on “the Treaty” between the Dogrib and Chipewyan, established to prevent warfare. Lawson and his family, on the Dogrib side, strive to uphold this pact with the neighboring Cranes, who are linked to a Chipewyan war chief. Despite their efforts, the Cranes respond with hostility, and tensions rise when Silver Crane, recently released from jail, allies with a malevolent spirit intent on rekindling old conflicts. Now, Isaiah Valentine, a Cree Grass Dancer; Shari Burns, a Métis psychic; and Lawson, a Dogrib protector, must confront this new threat. Richard Van Camp’s Beast blends realism and horror in a 1980s setting, delivering a compelling story of tradition versus a vengeful past in the fictional town of Fort Simmer.
Out October 12, 2024!
Aftershock by Gabrielle Prendergast (Orca Book Publishers)
Amy is happy it’s the last day of school… until a huge earthquake hits. She’s surprised that it’s Mara, her half-sister, who finally comes for her, since they hardly know each other. There’s no word from any of their parents, and their homes have been destroyed. So Amy and Mara set out on a perilous journey from their suburb into the city to search for their parents. As they walk day and night, the scope of the horrific destruction becomes clear.
Out Now!
Feast by Guillermo Verdecchia (Talonbooks)
Guillermo Verdecchia’s new play Feast follows a North American family as they navigate breakfast, family life, and a looming crisis. Twenty-something daughter Isabel feels something drastic is needed, while her mother Julia prepares their home for trouble. And her father Mark’s foodie obsessions lead him to bring Chukwuemeka Okonkwe—a skilled, underemployed fixer—into their lives. Spanning locations from North America to Beirut and Mombasa, and featuring stops at Starbucks and a cave on Lampedusa, Feast offers a wild, magical-realist exploration of early twenty-first-century anxieties and uncertainties.
Out October 29, 2024!