Imaginarium 2012: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing(2012)

Kelley Armstrong

At their best, these stories disrupt habits, overcome barriers of cultural perception to make the familiar strange through the use of speculative elements such as magic and technology. They provide glimpses of alternate realities and possible futures and pasts that provoke an ethical, social, political, environmental and biological inquiry into what it means to be human. Featuring stories by Camille Alexa, Kelley Armstrong, Madeline Ashby, Peter Chiykowski, Carolyn Clink, David Livingstone Clink, Geoffrey W. Cole, Cory Doctorow, Amal El-Mohtar, Steven Erikson, Gemma Files, Neile Graham, Lisa L. Hannett, Ada Hoffman, Claire Humphrey, Susan Ioannu, Kristin Janz, Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, Derek Künsken, Helen Marshall, Anna Mioduchowska, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, David Nickle, Rhonda Parrish, Kelly Rose Pflug-Back, Timothy Reynolds, Ian Rogers, Robert Runté, Geoff Ryman, Rebecca M. Senese, George Swede, Peter Watts, A.C. Wise, and Rio Youers.

table of contents

INTRODUCTION
STEVEN ERIKSON

LOOKER
DAVID NICKLE

THE LIST
KELLEY ARMSTONG

BITING TONGUES
AMAL EL-MOHTAR

BLEAKER COLLEGIATE PRESENTS AN
ALL-FEMALE PRODUCTION OF
WAITING FOR GODOT
CLAIRE HUMPHREY

SPLIT DECISION
ROBERT RUNTÉ

THE CINDER GIRL
PETER CHIYKOWSKI

THE CANDLE
IAN ROGERS

THROUGH THE DOOR
SUSAN IOANNU

SIGNAL TO NOISE
GEMMA FILES

THE ONES OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR
NEILE GRAHAM

DOWN WHERE THE BEST LILIES GROW
CAMILLE ALEXA

HIDE
REBECCA M. SENESE

WHAT WE FOUND
GEOFF RYMAN

LIE-FATHER
GEMMA FILES

CENTIPEDE GIRL
ADA HOFFMANN

CLOCKWORK FAGIN
CORY DOCTOROW

SELECTED HAIKU
GEORGE SWEDE

PURE
RIO YOUERS

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT STAPLERS
CAROLYN CLINK

LAIKAS I
KATHRYN KUITENBROUWER

ON THE MANY USES OF CEDAR
GEOFFREY W. COLE

OBSCURED
RHONDA PARRISH

HAWKWOOD’S FOLLY
TIMOTHY REYNOLDS

RAZOR VOICES
KELLY ROSE PFLUG-BACK

THE BEAN-SIDHE CALLS IN OWL-LIGHT
NEILE GRAHAM

FUR AND FEATHERS
LISA L. HANNETT

BREATHING BONES
PETER CHIYKOWSKI

THE EDUCATION OF JUNIOR
NUMBER 12
MADELINE ASHBY

ONE QUARTER GORGON
HELEN MARSHALL

A PUDDLE OF BLOOD
SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA

NOTHING BUT SKY OVERHEAD
DAVID LIVINGSTONE CLINK

THE KISS OF THE BLOOD-RED
POMEGRANATE
KRISTIN JANZ

CHARM
ANNA MIODUCHOWSKA

FINAL GIRL THEORY
A.C. WISE

TO LIVE AND DIE IN GIBBONTOWN
DEREK KÜNSKEN

BEAUTIFUL MONSTER
HELEN MARSHALL

MALAK
PETER WATTS

HONOURABLE MENTIONS
ABOUT THE EDITORS