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Julie Czerneda is a Canadian science fiction writer whose first novel, A Thousand Words for Stranger, was published in 1997 by DAW Books, starting her Trade Pact Trilogy. Her second novel, Aurora Award Finalist Beholder's Eye, was published by DAW in 1998, becoming the first in her Web Shifters series. Over the next few years, Julie concluded the Trade Pact trilogy and wrote two more Web Shifter novels, featuring her "most fun" character, Esen the Blue. These titles have been translated into Russian. She also wrote In the Company of Others, a standalone sf novel published in 2001, which was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award for Distinguished Science Fiction and winner of the Prix Aurora Award and RT Reviewer's Choice Award. Julie is the series editor of Tales from the Wonder Zone (original SF) and Realms of Wonder (original fantasy) anthologies from Fitzhenry and Whiteside, and of the award-winning DAW anthology: Space Inc. She has collaborated with Dr. Isaac Szpindel to edit ReVisions (alternate science history),Under Cover of Darkness with Jana Paniccia (out Feb 2007), and Rob St. Martin for the upcoming Ages of Wonder. As for novels, Julie spent three years completing her most significant work to date: her Species Imperative trilogy: Survival, Migration, Regeneration. All were released in hardcover and were each main selections of the Science Fiction Book Club. She is currently working on her Stratification trilogy, prequel to The Trade Pact Universe, as well as sneaking off to write her upcoming first fantasy, Turn of Light. Her first novella-length work, "No Place Like Home" appeared in a special SFBC anthology, Forbidden Planets edited by Marvin Kaye. Her latest solo anthology, Misspelled, comes out April 1st 2008 -- appropriately, since it's a humorous look at spells gone wrong. Julie continues to do workshops and presentations on science fiction, writing, and scientific literacy, and is writing a series of features on SF and biotechnology for a college text. She is science fiction consultant to Science News and produces a regular feature on their site for kids and educators, Science News for Kids. photo by Roger Czerneda |
Formerly a researcher in animal communication, Julie has also written non-fiction, from biology texts to the use of science fiction to develop literacy. She currently lives at the edge of a forest with her family, enjoying rocketry and canoeing whenever there’s time. Julie attributes her love of writing to the advice of her mother. "When I didn't like the ending of a book, Mom gave me a typewriter and suggested I write my own. I never stopped."
A firm believer in the ability of science fiction to stretch the imagination and creativity of readers, Julie is also the author of the acclaimed teacher resource: No Limits: Developing Scientific Literacy Using Science Fiction, from Trifolium Books, an imprint of Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Toronto. This book is based on her series of workshops with students and teachers, and is accompanied by a Y/A anthology, Packing Fraction and Other Tales of Science & Imagination. Both books are illustrated by Larry Stewart and contain original SF stories by Charles Sheffield, Jan Stirling, Josepha Sherman, and Robert J. Sawyer, as well as speculative poetry by Carolyn Clink. Julie was series editor of Tales from the Wonder Zone, illustrated by Jean-Pierre Normand, a series of original sf anthologies for younger readers and for use in elementary schools to teach science and language arts, and Realms of Wonder, original fantasy linked to language arts themes.
Julie grew up on air force bases, her family moving with each transfer from Ontario to Prince Edward Island and finally to Nova Scotia. When her father became a civilian, the family moved to Ontario, settling in what was a rural setting near the shores of Lake Ontario and is now Mississauga. A thorough gypsy, Julie pursued her interest in biology at the Universities of Waterloo, Saskatoon, and Queen's (Kingston) accompanied by her former chemistry partner and now husband Roger. Pausing briefly in St. Jacobs to give birth to their children Jennifer and Scott, Julie and Roger moved a few more times before landing in Orillia, Ontario. Since most of her books are now out of their boxes and on shelves, the family is hopeful Julie will stay put for a while. Anything's possible.
Why does Julie enjoy writing about aliens? "As a biologist, the twists and tricks of living things always fascinate me. We live in a world of hang-gliding spiders, forests consisting of a single tree, and fish that sing. I can't imagine a universe that didn't contain different forms of life."
What's ahead? To celebrate her 10th anniversary being published in SF, Julie has returned to the Clan, her aliens from the Trade Pact series. First will come the story of how the Clan became the M'hiray, and came to live among Humans, set in the three-volume Stratification. The first of these is Reap the Wild Wind, already in stores. She's currently writing Riders of the Storm, to be released September 08. The other half of this project is the two-volume Reunification, which will pick up the story of Sira di Sarc and Jason Morgan after To Trade the Stars. In stores now is her latest anthology, Under Cover of Darkness, coedited with Jana Paniccia, as well as Polaris, a special Wonder Zone title featuring stories about polar science as part of the International Polar Year festivities. Julie recently completed editing the DAW anthology, Misspelled, about what happens when you don't follow the recipe and, with Rob St. Martin, Ages of Wonder, fantasy set in less well known eras in history.
And further ahead? Julie will wrap up the story of the Clan and Sira in Reunification, then turn her attention to ... well, other projects. The fantasy novel is on her radar, as is more of the blue blob in the future, as well as something completely new. She's having far too much fun to stop anytime soon.
In the meantime, fall is around the corner, the leaves are turning, and it's time to celebrate new books and visit old friends. Hope to see you at a convention this year!
Updated, Sept 07
