Richard West
Special to The Lake Report/Niagara Now
For 25 years, Julie Czerneda has been publishing successful books. She is an eight-time award winner and a member of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.
Her books reflect her unique skills: she is a scientist specializing in biology, which helps influence her world-building skills.
But it’s her curiosity about life in general and how interesting ideas can be molded into compelling stories that crowns her recipe for success.
On Thursday, Sept. 19, she will visit the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library between 6:30 to 8 p.m. to promote her latest book, “A Change of Place.”
It will be released for sale just two days before she visits NOTL.
Czerneda has published 23 novels over the last 27 years, plus many short stories.
She will describe how she approaches the challenge of world-building so that the reader is comfortable with her story settings.There will be a Q&A session.
Julies first book, “A Thousand Words for a Stranger,” was published in 1997. This formed the foundation for a nine-book saga, set in three trilogies.
A very different tale, “Beholder’s Eye,” followed in 1998. This became a seven-book series. Clearly her readers kept demanding more.
Czerneda’s stories are embedded in worlds that often differ from our local environment or time. Her ability to describe these worlds while telling the core story is remarkable.
Often the environment itself is a threat, or the locals themselves are the threat. The reader is transported into another world where there are forces and events driving the protagonist from one tight spot to another.
The result is not just fascinating — it’s fun.
Her latest book, “A Change of Place,” and her 25th anniversary collection “Imaginings,” will be available for purchase, cash only, at the event.
So, I encourage you to visit the NOTL library on Sept. 19 to meet Czerneda and hear her story of becoming an award-winning author.
The event is free but requires that you register in advance. To register, go to notlpubliclibrary.org.
To learn more about the author, visit her website at czerneda.com.
