Welcome!

"One of Canada's most original writers of speculative fiction." —Library Journal

"The man is Sturgeon good. Zelazny good. I don't give those up easy." —Spider Robinson, Hugo & Nebula Awards winner

"A great storyteller with a gifted and individual voice." —Charles de Lint, World Fantasy Award winner

"His stories are a treasure trove of riches that touch your heart while making you think." —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo & Nebula Awards winner

"Stories you can't forget, even years later." —Julie Czerneda, multi-award-winning author and editor


Hi! Thanks for visiting. I'm a multi-award-winning Canadian author of speculative fiction, published in twenty-seven languages and thirty-six countries.

My books include:

My latest: the multi-award-winning urban fantasy trilogy, The Dream Rider Saga (The Hollow Boys, The Crystal Key, and The Lost Expedition);

The Heroka shapeshifter novels, The Wolf at the End of the World and The Wolf and the Phoenix (in progress);

The short story collections, Chimerascope and Impossibilia; and,

The writer's guide, Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction.

I'm a four-time winner of Canada's Aurora Award, most recently in 2023 for The Hollow Boys, as well as the juried IAP Award for the same book. I've been a finalist for the Astounding Award, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Bookies Award, the juried Alberta Magazine Award for Fiction, Canada's juried Sunburst Award, and France's juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane.

You can buy my books at all major retailers. For free ebooks, discounts, special offers, early news of new releases, and more, join my monthly mailing list.

Enjoy the site! Feel free to send me an email with any questions or comments. Thanks for visiting!

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Cultural Bridges interview on Astound TV network

Astound TV interview — Host Artie Freeman interviews me on his Cultural Bridges show on the Astound TV network in the US about The Dream Rider Saga trilogy and my writing. Each part is about ten minutes long: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3.

Nomination period opens for 2024 Aurora Awards

The Crystal Key coverThe nomination period is now open for the 2024 Aurora Awards, recognizing the best of Canadian SF & Fantasy published in 2023.

This year, I have three works that are eligible to be nominated:

BEST YA NOVEL:

  • The Crystal Key: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 2

BEST SHORT STORY:

  • "If I Should Fall Behind" (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)
  • "Oregon Shooters" (On Spec Magazine)

Any Canadian citizen or permanent resident may nominate for the Auroras. If that's you, I'd truly appreciate any consideration you'd give to nominating me.

I explain how to nominate below, but first, let me talk up my works, because all have received a lot of critical notice.

 

The Crystal Key: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 2

The sequel to The Hollow Boys, which won the Aurora Award last year. This second book in my new trilogy has received universal praise, sitting at between 4.8 and 5.0 stars on all the major retailers plus garnering great reviews from top book review sites:

"Editor's Pick: The richly inventive Dream Rider adventure continues... always enlivened by the Smith hallmarks of crack dialogue, fun sleuthing and puzzle-solving, a strong through-line of emotion, a swift pace…and a principled refusal to settle for the familiar. Be ready for memorable beasts, weird magic, and fantasy worlds that are truly fantastic… For all the wonders, though, the series is also compellingly engaged in Toronto street life and its characters’ very human hearts. Takeaway: This thrilling superpowered urban fantasy series continues to grip." —BookLife (Editor's Pick)

"The engrossing second installment ... Smith continues to demonstrate an ability to expertly weave multiple complex fantasy elements into a cohesive whole. … This fast-paced story delivers in a big way." —Blueink Review (★ Starred review)

"The author’s sequel to the excellent The Hollow Boys (2022) ups the ante for adventure and suspense and continues to deftly fuse superhero and fantasy tropes. ... Smith excels at strong action sequences, worldbuilding, and humorous dialogue. …There is plenty here to entice readers to return for the grand finale. A fun and engrossing superhero sequel." —Kirkus Reviews

"An ethnically diverse cast and strong female characters. Smith's take on superheroes and serials is both modern and original ... High adventure leavened with romance and mystery. … [Smith] keeps things moving at a fast clip. No spoilers, so all I can say about the plot is that it involves the multiverse, astral travel, ancient cults, hypnotic powers, criminal gangs, private mercenaries, romance, and betrayal. … Overall, great fun. ... The Crystal Key has everything that made The Hollow Boys work and turns it up a few notches." —Ottawa Review of Books

If you haven't read The Crystal Key but would like to, here are some options.

  • You can read the first three chapters for free here.
  • I am also offering a discount from my website store. Use the coupon code "AURORAS24" at checkout to get the ebook for $0.99 (Regular $4.99 US / $6.99 CAD). Note: this coupon expires when the nomination period ends April 22.

 

"If I Should Fall Behind"

(first appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Sept/Oct 2023 issue)

The story that finally let me break into my dream market, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Some reviews:

“The story has great emotional appeal and the plight of the two lovers is sure to touch the reader’s heart. … [A] powerful tale.” —TangentOnline

“One of my very favorites of the year. ... with an idiosyncratic but compelling prose style that puts the reader right in the lead’s head... [The ending’s] an emotionally satisfying cap on a tremendous tale, a tale which itself is a tremendous cap on the September/October issue of F&SF...  but the voice is what makes this one exceptional.” —Tar Vol’s 2023 Recommended Reading List

During the nomination period, you can read a PDF of "If I Should Fall Behind" online here.

 

"Oregon Shooters"

(first appeared in On Spec Magazine, #124, July 2023)

My private eye / SF mash-up, told with tongue somewhat in cheek:

"Quite entertaining. … Can this be the real reason H.P. Lovecraft was so terrified of sea food? I like to think so. Have the feeling he would wholeheartedly approve.” —R. Graeme Cameron, Amazing Stories

During the nomination period, you can read a PDF of "Oregon Shooters" online here.

 

HOW TO NOMINATE IN THE AURORAS

To nominate, you need to be a member of the Canadian SF & Fantasy Association (CSFFA), the organization that administers the awards. If you've nominated or voted in 2021-2023, you're already a member and can just jump down to "Already a Member?" below. Else...

How to Register:

  • Go here and click on "Not a Member Yet?"
  • Fill out your name, email, and home province
  • Select a username and password for the site. One weirdness with this form: the password box will be filled with black dots. Just click in the box, hold down the "DELETE" key until they disappear, then enter your new password there and in the box below to verify it.
  • Registration is CA$10, which lets you nominate (this step) and vote on the final ballot. Not much to pay to support Canadian SF & fantasy, right?
  • Once you're logged in, click on "Pay Membership Fee with PayPal." Don't use PayPal? You can also pay by debit or credit.

You're registered! You'll then be taken back to the Aurora Awards site so you can nominate (see below)!

Already a Member?

  • Go here, click on "Log in" under "You Are A Member?" then enter your username (or email) and password to access the Awards main page.
  • If you haven't paid for 2024, click on "Pay Renewal Fee with PayPal." Don't use PayPal? You can also pay by debit or credit.

How to Nominate

  • Select "Nomination" from the middle of the screen to access the online nomination form.
  • To nominate a work, just click on one of the boxes under the category and select the appropriate title of the work you wish to nominate from the drop down list of eligible works.
  • You can nominate up to five works in each category, but you don't need to nominate in every category or that many in any category.
  • When you've finished nominating in a category, make sure you click on the "Update nominations" button for the category, then move to your next category.

Again, my eligible works this year are:

  • The Crystal Key is eligible under "Best YA Novel"
  • "If I Should Fall Behind" is eligible under "Best Short Story"
  • "Oregon Shooters" is eligible under "Best Short Story"

The nomination period closes at 11:59 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

Thanks again for any consideration you give to nominating my writing!

Ed Willet interviews me on his The Worldshapers podcast

Fellow author, Ed Willett, interviews me here about The Dream Rider Saga and my writing process on his ongoing and excellent The Worldshapers podcast.

I hope you'll give it a listen, and while you're at it, subscribe to Ed's podcast. It's a great way to meet authors and discover new reads.

Another Glowing Review of THE LOST EXPEDITION

Another great review of THE LOST EXPEDITION, the concluding book in The Dream Rider Saga trilogy, this one by Kelly Jensen at SF Crowsnest Reviews.

"Epic ... it exceeded every expectation. I enjoyed every minute I spent with these characters, and I will miss them now that their story is done."

Nice! Read the full review here.

The Lost Expedition is a "Top Indie Favorite" at B&N

Barnes & Noble has picked THE LOST EXPEDITION: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3 as a "Top Indie Favorite" under Teen & YA (but I wrote it for adults, too, wink wink). Check it out, along with one of the most insightful reviews of the book I've come across.

Books, Kindle Fire ... and Buffy Swag!!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Swag ContestOk, if you know me, you know how much of a Buffy fan I was (am). So this bundle was a natural for me to throw a book into (The Lost Expedition).

I’ve teamed up with 15+ fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of paranormal novels to 2 lucky winners!

It's a great chance to win a bunch of books and some cool Buffy swag valued at $450USD, just for following some authors on Bookbub and their newsletters. The more authors you follow, the more entries you get in the draw.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here

Hope you'll try it out. Good luck!

More Interviews on THE DREAM RIDER SAGA books

The Lost Expedition coverHere are some more recent interviews, all focusing on The Dream Rider Saga trilogy and the recent release of the final chapter, The Lost Expedition:

Speculating Canada interview — Activist, author, artist, editor, and educator, Derek Newman-Stille interviews me on his award-winning Speculating Canada podcast about The Dream Rider Saga trilogy, including its themes of disability, income disparity, racial diversity, found family, and setting it in Toronto.

The Richard Crouse Show — Canada’s most recognized movie critic interviews me on his nationally syndicated iHeart Radio Show about the release of The Lost Expedition: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3; my writing process; and more. Note: it will open in SoundCloud. My segment starts at about 19:55, and is about 18 minutes long. You don't need a SoundCloud account to listen, but you do need an account (and be signed in) if you want to skip ahead.

CBC Radio’s Fresh Air — Fresh Air host, Ismaila Alfa, interviews me on being an indie author and the release of The Lost Expedition: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3.

Enjoy!

Some Recent Interviews

Some recent interviews with me, focusing on the January release of The Lost Expedition: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3, but also on a variety of writing topics. I hope you'll check them out:

640AM Talk Radio's "Toronto This Weekend" interview — Ben Mulroney interviews me on the release of The Lost Expedition: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3 and about setting books in Toronto and Canada (it opens up in Spotify, but you don't need an account to listen)
 
105.9 FM interview — interview on 105.9 FM (York Region Radio) about the release of The Lost Expedition: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3, and also about advice for anyone wanting to chase a writing dream as a second career (interview starts about the 42.52 minute mark)
 
The Lost Expedition interview — New in Books interviews me on the release of The Lost Expedition: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3 and on writing in general.

Kobo Makes THE LOST EXPEDITION a "Best of the Month" Pick

Kobo Best of the Month PickKobo has made my just-released book, The Lost Expedition, the final book in the multi-award-winning trilogy, The Dream Rider Saga, a "Best of the Month" pick under Science Fiction & Fantasy.

Thank you, Kobo! Much appreciated.

You can check out all the best of the month picks on the Kobo site here.

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