Photos: top: Father Funes talks about the evolving universe. Bottom: Derwin Mak and Father Jose Funes. Both photos were taken at the St. Thomas Aquinas Church in the Newman Centre, University of Toronto, March 16, 2010.
Father Jose Funes, S.J., Director of the Vatican Observatory, came to Toronto on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, to give a lecture as part of the Naming the Holy Lecture Series, sponsored by the Newman Centre and the Regis College Jesuit Community at the University of Toronto. His topic was "The Evolving Universe" and was about the scientific research being conducted by the Vatican Observatory.
Contrary to the stereotype held by many science fiction writers and fans, Christianity and science are not mutually exclusive. The Roman Catholic Church, one of the larger denominations of Christianity, has long supported scientific research. Catholic clergy, such as Gregor Mendel,Georges Lemaître, and Christopher Clavius, have made contributions to science.
Father Funes's lecture, while describing the serious work going on at the observatories at Castel Gandolfo and Tucson, Arizona, had its humorous side. He showed a photo of Pope Benedict XVI holding an alien -- a meteorite from Mars. Newspapers put the caption "Mars is in the hands of the Pope" on that photo.
Particularly interesting is that the Vatican Observatory has a summer school for astronomy students. It asks universities to send the future leaders of astronomy. Students do not have to be Catholic. "We don't ask for baptismal certificates," Fr. Funes said.
He ended his Powerpoint presentation by showing photos taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. But he inserted a photo of U.S.S. Enterprise from Star Trek into the series of photos, and the music was the theme from Star Trek - Voyager. He told me he is a big Star Trek fan. Ah, isn't that wonderful: the Pope's chief astronomer is a Trekker.
My story "Family Tradition" has just been published in Night To Dawn, issue # 17, a vampire fiction magazine edited by Barbara Custer. In "Family Tradition", the ghost of Abraham van Helsing pesters his great-great-great-granddaughter, a Hooters Girl who doesn't want to take up vampire hunting. Then a mysterious Romanian arrives at the local Hooters...
Two Chinese Canadian Writers and Overseas Compatriots Together in Chinese Science Fiction Book
By Wendy Yang
Published in Ming Pao Daily News, Toronto edition, February 8, 2010, p. A2
Overseas Chinese writers are numerous, but those writing science fiction are few. Two Chinese Canadian science fiction writers, with overseas Chinese writers in different countries, have created a book of 18 science fiction and fantasy short stories, to be released on May 11. This will be North America's first all-overseas-Chinese anthology of science fiction and fantasy.
The anthology, called The Dragon and the Stars, will be published by well-known American science fiction publisher DAW Books. It contains 18 short stories from Canada, the United States, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Singapore. The 18 Chinese authors wrote their stories in English over six months. Five of the authors are from Canada, and they are strong in Canadian sci-fi circles.
Tony Pi was born in Taipei, immigrated to Canada when he was 8 years old, and grew up in Toronto. He earned his Ph.D. in linguistics at Montreal's McGillUniversity and has worked at several universities in Canada. At present, he is administering the graduate program in Cinema Studies at University of Toronto.
For the new book, he wrote the fantasy story "The Character of the Hound". The story centers on a war between the Southern Song and Jin. The ghost of a soldier adopts the word "Dog" as a tattoo on his body and acquires super powers to solve a murder in the army.
Tony Pi likes science fiction, in particular, Japanese manga (comics). "I like to use imagination to explore the present and the past and things that do not exist in the world. I like to create." In 2006, he wrote his first story, "The Stone Cipher", which won second place in the first quarter of the Writers of the Future contest, an international competition that finds cutting-edge science fiction writers. So far he has published 20 short stories, each of about 4,000 words.
Derwin Mak is another Chinese science fiction writer. He was born in Peterborough, Ontario. His father is from Hong Kong, and his mother is Malaysian Chinese. He is a chartered accountant, a member of Royal Canadian Military Institute, and a lecturer at the Institute.
He wrote "The Polar Bear Carries the Mail", about a Chinese company that joins with Inuit in northern Canada to build a spaceport but are opposed by environmentalists. The main character is a Chinese astronaut, and the story involves feng shui problems.
Derwin Mak began writing science fiction in 2001. His 2005 story "Transubstantiation" won the Prix Aurora Award, Canada's national science fiction award, equivalent to the United States' Hugo Award.
He said the new book is significant in correcting the past image of Chinese people and their culture in science fiction, which has been often negative. "The stories in The Dragon and the Stars all have Chinese themes, and many have ethnic Chinese main characters. Chinese culture is 5,000 years old, there are four great inventions of China, and Chinese history is full of scientific and technological development. This is a rich basis for science fiction and should be reflected in current stories."
There are another three Chinese Canadian science fiction writers: Eric Choi, Melissa J. Yuan-Innes, and Elaine Chen. Eric Choi's first story, "Dedication", was published in 1994, making him the first Chinese Canadian science fiction writer.
Derwin Mak says that overseas Chinese are now writing science fiction because North American tastes are changing. First, North Americans are more accepting of Asian culture, such as Japanese manga (comics) and Chinese martial arts movies. Secondly, North American society has become more diverse and inclusive of ethnic minorities in popular culture and creative fields, resulting in the emergence of Canadian Chinese science fiction writers.
Addendum to the English translation:
Eric Choi is co-editor of The Dragon and the Stars. His story "Dedication" won the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing (now called the Dell Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing).
The original Chinese text refers to The Dragon and the Stars as a science fiction anthology, but it also contains fantasy stories.
Ming Pao Daily News, a major Chinese newspaper, published this article about The Dragon and the Stars in its Toronto edition, February 8, 2010. The reporter Wendy Yang interviewed me and Tony Pi.
作 品集名為《The Dragon and the Stars)》(龍與群星)﹐5月1日將由美國著名科幻出版商DAW Books出版。它收錄的18個短篇科幻小說﹐是由加拿大、美國、香港、菲律賓、新加坡等國家的18位華裔作家﹐在過去半年內用英文創作。其中加拿大有5 位﹐他們是加拿大科幻圈中頗具實力的華裔作家。
他此次為新書創作的奇幻作品為《The Character of the Hound》(犬的特點)。故事以南宋和金國之間的戰爭為背景﹐講述一個鬼魂通過士兵身上的「犬」字圖騰進入其身體﹐使士兵具有超能力﹐解決發生在軍隊內的謀殺案。
畢 家怡從小就喜歡科幻作品﹐尤其喜歡看日本漫畫﹐「我很喜歡用想象來探索現在和過去都不存在的世界﹐我喜歡進行創造。」2006年他創作了第一篇科幻小說 《The Stone Cipher》(寶石密碼)﹐為他贏得了當年第一季度未來作家競賽二等獎﹐這是一項旨在發現新銳科幻作家的國際性賽事。至今他已出版了20篇、每篇大約 4000字的短篇科幻小說。
The Prix Aurora Awards has a category for Fan Achievement - Organizational.
I attend various science fiction awards ceremonies, and one of the best organized and entertaining is undoubtedly the Constellation Awards, held annually at the Polaris Science Fiction Convention. It's got videos that work, comedy skits, celebrity emcees, and Canadian actors, actresses, and models. And it's also the best-dressed of the Canadian science fiction award ceremonies (Fashion TV should do a report from the Constellations).
Andrew Gurudata organizes this ceremony, so please consider nominating Andrew Gurudata for the Constellation Awards Organization.
Eric Choi is my co-editor of The Dragon and the Stars. Eric Choi's short story "Another's Treasure" is indeed that rare treasure: a humorous science fiction short story published in a time when most science fiction writers are trying to exceed each other with serious, pessimistic themes. My warped sense of humour liked it, which is why I'm nominating it for Canada's national science fiction award, the Prix Aurora Award, in the category of Best Short-Form Work in English.
January 1: meeting David Miller, Mayor of Toronto, at his annual New Year's Day levee at Toronto City Hall. Levees are an old Canadian tradition for mayors to greet the people. In the background is City Councillor Pam O'Connell.
February 6: an otherwise dull winter livened up when Robot Chicken made a surprise appearance at the Scotibank Theatre to promote the Teletoon TV network.
April 6: with my fellow announcers at the Constellation Awards press conference: Liana K. (host of Ed and Red's Night Party) and Andrew Gurudata, chairman of the Constellation Awards, Canada's awards for science fiction film and television. The press conference to announce the nominees was held at the Royal Canadian Military Institute, Toronto.
June 6: With Major General Richard Rohmer, the D-Day 65th Anniversary Ceremony, Queen's Park, Toronto, June 6, 2009. Gen. Rohmer flew over Normandy on D-Day. His daughter, Anne Rohmer, is a well-known City TV presenter.Interestingly, Gen. Rohmer is also a science fiction writer of a sort; in the 1970's and 1980's, he wrote some "future history" novels such as Separation (Quebec separates) and Ultimatum (U.S. invades Canada) and technothrillers such as Starmageddon (U.S.-Soviet space war) and Periscope Red (Soviet submarine).
July 11: I might not win many science fiction awards, but I'm lucky enough to present them with some awesome women. The awesome woman this time is Pamela Mars, an actress and model who has appeared in the movie Land of the Dead, four Playboy special editions, and fashion shows at Toronto Fashion Week. We're holding the envelope containing the title of the winner for Best Overall 2008 Science Fiction Film or Television Script. Constellation Awards at Polaris Science Fiction Convention, Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Pam and I on stage.
With Karen Cliche, actress from Mutant X, Flash Gordon, and Vampire High. Karen was mistress of ceremonies of the Constellation Awards. With CP 24 traffic and weather reporter Pooja Handa and Paul Bliss, CTV Queen's Park Bureau Chief, who were presenters at the Constellation Awards.
With actress Kate Hewlett from Stargate: Atlantis, another presenter at the Constellation Awards ceremony.
With actor Michael Hogan from Battlestar Galactica at the Constellation Awards ceremony.
The presenters and performers of the Constellation Awards after the ceremony.
August 7: at Anticipation, the World Science Fiction Convention, in Montreal, I represented China by announcing the winners of the 2008 Galaxy Awards, awarded by the Chinese science fiction magazine Science Fiction World. At this event, science fiction writers and fans from nine countries announced their countries' various awards for science fiction writing, as well as the Canada's Constellation Awards for science fiction film and television.
Immediately after the International Awards Showcase, I went to the ceremony of the Prix Aurora Awards, Canada's national science fiction writing awards, to present one of the trophies.
With my fellow presenters at the Prix Aurora Awards: Liana K. (host of Ed and Red's Night Party), Gina Desjardins (from Musique Plus), and Donna Mei-Ling Park (from the TV show The Electric Playground). Other writers got shiny aluminum trophies. I got to have dinner with these three beautiful, talented and incredibly intelligent ladies.
September 17: with British actor James Purefoy, who plays the title character in the movie Solomon Kane, based on the character by Robert E. Howard. Purefoy also played Mark Antony in the HBO TV series Rome and Vlad the Impaler in the Doctor Who audio drama Son of the Dragon. Toronto International Film Festival, Scotiabank Theatre, Toronto.
October 28: I gave the annual Hallowe'en lecture at the Royal Canadian Military Institute in Toronto. My subject: Mary Shelley and the creation of Frankenstein.
December 19: I met Margaret Kerry, the reference model for Tinker Bell and a red-haired mermaid in Walt Disney's Peter Pan, aboard the Disney Cruise Line ship Magic as it sailed from Port Canaveral to Key West. Here we are at the ship's art gallery.
