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Whitehorse - Robert J. Sawyer - Mr. Science Fiction

The next part of my trip was so important to me that I wanted to wait for good weather to enjoy the full beauty of this drive.

So what do you do on a rainy day in Whitehorse?

Why not go to the "office" to continue writing on your blog? This seems to be an oft repeated activity but it has its advantages.

My initial choice of "office" was Yukon College located on the west end of Whitehorse. A relatively new campus in beautiful surroundings, it ultimately proved disappointing because there was no Wi-Fi zone. I noted with interest the photo of Pierre Berton in the foyer. One of Canada's most prolific writers and also a son the Yukon, Berton was Chancellor of the college for a number of years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Berton

I therefore retreated to the comfortable, cushy lobby of the Best Western Gold Rush Inn which has a "hot spot" providing Internet access.

This time the person working on his laptop nearest to me was not a proof reader as in Dawson City.

Instead, I had the good luck of having within my proximity a gentleman who turned out to be Canada's premier science fiction writer - Robert J. Sawyer. His latest science fiction novel entitled rollback (sic) is now on sale in bookstores.




I must admit, since I love writing but not reading, I have never heard of Robert J. Sawyer and not much more about the genre known as "science fiction" or SF.

Therefore, I was somewhat amazed at the chance of speaking with this prolific and outstanding Canadian writer who has made a remarkable career for himself in SF.

Checking the websites below will give you some idea of what Robert J. Sawyer has written and the numerous literary awards that he has accumulated.


http://www.robertjsawyerbooks.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_J._Sawyer

http://www.sfwriter.com/

http://www.sfwriter.com/arbic.htm


I was only too glad to accept his invitation to hear him speak at the Whitehorse Public Library on the same evening at 19:00.

Since attending lectures at the local library or university is one of my favourite activities (now, how boring is that!), I was only too glad to accept his invitation.

The man was surprisingly personable and approachable. It was a pleasure speaking with him as he did not display the slightest trace of self importance that would belie his brilliant career.

Jumping ahead to the 19:00 lecture at the public library, I was among 80 some people eager to hear about the art of science fiction writing from Robert J. Sawyer.

In a most interesting manner, he dissected the process of writing a SF novel to the pleasure of many in the audience who were his fans.

It was then that it struck me that this man is extremely intelligent.

While SF genre allows the imagination to roam widely, it must be based on sound principle of physics and other sciences that the writing explores. As he said, researchers tend to be the biggest fans of science fiction, therefore, credibility is of great importance in achieving authenticity.

He had been invited to visit the various space centers in the U.S. to see first hand the complexity of such endeavors. This facilitated his task to delve into various propulsion systems and other aspects of space travel.

I find in my own writing that even the least bit of research takes time and the few times when I have tried to delve into a subject on a deeper level, the time invested is even greater and more consuming.

I can just imagine the effort and time that it takes to do what he does in terms of research, not to even mention the writing aspect.

Science fiction writing is not a skill which comes overnight. It takes many years of honing to achieve the level which Robert J. Sawyer has attained.

In a display of humour during the Q & A session, Mr. Sawyer mentioned fearing not enough people would show up for the lecture had prompted him to round participants from the hotel lobby, all the while pointing at me.

I enjoyed the presentation very much. My only regret was not having the presence of mind to bring my camera. How did that happen?

On this rainy day, going to the "office" to blog and having the good fortune to meet Robert J. Sawyer took care of the morning. The lecture took care of the evening, but that still left a huge gap in the afternoon.

So what does one do?

Well, I chose to fill in the afternoon by seeking out Canada's top dog sled musher and multiple winner of the Yukon Quest Dog Sled Race - Frank Turner.


Coming soon:

Whitehorse: The Day "I Lost It", but Not All was Lost.
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