Canadian Writers to Read

The Canadian Writers to Read series of posts will highlight a few Canadian authors whom I think deserve to be more widely read. Number one on the list is Matthew Hughes, science fiction and fantasy writer of elegant and eloquent stories.

Hughes' short stories have become, if not staples of, then at least regular offerings in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction over the past few years. With several novels and a ream of short stories under his belt, Hughes is a fast-rising star in Canadian SF.

If you've heard of Hughes at all lately, you've probably read a short story featuring either Hengis Hapthorn (a professional discriminator, similar to a private eye) or Guth Bandar (a "retired explorer of the collective unconscious"). Both these characters have made appearances in longer works as well, Hapthorn in Majestrum and The Spiral Labyrinth, Bandar in Black Brillion, and both in the collection The Gist Hunter and Other Stories. The stories are by and large clever and intriguing, many combining mysteries with unusual and fantastic settings to keep the reader obsessively turning pages.

Personally, it's Hughes' use of language that I appreciate most of all. He doesn't shy away from using a vocabulary that is both eclectic and capacious, a refreshing break from the ever-narrowing range that many contemporary writers seem unable to reach beyond. I recommend Hughes' stories and novels for their unconventional and interesting characters and intriguing plots, but even more for the way he makes words sing on the page.