Judith Merril was born on January 21, 1923. This year would have been her 100th birthday. She passed away in 1997, but she left an immense impact on the world of science fiction, speculation and fantasy. Merril was a fan, author, editor, critic and mentor. She published four novels, over 30 short stories, 20 anthologies, […]
We call them The Good Neighbours. The Fair Folk. The Kind Ones. The Wee Folk. The Others. Themselves. We call them by every nickname we can’think of that won't offend, won't draw their attention. Because their attention can be a dangerous, deadly thing. The Fae. The Fair Folk anthology, edited by Marvin Kaye. The Kind Folk by […]
With Pride month 2022 just a few days away, why not pick up a 2SLGBTQ+ novel to celebrate? Here in The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy, we've pulled some new arrivals to highlight. We're one of Toronto Public Library's Special Collections. So although our copies of these books can't be borrowed, copies […]
Staff at the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy have been busy investigating sleuths in speculative fiction. They’ve uncovered books, graphic novels and original art featuring detectives, private investigators (PI’s), and everyday people who find themselves caught up in a mystery. They’ve followed the clues and have put together cases of professionals, amateurs, […]
Anne Rice, bestselling author of The Vampire Chronicles, passed away on Saturday, December 11, 2021. Rice was a highly influential author in the modern vampire genre, and in the horror genre in general. Interview with the Vampire is her first and best-known book. In it, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac shares his story. […]
If you thought this post would be about playing cards or magic tricks, I'm afraid you've been misled. October 24-30, 2021 is Ace Week, formerly Asexual Awareness Week. It's "an international campaign dedicated to raising awareness and expanding education of asexuality." And since I'm asexual, I truly do have an ace up my sleeve. It's […]
October is Canadian Library Month, and October 17-23, 2021 is Ontario Public Library Week. The theme this year is "One Card, One Million Possibilities." And it's true. With a Toronto Public Library card you have access to: 100 locations over 10.5 million items eLearning courses Digital Innovation Hubs live programs and workshops and much, much […]
Back in February 2021, we had a fantastic online discussion for "a book of speculative fiction by a BIPOC author" along with "a book set in the future". BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour. It's an umbrella term that, while definitely not perfect, is a way to highlight work by creators that […]
July 14 is International Non-Binary People's Day. It's a day to recognize non-binary people and raise awareness of this gender identity. In this post, I'm recommending music, books and movies with non-binary creators. Some of them you may have heard of, even if you didn't know they're non-binary! The non-binary flag was created by Kye […]
We're just about halfway through the year, and we're on to the first of the categories in our Advanced Challenge… a debut book! Have you ever read the first book an author ever wrote and thought, "Wow! This is their FIRST book?" Well, here's some recommendations to provoke just that reaction! Of course, sometimes it's […]