• Spokane, Washington
• Bozeman, Montana
• Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• Omaha, Nebraska
• Kansas City, Kansas
• Columbia, Missouri
• Saint Louis, Missouri
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Chicago, Illinois.

Look for Nina's ongoing commentary as she journeys across America on her personal blog, The Alien Next Door.

Nina’s book got some very nice reviews from fellow Canadian authors, Lynda Williams (author of Righteous Anger and others of the Okal Rel Universe series) and Jennifer Rahn (The Longevity Thesis). Nina recently reviewed Lynda’s book, Righteous Anger on Lynda’s blog, Reality Skimming. Here’s what these authors had to say about Darwin’s Paradox:

“Lively action with a people plot”

By Lynda Williams (The Okal Rel Series)

Darwin’s Paradox is rich with real science and vitamin c dosage for dogs
people who care about each other, whether in a good way or a bad one. Lovers of techno-thrillers will enjoy the blend of super AIs and biological AIs bent on meddling with mankind. At the same time, Darwin's Paradox injects hope into a post holocaust type of setting threatened with a typically SF scenario of doom. Munteanu writes with energy and a lively sense of joy in her work. Her main character, Julie, possesses the superpowers of an info-age homo superior: she can communicate pseudo-telepathically with others like herself and with AIs. In addition to her mental gifts she is also physically superior. What's unusual about her as a homo superior heroine is her role as the unwitting vector of the plague that decimated her people. While Julie contends with the twists and turns of the plot, she is simultaneously threatened by the risk of losing her husband and daughter, both literally and emotionally. The challenges she navigates are personal, throughout, in parallel with the fast-paced action.

"Nina gives more than a story"

Imagine a mysterious virus that devastates half a population, while giving certain individuals enhanced mental abilities, allowing them to "psychically" link to a server containing an artificial intelligence that seems to be developing autonomy. What if that virus turned out to be deliberately engineered? What would be the motivations of the designer? What if the virus turned out to be more than it seemed, and had ideas of its own?In "Darwin's Paradox", Nina Munteanu (author of "Collision with Paradise", and "The Cypol") serves up a dually plotted story that's part novel, part philosophical treatise on the nature of mankind and its inexorable evolution, driven by both natural and man-made pressures. Julie Crane, the central character, is a woman with a complicated and violent past, who must deal with the life she left behind to protect the peaceful existence she enjoys with her family now. As the novel opens, the back story and contemporary plot line are unfolded concurrently, until they eventually collide, and Julie is faced with the struggle of her life against unknown political forces in Icaria-5, her previous home, from which she had to flee as an unfairly labeled murderer and deliberate spreader of Darwin's Disease. She's never sure of who her allies or enemies are as she struggles to free herself from old accusations . . . and neither is her innocent, 12 year old daughter, who naively stumbles into her mother's past.Looking for a thinking person's novel? Give "Darwin's Paradox" a try.  

For over fifty years, the bookshop has housed numerous writers and hosted readings by published and unpublished authors. Run by Sylvia Whitman, daughter of the legendary George Whitman, the bookstore looks like something in a Harry Potter movie, with stacks upon stacks of all sorts of literature. Upon entering, you’ll find yourself in a place Henry Miller described as “A wonderland of books”.

Shakespeare and Company is open evey day from 10:00 to 23:00. If you’re touring Paris go check it out. The selection of English books is impeccable, with many by local writers.

If you’re a young traveling writer looking for a place to crash, Sylvia might put you up too!
While I was there, we briefly toured the city, including the impressive Tuillerie Gardens on the Right Bank.

Nina took me to vitamin b12 dogs
her "outdoor" office, located in Place Saint-Michel on the Left Bank with a great view of Notre Dame Cathedral. I asked her how she liked Paris over a pastis (anise-based liqueur) and cafe creme.

"I love Paris," she said. "I love everything about it, the food, the people, the architecture, the streets...The street performers who sing with feeling...the couples kissing on every street corner...that quiet reserve that just melts once they recognize that you are lost... their reverence for art and literature... Parisians know how to live. They have no problem waiting at length in line for fresh croissants at their favorite patisserie or will linger over lunch at a cafe to discuss the finer points of life over an espresso or cheese and wine. They are so civilized."

I asked her how her research was going.

"I confess that I have done some of my best work here... that pastis can be very inspirational!" Nina confided to me with that typical impish smile of hers.

HiSciFi has hosted some of Canada’s best known science fiction authors such as Robert J. Sawyer and Cory Doctorow. 

Kym Taborn of Whoosh! Editorials says this about the show: “The presentation of the show is rather simple but it works. Music is played, usually independent, and sometimes with a genre theme (I was introduced by the wonderfully entertaining music of Jonathan Coulton (http://www.jonathancoulton.com/)) between discussions between the pets supplements
hosts. And what do they discuss? Anything and everything geeky and Canadian! Literature, film, conventions, awards, television, modern trends, and even science news (it is SCIENCE fiction, after all). Their reporte is infectious and it is 60 minutes of pure pleasure to share time with them. The show is professional (they must be studying radio at college because they are just too good - in fact I am in dread of when they graduate and stop the show). I cannot recommend this show enough. A week without Hi-Sci-Fi is a week without sunshine. I warn you, they sometimes take their time in getting the podcast out to the public but it is well worth the wait, even though it can be exasperating."

This show is netcast live on Fridays at 5 to 6pm PST at http://cjsf.ca/
You can usually listen to the most recent program on demand on the home page at http://www.hiscifi.com/
You can subscribe to the podcast (best value!) at the RSS Podcast-Feed link on the home page at http://www.hiscifi.com/

My signing at the Granville & Broadway Chapters store in Vancouver the following week was yet another adventure. As always, I met very interesting patrons, including two Romanian ladies (Silvia Boiceanu and cats vitamin
Maria Moise) who, after introducing themselves, decided to linger and watch me “in action” and occasionally waved at me, smiling. I also met Twyla Anderson, a budding novelist and practiced my French with Agnes Lacombe, an elegant lady from France. Hildegard Zander engaged me in a long philosophical conversation that ranged from the transcending songs of French singer Gilbert Becaud to the environmental basis of cultures.

Then Stephen Saint Laurent, Prince George videographer, stopped by and gave me an impromptu interview. I also had the unexpected pleasure of meeting a long-time friend who I hadn’t seen in a while. She’d spotted Chapter’s billboard advertisement outside the store and had noted the time. Barb Meier is a talented artist and craftsman who makes books from scratch (paper, cover and binding!). That’s Barb pointing at my display. My sister, Doina Maria (and my partner in imagination from when we were kids) is standing beside her. She’d come to lure me away with promises of calamari and red wine.

My book signing at the Granville store experienced some added excitement as a student rally of over 500 protesters passed the store in a flourish of banner waving and boisterous shouting. The patrons of the store, myself included, emerged to watch as police-escorted demonstrators waving “Free Tibet from China” signs and shouting slogans, marched past us. Tibetan supporters from Vernon to Victoria were rallying against the violence in the tumultuous Chinese-controlled region; they marched from the art gallery to the Chinese consulate, where they chanted, burned Chinese flags and acted out scenes of violence.

I will finalize my local book tour with a signing at Blackbond Books in Richmond and a Chapters store in Burnaby (Metrotown). Then I’ll be flying to Paris, France where… I think Darwin will take a holiday with me. Truthfully, I am travelling there (and possibly to Berlin) to research my next book, a historical fantasy about a young girl in medieval Prussia who discovers that she can alter history.

The Gist: Julie Crane has a vitamin b complex dogs
lot of skeletons in her closet. She had the unleashed the Darwin virus on the world, murdered a government official, and then ran away from all the chaos she had created.

That is what the history books say, but often history is changed, twisted and confused from what really happened.

Julie fled into the wilderness outside of the cities with her husband. Outside of the influence of everyone and everything Julie learned to live in this wilderness. She gives birth to her daughter Angel and looks forward to living a life with nature.

All of this is shattered when Julie discovers that she is being hunted again. She makes a journey back to the city, alone. Julie’s daughter convinces her father to go after Julie and they too make their way to the city.

Back in the city Julie is confronted with the political intrigue, societal differences, and the mass of humanity she left behind.

It’s up to Julie, her family and new friends to unravel what is true and what is false and set things right for the future

The Good: This is a book of heavy, heady concepts in this book, chaos theory, human neurophysiology, ecosystems and sustainability, viruses, AI’s and more. It really gives some oomph behind the story of Julie and the other characters.

The vision of the future is well done and I’m a sucker for near future stories that have all of the elements of political intrigue, cybernetics, rebels against the system, AI’s going wonky, and a glimpse at future life.

The Bad: The human story elements seemed a bit weaker than the world itself and the concepts of humans living in the future. It seemed that Julie was moving on a very linear path through the world and not really deviating. For me, some of the supporting characters seemed more interesting, like her daughter Angel or the quirky, sleazy ex-Mayor.

It’s a bit confusing at the start with the barrage of the background information you get at the beginning.

The Ugly: Nothing really ugly to report.

Nina Munteanu weaves a good story that has some large concepts peppered through it. The story does have warts but they are easy enough to gloss over and dig into the main story. There are some nice twists and turns and rabbit holes to follow the tale down. I hope that future books have more about the world, the citizens who inhabit it, and the politics of city states.

I easily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a nice mix of science fiction, political intrigue and some big scientific concepts. Go pick it up!

I recently managed to snag Nina for a phone interview about her success with Darwin’s Paradox and here it is:
 

Karen: You’re pretty busy these days with your ongoing book tour, radio interview appearances and other marketing endeavors. You also work as an environmental consultant and mother of an active family. How and when do you get a chance to write?

Nina: (she erupts into wild laughter) You mean fiction writing? What’s that?… Well, I’m actually marketing a science fiction space adventure trilogy that I recently finished. My current novel, which is a historical fantasy—about a girl in medieval Prussia who discovers that she can alter history—is three-quarters done and awaits a trip to Paris to confirm setting and other accurate portrayals in the book, like the taste of wine and cheese. So, I’ve already written quite a bit. But, that is not to say that I am not writing now… I still actively blog (see the Alien Next Door, her blog on science, movies, books and pop culture), write short articles for magazines and newspapers and, of course, I also write full time in my job as a scientist.

Karen: So, when do you do your non-science writing?

Nina: (grinning) When I should be sleeping!

Karen: How long did it take you to write Darwin’s Paradox?

Nina: (laughs) I’ve been writing Darwin’s Paradox all my life, I think. No, really…(now with a crazy smile)…I started writing stories when I was ten years old, amusing my older sister with tales of outer space and aliens. Darwin was actually my first book—not counting the two manuscripts in my dresser drawer—even though it was published after I published my two e-books (Collision with Paradise and The Cypol) and it took the longest to write. My subsequent books have taken me on average a year to write, which includes research.

Karen: What inspired you to write Darwin’s Paradox?

Nina: Darwin actually evolved literally from a dog vitamins
concept and a story I wrote when I was seventeen (which I never did publish). It's only taken a few decades for Darwin to evolve into the form it is now! I was always fascinated by nature's ability to "perceive" and align herself to changes imposed upon her. Lovelock's concept of Gaia and how we humans relate to our "intelligent" planet was always something I wanted to write about. When a classmate in university ecology half-seriously told me that his ambition was "to make algae sing" I laughed. But then something actually resonated with me. I started seeing evidence for Nature's Intelligence everywhere. In chaos theory, fractals, synchronicity, co-evolution and endosymbiosis ... I also saw how we separate ourselves from and abuse nature. But, even when humans build a better mousetrap, nature always seems to build a better mouse. That we are evolving is inevitable and irrevocable. How and into what and through what means...that's the open question for all of us. You'll have to read the book to find out how I answer it. 

Karen: You mentioned research. Can you tell us how important research is in your writing?

Nina: I find it indispensible. I prefer to both read and write a book that has substance, something that grounds me, and, as a reader, has something to learn. So, my books invariably explore real questions and issues that require attentive research. Darwin had many such concepts: chaos theory, artificial intelligence, viruses, biotechnology, autopoiesis, and co-evolution to name just a few. Of course, I am skilled at doing research from the work I do as a scientist, so I find it both facile and very enjoyable to do. It is difficult not to get too enamored with all the neat things you find and throw them all into the novel. I know of at least one very well regarded Canadian science fiction writer who falls in this trap time and again. It’s hard not to do. It’s exciting stuff. But, it doesn’t fit into a story, particularly a fast paced one. Less is more.

Karen: What do you think the role of science fiction is in our lives?

Nina: Well, SF provides an excellent metaphoric platform for social commentary within the context of an entertaining story. The best form of education is also entertaining.  Look at the best comedians.  I think education is the responsibility of storytellers in any genre. To illuminate, to provoke, and to inspire all lie within the purview of the writer as artist. To quote Susan Sontag: real art makes us nervous. 

Karen: Having lived on both sides of the fence—fiction writer and educator of science—which side of you wants to dominate the other or keeps on popping up in your mind?

Nina: That’s a good question!—oops, usually when someone says that, they don’t have a clue, but, I’ll try…I’d say that being a scientist and a science educator has given me the objectivity and discipline to study and research topics and premises I use in my stories. As for dominating and popping up in my mind, I’d have to say that the fictional side, the story-telling side, always wins. I get some of my best ideas from my science workplace and my scientific research. But the thematic elements of stories (the relationships and characters) take over and rule my imagination. To put it simply, I suppose I would say that I’m an artist who uses science, rather than a scientist who uses art—but don’t tell my boss!

Karen: Has your fiction helped your non-fiction?

Nina: Yes, it has! Thanks, Karen, you’ve exonerated me. Any form of writing is still “storytelling”; journalists would be the first to agree with me. Even a good science dissertation tells a story, of some sorts. I found that, as I crafted my fiction writing, my non-fiction writing—mostly my technical and science writing—became more readable, more palatable to a wider audience. Many of my clients are not scientists, so communicating complex science to them is often a challenge. Most scientists fail miserably at this. My fiction writing has helped enormously with my communication skills. And, yes, I do tell them a story, one they enjoy reading, because they understand it.

Karen: In fact, I’ve noticed several reactions on your science blog, The Alien Next Door, that have said that very thing. You have a talent for taking real and often difficult science topics and making them accessible and interesting to the non-scientist. How do you think that came about?

Nina: (laughing) Thanks for saying that, Karen. Anyway, it's probably because I needed to understand it first! I’m not really a very complicated person when it comes to science…

Karen: Name some of your favorite books and why.:

Nina: Oh, I have so many, Karen. Check out my virtual library at www.librarything.com and you’ll find my fifty favorite SF books. My all-time favorite books, however, include classics, literary fiction and even non-fiction. I have an eclectic taste and like to read many different things. Here are just a few: Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy; Maximum Ice by Kay Kenyon; The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles; The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman; Lord of the Flies by William Golding; Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy; The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje; Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak; One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; The Night Country by Lorne Eisely; and Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. Why these, you ask…because each one is a masterful story, even the non-fiction ones. Because they make me think and cry and laugh and feel so alive.

Karen: Thanks, Nina.

Nina: Thanks, Karen! A pleasure!

Check out Nina’s very popular blog, The Alien Next Door, for more of her unique and insightful thoughts on science, books, movies and pop culture. 

"I really enjoy meeting my readers and having stimulating discussions with people on topics of evolution, chaos theory, endosymbiosis and the like," said Munteanu in a recent interview in a downtown bistro over a glass of red wine. "I find the readers at Chapters to be generally very intelligent with a diversity of backgrounds and interests. It doesn't matter whether they buy the book or not; they always have something interesting to say about these topics. For instance, I met Tove Peterson, a scientologist who writes poetry and belongs to the Northshore Writers Club. There's Stephen who's favorite author is Wilbur Smith. There's Martin, a physicist who builds solar power projects; then there's Joanna, a keen evolution student at Langara College; and Phil who went to Ryerson with Robert J. Sawyer. As Forrest Gump said, 'you just never know what you're gonna get'."

Nina continues her local booktour with signings in March at the Langley Chapters (Langely Centre on March 9th), the Surrey Chapters (Strawberry Hill on March 15th), the Vancouver Chapters (Broadway & Granville on March 22nd), and the Burnaby Chapters (at Metrotown Centre on March 29th). She then takes her booktour abroad to Europe and finally ends in Eastern Canada (Ottawa) in April.

Of course, it’s named after the Aurora Borealis, which has become a glowing symbol of Canada’s beauty and magnificence. Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) are latin for ‘the dawn of the north’, and were first used by Galileo in circa 1620 to describe the red northern lights phenomenon. Aurora is, in fact, the Roman goddess of the dawn—again, an apt icon for an award that could very well launch some new careers.

This will be the 28th year that the Canadian SF and Fantasy Association awards will be presented. Each year a different convention or group has hosted the awards. The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards (“the Auroras“) have been presented annually since 1980 with the exception of 1984. In 2008 they will be presented in May at a ceremony hosted by Keycon 25 held in Winnipeg, May 16-19.

On a per-capita basis, the Aurora Awards have the largest voter turnout of any national SF award in the world, exceeding that of the American-dominated Hugos, the Japanese Seiuns, the British Arthur C. Clarke Awards, and the Australian Ditmars.

This year, for the first time, Canadian fans will be able to nominate and to vote on-line at the Prix Aurora website. In addition, over two thousand nominating and voting ballots will be distributed through Canadian SF specialty bookstores (such as Vancouver’s White Dwarf, Calgary’s Sentry Box. and Toronto’s Bakka-Phoenix); with subscription copies of Canadian SF magazines (including the English-language On Spec, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine and the French-language Solaris…); to pet nutrition supplement
all members of various associations for SF writers and many flavours of SC & F Clubs and groups; and at over a dozen science-fiction conventions coast-to-coast. Any Canadian resident may nominate and vote for the best Canadian-authored works of Science Fiction and Fantasy published the preceding year in either of the official languages.
Science-fiction conventions and occasionally other groups bid to be designated the year's "Canadian National Science Fiction Convention," or "CanVention," where the Aurora Awards are presented.

So, if you’re a Canadian (or even if you aren't) and you like science fiction, take a look at the list then read and then vote. This is a good opportunity for readers anywhere to see what’s out there in Canadian science fiction and fantasy.

Posted in Press Room; Tags: aurora award, award, Bakka-Phoenix Science Fiction Books, books, Darwin's Paradox, prix aurora award

Michael Mennenga and Michael Stackpole of Dragon Page Cover to Cover talk with Nina Munteanu about her eco-thriller, Darwin’s Paradox. Nina also talks about the dog vitamins and minerals
differences between technical writing and fiction writing, and how she’s managed to make both types of writing help her write better in both realms.

Here's the podcast:

 Cover to Cover #297A: Nina Munteanu [36:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1975)

Posted in Interviews with Nina. Tags: Nina Munteanu, Cover to Cover, Dragon Page, Darwin's Paradox, science fiction, books, interview, eco-thriller

The book signing at Chapters in Pinetree Village (Coquitlam, British Columbia) was splendid. I first met with wonderful and helpful Chapters staff (they are all so friendly!), including managers Jenny and Linda. They even treated me to a Hazelnut latte from the Starbucks there! (I guess they wanted me awake and spry to glad-hand potential Darwin readers, which of course I did!).

No sooner had I set up my Valentine’s Day table, when a natural dog supplement
diverse and interesting group of readers streamed in and greeted me with avid interest. I met young and old (thanks to the chocolates I had out front, no doubt!) and engaged in some diverting and challenging discussions on evolution, creationism, artificial intelligence, synthetic life, among other topics. For instance, I met Louise, an environmental activist at Simon Fraser University, George Meech, another writer (see his “The Mating of Mala” by I Universe, available at Chapters), Janet and Kimberley, a mom and daughter (about the same age as Julie and Angel); Brent, who is fascinated by the architecture of the universe and topics like chaos theory, autopoiesis and synchronicity; Dominika, a behavior psychologist (she’s going to have fun reading about Julie!); John and his daughter, an avid sociologist. I also met Bruce (a fantasy writer) and Gina, a teacher, both who are writers looking to publish.  Just as I dug in my heels to stay the entire evening (I was having too much fun!), Teresa Young and her sidekick, Darlene, descended upon me with promises of a cheap supper and beer. How could I refuse? Teresa is a long-time friend and also the gifted illustrator who will be providing illustrations for the PDF/Audio book version of Darwin’s Paradox, due this summer.  

As always, these signings are a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with readers of different backgrounds, cultures and interests (and not necessarily those who read my book), all intelligent and interesting people. I thank Chapters and their kind staff for this wonderful opportunity.  My tour continues in the Lower Mainland with these events:

• Book signing: Saturday, February 23 at Indigo, Park Royal in West Vancouver from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 1 at Indigo on Marine Drive in North Vancouver from 2 pm to 5 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 8 at Chapters at the Langley Town Centre from 1 pm to 4 pm
• Writing Workshop: Thursday, March 13 at the Fraser Valley Regional Library (Pioneer Library) in Ladner at 7 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 15 at Chapters, Strawberry Hill Center in Surrey at 1 pm to 5 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 22 at Chapters, Granville & Broadway in Vancouver at 1 pm to 4 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 29 at Chapters, Metrotown Centre in Burnaby at 1 pm to 4 pm.

 Hope to see you there. Come and say hi. You might even get a chocolate (if that little kid in the blue top doesn’t get them all first!).       

For those of you visiting or living in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia (Vancouver area), Nina is making several appearances in February and March. You can still catch her at the following venues:

• Book signing: Sunday, February 10 at Chapters, Pinetree Village in Coquitlam from 1:20 until Nina decides to party…
• Book signing: Saturday, February 23 at Indigo, Park Royal in West Vancouver from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 1 at Indigo on Marine Drive in North Vancouver from 2 pm to 5 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 8 at Chapters at the Langley Town Centre from 1 pm to 4 pm
• Writing Workshop: Thursday, March 13 at the Fraser Valley Regional Library (Pioneer Library) in Ladner at 7 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 15 at Chapters, Strawberry Hill Center in Surrey at 1 pm to 5 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 22 at Chapters, Granville & Broadway in Vancouver at 1 pm to 4 pm
• Book signing: Saturday, March 29 at Chapters, Metrotown Centre in Burnaby at 1 pm to 4 pm.

Nina will be signing copies of pet vitamins and minerals
Darwin's Paradox and engaging in discussion about related topics with interested readers. I've heard that on one occasion she even juggled six chocolates while counting backwards (no mean feat for this math-challenged writer). Sorry, no picture.  Nina will then be continuing her book tour in Europe (Paris and possibly Berlin) and returning via Ottawa.  

Posted under Appearances. Tags: Darwin's Paradox, books, book signings, Chapters-Indigo, Nina Munteanu