Boreal

The Fractured Nation Interviews

Praise For The Interviews

Let's recapture values we love

Les Brost, For The Calgary Herald, June 25, 2007

Dear Canada: It might seem strange to write a letter to a country rather than a person, but there's a first time for everything. I'm writing because next Sunday is our 140th birthday, and I figured that it was a big enough number to deserve a birthday present.

…

That's why my perfect birthday present to Canada would be to help start a national discussion about the Canada we want to see for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I recently found a stimulant for that kind of national discussion. It is a book written by Bernard Payeur and published by Trafford Publishing in Victoria called Canada: The Fractured Nation Interviews. It imagines a world where Canada has been broken up for almost 10 years. The book uses a series of five imaginary television interviews to trace the root causes of the breakup.

A warning to readers: This book suffers from a lack of editing*. I also guarantee that sooner or later you will get p***ed off with the point of view. Do not read this book if you want to continue in the comfortable national doze. Read it only if you are prepared to think -- really think -- about tomorrow's Canada ...

2006 nominee for The Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. "It is a juried award based on excellence of writing in two categories: adult and young adult. The awards are presented annually to Canadian writers with a speculative fiction novel or book-length collection of speculative fiction ..."

* The editing shortcomings have been addressed in the latest edition.