Fact, Fiction, & Fantasy

Fact, Fiction, & Fantasy
by Saskatoon Writers’ Club Inc.
Published by Saskatoon Writers’ Club Inc.
Review by Marlin Legare
$15.00 ISBN 9781777528928

Fact, Fiction, & Fantasy can be best described as a delightful reminder of the great things that can be achieved with community, teamwork, and passion. Written and published by the Saskatoon Writers’ Club Inc., this anthology includes 18 distinct Saskatoon authors who have come together to create a whopping 59 separate pieces of literature into one comprehensive celebration of the literary arts. Not only that, but it is a celebration of passion for writing and the great things that can come of a local community’s “Do It Yourself” spirit. To judge a book by its cover, the homespun nature of this book is reflected in the book’s photographic cover of Saskatoon’s beautiful river and skyline taken by the club’s very own president, Stacey Simpkins.

Writing is always more fun to read when it comes from a place of love and passion. I have not read a book in a long time that embodies this more than Fact, Fiction, & Fantasy. The reader is treated to a literary buffet within the 186 pages of this project that spans from short stories, poetry, recollections, and musings. Rigid adherence to arbitrary word counts and thematic restrictions are not found in this book. This allows the exceptional authors, many of them award winning, in this compilation to shine as they were meant to. Although my education and training in proper poetry is admittedly limited, the poetry and prose in this collection was some of my favourite pieces in the collection. As a layman, I was still able to read aloud the poetry contained in this book and find rhythmic sense in it. Not only that, but the emotion and message of each poem is clear and leaves the reader with an impression of the emotion conveyed. I do not mean it as a slight but rather a compliment to the poets in this book to suggest that a reader does not need a PhD in Renaissance Literature to appreciate and absorb their work.

The short stories and flash fiction contained here are just as delightful and accessible as the poetry. One piece that acted as a tribute to The Lord of the Rings stuck out to me. It was exceptionally well written and true to the source material. There were other short stories that did not intrigue me as much but am guessing that would be a rave with someone else. This quality is a good thing, I believe that almost anyone could find some enjoyment from this piece.

I do not just recommend this book because it is a local piece, I recommend it because of its quality and accessibility. This book can be read back-to-back, but a reader could also get just as much enjoyment from a page at a time. It is perfect as a living room bookshelf addition or a gift to the frequent flyer in your family. My kudos to the Saskatoon Writers’ Club for bringing their passion to life and I look forward to their future work.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM