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National Library News

September 1995, vol. 27, no. 9

Spotlight on...
New Dimensions at the National Library

by Andrea Paradis,
Public Programs

"Out of This World: Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy", the National Li-brary's latest and biggest ever exhibition, opened on May 12. The timing was perfect: the opening was the first featured activity in a weekend of science-fiction events in Ottawa, including major convention activities. At the Talisman Hotel, "Canvention 15", a national celebration of science-fiction and fantasy history and culture, ended with the presentation of the 1995 Aurora Awards recognizing the best in Canadian science fiction and fantasy. "CAN-CON 95", Ottawa's own annual science-fiction convention, featured a multi-disciplinary academic conference on Canadian content in speculative literature. And the French- language convention, "Boréal 12", featured round tables, authors' signings, panel discussions and the presentation of the 15th Boréal Awards. Both "CAN-CON 95" and "Boréal 12" featured panel discussions on the exhibition "Out of This World". The triple whammy had a powerful effect: fans, authors, scholars, innocent bystanders and even a few sceptics were sucked into the vortex.

The weekend experience all began with a transporter. Indeed, the visitor's very first encounter in the main lobby of the Library (after meeting the Commission-aires) is as close as most of us will ever get to a working transporter. Travellers ascend a platform, triggering light and sound effects. At the press of a small yellow button, books really ARE "transported" from one pod to another to another. Thus far, reaction to the book transporter has been overwhelming: a flood of civil servants want to know if the device can be adapted to transport people. There is a now a waiting list of volunteered names, which includes a very high ratio of senior managers. But that is another story, for sometime in the future...!

Last fall, when we first outlined our plans for the exhibition (National Library News, vol. 26, nos. 8-9, August/September 1994, pp. 18-23), the storyline, including themes and sub-themes, had been written, and the main published content had been selected. Major themes were eventually limited to eight, including: "Identity Variations"; "Family and Ethnicity in Canadian Fantastic Fiction"; "Fantastic Voyages"; "Strange Worlds and Strange Peoples"; "Quebec Fantasy and Science Fiction"; "The Genre Variations"; "The Media Variations"; and "Who Reads This Stuff? The Publishers of and Audience for Fantastic Fiction".

After the transporter introduction, the exhibition formally starts with the best-known early Canadian work of science fiction, James de Mille's A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder, published in 1888. In all the major lit- erary themes of the exhibition, we hark back to major works of Canadian literature which address like themes. Thus we find Louis Hémon's Maria Chapdelaine or Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel at the beginning of "Identity Variations", leading us to our science-fiction and fantasy examples under the first sub-theme, "Canadian Fiction and the Search for Identity". In the same vein, while the exhibition specifically examines Canadian science fiction and fantasy, we recognize the roots of the genres in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds.

Once our themes were determined, the curatorial team of Hugh Spencer and Allan Weiss fine-tuned the storyline and began gathering the core materials to be taken from the Toronto Public Library's Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy and from the National Library. They worked with National Library staff and with our project partners, the Merril Collection's Lorna Toolis and her staff. Notable treasures include an original typed manuscript of Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana from the Merril Collection, notebooks and annotated manuscript materials from W.P. Kinsella's Shoeless Joe held by the National Library's Literary Manuscript Division, and a unique artist's edition of William Gibson's Agrippa, on loan from the author.

Bringing the chosen materials to the exhibition designer began a painful process. The designer's job is to marry concept, content and space (not to mention budget and time). Space plays cruel tricks on exhibition curators, for the items selected in the first round of research had to be drastically reduced from more than 300 book titles alone, to the final total of 148 book titles that could be fitted into the exhibition room. This total does not include montages of comic books, videos, fanzines, magazines and audio record- ings in all formats, all grouped under appropriate themes. A combination of determination and sacrifice helped us to achieve a workable list of contents suitable for the available space, and we were even able to construct several listening stations where visitors can enjoy brief segments of favourite (or forgotten) radio dramas and commentary. A background music track of science fiction and fantasy- related music ties the whole package together.

In addition to the published materials, we show costumes from the films Johnny Mnemonic, The Handmaid's Tale and Millenniumthe art of Johannes Bok and Martin Springett, among others; comic book art by Michael Cherkas and Larry Hancock; animation art from by Nelvana Studios; and drawings of authors by artist/author Heather Spears. There is a display of toy robots from the collection of exhibition curator Hugh Spencer. And, to demonstrate the link between science and fiction, we have "Herman", a model of a humanoid that could have evolved from a specific dinosaur, had evolution and natural circumstances taken a certain twist as hypothesized by Dr. Dale Russell, formerly at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

We were delighted when space outside the main exhibition room became available, since this meant we could dedicate the room to the collection materials and locate interactive and family-oriented elements of the exhibition in the daylight of the main lobby. Thus the "transporter room" was created, followed by a push-button video station featuring classic clips such as the opening sequence of The Twilight Zone, now produced by Canada's own Atlantis Studios. A 1954 episode of Space Command unearthed in the CBC vaults features Canadian actor James Doohan ("Chief Engineer Scott" in STAR TREK) as part of a space crew looking for signs of travellers from other planets -- does this sound familiar? On loan from Starlight Holographics, a large revolving holograph of the earth hangs in space near the video station.

Many more whimsical, educational and entertaining details lead the visitor's attention down the hallway towards the written word, the ultimate focus of the exhibition.

One notable element of the exhibition that may not be readily visible to the visitor is the incredible support we received, particularly from authors, readers and fans. Suggestions, ideas, volunteered help and offers of artworks, books, artifacts and other materials for the exhibition were abundant. All were appreciated, many were used, and the communication helped us to keep our vision focussed and our spirits up during the three-year creation process.

The exhibition is on view daily from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., free of charge, until January 21, 1996. While a visit in person is the best way to experience the exhibition, there are several alternatives for those who cannot transport their bodies to Ottawa.

There is a free exhibition booklet outlining the exhibition themes and sub-themes and listing the books on view. Also available are a poster ($5.00/copy) and an anthology of essays ($19.95/copy), both available from the Friends of the National Library. The Friends are also selling T-shirts, yo- yos and baseball caps featuring the exhibition design.

OUT OF THIS WORLD is on the World Wide Web. Visit the exhibition from your own work/play site. Address/URL in English: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/events/sci-fi/esci-fi.htm and
in French: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/events/sci-fi/fsci-fi.htm.
The National Library's home page address is http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/ehome.htm and
the exhibits page address is http://http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/events/exhibits.htm

To order a copy of the souvenir booklet, contact:

Marketing and Publishing
National Library of Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N4
Telephone: (613) 995-7969
Fax: (613) 991-9871
TTY: (613) 992-6969
Internet: publications@nlc-bnc.ca

To purchase the poster, anthology or other souvenirs, contact:

Friends of the National Library of Canada
National Library of Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N4
Telephone: (613) 992-8304
Fax: (613) 943-2343
TTY: (613) 992-6969

Please note: cheques or money orders should be made out to the Friends of the National Library.