The nation's top science fiction/fantasy literary awards have had a trophy especially for teen fiction for only the past two years. Neil Godbout is batting a thousand in that Young Adult Novel category. The Prince George writer has been nominated two years in a row, the only two years of their existence, for two different books.
Godbout has been a professional writer for many years, mostly in the realm of newspapers. As a gesture of love to his young daughter Claire, he committed to write her a novel in the genre she likes most. The result was Disintegrate, which hit Claire's bookshelf (and everyone else's) in 2011.
That was followed by Dissolve in 2012, which continued the story, and introduced Godbout and Aurora Awards to each other. Then came Resolve in 2013 to complete the trilogy and a second consecutive appointment with the Aurora shortlist.
Godbout did not win last year's Aurora trophy (it was picked up by Charles de Lint). He is in this year's Young Adult Novel nominee pool with Canadian sci-fi heavyweights Marty Chan, Amanda Sun, S.M. Beiko, D.G. Laderoute and Kelley Armstrong so he's enjoying the juxtaposition of his name and theirs, especially since there will be no three-peat in 2015. He has no book to follow Resolve. As the title implies, this was the end.
"For me, it was always about writing something for Claire. I've done that," he said. "I'm not saying I won't do more in the future, but I am done for now. I'm happy with what I've accomplished. It is thrilling to be nominated for awards, the Aurora Awards are certainly prestigious, but that is a wonderful bonus. I wrote for her, she liked it, and that's my reward."
He said the work involved in writing then producing then promoting a book was heavier than he imagined at the outset. He was lucky, he said, that Disintegrate was signed by a Prince George publishing house - Bundoran Press - which committed also to Dissolve and Resolve. It was like the local minor hockey player getting drafted by the Cougars. It was far from assured to happen, but helpful for both sides of the deal.
"Most writers don't have their editor living in the same town, but [Bundoran cofounder, along with Dominic Maguire] Virginia O'Dine and I could just go for a coffee and talk about these characters like they were real people. That's rare and I really appreciated all her input and her commitment to the people inside the pages," Godbout said.
O'Dine even stayed on as his editor when she sold Bundoran to out of town writer / publisher Hayden Trenholm, who has one of the best Aurora resumes in history.
"Hayden is a straight science fiction guy, and my books were more in the fantasy camp, so I think Resolve is probably the last of its kind that Bundoran Press will ever do," Godbout said. "He lived up to his agreement for the whole trilogy, and he was really supportive, but there is a kind of ending there too, in that sense."
Other winners of Aurora Awards include iconic Canadian writers like William Gibson, Robert Sawyer, Yves Meynard, and many other bestsellers. There are 11 Aurora categories, and the prizes date back to 1980. It is organized and voted on by the members of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association "so it's a peer award, which is a really cool thing," Godbout said.
No Prince George writer has ever won an Aurora. Other than Godbout, the only local to be nominated was Lynda Williams who twice made one of the shortlists for her Okal Rel saga of nine novels plus support materials.
This year's winners will be announced in October during the VCON convention in Vancouver. If you get a membership in the association by June 2, you're eligible to vote.
