Chaos Calling, page 32
The land surrounding Sudbury is acidic, which makes it ideal for blueberries to grow. I named the reserve using the Anishinaabemowin word miinikaa, which means “there are (many) blueberries.”
In the world of the novel, Miinikaa First Nation would be part of the very real Robinson Huron Treaty, since the treaty includes the land around Sudbury. The Robinson Huron Treaty was signed in 1850 between the Government of Canada and the 21 First Nations living on the land it encompasses.
In 2012, these nations filed a claim to ask the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario to increase the annuity paid to their members for the first time in over one hundred and fifty years. At the time of this writing, their case is still before the courts.
Learn more by visiting https://www.robinsonhurontreaty1850.com/.
On Diverse Stories
Writing about twenty-first-century Toronto means attempting to reflect the diversity of people, backgrounds, and perspectives that I encounter here, despite my individual limitations.
From the beginning, I embraced the importance of having sensitivity readers review my work for the inherent biases that I hold as a white woman and a settler. It’s not for me to say whether my attempts to write inclusively are successful. I will say that I prefer by far to make the attempt—and listen, learn, and try again—than to write a version of Toronto that doesn’t reflect the vibrant, varied, and wonderful people I have met here.
Throughout the project, I was fortunate to have access to many diverse perspectives via my beta readers. For example, when I wondered what Leona might have said to Dave during his convalescence (see Chapter 4), an Anishinaabe beta reader pointed me toward the Seven Grandfather teachings. We discussed how the story might allude to them without sharing an actual teaching, which I did not wish to do. If you’d like to learn more, Tanya Talaga’s podcast Seven Truths is an accessible starting point.
After completing the structural edit for this book in 2020, I sought more formal feedback from two sensitivity readers, one for the Lin family’s Chinese Canadian heritage and the other for the LaRoque family’s Anishinaabe heritage. To respect their wishes, I’ve omitted their names. I’m thankful for their time and insight.
Any remaining shortcomings of this work are mine. You can find more about my approach to sensitivity reading in my website’s Resources section: emwilliams.ca.
Building a Book Brand
Naming a novel is one of the more daunting tasks authors face when choosing to self-publish. I have named companies, products, and (not least of all) children, but finding my way through this process involved a lot of soul-searching. Thank you to Amanda M., Johnathan N., Brad B., Julia M., Wesley L., and Jerry for your feedback and advice.
Helen He brought the skyworms to vivid life through her illustrations. Working from my descriptions, she immediately grasped their aura of menace. Helen, I was so excited when you suggested they should have a tentacle inside their mouths, too! Thank you!
I met Wesley Lyn in the trenches of Toronto tech. Beyond volunteering to act as a beta reader, Wes took on the series’ cover designs and brand identity. His stunning work speaks for itself. Thank you, Wes! I’m so grateful for your friendship and expertise.
Richard Rudy has been building websites with me since we graduated from university. He built emwilliams.ca, too. You’re the best, Rick.
Sim R. created the video trailers that launched this book to the world. Thank you so much for your wonderful work, Sim.
When it was time to test ebook layouts, Tanya D. Z. and Mike Z. patiently played with endless file formats until I got it right. Thank you both.
For marketing, positioning, and campaign advice, I am perpetually grateful to Amanda M., Brad B., Will C., Meredith A., April D., Sarah S., and the GrowClass Slack channel. You’re brilliant.
A Journey, not a Destination
Across my writing life, I’ve been mentored by some exemplary people. For conversations great and small, thank you to Jenny P. C., Marian B., Peter B., Melissa N., Jonathan N., Fazila S., Kay K., Jenny H., Sonnet L., Valerie P., Sever B., Sabrina F., Sana M. D., Elaine S., Sarah S., Meredith A., Lyssa N., Mike B., Bob R., Nalo H., Elizabeth A. H., Connie W., and Harry C.
In 2005, I met Diana K., Hardy K., and the late T. J. O’Neil in a speculative fiction writing class via the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. We formed a writing group that continued until 2012. It featured a lot of great work, good laughs, hard truths, and an abundance of cheese boards. Tim, we miss you still.
When this story came roaring at me, Kay K. offered encouragement, held space for my fears, and keep me focused. You’re the best, K-Town.
In recent years, my writing sisters have held me accountable and kept me going. Thank you to Diana K., Jennifer M., and Kirsten C. for your unflagging love.
On my last pandemic mile, Dayana Cadet provided the coaching I needed to check my fears and commit to a launch plan. It was a pleasure to collaborate with you, Dayana.
Profound thanks also go to my advisors and extended family, past and present: I’m grateful for your love and insight. You’re with me always.
My parents and brother remain my greatest champions. Mom, you truly are my superfan. All my love.
In my husband, Jerry, I have an in-house historian and a long-suffering beta reader who is always willing to diagram battle strategy, contemplate skyworm abilities, and push the limits of my thinking. Here’s to the next round of one a.m. giggles. I love you.
This book is dedicated to our children: fine curators of memes, wrestling champions, TikTok enthusiasts, and my companions for our nightly reading sessions. Your unshakeable belief in and curiosity about my writing means everything to me. I can’t wait to see which dreams you’ll chase.
E. M. Williams
Toronto, ON
October 25, 2021
Character Index
In Toronto, Ontario
Anna Lin – a Realtor
Malcolm Nazarenko – Anna’s husband and a detective constable in the Toronto Police Service’s Financial Crimes Unit
Tim Nazarenko – Anna and Malcolm’s son
Erin Nazarenko – Anna and Malcolm’s daughter
Chun-Mei Lin – mother of Anna and Jason, Malcolm’s mother-in-law, deceased
Dr. Erik (nee Lynn) Lin – father of Anna and Jason, Malcolm’s father-in-law, and a clinician researcher at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Henry Montcalm – adoptive father of Dave and chief of the Toronto Police Service
Sarita Montcalm – adoptive mother of Dave, retired from her nursing career
Walter Delal – a venture capitalist, early investor in Rune Software, and friend of Dave’s
Bob Cloar – deputy chief of the Toronto Police Service
Brenda Edwards – sergeant with the Toronto Police Service
Krista Johansen – constable with the Toronto Police Service
Raymond Leong – constable with the Toronto Police Service
Christopher Barry – detective constable with the Toronto Police Service, Malcolm’s partner
Nancy Coleman – Anna and Malcolm’s neighbour
Nina Reyes – a family lawyer
Carl Mason – an IT manager in Toronto’s banking sector
Jenna Kovi – a graduate student in the University of Toronto’s History Department
Kalos – former Xenthian teacher to Anna, Jason, and Dave
In Vancouver, British Columbia
Dr. Jason Lin – Anna’s twin brother and an emergency room physician
Margo (nee Cheung) Lin – Jason’s wife and a theatre director
Ivy Wong – Margo’s longtime best friend and business partner
Lou Wong – Ivy’s husband
At Miinikaa First Nation
Dave LaRoque Montcalm – Anna’s and Jason’s best friend from childhood and the co-founder and former CEO of Rune Software
Leona LaRoque – Dave’s aunt and a community organizer
Rose LaRoque – Dave’s biological mother and Leona’s sister, deceased
Ryan Charron – Leona’s longtime boyfriend and owner of a construction company
Janessa Drake – a student in Dave’s coding workshop
Emily – a teaching assistant in Dave’s coding workshop
Ian – a teaching assistant in Dave’s coding workshop
In Boston, USA
Halina “Hal” Mendes – Dave’s former business partner and the co-founder and current chief technology officer of Rune Software
Charles Larkin – a venture capitalist, owner of Beakhead Capital and a major investor in Rune Software
Pronunciation Guide and Glossary
Anishinaabemowin Words
Dave, Leona, and Ryan speak Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Anishinaabe people, with varying degrees of fluency.
Rather than give loose phonetic pronunciations in English, I suggest you do what I did and visit the Ojibwe People’s Dictionary at https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu to look the words up. If you are reading a digital copy of this book, I’ve linked them for you. Many of the words have an orange volume icon that you can click to hear them pronounced by an individual speaker. The definitions listed here are cited from that source.
Anishinaabe – A person, a human (in contrast to a nonhuman being).
Anishinaabemowin – The language spoken by Anishinaabe people.
ashigan – A fish of the sunfish family (e.g., a rock bass).
miigwech – Thank you.
miinikaa – There are (many) blueberries.
piiche or apichi – A robin; the sensitivity reader with whom I worked shared the ‘piiche’ spelling of the word with me.
Invented Words
Naming things is hard. If fighting skyworms has been an underground global project for millennia, I wanted to find terms for my imagined worlds that were inclusive and suggested a blending of ideas and cultures in this effort over time.
Choosing the word “xhen” to name the energy that the characters use set the tone for many other decisions.
Words derived from Greek
kalos /CAL-os/ – in Greek, this word can mean good, noble, or handsome. It’s also a masculine word. Kalos is a being motivated by his understanding of good and noble action, so it seemed perfect for him.
Xenthian /ZEN-thee-an / – technically, this word should have an “h” after the “x,” but I prefer how it looks this way.
xhen /ZHEN/ – in Greek, xeno is the root word for strange or foreign. I thought strangeness was a good concept around which to ground the energy that the characters use. I added the “h” and dropped the “o” to make the word my own. It begins with the “zh” phonetic sound of “measure” or “usual.”
Word derived from Finnish
valoi – in Finnish, “valo” is the word for light. I added the “i” to the end because I liked how The Valoi Knights looked and sounded.
Word derived from Gaelic
skal /sss-CAAL / – in Gaelic, the language of the Irish, scál or scaal can mean 1) a supernatural being or phantom, 2) a being or person, 3) a giant or a hero, and 4) also a burst, flash, or blast. I loved the idea of the skyworms being the supernatural hero giants in their own minds, so using skal as their word for the energy they use in bursts or flashes fit on a lot of levels. It also sounds a bit serpentine, which I liked. I changed the C to a K at my copyeditor’s suggestion to help make the word more visually distinct.
Word derived from Maltese
tarkan /TAR-can/ – in Maltese, “tarka” is the word for shield. In my first drafts, I used “first shield” or “shields” to describe the brave people who opt to fight alongside Anna, Jason, and Dave. As I sat with the words over time and my thinking about the origins of xhen and Kalos became clearer, I wanted a word that was more unique to the story. Doing a word search on “shield in other languages” led me here.
Word derived from Turkish
Kalxhan /CAL-zh-aan/ – in Turkish, “kalkan” is the word for shield and the word “xhan” means dear or darling. I liked the idea of mixing these two words to make a hybrid: a beloved shield. The way it echoes the spelling of “xhen” also appealed to me.
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About E. M. Williams
Born in Northern Ontario, E. M. Williams has written all her life. Chaos Calling is her first published novel.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Arts in Literary Theory from the University of Guelph. She also completed a course in writing speculative fiction through the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies and is a former member of the Science Fiction Research Association.
In 2012, she gave a TedxTalk on women, superheroes, and power. Originally intended to put her past work in scholarship to a useful purpose, it inadvertently supercharged her writing.
E. M. Williams currently lives with her family in Toronto where she works in the technology sector.
E. M. Williams, Chaos Calling
