SHAZIA ESMAIL

Derryl Murphy’s Canadian roots are a prominent aspect of his work.

The Saskatoon author’s most recent release, Over the Darkened Landscape, which was published this past November, brings together 13 short stories from throughout his career.

The collection ranges from science fiction to horror and fantasy and embraces and twists Canadian culture in creative and inventive ways.

In the story “Canadaland,” for instance, Murphy pokes fun at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s contract with Disney — a five-year licensing agreement that the Mounties held at one time with the company. In “Cold Ground,” Murphy transforms rebellion leader Louis Riel into a mystical messiah.

The diverse characters in Murphy’s stories pull in readers, and, though for only a short time, bring the audience into a unique world that is at the same time strikingly familiar. In “Body Solar,” the reader takes a trip through the stars with a character named Simon — a trip that could realistically one day be possible.

Mixing in everyday politics and playing off humanity’s deep-seated desire to touch the stars, the reader is transported to a world very similar to our own, then jettisoned into one that is at present only a fantasy.

Murphy mentioned in an interview with the Sheaf that he likes to take either everyday or surreal situations and lend “them a twist of the fantastic.”

Tales such as “Clink Clank” and “The Day Michael Visited Happy Lake,” for example, bring back childhood memories in very different ways.

“The Day Michael Visited Happy Lake” makes readers think of a time when they played with dolls, talked to stuffed animals or dreamed of adventures in places that only existed in stories. “Clink Clank,” on the other hand, reminds one of things that go bump in the night and the plausible — yet unlikely — explanations for what could cause them.

Murphy, who knew he wanted to be an author from a young age, said his inspirations come from various places, including the environment around him as well as images in his mind. In cases like “Northwest Passage,” a story about the past and present colliding, Murphy’s inspiration came from his personal connection with his grandfather.

Murphy adapts his writing style to each story, often switching from first-person to third-person narrative. Sometimes he employs an entirely unique perspective, like in “Over the Darkened Landscape,” a story told from the point of a dog, Pat.

Murphy displays a finesse and flair for stretching the imagination and transporting readers to a whole new world filled with endless possibilities.

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Photo: Supplied