Stephanie N Young’s novel, Eclipse of Empires – Supplied Photo
Stephanie N Young – Supplied Photo
Stephanie N Young’s connection to Cold Lake began long before she became a published author.
Young grew up in the area after her family moved to Cold Lake in 1996, when her father was serving in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as a Construction Engineering Technician. Now an author of science-fiction novels, she is returning to the community on October 30th for a book signing and author talk at Turn The Page Bookstore in Cold Lake North.
The event will run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., allowing readers to meet Young and learn more about her writing.
Her family initially lived on Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake in the Martineau neighbourhood before moving off base to Cold Lake South. She graduated from Grand Centre High School in 2007 before leaving to attend university. After returning to teach at what is now Art Smith Aviation Academy, Young and her family eventually moved away, although much of her husband’s family continues to live in the area.
While writing has been a part of Young’s life for as long as she can remember, it was a significant personal experience that prompted her to take it more seriously.
“I have always written. Feeling the compelling need to write every feeling onto paper,” Young said, recalling how she filled diaries with teenage heartbreaks and injustices.
After the birth of her second child, writing took on new significance. Young experienced a near-death experience during her daughter’s delivery, prompting her to reflect on mortality once she and her daughter were healthy and settled at home.
“This experience challenged me to face the realities of death but put a spin on it. I chose fantasy.”
Young turned the experience into a short story, which she later adapted into her second novel, Ascended, expected to be released sometime next year.
Since then, she has continued to develop her skills as a writer, completing a diploma in Creative Writing through the University of Calgary, building on her Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta.
Her experiences growing up in a military family have also found their way into her work. Young said each of her novels features military-related factors.
“I think every child living with a service member in the family has had to deal with loss,”
“Each of my novels so far has militaristic elements. Civil unrest, peacekeeping, that sort of thing. And there is always a tremendous amount of risk, not unlike what our service members go through today,” she added.
Her novel, Eclipse of Empires, explores questions of power, responsibility and the use of resources through an invention she calls the Artifact.
The Artifact can take the resources of a dying planet and recycle them to sustain life on other planets. The concept raises questions about who should have the authority to decide which worlds receive support and what might happen if the technology falls into the wrong hands.
For Young, science fiction provides an opportunity to explore familiar human struggles through unfamiliar settings and possibilities.
“I’m drawn to science fiction because almost anything can happen. Better technology? Totally! Earth-like planets with similar struggles as ours? Absolutely!” she said.
Despite the possibilities offered by advanced technology and distant worlds, Young said the underlying conflicts often come down to human nature.
“But at the end of the day, we all face the same struggles, and ultimately that comes down to greed. Someone always wants more than they have, and they want the power to control it.”
Young’s book is currently available through several online retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, ThriftBooks, Bookshop.org and The Nile.