The Snow Queen is a 2000 speculative fiction novel by Canadian writer Eileen Kernaghan.
 | |
| Author | Eileen Kernaghan |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Charles Robinson |
| Publisher | Thistledown Press |
Publication date | May 2000 |
| ISBN | 978-1-894345-14-9 |
| OCLC | 1162809041 |
Development and themes
editThe Snow Queen is based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 fairy tale of the same name, which Kernaghan chose as the primary influence in her novel as it is her favorite work in the genre. Before writing her novel, Kernaghan also published a poem and a short story based on the tale. She considers her novel a "retelling" of Andersen's original story, and notes that The Snow Queen is the only work for which she adopted this compositional approach. The novel also draws influence from the Kalevala (1835), a compilation of Karelian and Finnish mythology and epic poetry.[1] Kernaghan found a contrast between its "older, darker" elements and Andersen's fiction which is based in Christianity.[2]
In a 2005 interview with Strange Horizons, Kernaghan commented that she had applied a feminist aspect to her rendition,[3] a view echoed by writer and critic Russell Blackford in an article for The New York Review of Science Fiction.[4] He also wrote that the novel presents an appealing moral for an audience of teenage girls, portraying the female protagonists supporting each other and having access to the same opportunities as men.[4] Kernaghan acknowledged that Andersen overturns the conventions of the genre by having the story's heroine save the boy, and intended to build on the Little Robber Maiden's character, allowing her to create "uniquely independent female characters".[5] Kernaghan stated that she disliked the more "conventional mid-Victorian ending" of Andersen's original, in which Gerda and her love interest Kai end up together, opting instead to allow Gerda and Ritva to continue on their journey.[2] Locus reviewer Carolyn Cushman felt that Ritva – the more insubordinate and self-sufficient of the two – creates a "strong foil" with the milder, city-dwelling Gerda.[6]
Publication and reception
editThe novel was published by Thistledown Press in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in May 2000,[7] and received critical commentary in science fiction magazines. Blackford thought the novel was an "engaging fantasy", particularly appreciating the character-focused conclusion, which he found "touching". However, he disliked the characterization of Madame Aurore – the novel's antagonist, who is later revealed to be the Snow Queen – as a woman of scientific accomplishment, a choice he found "completely gratuitous" and an unwarranted attempt by Kernaghan to cater to a potential anti-intellectual stance among her younger readers.[4] Science fiction writer Paul Di Filippo praised Kernaghan's "quiet, economical, but carefully considered" writing style in a review published in Realms of Fantasy.[8] Cushman called the story "intelligent [and] magical", and felt that it surpasses the merits of Andersen's original in several aspects, including the ending which she found "bittersweet".[6] In a review for Cinescape, writer and critic Denise Dumars commended the portrayal of the Sámi peoples in contrast with the Victorian society, and felt the novel was a "wonderful retelling" of the original tale.[9] The Snow Queen received the Aurora Award for Best Novel in 2001,[10] and was also nominated for an Endeavour Award in the Distinguished Novel or Collection category.[7]
References
editCitations
edit- ^ Bramwell 2009, p. 102.
- ^ a b Schellenberg & Switzer 2006.
- ^ Wolf 2005.
- ^ a b c Blackford 2001.
- ^ Wolf, cited in Bramwell 2009, p. 102.
- ^ a b Cushman 2000.
- ^ a b Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
- ^ Di Filippo 2000.
- ^ Dumars 2000.
- ^ Science Fiction Awards Database.
Sources
edit- Blackford, Russell (March 2001). "The Snow Queen by Eileen Kernaghan". The New York Review of Science Fiction. Vol. 13, no. 7. p. 22. ISSN 1052-9438.
- Bramwell, Peter (2009). Pagan Themes in Modern Children's Fiction. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-0-230-23689-9.
- Cushman, Carolyn (July 2000). "Short reviews by Carolyn Cushman". Locus. Vol. 45, no. 1. p. 33. ISSN 0047-4959.
- Di Filippo, Paul (October 2000). "Books". Realms of Fantasy. p. 92. ISSN 1078-1951.
- Dumars, Denise (August 18, 2000). "Fiction review: The Snow Queen and Dance of the Snow Dragon". Cinescape. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- "Title: The Snow Queen". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Archived from the original on June 16, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- "Aurora Awards 2001". Science Fiction Awards Database. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- Schellenberg, James; Switzer, David M. (March 10, 2006). "Interview with Eileen Kernaghan". Challenging Destiny. Archived from the original on June 16, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- Wolf, Casey June (March 28, 2005). "Interview: Eileen Kernaghan, poet and novelist". Strange Horizons. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- Wolf, Casey June. "Revisiting The Snow Queen". The Online Lonely Cry. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
Further reading
edit- Findon, Joanne (2018). "The imaginary north in Eileen Kernaghan's The Snow Queen". In Hudson, Aida (ed.). Children's Literature and Imaginative Geography. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. ISBN 978-1-7711-2325-9.
- Lehtonen, Sanna (2019). "Touring the magical North – Borealism and the indigenous Sámi in contemporary English-language children's fantasy literature". European Journal of Cultural Studies. 22 (3): 327–344. doi:10.1177/1367549417722091. ISSN 1460-3551.
- Wood, Naomi (2007). "The ugly duckling's legacy: Adulteration, contemporary fantasy, and the dark". Marvels & Tales. 20 (2). Wayne State University Press: 193–207. doi:10.1353/mat.2007.0019. ISSN 1536-1802.