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MEWS photo Terry Peters

LOCAL AUTHOR Crawford Kilizn has been a lover of science fiction
ever since he composed his first story on his mother’s typewriter. Now
on his own computer, Kilian, an accomplished author, works on his

latest sci-fi fantasy, Green Magic.

Local author is
high on sci-fi

EVER SINCE he can remember, local author Crawford
Kilian has been a sci-fi junkie, banging out futuristic stories
of empires and aliens on his mother’s dusty old portable

typewriter.

Now donning the caps of
author, teacher and newspaper
columnist, Kilian remains a con-
firmed sci-fi-a-holic, churning out
nearly a book a year for the last 10

years.
“It beats watching TV,”’ he says
in bis casual way that is classic

EVELYN
JACOB

feature writer

When his latest sci-fi fantasy
novel Green Magic is published
next year, Kilian will have penned
15 books since moving to Canada
almost 22 years ago.

“[’m just getting warmed up
(for Green Magic). I figure Pl
have written about 14,000 words
by the summer.”’

Kilian’s writing career has taken
off at the speed of a rocket since
he first touched Canadian soil.
Born in New York City on Feb. 7,
1941, Kilian grew up in Los
Angeles and Mexico City, and in
1967, he moved to B.C. with his
wife.

Asmall cabin off Capilano
Road in North Vancouver became
the couple’s first home.

“All we knew about B.C. was
from a collection of stories by
Malcolm Lowry,”* recalls Kilian.

Now head honcho of Capilano
College’s Communications

ent, Kilian teaches
business and freelance magazine
writing.

“There are times when writing
gets kind of dull,’’ he says, ‘‘but
then teaching comes along. Both
are rewarding. I'm not a writer
who says, ‘Oh God, I’ve got to

write.’ It’s fun. I like what I do.”

That kid-in-the-candy-store at-
titude has served Kilian well.
Already he is planning two books
as companions to Rogue Emperor,
a time-travel rescue mission.
Gryphon, which he describes as a
space opera, is due out late this
fall.

Anyone would think Kilian had
a factory of sci-fi ideas going on in
his head the way he churns out the
books. Yet he doesn’t see himself
as a great sci-fi innovator; once, he
even tried to fashion himself ofter
Tolkien.

“When I wrote Eyas (1982) I
was going to outdo Tolkien, but it
turned out to be a story about my
family life instead,’’ says Kilian.

“There haven’t been any new
ideas in science fiction for de-
cades,”* he continues. ‘‘Not since
Jules Verne and H.G. Welles.
Everything else has been recycled.
It’s difficult to take a shop-worn
idea and really work it out.’’

Kilian believes that science fic-
tion is not about the future, but
reflects the anxieties of modern
society instead. He himself has
been wrapped up in one particular
modern anxiety — education —
for the last nine years.

Since he first served as trustee
on the North Vancouver School
Roard from 1980-82, Kilian has
been watching the education scene
in B.C. like a hawk from his perch
as the Province newspaper's
education columnist. ‘I can’t
imagine too much education,’’ he
muses.

And though plans for another
non-fiction book may come even-
tually (he wrote School Wars in
1985 and Go Do Some Great
Thing: The Black Pioneers of
British Columbia in 1978), Kilian,
for now, remains immersed in the
world of science fiction.

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19 - Wednesday, February 1, 1989 - North Shore News

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