Nina Munteanu

Nina Munteanu

Congratulations! You’ve landed on the website of Nina Munteanu, Canadian SF author and ecologist.  Very soon, we will have some cool stuff to show you (besides what follows below). Meantime, here’s a little bit about Nina:

The ecologist:  Nina currently does research and gives talks in science and limnology (No! That isn’t the study of limbs! She studies freshwater) and is driven by a passion to help keep our planet’s environment healthy. She is a passionate traveler, and has tasted her way around the world from Bangkok to Paris…  

The author:   Nina has published short stories all over the planet (with translations by magazines into Greek, Romanian, Polish, and Hebrew. Her latest novel, “Darwin’s Paradox” (a science fiction ecological thriller by Dragon Moon Press), explores humanity’s co-evolution with machine intelligence and Nature’s intelligence. She also writes critical essays and reviews, several of which have appeared in Strange Horizons, IROSF, and The New York Review of Science Fiction. Her personal heroes include Dr. Lynn Margulis and author Ray Bradbury.

The Blogger:  Nina is also  The Alien Next Door, author of the award-wining blog which hosts lively discussions on pop culture, travel, science, science fiction, writing and philosophy.

This site, currently under construction, will eventually have diverting articles and news on the topics of:

For READERS it will also show you:

• what she’s written
• where you can purchase it or read it online
• exciting previews of NEW MATERIAL

If you are an aspiring WRITER, you can soon purchase these right here:

• “The Alien’s Guide to Cool Writing” (a practical writer’s guide for the beginner writer from an erudite Alien’s perspective), which gives you easy to adopt rules guaranteed to improve your writing in this or any other galaxy; and, 
• “How to Live Your Passion”, the DVD of Nina’s inspirational lecture (given at the Calliope Conference at the University of British Columbia, Southpointe Academy, Tsawassen and other schools and libraries across Canada) on how to get started and how to keep writing. (”Never give up! Never surrender!”–Galaxy Quest)

Here is what some readers have said about Nina’s writing tips from “The Alien’s Guide to Cool Writing”:

“Beautifully informative!”–Brady Frost, blogger

“Great points; this is an inspiration for me. It’s so motivating to read articles such as yours and get hyped for the work ahead.”–Blackburn, blogger & writer

“Great writing lessons! They are practical and simple for any budding writer.”–Jean-luc Picard (Graham Saeger), blogger & writer 

If you are part of a Book Club or School, Library or other literary organization, you can book Nina for a lecture or workshop.

Here is what a few have to say about Nina’s talks:

“Nina Munteanu  presented to a packed room of participants… [Her talk] was lively and knowledgeable and she made it approachable, relevant and humorous.  Nina was a pleasure to work with. She was enthusiastic, supportive and full of ideas… We had a great time!”—Pamela Richardson, Calliope Conference Coordinator, University of British Columbia.

You can visit Nina’s award-winning blog, The Alien Next Door, which hosts lively discussions on pop culture, travel, science, science fiction, writing and philosophy. Examples of her Alien posts to do with writing, science & science fiction, and reviews of movies and books follow below. You might also enjoy her popular in-depth reviews of movies and books there.

The Barnes & Noble book store in Bozeman, Montana, is located on Main Street, a hip and funky street that gets downright interesting by the time you hit 10th Avenue (more on that in a later post). I signed several copies of Darwin’s Paradox last week at the store and must thank Jeni, Karen and Louise (hope your ankle is better, Louise!) for their help in setting everything up on such short notice. If you live in or near or are simply passing through this cool city in the Montana mountains and gateway to Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park, drop in to Barnes & Noble and pick up a signed copy. Last I heard there were still some left.

Bozeman itself is a colorful and attractive city with cultural diversity and a level of “coolness” that comes from being a university town set amidst lofty mountains with a western flavor. Bozeman is located in the Gallatin Valley, surrounded by magnificent mountain ranges. North of the city, the Bridger Mountains attract thousands of skiers each winter. The Gallatin Range and the Madison Range, south of Bozeman, rise more than 10,000 feet and have peaks covered with snow much of the year. Montana State University is located in Bozeman, with a very attractive campus and programs that range from agricultural sciences, engineering to the fine arts. I spent some time there, particularly in the student union building, where the bookstore and the pub were. I would so enjoy teaching here; I just might…My son wouldn’t mind it too much either. According to PubClub.com: “this is place to go if you love to be outdoors and ski…ski bums are all over the campus and so are the hippies…its a true party college.” The Museum of the Rockies, located on campus, features many wonderful paleontology exhibits. Jack Horner, the world’s top dinosaur hunter and an adviser to the movie “Jurassic Park,” works at the Museum. Occasionally, Museum visitors see Professor Horner inspecting the Museum’s latest exhibits.

The visitor’s guide describes Bozeman as “a charming town. In a John Wayne—Norman Rockwell—Bob Marley sort of way.” The town’s history goes back to the time when Gallatin Valley (where Bozeman lies) was used by Indian tribes, including the Flathead, Sioux, Shoshone, Nez Perce, and Blackfeet, who all hunted for game and edible plants. According to tribal lore, Indians agreed not to fight in the Gallatin Valley, instead conceding to share the area’s beauty and resources with one another. European fur traders came in the 1700s, with Lewis and Clark leading a historic expedition to the Three Forks of the Missouri in 1805. Mountain men roamed through the area trapping beaver and acting as guides.

The town is named after John Bozeman, a Georgian who’d left his family to find fortune in the West. The town was named in his honor in 1864, shortly before he was killed near Yellowstone under mysterious circumstances.

Yellowstone National Park, just south of Bozeman, was created in 1872 and is the first and oldest national park in the world. Bozeman is often referred to as the “Yellowstone Connection”. After an unsuccessful bid to become the state capital, Bozeman was chosen as the site for the new agricultural college, which became Montana State University, home of the fighting Bobcats.

Bozeman currently supports a population of 30,000 interesting “urban cowboys” from young to old and funky to intellectual. From appearance, dress, comportment and speech I was treated to an attractive and exciting commingling of southern wild west and northern yuppy vogue. Travel & Leisure Online wrote: “The look on the street is Carrie Bradshaw in cowboy boots. No need to pack a blow-dryer; the Keep it Wild philosophy extends from nature to hair, which is also left untamed.” I felt at home.