Canadian Fiction Book Release: Brad Steel's Novel MUTE Launches in U.S.

Following two months of consistent acclaim from readers and critics across Canada, Canadian author Brad Steel will see his novel MUTE (ISBN 0973642106) released in stores across the United States June 15. In MUTE, mad cow disease and mysterious cattle mutilations collide in a plot to win the war on terror at any cost.

Canadian fiction has been enjoying a surge in popularity in the U.S. over recent years, with titles by Canadian authors like Carol Shields, Rohinton Mistry, Alice Munro, Timothy Findley, Michael Ondaatje, Nino Ricci, Douglas Coupland, Farley Mowat, Mordecai Richler, Margaret Atwood, and Yann Martel having experienced an export increase of 331 per cent from 1993 to 2000. And the trend continues.

“I think American readers appreciate the difference between Canadian fiction and their own,“ says Steel. “We've got views and insights that are unique, yet we're similar enough to be understood very readily. I don't think anyone is afraid that Canadian novels are going to suddenly hurt the popularity of American writers or the U.S. book market. We complement each other quite nicely.”

Part of MUTE's uniqueness comes from Steel's characters, he says. And reviews from the media and those posted at sites like Amazon.ca and Chapters.Indigo.ca all seem to concur. His protagonist, veterinarian Kat Francis is written so true-to-life that many tell of having trouble letting go for weeks after reading the book.

“It was definitely a challenge to write from (a woman's) point of view,” Steel says, “and even more so to do it first person present. But once I was immersed in it, the words just poured out. Most readers don't even notice the use of present tense, though the sense of immediacy it achieves is remarkable. The same description written past imperfect doesn't have half the impact.”

Perhaps most remarkably, Steel has managed to marry numerous hot-button topics within the book, which he wrote over an 18-month period after the first case of mad cow was discovered in Canada. “I knew I had to write pretty much nonstop,” Steel says. The book was fast-tracked through production, edited and printed in just a few months.

The biggest surprise, then, may well be how good MUTE is. Steel says he has yet to have even a remotely negative review. “Canadians are really enjoying it so far. I get emails every day from delighted readers. Who knows, maybe they'll think differently in the States,” he says with a smile.”

But with Americans' love for Canadian fiction and such consistently positive reviews, a cool reception may not be all that likely.

MUTE is available starting today in chain and independent bookstores throughout the United States. It continues to ship worldwide at a reduced price from Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0973642106/officialbrads-20/702-2710365-8787218

Author information, as well as reproduction-quality photographs can be downloaded http://www.bradsteel.com

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