And Sometimes They Fly

Author: Robert Edison Sandiford
Genre: Science Fiction
Tags: Barbados, Canada

And Sometimes They Fly expands on Robert Edison Sandiford’s tradition of telling “real stories about the Caribbean,” often by way of Canada. As enchanted by the legends of the Diaspora’s folklore as Nalo Hopkinson, as curious about the nature of human courage as C. S. Lewis, his first novel is a comic-book-flavoured, Mozart-and tuk-band-backed quest story that asks: How are heroes and villains defined in a post-9/11 world? What role is there for the global citizen when the superpowers fail to serve and protect? Sandiford’s extraordinary characters leave the reader wondering about the choices they make right up to the novel’s final chapter.

About the Book

The disasters of 9/11 trigger a Cataclysm that is unleashed every so many cycles. It can only be averted by the selfless act of the Elect, a trio of exceptional humans who are guided by Milton, a being known as an Elder. The three, all Barbadians, are David Rayside, Marsha Durant and Franck Hurley. And it is their time: to save the world before the deadliest characters of their legends and myths-the baccou, the steel donkey, la djablès, and the heart man-destroy it.

All their lives, the Elect have had their abilities: David, the power of flight; Marsha, incredible strength; and Franck, super speed. With great power may come great responsibility, yet the choice to act or not remains theirs. Milton, like his adversary, Mackie (short for Machiavelli), is an Elder who can inform, not influence, the course of events.

Are the Elect mature enough to decide what’s best for humanity? The longer they take to agree to Milton’s plan, which he can’t reveal until they are all on board, the more their world is overrun with Caribbean folklore creatures.

About the Author

Robert Edison Sandiford

Born in Montreal to Barbadian parents, Robert Edison Sandiford is a short story writer, graphic novelist, novelist, and freelance editor. His books include the award-winning novel And Sometimes They Fly (DC Books, 2013), the story collection Fairfield: The Last Sad Stories of G. Brandon Sisnett (DC Books, 2015), the memoir Sand for Snow: A Caribbean-Canadian Chronicle (DC Books, 2003), and the graphic novel Attractive Forces (NBM, 1997). His story collection The Tree of Youth (DC Books, 2005) was shortlisted (Second Place) for the Frank Collymore Literary Award and won Barbados’ Governor- General’s Award of Excellence in Literary Arts.

Robert teaches research methods part-time at Barbados Community College, and has produced documentaries and animated shorts with Warm Water Productions. He founded in 2003 the publishing company ArtsEtc Inc. (www.artsetcbarbados.com) with the poet Linda M. Deane; among their titles is the groundbreaking Shouts from the Outfield: The ArtsEtc Cricket Anthology (AE Books, 2007).

Appreciative of both sand and snow, Robert still calls Canada and Barbados home.

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