Nina Munteanu

Nina Munteanu

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I'm an eco-fiction author, limnologist/aquatic ecologist, photographer, instructor at UofT. I explore and celebrate the fractal Natural World from microscopic diatoms and miniature lichens and fungi to the giant cedars and pines of old-growth forests

710 followers 493 following2.2K posts

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Nina Munteanu identified as a leading voice in eco-scifi-fiction #ecofiction #scifi #fiction #leadingvoice #NinaMunteanu themeaningofwater.com/2025/08/17/n...

themeaningofwater.comNina Munteanu Identified as a Leading Voice in Eco-SciFi FictionInventor/author Kyo Hwang Cho recently identified Nina Munteanu, Kim Stanley Robinson, Jeff VanderMeer, and Richard Powers as Leading Voices in Eco-Science Fiction in an article on the LinkedIn Sky…

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Why reading and writing eco-fiction will save the world... #reading #writing #ecofiction #clifi #solarpunk themeaningofwater.com/2023/02/05/w...

themeaningofwater.comWhy Writing and Reading Eco-Fiction Will Save the World—From CliFi to SolarpunkFence and post to a wetland in the rain, ON (photo by Nina Munteanu) The Universe is made of stories, not atoms—Muriel Rukeyser Canadian writer Mary Woodbury tells us that: “Fiction exploring …

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After she and fellow colonists crash land on the hostile jungle planet of Mega, rebel-scientist Izumi, widower and hermit, boldly sets out against orders on a hunch that may ultimately save her fellow survivors—but may also risk all... #shortstory #sf #space themeaningofwater.com/2018/01/23/f...

themeaningofwater.comFingal’s Cave by Nina MunteanuAfter she and fellow colonists crash land on the hostile jungle planet of Mega, rebel-scientist Izumi, widower and hermit, boldly sets out against orders on a hunch that may ultimately save her fel…

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Canadian speculative authors list the scariest movie they've seen ... did you catch my choice? ... #Halloween #scarymovies #horror #films timothysjohnston.com/canadian-wri...

timothysjohnston.comCanadian Writers of Speculative Fiction Tell Us About their Favourite Scary MoviesCanadian Writers of Speculative Fiction Tell Us About their Favourite Scary Movies I put the call out to Canadian writers of Speculative Fiction: What is your favourite horror film? Do you remember…

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Co-existence vs competition ... hmmm... what a concept! How plants can teach us how to behave... #plants #plantbehaviour #plantbehavior themeaningofwater.com/2026/10/25/c...

themeaningofwater.comCo-Existence vs. Competition in a Changing EnvironmentSunflowers, Missouri field (photo by Nina Munteanu) . James Cahill, researcher at the University of Alberta, studies the interface between plant behaviour and community ecology. Specifically, he st…

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Driving the Dempster ... Story research for my eco-thriller Thalweg #Dempster #TheNorth #FortMcPherson #Inuvik #Tuk #Thalweg ninamunteanu.me/2026/10/25/d...

ninamunteanu.meDriving the Dempster Highway—Fort McPherson, Inuvik, Tuk … ’Thalweg’Dempster Highway, north of Fort McPherson, NWT (photo by NIna Munteanu) . In my upcoming eco-fiction novel Thalweg, Gwich’in limnologist Bobby-Jo makes her way back home to Fort McPherson, NWT, aft…

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During my morning walk in the rain, I saw this lovely Fly Agaric pair in Elgin Park ... the one was huge, as large as my outstretched hand... #FlyAgaric #Amanita #mushrooms

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When tools get the better of us: we are giving away our capacity to problem solve and be creative and imaginative... #AI #genAI #ChatGPT #cognition #cognitivesurender ninamunteanu.me/2026/10/18/c...

ninamunteanu.meCognitive Surrender of Humans to the MachineA recent MIT study reports that reliance on AI is causing mass ‘cognitive surrender.’ The study revealed that pervasive artificial intelligence usage is fundamentally eroding active learning …

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The magic of bogs... #CamosunBog #bogs #beauty #Nature #NaturePhotography themeaningofwater.com/2023/09/10/t...

themeaningofwater.comThe Wonders of Camosun Bog, VancouverAnne and her two Labrador retrievers explore Camosun Bog’s own Labradors (as in tea), BC (photo by Nina Munteanu) Every summer I travel back to the Vancouver area in British Columbia to visit…

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The common cattail ... More than common ... #foraging #cattails #Typha #nature #beauty themeaningofwater.com/2026/09/20/t...

themeaningofwater.comThe Common Cattail (Typha latifolia)—ForagingBoardwalk through beaver pond marsh of cattails, Elgin Park, BC (photo by Nina Munteanu) . While marshes are usually avoided by many of us as mosquito-ridden, impossible to walk in places, who does…

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Saw all these ducks in a single walk in Elgin Marsh ... #ducks #marsh #nature #environment (images by Cornell, Wikipedia, Ducks Unlimited, Maryland Zoo, Boreal Songbird)

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WOOHOO! The latest newsletter of Inanna Publications features my upcoming eco-fiction thriller Thalweg! Coming in May 2027! #books #ecofiction #InannaPublications #newreleases #Thalweg

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I and my novel "A Diary in the Age of Water" feature in an article called "Seeking Solace" on that whole 51st state thing... #books #jingoism #novels #ecofiction #dystopia this.org/2026/10/19/s...

this.orgThis Magazine → Seeking solace

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Exposition in fiction ... when is it too much and when is it too little?... #onwriting #fiction #exposition #writers #WritingCommunity ninamunteanu.me/2015/07/04/t...

ninamunteanu.meTo Expose or Not to Expose…That is the QuestionIn fiction, exposition breaks away from the ongoing action of a scene to give information. It can be a paragraph or go on for several pages. Exposition often provides contextual information critica…

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When curiosity saves the cat... #curiosity #cats ninamunteanu.me/2025/01/26/w...

ninamunteanu.meWhen Curiosity Saves (the Cat)The texture of the world, its filigree and scrollwork, means that there is a possibility for beauty hereAnnie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Something parents often say to get their kids to behav…

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When pingos explode ... #climatechange #TheNorth #pingos #Thalweg #climatefiction themeaningofwater.com/2026/10/04/w...

themeaningofwater.comWhen Pingos Explode … ‘Thalweg’The sleepy village of Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean, NWT (photos by Nina Munteanu) . A few years ago, I travelled to the village Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories on the Arctic Sea. I was …

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Climate change is all about water ... #water #climatechange themeaningofwater.com/2018/01/07/c...

themeaningofwater.comClimate Change: The Exponential Curve of Sea Level RiseClimate change is all about water. Water plays a key role from microscopic to local to global perspectives. Hydrogen bonding. Freezing point. Heat of vaporization. Surface tension. Viscosity…

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When the permafrost is gone ... #AgeOfWater #Thalweg #climatechange #climatefiction themeaningofwater.com/2017/03/24/w...

themeaningofwater.comWhen the Permafrost Is Gone…In my upcoming near-future novel “A Diary in the Age of Water”, a Gwich’in colleague of the main character discovers that her entire community, shilakut, perished in a sudden flood in Fort McPherso…

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The Polywater Equation ... an eco-horror #shortstory about when water turns to jelly... #polywater www.metastellar.com/fiction/the-...

metastellar.comThe Polywater Equation“The Polywater Equation” follows a retired limnologist’s choice to break convention and follow her heart after a series of serious water mishaps (incidents of water turning to ‘jelly’) …

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Is love the God particle?... Review of "Interstellar" #filmreview #reviews #Interstellar #godparticle ninamunteanu.me/2023/09/10/i...

ninamunteanu.meMovie Review: “Interstellar”–Is Love the God Particle?Cooper investigates an alien ice planet . Critical reception for Christopher Nolan’s science fiction blockbuster movie Interstellar was widely mixed. Reviews ranged from being dazzled and awe…

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When we surrender to the 'machine' ... #genAI #AritificialIntelligence #AI #cognition ninamunteanu.me/2026/10/18/c...

ninamunteanu.meCognitive Surrender of Humans to the MachineA recent MIT study reports that reliance on AI is causing mass ‘cognitive surrender.’ The study revealed that pervasive artificial intelligence usage is fundamentally eroding active learning …

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The last polar epishelf lake in Canada is gone ... #climatechange #epishelf #lakes #limnology #ecology themeaningofwater.com/2026/10/18/t...

themeaningofwater.comThe Last Polar Epishelf Lake in Canada is GoneIce break up, Ellesmere Island (photo by University of Alberta) . “Canada’s only remaining epishelf lake—made up of freshwater floating on saltwater—is gone, along with the unique ecosystem it supp…

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I interview poet and songwriter Honey Novick on #sustainability www.realityskimming.com/post/honey-n...

realityskimming.comHoney Novick on SustainabilityHoney Novick discusses sustainability and her poetry

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WOOT! I found my book "Gaia's Revolution" selling at Magers & Quinn Booksellers in Minneapolis. The store is on Hennepin Avenue... #books #bookstores #ecofiction #climatethriller #GaiasRevolution

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In light of #Anthropic predictions and #OpenAI discoveries, this interpretation of AI behaviour is highly relevant ... ninamunteanu.me/2026/10/11/l...

ninamunteanu.meLLMs: When AI Behaves Like a VirusI recently came across an interesting approach to the use of Large Language Models by researchers from Santa Fe Institute, Harvard University, CSIC, and others. The preprint, published on the arXiv…

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Book Review: Craig Russel's "Fragment" ... #bookstoread #ecofiction #climatechange ninamunteanu.me/2020/05/16/c...

ninamunteanu.meBook Review: Craig Russell’s “Fragment” in the time of COVID-19Craig Russell begins his eco-thriller Fragment with a TV interview of glaciologist Kate Sexsmith in Scott Base Antarctica. The interview is interrupted by what turns out to be four runaway glaciers…

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When a mushroom hunt finds a deadly beauty ... #LBMs #mushrooms #fungi #ecology #poisonmushrooms themeaningofwater.com/2022/10/23/w...

themeaningofwater.comWhen A Mushroom Hunt Finds a Deadly BeautyMark S. Burnham old-growth forest, ON (photo by Nina Munteanu) . In mid-October, I went on a guided mushroom hike with the Peterborough Field Naturalists in Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park. The par…

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The semi-colon is dead; long live the semicolon! #semicolon #punctuation #onwriting #grammar ninamunteanu.me/2021/02/28/t...

ninamunteanu.meThe Semi-Colon is Dead; Long Live the SemicolonIce forms on the shores of Jackson Creek in early winter, ON (photo by Nina Munteanu) I’ve been a coaching writers for over two decades. I help fiction and non-fiction writers get published. I teac…

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When a leaf falls into a stream ... #RCC #RiverContinuumConcept #aquatic #ecology #limnology themeaningofwater.com/2026/02/08/w...

themeaningofwater.comWhen a Leaf Falls into a Stream…I’m a limnologist and aquatic ecologist. I spent several years of field work walking along streams, studying how energy and nutrients flow through them, what determines what lives in them and why. …

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A walk in Watershed Park, British Columbia #nature #walks #walking #environment #forests #BritishColumbia themeaningofwater.com/2025/11/16/a...

themeaningofwater.comA Walk in Watershed Park, British ColumbiaSince moving back to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia after living for a while in Ontario, I’ve been reacquainting myself with the local forests. My son reminded me that I used to drive him t…

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Soundscape ecology-a new way to measure biodiversity in an ecosystem-has deep roots in Canada in the 1960s R. Murray Schafer at SFU, Vancouver, founded the World Soundscape Project to study the sonic environment... #soundscape #ecology #birds #ecosystem #biodiversity ninamunteanu.me/2026/09/06/r...

ninamunteanu.meRobin’s Last Song: Soundscape Ecology & Structures of FeelingMay 2071 I rock on the cedar swing on my veranda and hear the wind rustling through the gaunt forest. An abandoned nest, the forest sighs in low ponderous notes. It sighs of a gentler time. A time …

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How my birdwatching helps me stay smart ... #birdwatching #birds #cognition themeaningofwater.com/2026/08/02/h...

themeaningofwater.comHow My Birdwatching Helps Me Stay SmartDouglas fir trees in a morning mist, Watershed Park, BC (photo by Nina Munteanu) . Since moving back to Vancouver, British Columbia, I’ve been exploring anew old haunts and finding new places to ex…

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Autumn is just around the corner ... #autumn #fall #fallcolours #sugarmaple #Ontario #trees themeaningofwater.com/2022/10/30/t...

themeaningofwater.comThe Magic of AutumnHayes Line dressed in fall colours, ON (photo and rendition by Nina Munteanu) It’s autumn in the Kawarthas of Ontario. When leaves fall with the bluster of a chill wind, but not before turning into…

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Eco-fiction books that make you care and give you hope ... #ecofiction #booksworthreading #books #hope #optimism ninamunteanu.me/2025/01/05/e...

ninamunteanu.meEco-Fiction Books that Make You Care and Give You Hope. Some time ago, Shepherd invited me to share some of my favourite stories and why I picked them. I decided to feature novels that moved me greatly and inspired me to action. I chose five works of …

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Solastalgia in an AI world of destinations ... #solastalgia #AI #OnWriting #nature ninamunteanu.me/2026/05/10/s...

ninamunteanu.meSolastalgia in an AI World of DestinationsMarsh outlet of Thompson Creek into the Otonabee River, ON (photo and rendition by Nina Munteanu) On a recent walk through a vibrant local marsh quietly embedded in a community, I contemplated its …

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When we unbalance the water cycle, water gets grumpy, climate gets unruly and trees get lonely ... #water #watercycle #balance themeaningofwater.com/2026/10/11/w...

themeaningofwater.comWhen We Unbalance the Water Cycle, Water Gets Grumpy, Climate Gets Unruly & Trees Get LonelyWater is all-powerful. It is the chief instigator and driver of climate and climate change. Water quenches our thirst. Water heals our bodies and the land. Water flows everywhere. It flows undergro…

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When AI behaves like a virus ... #LLM #AI #genAI #cognitivevirus #ChatGPT #virus ninamunteanu.me/2026/10/11/l...

ninamunteanu.meLLMs: When AI Behaves Like a VirusI recently came across an interesting approach to the use of Large Language Models by researchers from Santa Fe Institute, Harvard University, CSIC, and others. The preprint, published on the arXiv…

Nina Munteanu reposted

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Place as character in literature ... #place #character #literature #onwriting #writers #WritingCommunity ninamunteanu.me/2026/08/02/p...

ninamunteanu.mePlace as Character in LiteraturePlace ultimately portrays what lies at the heart of a story. Place as character provides an archetype that story characters connect with and navigate in ways that depend on the story’s theme, parti…

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Measuring #sustainability using the tool of Soundscape Ecology ... #soundscape #ecology #acoustics #biodiversity www.realityskimming.com/post/measuri...

realityskimming.comMeasuring Sustainability: Soundscape EcologyNina Munteanu explores declining bird populations and soundscape ecology

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Do plants communicate? Why this is important for us... #plant #communication #SuzanneSimard #plantintelligence themeaningofwater.com/2018/09/09/d...

themeaningofwater.comDo Plants Communicate? Why Is This Important For Us?A few weeks ago I went with Margaret on a nature walk led by UBC Professor and botanist Terry McIntosh in the Pacific Spirit Forest Park at UBC. McIntosh led us through a previously logged forest o…

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View across marsh into misty forest through swamp oak trees ... #marsh #fog #oaktrees #NaturePhotography #photography

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Check out my fun interview with Simon and Susan on Writers to Writers Podcast #authorinterview #interviews #onwriting #Canadian #ecofiction #sciencefiction ninamunteanu.me/2026/08/23/n...

ninamunteanu.meNina Munteanu Interview on Writers To Writers PodcastNina Munteanu with Simon Rose and Suzanne Lieurance on Writers To Writers Podcast . I was recently interviewed by Simon Rose and Suzanne Lieurance on Episode 4 of Writers To Writers June 2026. We c…

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Acknowledging intelligence in nature... #biosemiosis #nature #intelligence #nostoc ninamunteanu.me/2026/08/16/b...

ninamunteanu.meBiosemiosis: Acknowledging Intelligence in NatureIn my latest eco-fiction novel (Re)Genesis (upcoming), four teenagers in ‘small town’ Ontario discover and unravel a conspiracy by a chemical factory that uses shapeshifting substances for weapon u…

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When the forest reveals its archetypes... #onwriting #fiction #archetypes #nature #herald #EcologyOfStory #storytelling #ecology #trickster #shapeshifter ninamunteanu.me/2026/07/19/w...

ninamunteanu.meWhen the Forest Reveals its ArchetypesIt is early spring and I’m walking through one of my favourite woodlands in Ontario’s Carolinian forests. The river that had swollen with snow melt just a week before, now flows with more restraint…

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Green science fiction and Nina Munteanu's "A Diary in the Age of Water" #climatefiction #green #sciencefiction #ecofiction #speculativefiction ninamunteanu.me/2026/06/07/g...

ninamunteanu.meGreen Science Fiction and Nina Munteanu’s “A Diary in the Age of Water”I recently encountered Victoria Crozier’s intriguing PhD thesis and ecocritical discourse out of Liverpool John Moores University entitled “The Brave New Worlds of Green Science Fiction…

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The fogs are back in the marsh ... winter's coming... #photography #NaturePhotography #marsh #fog

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Leading voices in eco-scifi-fiction #scifi #ecofiction #sciencefiction #leadingvoices themeaningofwater.com/2025/08/17/n...

themeaningofwater.comNina Munteanu Identified as a Leading Voice in Eco-SciFi FictionInventor/author Kyo Hwang Cho recently identified Nina Munteanu, Kim Stanley Robinson, Jeff VanderMeer, and Richard Powers as Leading Voices in Eco-Science Fiction in an article on the LinkedIn Sky…

Nina Munteanu reposted

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When pingos explode ... #pingo #permafrost #climatechange #books #thalweg #ecofiction #climatefiction #Arctic #Tuktoyaktuk ninamunteanu.me/2026/09/27/w...

ninamunteanu.meWhen Pingos Explode … ‘Thalweg’The sleepy village of Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean, NWT (photos by Nina Munteanu) . A few years ago, I travelled to the village Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories on the Arctic Ocean. I wa…

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What do Climate change, othering and AI have in common?... #climatechange #othering #AI #onwriting ninamunteanu.me/2026/09/20/o...

ninamunteanu.me‘Othering’ in the Time of Climate Change & The AI CultOur current world—under the final shadow of climate calamity and environmental destruction—is steadily polarizing: politically, socially, and environmentally. Wealthy vs. poor. Privileged vs. inden…

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When fungi shapeshift ... #fungi #mushrooms #fungus #Kretzschmaria themeaningofwater.com/2025/08/24/m...

themeaningofwater.comMisunderstood Shapeshifting Fungi: Kretzschmaria deustaAsexual form of Kretzschmaria deusta colonizing a rotting maple log, Mark S. Burnham Forest, ON (photo by Nina Munteanu) Back in school, I learned that fungi play diverse and important roles in eco…