Amatka by Karin Tidbeck translated from the Swedish by the author Vintage Books June 27, 2017 224 pages *some spoilers* A lot has been written about Amatka– a strange, compelling, and truly fascinating novel- so I won’t rehash the plot and characters here. Instead, I’ll write about what I found most intriguing and why. Deal? … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: Amatka
Terra Nova: An Anthology of Contemporary Spanish Science Fiction, edited by Mariano Villareal co-selected by Mariano Villareal and Luis Pestarini translated from the Spanish by Sue Burke and Lawrence Schimel Sportula June 15, 2013 258 pages Outstanding novella-length stories make up this important collection of contemporary Spanish-language science fiction. Thanks to translators Sue Burke and … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: Terra Nova
Wicked Weeds by Pedro Cabiya translated from the Spanish (Dominican Republic) by Jessica Powell Mandel Vilar Press October 25, 2016 184 pages Subtitled “A Zombie Novel,” Wicked Weeds is so much more than that. Yes, it is a book whose main character is a self-professed “zombie,” but it is also a work of simultaneously free-wheeling … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: Wicked Weeds
The Bottom of the Sky by Rodrigo Fresán translated from the Spanish by Will Vanderhyden Open Letter Books May 19, 2018 266 pages ** warning: here be spoilers** I’ve got to be honest with you. I seriously don’t know how I’m going to write any kind of coherent review of Fresán’s The Bottom of the … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: The Bottom of the Sky
The Inhabited Island by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky [originally translated from the Russian in 1977 as Prisoners of Power; this new translation is of the uncensored version] translated by Andrew Bromfield Chicago Review Press February 4, 2020 416 pages This novel from the Strugatskys’ Noon Universe is not just about a space traveler from Earth … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: The Inhabited Island
Twelve: A Romanian Science-Fiction Anthology, selected and introduced by Cornel Robu Sedona Publishing House (Timişoara, Romania) 1995 Stories included (in order of original Romanian publication): “Igor’s Mannequin” (1938) by Victor Papilian, tr by Virgil Stanciu“Tristan’s Last Avatar”/ “The Last Avatar of Tristan the Old” (1966) by Vladimir Colin, tr by Mihaela Avrămuţ“Les Trois Grâces” (1976) … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: Twelve: A Romanian Science-Fiction Anthology
Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko translated from the Russian by Julia Meitov Hersey HarperVoyager November 13, 2018 416 pages Vita Nostra is a remarkable example of dark philosophical fantasy and psychological horror. Its simultaneous manipulation of both the reader’s and the main character’s sense of reality is so subtle and even insidious that, … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: Vita Nostra
Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories in a Sustainable World, edited by Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro translated from the Portuguese by Fábio Fernandes World Weaver Press August 7, 2018 286 pages Contents: “Soylent Green is People!” by Carlos Orsi“When Kingdoms Collide” by Telmo Marçal“Breaking News!” by Romeu Martins“Once Upon a Time in a World” by Antonio Luiz M. … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: Solarpunk
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem originally published in Polish in 1961 first translated into English from the French version (by Jean-Michel Jasiensko, 1966) by Joanna Kilmartin and Steve Cox (1970) first direct Polish-to-English translation by Bill Johnston (2011) *contains spoilers Much has been written about Solaris over the years, including the differences between the Polish-to-French-to-English translation … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: Solaris
One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun translated from the Korean by Jung Yewon Tilted Axis Press October 3, 2016 152 pages In her introduction to One Hundred Shadows, Man Booker International Prize winner Han Kang sums up the surreal yet recognizable atmosphere of the novel when she calls it a well-controlled mix of fantasy and … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: One Hundred Shadows
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 