The World SF News Blog

LJ Syndication for new World SF Blog

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:37:01 GMT

Thanks to one of our readers (thanks, Sue!) we should now have LJ syndication, so if you wish to continue following the blog on LJ, simply go here and click on add.

World SF News Blog Moving to Wordpress

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:35:12 GMT

Effective Immediately -

The World SF News Blog is now hosted over on Wordpress - a more stable, faster and flexible system than LiveJournal (and the adverts have been driving us mad!)

PLEASE update your RSS feeds accordingly and follow us to our new home. All content has been successfully ported over to the new site, and we are planning to offer some exciting new content in the coming weeks, expanding our remit to some original material alongside news and links.

Stay with us! Spread the word, blog about us, and we hope you stick with us through the change.

If you have suggestions - in particular regarding LJ back-syndication or facebook, do let us know. Comments welcome - ideally on the new site -

See you there!

The Croatian Tolkien

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:21:06 GMT

[via Cheryl Morgan] The Croatian SF Blog has an introductory post about Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić (1874-1938), or the "Croatian Tolkien".

Her book Croatian Tales of Long Ago (Priče iz davnine), published in 1916, is among the most popular today in large part because of its adaptation into a computerized interactive fiction product by Helena Bulaja in 2003/2006. In the book Mažuranić created a series of new fairy-tales, but using names and motifs from the Slavic mythology of Croats. It was this that earned her comparisons to Hans Christian Andersen and J.R.R. Tolkien who also wrote completely new stories but based in some elements of real mythology. - read the rest of the post.

Two links for Russian SF

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:04:29 GMT

A good introductory resource to Russian SF writers online is the Russian Science Fiction & Fantasy page, offering English pages on such writers as the Strugatsky Brothers, Sergey Lukyanenko and others. It's a little out-of-date, but still full of good information.

Another excellent page, Russian Science Fiction is an English-language page put up by the Solaris club of Russian fans. It includes articles on Russian SF, information about the fan club and even convention reports. More recent, and well worth checking out.

Romanian Science Fiction to 1990

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:15:35 GMT

Over at Concatenation, A Brief History of Science Fiction in Romania up to 1990:

Things changed radically after 1950, when under Soviet control, Romania underwent a forced transformation process of its social, economic and cultural structure. The Romanian writers were required to reflect in their work the social and scientific accomplishments of the communist area within the so-called 'socialist realism' trend. Censorship was everywhere: the Russian-Soviet model was imposed and the works of most of Romania's writers of the previous period, and relating to nearly all genres, were banned. Paradoxically these restrictions favoured the spreading of the SF literature which the authorities considered 'harmless', and a means of technical and scientific education. Meanwhile for the readers it was a way of escaping the immediate reality of communist drudgery. - Read the rest of the article.

Short Story Club discussion on "The Slows" by Gail Hareven

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:23:24 GMT

Over at Torque Control, the new weekly Short Story Club is discussing Israeli author Gail Hareven's New Yorker story, "The Slows".

What Happened to Arab Science Fiction?

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:56:55 GMT

Continuing our coverage of Arab science fiction, here is Nesrine Malik in the Guardian on What Happened to Arab Science Fiction?

Isaac Asimov once said that "true science fiction could not really exist until people understood the rationalism of science and began to use it with respect in their stories". As Khaled Diab highlighted recently in an article for Cif, there is a discernible suspicion of science in the region, particularly when it sits uncomfortably with faith. In terms of science fiction, the genre could be viewed as an extension of a "foreign" heritage with its roots in Darwinism – one at odds with a monotheist world view. Those that have managed to reconcile the two have attempted to, according to Islam Online, use science fiction as a da'wah (proselytising) tool. In one particular book the mathematical structure of the Quran and obscure religious scriptures help avert the disaster of a swelling sun, reinforcing that Islam is the "ultimate revelation".

But this deprives science fiction of its inherently subversive potential; if there is a sense of despair and censorship, what better way to counter the former and circumvent the latter than engage in flights of fancy and imagination? To vicariously revolutionise and hope via a medium of fantasy? With Arab literature so focused on classical themes, an Orwellian allegory, for instance, would tackle the present and envision a future in a more clandestine fashion than a straightforward political attack. - read the rest of the article.

Nick Mamatas interviewed on editing Haikasoru

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:01:01 GMT

Over at Amazon blog Omnivoracious, Nick Mamatas, editor of the new Haikasoru line of translated Japanese SF novels, talks to Jeff VanderMeer:

Amazon.com: Between now and the end of the year, are there any other releases you're particularly excited about?

Mamatas: Well, Usurper of the Sun--our first hard SF title. It's a planetary adventure about aliens who build a ring around the Sun using planetary material from Mercury. It's interesting for several reasons: it's got scope, we follow the main character from high school to late middle-age as she dedicates herself to understanding the Builders. There's some strange humor in it (Paul Levinson namedropped Murakami in his blurb for a reason!) and a fair amount of it takes place in Berkeley, my current hometown. Also, Battle Royale: The Novel. It's a reissue, with a revised text and a long afterword by the author. At 22 pages, [the afterword is] the longest thing Takami has published, I believe, since Battle Royale itself. It's in the form of a Q/A: we cover everything from his literary influences to his favorite pro wrestlers. - read the rest of the interview.

Italian writer Anna Feruglio Dal Dan on Strange Horizons

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:13:23 GMT

On Strange Horizons this week, a story by Italian writer and translator Anna Feruglio Dal Dan: And This Also Has Been One of the Dark Places of the Earth.

Kilburn High Road at five—the evening rush hour—is like a tinkling river of fireflies, each bicycle with its own wavering, quivering little light, all rattling and clicking as they make their way up towards Cricklewood or down towards London. The hated rickshaws take up too much space—they are getting more numerous each day. The infrequent buses get stranded at this hour, their train of patient, puffing horses easily sidestepped by human muscle. - read the rest of the story.

Arabic SF Prize, Association Plans Announced

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:48:01 GMT

ALECSO (The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization) has announced several exciting plans for developing science fiction in the Arab world, having held a meeting on the topic at its Tunisian offices earlier this year.

The full press release is below:

Closing The Meeting of Science Fiction Literature Experts in the Arab World in Tunis

(Tunis: 07-04-2009)

The meeting of Science Fiction Literature experts in the Arab world that was held at Alecso‘s headquarters concluded its work today.

Therefore, the participants presented at the end of the meeting a list of recommendations to Alecso from which we mention:

1- Preparing a data base of authors and writers who are interested in Science fiction writings.

2- Establishing an Arab association of science fiction authors.

3- Supporting the translation from Arabic into English and from English into Arabic in the field of science fiction.

Moreover, the participants demanded from the Arab countries to:

1- To include the Science fiction literature in the curricula at schools

2- To stimulate Educational, Cultural and informative association to recognize this kind of literature

On the other hand, the participants have supported Alecso‘s intention to launch a prize to encourage young authors to write in the Science fiction field

2nd Arab SF Convention

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:52:37 GMT

The Syrian Arab News Agency reported on the 2nd Arab SF Convention held in August this year in Damascus:

The [Minister of Culture Dr. Riad Naasan Agha] concluded by calling for bolstering science fiction literature in Arab culture due to its ability to open up new horizons.

Dr. Taleb Omran affirmed the importance of science fiction literature, stressing that this genre can develop civilization and noting that Syria was a pioneer in caring for this genre. - read the rest.

There have been several exciting developments in Arab SF this year - more in upcoming posts!

Danish SF Reviewed

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:48:19 GMT

[via Cheryl Morgan] Ommadawn.dk is an English-language site offering reviews of Danish science fiction works.

Lavie Tidhar interview at SF Signal

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:20:50 GMT

Apex Book of World SF editor Lavie Tidhar discusses the anthology, world SF and more over at SF Signal.

SFS: What defines "World SF"? Does it mean that it was originally published in language other than English? Or that it comes from a land where English is not the primary language? What, in your opinion, is the best definition?

LT: It's a good question. I wish I had a good answer! Like all definitions, it can be quite hazy. To me, it's first of all the kind of SF written in languages other than English, but that doesn't take into account that small - but visible! - part of writers choosing to work in English despite it being their second - or even third! - language. And then, English has become such a universal language that in many places it has acquired its own regional flavor - take India or Malaysia or South Africa. And then, what about writers from one background living in another? Is Nnedi Okorafor an American writer or a Nigerian writer? Identities today can easily have two or three layers. You know, I have two different citizenships and a permanent residency somewhere else - I can vote in three countries! So what am I? Who am I? I try not to think about it before the morning coffee...

But I think there's a very serious question of how we depict different cultures. You know, what's the difference between Ian McDonald writing about India, and Vandana Singh writing about India?

... that Ian McDonald gets nominated for a Hugo?

Which I think sums it up, if a little crudely. Is it a question of who's the better writer? I think they're both very good writers. Or does it mean the English-language readership, the American and British and Australian readers prefer an India as viewed from outside, or from inside? There's a very interesting review on Strange Horizons that tries to deal with that question. The point where it becomes interesting is where it says, "Singh's stories were written initially for an American audience, and her stories cannot be painted wholly as a sort of primer for another type of science fiction. . . . This is Singh as teacher of two classrooms. It is here where Singh parts ways with Ian McDonald, a British writer whose novels are about, but not of, India."

You know, I'm hogging this question a little, but this makes me think of reading Philip K. Dick when I was younger. I read a lot of American SF, but I think my heart will always belong to PKD because he was the only one who put me in his books.

I grew up on a kibbutz in Israel. It's a sort of socialist cooperative. Or was when I was growing up. And you know - in the midst of all these American SF novels, with their bright American futures, there was PKD - and he had kibbutzim on Mars! That was me, up there! Not John W. Campbell Jr.'s superior white western Europeans, but people like me! There were Jews in space! Socialist Jews! Campbell wouldn't have liked that, maybe - but to me it was a revelation.

So what is World SF? And more importantly, what shape is it going to take in, say, the next two decades? That's the real interesting question. And that's something that has to be answered by both "sides" of it, the English writers and readers and the non-English writers and readers. But the future simply isn't American any more. The Asian space race is a reality, China and India are massive economic powers - the balance of power is shifting. It's going to be an interesting century to live in... - read the rest of the interview

Round table: Favourite Philippines short stories

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:32:46 GMT

Over at Philippines blog Rocket Kapre, an excellent round-table discussion:

Taking our cue from SF Signal, in Rocket Round Table, we pose a single question to those who toil in the fields of Philippine SF. Our aim is to promote reflection and discussion, as well as to simply compare notes on the genre we know and love. This month we ask the question:

What is your favorite Filipino-created Speculative Fiction story?

Click here to read the answers!

European SF anthology

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:46:43 GMT

As we said, we wanted to look at some anthologies, and here is a short review, as well as a table of contents, of a very interesting anthology - Creatures of Glass and Light: New European Stories of the Fantastic was published in 2007 in Denmark, featuring stories in English from European writers, edited by Klaus Mogensen. It's not clear how to get hold of a copy - it seems to have been published for the 2007 Eurocon.

Getting hold of continental European SF in English is difficult and such offerings are rare. Indeed, though we very occasionally get some translated novels, collections of continental European shorts in English are extremely rare. The reasons for this includes difficulty in translation and in British publishers' commissioning editors being aware of the good stuff in languages other than English. Then there is the further problem that some of the good stuff is really only good for readers from a particular country should it be steeped in that nation's specific cultural references. Furthermore, if the writing is complex translation is all the more difficult such are the idiomatic hurdles. Take all these elements together and it becomes easy to see why it is very difficult for non-Anglophone SF to come out in English, hence become exposed to the SF book reader markets of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, India, the US etc. All of which made the decision of the 2007 Eurocon (Copenhagen, Denmark) and publishers SF Cirklen either very brave or one born of ignorance as to the scale of the problem. Either way it is hats off to Klaus Mogensen for taking on the challenge to publish the best SF stories continental Europe currently has to offer. If Klaus was not aware of the magnitude of his project to begin with (he was not) then he certainly was by its end. Klaus outlines some of the difficulties in a pragmatic introduction. - read the rest of the review.

Zoran Živković to be Guest of Honor at World Fantasy Convention 2009

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:27:53 GMT

World Fantasy Award winner, and Apex Book of World SF contributor, Zoran Živković will be Guest of Honor at the 35th World Fantasy Convetion. It will take place in San Jose, California, Ocrober 29–November 1, 2009.

Congratulations Zoran!

Zoran's novelette, "Compartments", is the closing story in the Apex Book of World SF.

Announcing the special World SF issue of Apex Magazine

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:17:19 GMT

Apex Books have just announced that the November issue of Apex Magazine will be a special issue dedicated to World SF, and guest-edited by Lavie Tidhar. The magazine specialises in dark science fiction short stories.

The November issue will be published to coincide with the publication of The Apex Book of World SF, and will feature two brand-new stories, a story sample from the anthology, as well as interviews with some of the contributors.

Exotic Gothic 3

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:58:05 GMT

Via Charles Tan, we came across the complete table of contents for the anthology Exotic Gothic 3, and not only does it contain a story from Apex Book of World SF contributor Tunku Halim, as we reported, but also - it's uncanny! - stories from no less than three other of our contributors! These being Kaaron Warren, Dean Francis Alfar and Zoran Živković.

First Angry Robot, now Ash-Tree Press... proving the writers assembled in The Apex Book of World SF really are some of the best in the world today.

The full table of contents is available at this link.

Exotic Gothic

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:06:17 GMT

Canadian publishers Ash-Tree Press have been putting together a series of anthologies, Exotic Gothic, which have a nice international flavour. Volume 2 features Apex Book of World SF contributor Dean Francis Alfar (Philippines) as well as Serbian writer Milorad Pavić (author of the Dictionary of the Khazars!) and African writer George Makana Clark, while the forthcoming volume 3 will feature another Apex Book of World SF contributor, Malaysian writer Tunku Halim.

And with (yet another ABoWS contributor) Jetse de Vries' own forthcoming anthology, Shine, rumoured to have something of an international line-up, things are looking up for international writers. We'll try and point your way to some other relevant anthologies this week - and as always, suggestions would be welcome in the comments.

Anil Menon Sums up the Indian Speculative Writing Workshop

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:47:34 GMT

Anil Menon posts his impressions from the recently-concluded Indian writing workshop held at the Kanpur Institute of Technology (IIT-K), which he ran. Part One is here, and Part Two here.

We went around the room and introduced ourselves, in anti-clockwise order (the Lesson Plan was very definite on that). In order: Anil, Shish, Kaushik, Pervin, Manish, Amarjeet, Suneetha, Bodhi, Akshat, Sonali, Sumeet, Vaibhav, Himanshu, Rinku, and Radhika. I remember the order because I wrote their names down. Radhika was missing, but Suneetha, her friend and roomie, explained that their trip to IIT-K had been pretty horrendous, and Radhika was still decompressing. Also absent, was Abha; a leg sprain would keep her from joining the group until later in the week.

As I listened to the intros, I privately marvelled at our luck. The group was incredibly varied. Five women, nine men. Six women, counting Abha. The original group had had eight women, but unfortunately-- and it’s really unfortunate-- two of them-- Swapna Kishore and Fehmida Zakeer-- had had to drop out at the last minute. Shish at twelve years old (claimed to be eighteen) was the youngest, and a math major at IIT-Kanpur. Bodhi at ninety-five was the oldest, and taught literature at the prestigious Xavier’s College in Delhi. Sonali was from Jharkhand, a state that hadn’t existed when I was her age. Amarjeet had a doctorate in literature. Akshat had worked on the set of Lage Raho Munna Bhai. And with kids. And had a degree in English literature. Pervin worked in publishing and had just published a book of poems. Suneetha was involved in a major translation project and had just finished a stint at the Sangam Residency (a writer’s retreat in Pondicherry). Rinku had a doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, taught in Pakistan and edited a book. Himanshu had trained in architecture and now worked as an ad-guy; he’d *resigned* from his job to get the time to attend the workshop. Sumeet was a journalist, now working as a copy-editor. Vaibhav was an engineering student. Manish was a Chem Engg major at IIT-K. Kaushik was in a lit program at IIT-Madras. Radhika (she’d joined us by then), already a published author, lived and worked in London and was attending a Creative Writing program part-time.

I saw Venn diagrams as they spoke. I’d known we had a varied bunch, but this varied? It was a categorical extravaganza. The workshop had four full-time students, two Ph.Ds, five women, nine men, four Bengalis, one Parsi, two Tamilians, one Kashmiri, one Bihari, one Jat, one Oriya, one Malayalee, two Punjabis…. This was India made manifest. The Lesson Plan didn’t allow me to gloat or freak out, so I had to stay calm and pretend this sort of thing happened in every workshop. Bloody hell. Bloody effing hell. Now, if they could write-- well, they could write, which was why they were here, but if they would write-- then the workshop was all set.

Apex Book of World SF Launch in November

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:15:57 GMT

The Apex Book of World SF (still available for pre-orders directly from our publisher) will be published in November as part of a move that sees Apex Books expanding their reach. From Jason Sizemore:

I’m pleased to announce that Apex has contracted Pathway Book Service to provide us with distribution and fulfillment services.

What does this mean to Apex Books?

First and foremost, this should help Apex breakthrough into more brick & mortar bookstores. Via Pathway, we’ll be accepting returns. Also, via Pathway, our books should get more notice and attention from the store buyers.

It means we’re taking a cautious step away from the POD business model we’ve ran for the past three years and moving toward a larger market share and increased sales volume. It’s a big move for a small outfit like Apex Books, but one that is required for us to continue to grow.

We need our fans’ support now more than ever. You’ve propelled us this far, and I have no doubt that with your support, we’ll become a bigger force, a louder force in the genre field.

–Jason

What does this mean for the Apex Book of World SF? Well, it is going to be the first Apex title to be published under the new model, which will see it being distributed into brick-and-mortar stores across the US. We will be promoting the book as much as possible, of course, and have some exciting features being lined up across the various genre media outlets. Of course, nothing can quite match simple word of mouth, so any mention of us on your own blogs or sites would be much appreciated. While we are hoping to do a second volume, but that will depend entirely on sales of the first issue.

We will also, of course, continue with the World SF News Blog.

What you can do to help?

Blog about us. Link back to the World SF News Blog or to our pre-ordering page.
Pre-order!
If you are a reviewer or journalist, contact Jason to request a review copy or to interview any of our contributing authors.

Thank you for your support!

Finnish Fandom Blog

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:19:05 GMT

Partial Recall is an English-language blog dedicated to the activities of science fiction fandom in Finland, with news and links and much content. Take a look!

Aliette de Bodard sells three books; interviewed

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:48:11 GMT

Apex Book of World SF contributor Aliette de Bodard has just signed a three book deal with Angry Robot, the new genre imprint from HarperCollins - congratulations Aliette! She is interviewed by Marshall Payne over on the Bibliophile Stalker blog:

I was born in New York, but didn't really stay long enough for that to make an impression on me (in fact, I was so young when we left that I remember nothing from that time period). I'm half-French, half-Vietnamese, which makes for an interesting intersection of backgrounds: though most of my education was French, my Vietnamese mother and grandmother played a huge part in it.

One of the most formative experiences I had in many ways was living for two years in London as a teenager: it's always eye-opening to move elsewhere, even if the "elsewhere" is a neighboring country. It was also in London that I discovered SF and fantasy as a genre, rather than the occasional book borrowed from the library.

She joins another Apex Book of World SF contributor - Kaaron Warren's first of three novels with Angry Robot, Slights, has been getting rave reviews everywhere. And as if Angry Robot have not had enough, they have also signed up Apex Book of World SF editor Lavie Tidhar. At this rate we won't have any contributors left!

Croatian science fiction online

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:02:15 GMT

CroSF.net is a new website dedicated to Croatian science fiction, featuring several free short stories (including not less than three by Apex Book of World SF contributor Aleksandar Žiljak) and several articles, including Science Fiction in Croatia (again, by Aleksandar). An excellent resource, and well worth cheking out.

Johanna Sinisalo interviewed

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:17:26 GMT

Over at the Nebula Awards Blog, Marshall Payne interviews Finnish writer and Nebula nominee Johanna Sinisalo:

Actually, English is not my second but my third language (Swedish is the second) and I have learned English at school like most Finns. I am not fluent enough to write fiction in English, so it’s obvious I’m depending on translators. “Baby Doll” was translated by David Hackston, who is British, but James and Kathy Morrow helped us edit the story to suit the American market (mostly language-wise).

Because in Finland we have just five million inhabitants, it’s crucial to know other languages. In addition to Swedish and English, I can get along with German and French, and I can speak and read even some Italian. For me, I’m often envious that you Americans can go almost anywhere in the world and be understood in your own native language!

I’m very proud of the Nebula nomination, because it seems extremely rare that a translated work gets nominated. As far as I know, there has been only two translated stories nominated for a Nebula before” Baby Doll”, and both of those were by very renowned writers, namely Italo Calvino and Jorge Luis Borges. It’s a tremendous honour to be in that kind of company. - read the rest of the interview.