You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

So, I was talking to Lexx about the Around the World challenge I do with another group (some of us are in). And we both thought at the same time, how interesting it would be to do an Around the World in Sci Fi and Fantasy. Ideas and imaginings coming from people with completely different mythologies, religions, cultures, languages, values, taboos... could really be fascinating. Then I have no doubt there are still a lot of vampires.

So I went through my previous reads and have pulled off some things I have already read that Lexx could start with. And we read a lot of UK, US and Australian authors. But does anyone have any recommendations of Sci Fi or Fantasy books you have read that were from another culture/country than the above, either in English or translated.

Really interested to hear your thoughts.
(And sorry if you are someone who may see this in the ATW group too.)

I don't have recommendations since I'm not a fantasy or science fiction avid reader. I only read these genres from time to time. Your idea sound interesting, though.
I found this list:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...

Let's see -

Guy Gavriel Kay is from Canada. Any of his books would fit.

Gene Wolfe, American, wrote the Book of The New Sun series.

Michael J. Sullivan, American, one of our own, wrote several including The Riyria Revelations.

The Scar was written by Ukranian Marina Dyachenko.

That's just a quick run through of the epic fantasy I've read.

I'd be interested to see the list that Lexx comes up with. I'm very intrigued by this idea.

Anything by Elisabeth Vonarburg. She was birn in France but as been in Quebec for ages.

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, recently translated from Chinese. I read it last month and gave it four stars. I didn't write a review, partly because I wouldn't know where to start. It's well written and well regarded, and the translator made a real effort to help English speaking readers understand the culture. I would recommend it.

I havent read it but I saw the film and want to read this series. Night Watch Translated from Russian.

While looking for Award Winners for the group read
I came across this: The Map of Time by Félix J. Palma (Spain), which I thought sounded interesting. I haven't read it but will soon. Watch out, it's part of a trilogy!

I also put Guy Gavriel Kay on my list, and am glad to see Janice recommend him.

One of my favorite series is Dr Siri Paiboun Mystery Collection: The Merry Misogynist, Love Songs From A Shallow Grave, Curse Of The Pogo Stick, Anarchy And Old Dogs, Disco For ... Thirty Three Teeth, The Coroner's Lunch set in Laos (sometimes Thailand). It is full of bureaucratic red tape that Dr. Siri manages to dodge somehow. Oh, but it is not really Fantasy or Sci-Fi, although there is a subtle paranormal element.

Thanks all. Will look these up. They sound fascinating.

It turned out on my to read list i have a lot of Russian sci-fi, but not much more.

We've both read Night Watch Vicki, and it's so much better than the movie. Definitely give it a go if you can.

Just picked up The Coroner's Lunch on the weekend Almeta. Will let you know.

You may want to look at this list. You'll have to look at each book to find the English translation.

Thanks Janice. I was trawling that last night. Unfortunately it was mainly Russian, Polish, German and Japanese from what I found last night. There were a few others I snaffled up though (and is why if you were on last night my time I was spamming your update feed).

My bookshelf on goodreads so far looks like this. Some of these were added late at night, and may not be Around the World reads. I have to go back through and edit some I realised I labelled wrong. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Sounds fab. Reading mainly this genre, I struggled with my ATW challenge - didn't think about choosing author.

I read The Lotus Wars trilogy which is by an Australian author but it's set in a Japanese culture which might fit the bill for you. Off to check out my shelves to see if I can recommend anything else (and check out your shelf).

Almeta wrote: "While looking for Award Winners for the group read
I came across this: The Map of Time by Félix J. Palma (Spain), which I thought sounded interesting. I haven't read it but will so..."

Whoa, that is a super huge title to get one's mouth around!!

I remember you've mentioned it before, and you've now piqued my interest. Added - and noting you recommended : )

My shelves are 95% American or UK. Honestly I think I tend to favor the UK authors for no particular reason other than I've always seemed to enjoy writing by authors across the pond. Especially with classics. I didn't even realize so many of the fantasy/sci fi authors I read were from UK u til I started checking my shelves last night. I have read the night watch and following books but since Rusalka recommended them that gives nothing to add to this thread.

Checked my shelves and I can't add much unfortunately apart from a couple.
Nexus by Ramez Naam who is originally from Egypt but a large portion of his life was spent in the US
John Ajvide Lindqvist - You already know about Let the Right One In but he has others too
Genesis is written by an author from New Zealand
The Far Time Incident by Neve Maslakovic (I haven't read this one but I own it) author is originally from Bosnia but again spent large amount of time in US

And the rest of mine are US, Canadadian or UK authors.

Tejas Janet wrote: "Almeta wrote: "While looking for Award Winners for the group read
I came across this: The Map of Time by Félix J. Palma (Spain), which I thought sounded interesting. I haven't read..."

Well really that link is a collection of several books.☺ You would start off with The Coroner's Lunch.

Sarah wrote: "Checked my shelves and I can't add much unfortunately apart from a couple.
Nexus by Ramez Naam who is originally from Egypt but a large portion of his life was spent..."

I think Genesis by Bernard Beckett is brilliant!☺

You won't really find New Zealand culture...but if you haven't read it you must!

Looks like I'll be spamming your shelf, Rusalka.

Some recs:

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine. The author is from the US, but the book is set in some vaguely Far-Eastern country (reminds me a bit of China). Mix of (sort of) steampunk/dystopia. I read it last year and gave it 4 stars; the sequel should be out next August.

Metro 2033 by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky. Scifi/post-apo/dystopian set in Moscow. The first book was a four-star read, the sequel Metro 2034 not so much.

Sarah already recommended John Ajvide Lindqvist, I second that; at least Handling the Undead was a four-star read; set in Sweden.

Aything that you can find by the Finnish author Johanna Sinisalo; at least Troll: A Love Story has been translated into English, maybe some others as well. Excellent spefi/fantasy.

Haven't read it yet but on my TBR list: It Came from the North: An Anthology of Finnish Speculative Fiction

Will see if I find something else.

I've been waiting for your ideas Camilla. Added the latter two to my wishlist. I like the sound of the troll one.

Some that I found in my TBR list, haven't read yet so can't actually recommend, but you might want to check out:

Three Messages and a Warning: Contemporary Mexican Short Stories of the Fantastic

We See a Different Frontier: A Postcolonial Speculative Fiction Anthology

The Cusanus Game by Wolfgang Jeschke own it, haven't yet have time to read it

Blindness by José Saramago just picked it up from the library today, plan to read it soon

The Quantum Thief by Finish author Hannu Rajaniemi

Jules Verne is french if you want to go classic SF.

The Fallen Blade by Jon Courtenay Grimwood who was born in Malta.

Dance of the Assassins by French author Hervé Jubert

Geist by New Zealand author Philippa Ballantine

The Darkness That Comes Before is by another Canadian author.

The Chosen by Ricardo Pinto from Lisbon.

Sarah wrote: "... I like the sound of the troll one."

Yeah, that went on my shelf!☻

Cheers guys!

Glad you recommended the Troll book, Camilla. I found it the other day, and it sounded pretty good. But I got given bad reviews on goodreads, so I didn't add it. I take a personal rec a million times higher.

Rusalka wrote: "Cheers guys!

Glad you recommended the Troll book, Camilla. I found it the other day, and it sounded pretty good. But I got given bad reviews on goodreads, so I didn't add it. I take a personal rec..."

Yes, I took a look at the reviews and people seem to either love it or really don't like it. I guess it comes down to what you expect. For me it was the first book by Johanna Sinisalo that I read, and - as mentioned - have enjoyed many since. Especially her short stories are very enjoyable; sadly I don't think any of her own short story collections have been translated.

So I have nothing in South America, only a couple in Nigeria - so need more Africa, and nothing in Asia besides twenty billion for Japan, and a couple in China and the Philippines.

Any thoughts there?

But not turning away other suggestions in Europe and such. hit me with them! I am racking up an AWESOME list.

Camilla wrote: "Especially her short stories are very enjoyable; sadly I don't think any of her own short story collections have been translated. "

Always sad when that happens. I will keep an eye out though. You never know what may pop up in a year or two. Cheers.

The recent fantasy novel by Ken Liu, The Grace of Kings, is set in alternate China.
I'd also recommend a Polish author, Andrzej Sapkowski and his Witcher cycle beginning with The Last Wish.

Sometimes it's hard for me when I learn how little is actually being translated into English! There is a big variety of translations from European languages into Polish and of course we have our own authors and some of them definitely deserve to be translated. For instance, I like a lot of Russian authors and it seems the only one known to you is Lukyanenko, Sergei whom I avoid anyway.
There is also a not yet finished Scandinavian fantasy Viking trilogy beginning with Swords of Good Men bySnorri Kristjansson
As for the African based novels, I recommend Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor and A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar.

Ooo Thanks Teanka. Viking fantasy!

I agree with avoiding Sergei Lukyanenko. I wouldn't read any more of his stuff except we already have 4 books of his already (bought secondhand though). The man will not get a cent out of me.

Just thought of The Strain by Guillermo del Torro - he's from Mexico. Not read it yet but on my list. I like the TV series.

Interesting. Loved Pan's Labyrinth. Checking it out!

I quite enjoyed The Strain.

Yes Pan's labyrinth is one of my favourite films so I've been itching to read The Strain to see how it compares to his film making. I've heard mixed things though. I think Kimberly hated it.

Damn you Rusalka! My wishlist is growing and growing from this thread. Loving it though. There's got to be some South American Magical Realism out there somewhere to cover that continent better.

Sarah wrote: "Damn you Rusalka! My wishlist is growing and growing from this thread. Loving it though. There's got to be some South American Magical Realism out there somewhere to cover that continent better."

Of course there is but personally I don't count those books as fantasy, same as Blindness by José Saramago isn't fantasy genre.

I liked The Strain TV series, but not enough to read the book I think.

I think I'd have to agree on the magical realism not being true fantasy. but everyone has differing opinions with genres so thought I'd throw it out there.

I think that apart from One Hundred Years of Solitude the most 'magical' South American fiction that I've read were short stories by Jorge Luis Borges , such as The Aleph and Other Stories, Collected Fictions and short stories by Julio Cortázar but I don't know how these collections look like in English (which ones to choose).

Another one is Point Apocalypse by Alex Bobl who is from Russia. I got the book in a kindle daily deal ages ago but still haven't read it.

I am in the Russian lierature group. I can't even remember the kast time I stopped by but I know they had a thread for Russian fantasy at one time

I agree fantasy and magic realism is not the same thing, but in South America you'll probably find much more magic realism than fantasy. I used to read a lot of magic realism many years ago, but I'm in kind of a break now.
Some good ones in my opinion Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Mexico); many books by García Márquez, Gabriel (Colombia), my favorite the short stories collection Eyes of a Blue Dog; some novels by Isabel Allende (Chile), not all so good, I'd say The House of the Spirits is the best.
And in the magic realism line but not south american, I'd say Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (India), which I couldn't finish, but plan to try again in the future. The part I read was VERY magical.

I just had Conservation of Shadows come up as a recommendation. American author Yoon Ha Lee but a lot of the reviews state the stories have an "Asian Flavour" and include some Chinese, Japanese and Korean culture/history/mythology etc. The collection sounds intriguing.

The books of Cornelia Funke are all good

AH! In S-America is Horacio Quiroga, who has written many books, from which some are fantasy (and very good).
Another S-american author is Federico Andahazi, one of my favorite authors, he has many books, which can be listed as fantasy, like The Anatomist or The Merciful WomenÓther books seems not to be translated (like El conquistador, or El secreto de los flamencos

I found this which includes a book translated from Arabic, one from Bengali, one from Romanian, and other countries that have been mentioned.

http://www.sfftawards.org/?page_id=618

They also have lists from a couple of other years.

Thanks Jmom. I went thoroughly through that website until I had to stop for my bookshelves sake. Awesome award though. I never even heard about it until this.

Thanks so much Mariab. I didn't get told you had commented so I hadn't seen your posts until now. I thought you may have some good tips. I am going to go look all of those up right now.

Thanks Sarah. See above, and checking it out too.

Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle will always be one of my favorite science fiction books. People dismiss it because of the cheesy 70s movies, but the book is infinitely clever and well written. Pierre Boulle also wrote The Bridge Over the River Kwai so you know he has talent.

Yes Candice! I loved the book.

Mariab wrote: "Yes Candice! I loved the book."

Have you seen the original movie? I think the "twist" at the end was terrific, but the "twist" at the end of the book was infinitely better, it just wouldn't have worked onscreen.

Oh, yes, I have seen the original movie and watched the old TV serie as well. I have seen the remake from Tim Burton (deeply disappointing) and the new sequels, except the very last one
The ending in the book is priceless!

This book just came up in my feed and it has a lot of translated stories in it - The Apex Book of World SF 4 - I'm guessing the previous 3 editions will also.

Mariab wrote: "Oh, yes, I have seen the original movie and watched the old TV serie as well. I have seen the remake from Tim Burton (deeply disappointing) and the new sequels, except the very last one
The ending ..."

I loved the TV series when I was a kid and have it on DVD. When I am feeling sick enough that reading is out of the question it's my go to material. Goodness knows how many times I've seen each episode. Gotta love 70s TV!