Around the World discussion

So, I was talking to Lexx (my partner) about the Around the World challenge. 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. We already read a lot of UK, US and Australian authors, so would skip them.

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.

I'll revisit the Caribbean thread you set up as well, Jenny.

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

Rusalka - I would recommend two epics from India -- considered mythology -- the Ramayana and the Mahabharata - fascinating and interesting.. I've not selected versions of both epics here because there are several, so if you're interested, browse the versions to see which ones would suit you and Lexx best. Good luck!

This is right up my alley!

China
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (currently nominated for the Hugo Award)

Finland
Tainaron: Mail from Another City by Leena Krohn

Japan
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Kazakhstan
Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

Poland
Solaris by Stanisław Lem

Russia
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

Spain
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (light magical realism but heck isn't everything from Spain?)

I may come back to add more titles!

Thanks guys!

Also,

Nigeria - Nnedi Okorafor - haven't read yet, but have Who Fears Death and Lagoon on my ipad

Poland - The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski - Polish monster hunter - fun.

Middle East Throne of the Crescent Moon - the author, Saladin Ahmed, is Arab-American


Also, quite a few titles listed at http://www.tor.com/2013/03/13/sci-fi-...


I've read a good epic fantasy by a Russian author - am trying to remember and will post when I did ... also think there are some Chinese titles on my ipad ... will try and find.

I love Nnedi Okorafor but she writes in English.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I love Nnedi Okorafor but she writes in English."

oops - sorry - I didn't see that Rusalka was looking for translations only - the other one I mentioned probably doesn't fit the bill either.

Oh no no no. Sorry. My fault. Non-translations are welcome too, but as long as they have an understanding of the culture/country/traditions they are talking about.

I'm not looking for people like me, as white and mono-cultural as they come, imagining how I think a futuristic say Cuba is, when I have absolutely no comprehension what modern day Cuba or Cubans are like besides some ill-informed stereotypes I can probably drag up.

Clear as mud?

Then Nnedi will work! Her futuristic post-tech Africa is interesting in Who Fears Death.

Rusalka wrote: "Oh no no no. Sorry. My fault. Non-translations are welcome too, but as long as they have an understanding of the culture/country/traditions they are talking about.

I'm not looking for people like..."

Aah. In that case I will offer the one and only title that came to mind (sci-fi and fantasy not being my thing) which is Cloud Atlas. In particular, I'm thinking of the sections set in future Korea and perhaps also the not too distant past California. I'm not sure if you will think David Mitchell qualifies for this, but he certainly transported me when I read it.

As promised, the Russian fantasy author I couldn't recall is Alexey Pehov. Another one I've had on my ipad for a while but haven't read.

I also found: (I really need to stop collecting books)

India - The Immortals of Meluha and Samit Basu

China: The Fat Years

Translated vampires: Twilight Forever Rising; Let the Right One In

Thanks guys! Great ideas and my list is filling rapidly.

I started making the World Science Fiction List on my blog, but lately I had no time. It's not only books, films too. https://forculturessake.wordpress.com...

Samit Basu wrote also Turbulence about superheroes in India. Serbian fantasy The Order of the Dragon by Aleksandar Tesic (I highly recommend!).

On the other hand, seeing you gave so low mark to Solaris and so high to graphomaniac Dracula, I don't think I can suggest any books to your liking.

I was curious about Aleksandar Tesic but I can't see that any of his books have been translated - do you have a link Kama to the one you mentioned?

Kama wrote: "On the other hand, seeing you gave so low mark to Solaris and so high to graphomaniac Dracula, I don't think I can suggest any books to your liking."

Thanks Kama, will check them out.

And my ratings are all over the place, you never know what I will enjoy. Even I don't. So please recommend away.

Also my partner has incredibly different tastes to me, (although liked Dracula and is about to read Solaris) so if it doesn't float my boat, I'm happy to pass them on to him. He's the real Sci Fi fan.

Well, I was reading the first part from my library, in Polish. What I found in English is this: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebo...

Not sure if the volumes 2 and 3 were translated, we have only volume 1 in Polish, but it's still worth it. If they won't publish the whole trilogy, I'll read it in Serbian one day ;)

I haven't mentioned it earlier, but you should definitely check out the Apex Book of World SF (sf meaning speculative fiction: horror, fantasy, sf) - they have several volumes of those short stories in English. I have 1st volume at home and there are authors from: Thailand, Netherlands, Israel, China, Australia/Fiji, Philippines, Palestine, Malaysia, France, Croatia (Ziljak), India and Serbia (Zivkovic).

Johanna Sinsalo (Finland) writes fantasy and sf, but I still haven't read her book (troll and LGBT themes).

Ah and I forgot Josef Nesvadba, Czech sf writer. I enjoyed his works. Unfortunately, sf encyclopaedia shows translation to English only up to 1970s.
http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/...

My favourite Japanese sf book is Abe Kobo's Inter Ice Age 4. Of course, there is plenty of Japanese/Chinese/South Korean sf/fantasy comics. There is the Webtoons.com site that have webtoons in English, all legal, some of them are fantasy/sf. And they're holding sf contest for the whole world now. :P

Plenty of things I omitted, but can't give out eveyrthing at once. Need to work on my list. :P

This may be reviving the thread a little but The Stranger and it's sequals by Russian speaking Ukrainian, currently living in Lithuania is good.

Louise wrote: "This may be reviving the thread a little but The Stranger and it's sequals by Russian speaking Ukrainian, currently living in Lithuania is good."

Late response to this too, but thanks Louise!