This has been on my mind a lot. I would assume that most readers lump “world SF” and “SF in translation” together, but we all know what they say about assuming… Nevertheless, “world SF” and “SF in translation” mean very different things because, obviously, the latter type of text has been translated from another language.
original publication in Korean: 역병의 바다 (Alma, 2020) translated from the Korean by Sophie Bowman this edition: Tor Nightfire, 2026 112 pages grab a copy here or through your local independent bookstore or library A Plagued Sea, Sophie Bowman’s translation of Kim Bo-Young’s 역병의 바다 , is a work of Lovecraftian cosmic horror set firmly
Not Yet Gods by Djuna, translated from the Korean by Gord Sellar and Jihyun Park (Kaya Press, August 11) Following the landmark English-language publication of Everything Good Dies Here, Kaya Press delivers more provocative thought experiments by pseudonymous author Djuna, whose writings on internet culture have attracted a cult following in South Korea. Not Yet
I say this all the time, but you wouldn’t believe how much work there is to do in the SFT space. It’s way too much for just a few people. An army of SFT enthusiasts would start to put a dent in this treasure chest. Speaking of “treasure,” calling SFT a “hidden treasure” is like
translated from the Spanish (Spain) by Carolina De Robertis original publication (in Spanish): Rendición, 2017 this edition: Mariner Books, 2020 211 pages grab a copy here or through your local independent bookstore or library * Rendición won the Alfaguara Prize for 2017 (awarded to a work written in Spanish that has never before been published)
The European Science Fiction Society recently announced their 2026 award winners, which include Hall of Fame Award winners Luís Filipe Silva (Portugal) (Best Author), Stéphanie Hans (France) (Best Artist), Supernova (Slovenia) (Best Magazine), Ohneohren (Austria) (Best Publisher), Francesco Verso (Italy) (Best Promoter), and Mariano Martin Rodriguez (Spain, nominated by Moldova) (Best Translator); as well as
My second book on SF in translation, Speculative Fiction in Translation from Around the World, is coming out from the University of Wales Press this September. Read all about it here!
translated from the Spanish (Argentina) by Jordan Landsman original publication (in Spanish): 1978 this edition: Transit Books, 2026 152 pages grab a copy here or through your local independent bookstore or library I thought I was prepared to read Ángel Bonomini’s collection Slow Elephants of Milan when I learned that he was a contemporary of
“The Animator and the Glazer” by Ju Chu, translated from the Chinese by S. Qiouyi Lu (Clarkesworld, July 1) The Playful Lem: A Short Story Sampler by Stanislaw Lem, translated from the Polish by Michael Kandel (Modern Language Association of America, July 1) Conjuring worlds in which robots are kings and Earthlings exist on the
In my previous essay on this site, I discussed the fact that several international sf magazines have risen and fallen over the years. Many of them offered speculative stories in English translation from all over the world, enriching the genre and introducing Anglophone readers to stories, traditions, and cultures with which they were unfamiliar. Thankfully,
