Comments on: Japanese SF and English-language original SF

By: Arlean A.

Arlean A. — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:15:58 +0000

Great site! I can’t remember too evidently but I think I found your blog through a link someone shared on Twitter. I Love the content I’ve seen so far and will definitely revisit read more soon. By the way, are you on Facebook? I fancy the way you write and I’m going to subscribe to read more whenever I can. Oh yeah, are you on Facebook yet?

By: Omonomono » All You Need Is Kill Is All You Need for a Taste of H.

Omonomono » All You Need Is Kill Is All You Need for a Taste of H. — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:02:25 +0000

[...] A lot of SF coming down the pipe from Haikasoru will be heavily influenced by western SF. Or Japanese SF in general is heavily influenced. What a big surprise. KILL [...]

By: markh

markh — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:23:28 +0000

Interesting article.

@Turner: Kazuo Ishiguro is actually an anglophone writer.

By: fritz freiheit.com blog » Link d.

fritz freiheit.com blog » Link d. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:10:39 +0000

[...] Japanese SF and English-language original SF � Haikasoru (Writing,Genre,SF,Japan,Japanese) [...]

By: The Sofanauts » The Sofanauts No 9.

The Sofanauts » The Sofanauts No 9. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:51:40 +0000

[...] The difference between Japanese and American science fiction [...]

By: Terry M.

Terry M. — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:54:30 +0000

Hi. The project sounds great. Anything that pushes boundaries and gets people thinking is to be encouraged, and with good translations Japanese SF might raise the profile of written (as apposed to movie) science fiction.

Douglas Warwick’s story appeared in Issue #1 of Murky Depths. We’re now putting together Issue #9 with a new story from Juliet E McKenna, and a story from Mike Carey coming up in Issue #10.

By: gillian

gillian — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:31:17 +0000

Answer to nickmamatas:
Thank you for your answer and YES, you are right! Mangas can be very serious. Not only serious, but also poetic, imaginative and original in a way literary SF unfortunately fails to be nowadays.
It is also true that “The expression of the issues seem more accessible to someone who hasn’t already been training himself or herself to read SF since the age of eight” and I do not think that there are many children out there who’ve read SF at the age of eight and certainly not many teenagers either. On the contrary, children and teenagers adore mangas, comics and video games.
Despite all this, the SF world does not seem ready to get the messages. They insist on writing very serious stories, sometimes even difficult for an adult to read and understand.Imagine what it must be for a poor kid to read such stories!
I also think that the Japanese short stories of SF must be very interesting. One or two were translated in previous French anthologies (like Yasutaka Tsutsui’s “The Last Smoker”in UTOPIAE 2006) and they were excellent stories. I would like to read more, but unfortunately, there is the problem of translation.
A wonderful thing that you give people the opportunity to read Japanese SF!
I sincerely hope that SF writers will be influenced and inspired by Japanese SF and follow your example.

By: nickmamatas

nickmamatas — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:40:28 +0000

gillian,

Hey there. I have heard of Murky Depths–my friend Doug Warrick published a story in it and I have a copy of that issue.

Manga (and Japanese SF) can be plenty serious. Even kids are concerned about issues and relationships. The expression of the issues seem more accessible to someone who hasn’t already been training himself or herself to read SF since the age of eight.

By: gillian

gillian — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:18:28 +0000

Apologies for my comments yesterday;I got it all wrong. I thought that you were an English site of Japanese SF. That’s what happens when you read info at 3h00 in the morning and your brain is in sieves…
Congratulations for your initiative! It is an excellent one. I know how much young people love mangas (not only in anglophone countries. This happens in ALL European countries). I admit that I love reading mangas as well.
I regret that SF people do not seem to realize that if they want to attract a young audience, they have to be inspired by mangas. And comics. One of the ways to make SF more attractive (all right, not the only one!) is to transform SF, to make it less serious, more entertaining, less gloomy. Getting ideas in mangas is no shame. Unfortunately, in the majority of SF world the idea that prevails is that write a manga (or comic) inspired story is not very “serious”.
Some efforts are done. I do not know if you have heard of British magazine MURKY DEPTHS. This magazine publishes graphic stories, SF, dark fantasy and horror. The art and the illustrations are awesome and the fusion of different genres results in great, enjoyable stories.
I sincerely hope that more people will follow the example of this magazine. And that they will listen to your wise advice as well…
Good luck with HAIKASORU; I will try to follow it closely and I am sure it will be great!

By: Cynthia W.

Cynthia W. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:14:10 +0000

Very interesting article.

I haven’t read any Japanese SF (though I’ve been reading/watching manga since the ’80s and anime (unknowingly) since the late ’70s [Star Blazers]. Sounds like I need to start reading Japanese print SF.

Having seen American friends write playful old-school just plain fun SF of professional quality, only to have it rejected by the pro Anglophone editors, I don’t know that Anglophone authors are solely responsible for the paucity of original English language print SF.

Although one American friend just wrote three excellent fun SF/F stories, two of them especially playful. And sold them 1, 2, 3 to Anglophone SF/F markets.

Oh, wait. He sold them to Anglophone SF/F =erotica= markets.