Hard to be a God (Russian: Трудно быть богом)

Details
Title: E greu să fii zeu
Author: Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
Paperback: 239 pages
Publisher: Paralela 45, 2006
Language: Romanian
Original Language: Russian
Translator: Valerian Stoicescu
ISBN: 973-697-365-4

Review
Before 1989 I have read some Russian science fiction. Remember Efremov? Remember Beleaev? I didn’t have much of a choice, as Russian were the only “modern” foreign authors published in Romania.

Efremov versus Strugatky? Military march versus symphony!

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky write in what I call the Russian style. The book is dark, the lives of people are hopeless, and the misery and mud are the main components of everyday life.

The sparks of goodness are small and rare.

The reader is trapped between the immense Earth happiness and intense Arkanar misery.

Authors wrote about their life. About the communism, which promise “eternal” happiness for everybody, but was light-years ahead and about their everyday life.

Beyond the obvious comparison between soviet Russia and don Rumata adventures, the book explores the drama of a human good, of an almost spectator. Don Rumata is neither fully detached, neither fully involved.

Overall I like the book, despite the dark "Russian" feeling.

SciFi & Fantasy Books in Romania

Repost from the CIO Mind

I usually visit a major bookstore twice a month. Since about spring 2004 I only found 2-3 new books in science fiction or fantasy. Because of this I was a loyal customer of airport bookstores. All the airports bookstores have some books in English (even a small French one).

Starting this summer I noticed an increase in number of sci-fi & fantasy books published. But today surprise: I found 20 (twenty) new books.

This is a very good sign. Editors start translating and publishing science fiction books again.


Names and websites (where available) of publishing houses:

Cartea de Buzunar
http://www.cdb.ro

Nemira
http://www.nemira.ro

Tritonic
http://www.tritonic.ro

Paralela 45
http://www.edituraparalela45.ro

Minerva
No web site found

Lucman
http://www.lucman.ro

Tritonic

Review date: 2006/08/30
Site: www.tritonic.ro
Overall: Only if your life depends on it


“We have a site! We have a site!” The cheerleaders sing in front of the stadium. “We have search! We do electronic commerce! You can order online!“ But after the first minutes the spectators already left.

The design is plain ugly and there are many errors. The online orders spits out lots of

“Notice: Undefined index: autor in
/var/www/html/tritonic/tritonic.ro/cos.php”.

I didn’t dare to explore this part further. There are missing pictures. The site break the back browser button. The usability is wonderful but totally missing (Iarta-mă nene Caragiale!)

The good point (there are some :-) ):

• There IS a site
• Many parts function correctly. Unfortunately the fiction.ro collection is in big trouble
• Obviously they invest some energy in the site. This is a good sign.

The sister site www.fiction.ro is even worse. Let’s not go into details.

Notable books:
The New Crobuzon trilogy:

• Statia Pierzaniei (Perdido Street Station)
• Cicatricea (The Scar)
• Consiliul de Fier (Iron Council)

Let's have a web site!

I visited recently Tritonic and Millennium Press web sites. Terrible disappointment.
I seriously consider making a review of sci-fi publisher web sites. I wonder what I’ll find.

To have readers

I started this blog (unlike this one) as a lone wolf exercise, like diary: me and my books. I did not think about readers. Nevertheless I got some.

I published some articles (mostly technical) and I speak regularly at industry events, but a reader leaving a comment on the blog it’s different.

It is a very personal experience. It is nothing like “I saw your article on …”.

Probably that’s why “everybody” blogs.

Reţetarium by Costi Gurgu

Details
Paperback: 283 pages
Publisher: Tritonic, 2006
Language: Romanian
ISBN: 973-733-069-2

Review
Costi builds a coherent world that traps you inside almost until the end. Unfortunately the ending is quite abrupt. Reminds me of Viriconium.

The Man in High Castle

I finished the book last night. As always, when I finish a Philip K. Dick novel I look around trying to see if my reality has any cracks.

His book starts by building a credible alternative history – so credible that one has to abandon the usual mindset of science-fiction reader. Up to a certain point, the novel is like any fiction novel: the peoples, their feeling, and the development of characters. Moreover, when you think you pick the wrong novel, you notice the fine cracks in the reality. With each page the cracks grows larger.

Late at night, I closed the book and put it on the shelf. I looked outside in the dark and tried to feel the cracks in my reality.

Ubik

I am a fan of hard SF and I like cyber punk (i.e. I love “Burning Chrome” of William Gibson). Despite this, when it’s about alternate reality I prefer “The Man in the High Castle”.

Ubik is somehow stuck between two genres. It has something from “The Man in the High Castle” and something different. Many times, I felt like reading an “epic” story (almost Asimov). And exactly when I thought I get it, the story got a twist sending me again into unknown.

For me, Ubik was almost like a roller coaster.

American Goods

My first Gaiman read. What a mix! Egyptian cat goddess Bast, the Irish god Mad Sweeney, and the Slavic god of darkness and death, Czernobog mixed together with modern gods like TV, Malls, the Internet...

The book is a snapshot of American soul more than a science-fiction book.

American Gods is a book you either love or hate it. I looked at Amazon reviews: not many mild ones. Reviewers praise it or flame it.

Anyway, not what I was expecting from a Hugo and Nebula winner.

SciFi & Fantasy Books in Romania

I usually visit a major bookstore twice a month.
Since about spring 2004 I only found 2-3 new books in science fiction or fantasy. Because of this I was a loyal customer of airport bookstores. All the airports bookstores have some books in English (even a small French one).

Starting this summer I noticed an increase in number of sci-fi & fantasy books published. But today surprise: I found 20 (twenty) new books.This is a very good sign. Editors start translating and publishing science fiction books again.

Names and websites (where available) of publishing houses I "meet" today:

Cartea de Buzunar
http://www.cdb.ro

Nemira
http://www.nemira.ro

Tritonic
http://www.tritonic.ro

Paralela 45
http://www.edituraparalela45.ro

Minerva
No web site found

Lucman
http://www.lucman.ro

Creation

I decided to move here all science fiction & fantasy related posts from my other blog (CIO Mind).

Enjoy!