MetaGalaktika #11: A thousand years of Hungarian science fiction, 2009

by Mariann Benkö and Gábor Takács, translated by Csilla Kleinheincz

The subtitle of MetaGalaktika #11 (Metropolis Media, 2009) seems far-flung as the issue reviews only 200-250 years. The editors of the Hungarian science fiction magazine Galaktika were ambitious enough to show concisely and plainly the birth, development, present, and possible future of Hungarian science fiction. Writing about Hungarian science fiction is both a rewarding and a thankless challenge. On one hand, sources are plenty, there are no translation difficulties, on the other hand it is hard to be objective, especially when writing about the present. The contributors managed to put together an informative and interesting issue that is not drowned in scholarly terms yet  academic in depth.

De Bodard, Narayan, Okorafor up for Nebula Award

The Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) have just announced the nominated works for their annual Nebula Awards. French author, and Apex Book of World SF contributor Aliette de Bodard is nominated for Best Novelette, with “The Jaguar House, in Shadow”, from Asimov’s, while the forthcoming Apex Book of World SF 2 Indian contributor Shweta Narayan is also nominated for Best Novelette, with “Pishaach” from the Beastly Bride anthology. And Apex Book of World SF 2 contributor, Nigerian-American writer Nnedi Okorafor, is nominated for her novel Who Fears Death.

The Apex Book of World SF 2 will be published later this year.

In addition, huge congratulations are due to our publishers, Apex Book Company, for having two stories on the ballot this year: Lebanese-Canadian writer Amal El-Mohtar‘s “The Green Book” (published at Apex Online) is up for Best Short Story, alongside Jennifer Peland‘s “Ghosts of New York” (published in Apex anthology Dark Faith).

This is probably the most diverse short-list in the award’s recent history – congratulations to all the nominees and to the SFWA!