The "International" SF Recommendations List

[stonetools]

This may surprise many Americans, but there are many notable non-English speaking writers of speculative fiction.

Check this LINK for a list of "international" SF authors (where " international" means "non-English-speaking).

Read the comments for even more recommendations. Please add your own recommendations here, if you will.

I am not in any way associated with this site, for the record. Its just a nice list of international SF authors.

[xg4bx]

The Nightwatch series by Sergei Lukyanenko is awesome as is the Metro 2033 series by Dmitri Glukhovski.

The 4 books in the Nightwatch series are all readily available in english. Metro 2033 is a little harder to get but it's out there. It's sequel, Metro 2034 doesn't have an english translation yet to my knowledge but there's a video game based on it coming next year so that will probably change.

I should note that there are 2 excellent films available based on the first 2 Nightwatch books as well. They're very well done and artistically gorgeous.

[jehane]

TBH, I'm not always aware of where writers are from. And the list linked is far from non-English-speaking - last time I checked, we speak English here in Australia too...

The first on my list is the only non-Anglophone author, but I read in English so it's necessarily skewed towards books published in English and therefore Anglophone authors.

My read list:
Sergei Lukyanenko (Russia) - I was horrified that the description on the cover of this was "Russian Harry Potter". Not even close. This is SO much better. (No, I am not a Harry Potter fan.)
Guy Gavriel Kay (Canada) - one of my favourites, historical fantasy.
Ekaterina Sedia (Russia/US) - I started Secret History of Moscow but due to other distractions didn't get to finish it before it had to go back to the library. But it was very promising and it's still on the TBR virtual pile.

The rest are all Australian
Isobelle Carmody - if only she would finish the Obernewtyn series! I read the first one when it came out over 20 years ago and still waiting for the series end.
Greg Egan - classic SF
Marianne de Pierres - I preferred the Parrish Plessis series to the Dark Space series
Simon Haynes - who is a member here...
Sean McMullen
Shannah Jay
Juliet Marillier
Jennifer Fallon
Gillian Rubinstein
Matthew Reilly - he described his work as thinly disguised fantasy quests in a recent panel discussion

I'm sure there's more that I've read and am just not aware of their nationality. I just noticed that I have not read any Kiwi authors and now I can't think of any!

[Penforhire]

I need to read more foreign SF. I very much liked the English translation of Sergei's Watch series (though fantasy, not SF). Also enjoyed most of Takami's Battle Royale, though it felt less mature and more shallow.

Huh, also really enjoyed the video games based on Sapkowski's The Witcher. Must check out those texts!

[stonetools]

And the list linked is far from non-English-speaking - last time I checked, we speak English here in Australia too...

You call that barbarous dialect you mumble in Australia English?
Ok, just joking. I'm originally from Jamaica, and lots of people don't believe English is spoken there.
I guess I should have said "mostly non-English speaking".
Thanks for your list of Aussie authors. Apart from Greg Egan, I didn't know of any Australian SF authors.
What I wanted to do in this thread is expose SF authors outside the US-UK axis. I know of a couple from Canada (Atwood, Sawyer) and a couple from the English-speaking Caribbean(Tobias Bucknell, Nalo Hopkinson). I know of a well regarded SF novel from South Africa ,Zoo City, Lauren Beukes.. Otherwise, I got nothing from outside UK/US.
I would welcome recommendations of authors from outside UK/US, whether they write in English or not.

[DiapDealer]

Svetlana Martynchik has written the The Labyrinths of Echo series. The 10 books in the series have sold over 2 million copies in Russia alone. The first two books have been translated to English (The Stranger and The Stranger's Woes). She writes under the pen name Max Frei—who is also the main character and narrator of the books.

They're probably not technically SF, but the article itself was fairly loose with it's interpretation of SF as well, so I feel justified in mentioning her/them. They definitely fall under the umbrella of speculative fiction.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by stonetools

You call that barbarous dialect you mumble in Australia English?
Ok, just joking. I'm originally from Jamaica, and lots of people don't believe English is spoken there.
I guess I should have said "mostly non-English speaking".
Thanks for your list of Aussie authors. Apart from Greg Egan, I didn't know of any Australian SF authors.
What I wanted to do in this thread is expose SF authors outside the US-UK axis. I know of a couple from Canada (Atwood, Sawyer) and a couple from the English-speaking Caribbean(Tobias Bucknell, Nalo Hopkinson). I know of a well regarded SF novel from South Africa ,Zoo City, Lauren Beukes.. Otherwise, I got nothing from outside UK/US.
I would welcome recommendations of authors from outside UK/US, whether they write in English or not.

Stanilaw Lem - Polish. My faves - The Cybernaid and The Futurelogical Congress

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Stanilaw Lem - Polish. My faves - The Cybernaid and The Futurelogical Congress

I've always been absolutely fascinated with His Master's Voice. But thanks for reminding me that I need to go back and fill in my Lem gaps.

[TheLongshot]

What comes to mind is Hiroyuki Morioka's "Crest Of The Stars". Unfortunately, the english translation was published by Tokyopop, which is no longer in business.

There is also Yasutaka Tsutsui, who's had stories adapted into movies ("The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", "Paprika"). Some of his books have been translated into English by a British publisher.

[queentess]

Originally Posted by stonetools

This may surprise many Americans, but there are many notable non-English speaking writers of speculative fiction.

Why would it surprise an American that other countries (and languages) produce good SF/F? (The U.K. is leading the SF/F world right now, though I see that below this post you corrected it to be "authors outside the US/UK".) However, as English is the only language I read well enough to really comprehend, I only read books that have been written in/translated to English.

I don't consider myself widely read in SF/F, only getting into it a few years ago, but I've read more on that list than I expected to have read. Many I didn't realize were translations. Neverending Story, Battle Royale (the names in this one gave it away as a translation), the Nightwatch series, Solaris. Many of the UK authors; many others are on my tbr list.

Had never heard of Momo by Michael Ende. Sounds like something I'd love

It did, however, surprise me to learn that Paolo Bacigalupi is an American author

[pholy]

A couple more Canadian authors - Julie Czerneda has several good trilogies and some standalone books, as well as edited several collections - and Tanya Huff, mostly fantasy, as I recall - oh, and Peter Watts has very good SF

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by queentess

Why would it surprise an American that other countries (and languages) produce good SF/F? (The U.K. is leading the SF/F world right now, though I see that below this post you corrected it to be "authors outside the US/UK".) However, as English is the only language I read well enough to really comprehend, I only read books that have been written in/translated to English.

I don't consider myself widely read in SF/F, only getting into it a few years ago, but I've read more on that list than I expected to have read. Many I didn't realize were translations. Neverending Story, Battle Royale (the names in this one gave it away as a translation), the Nightwatch series, Solaris. Many of the UK authors; many others are on my tbr list.

Had never heard of Momo by Michael Ende. Sounds like something I'd love

It did, however, surprise me to learn that Paolo Bacigalupi is an American author

It's funny that you mentioned authors from the UK. I don't know why but I've been reading alot of authors from there lately. I'm loving the stuff that Angry Robot and Abaddon are putting out (sf/fantasy/horror). It's a fresh p.o.v. yet not one that would be totally alien to an American. Their stuff just seems darker, edgier and more nihilistic than American writers.

[TheLongshot]

Originally Posted by queentess

Had never heard of Momo by Michael Ende. Sounds like something I'd love

I haven't read it in years, but I remember it being a good book.