TLC (or DLK) a Deutscher Phantastik Preis Nominee
Posted on July 11, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 7 Comments
This is nice: The German version of The Last Colony has been nominated for the 2009 Deutscher Phantastik Preis, in the category of Best International Novel. The entire slate of nominees in the category:
- Brian Keene: Der lange Weg nach Hause (Otherworld Verlag)
- Cassandra Clare: Chroniken der Unterwelt – City of Bones (Arena)
- John Scalzi: Die letzte Kolonie (Heyne)
- Neal Stephenson: Principia (Manhattan)
- Patrick Rothfuss: Der Name des Windes (Klett-Cotta)
That’s not bad company to be in. Here’s more information about the award itself.
It’s fun to be nominated for stuff. It’s fun to occasionally win, too. But being nominated is fun enough. Danke, German readers!
“Die letzte Kolonie” seems like a perfectly reasonable translation. But how do they translate proper names? Anathem somehow turned into Principia, even though Anathem was a made up word in that novel – I guess the poor German translator had his work cut out for him in that one, having to come up with German made-up-words for all Stephenson’s Arbe made-up-words.
Can you safely assume that Zoe is called Zoe in all translations, or are all proper names subject to the whims of the foreign translators? And just in case they do something absurd, do you or Tor have any right of objection to artistic liberties taken by the foreign translators? Because it is still your name on the thing.
Cool. I was up for the Phantastik Preis in 2003, and, as you say, it’s the best honor possible just to be grouped with so many brilliant writers.
Congratulations! Pity that Heyne appropriated the cover art from Ken MacLeod’s “The Cassini Division”.
If you win, don’t use “You like me, you really like me!” in your acceptance speech. Sincere emotions seem to confuse people, at least in Hollywood.
Schwein haben
@#1: “Principia” is the German version of “The System of the World”, it takes 2-3 years for translations of books into German, and most of the time, it’s not worth it other than that I’m able to read German 10% faster…
And yes, Zoe is Zoe in German.
Bitte, bitte! I’ve also suggested to my local library, that they buy some of your books.
Thanks Joerg!