I’m Studiously Avoiding Any Puns Involving the Word “Czech”
Posted on August 1, 2011 Posted by John Scalzi 39 Comments
That said, please enjoy this shot of the first three Old Man’s War books, now published in Czech. The cover art for the first two is familiar; the third one is new to me. But hey, still looks snazzy. I’ve said it before and will say it again: Hey, I like it when my books are published in languages I can’t read.
Snazzy indeed.
Excellent to see. With all the extra cash that must bring in, you could pick up the czech next time you have a business lunch.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
I hope that the “Czech” for your royalties is in the mail…
All that slav-ing away at the typewriter has paid off.
You’re all going to Hell. That is all.
If i may bounce off the languages question on a slight tangent… here in Abu Dhabi, there doesn’t seem to be a large market in SF in Arabic, nor in general fiction for that matter. Have there ever been enquiries for translations in Arabic for your work?
John @5: Doesn’t that comment belong in the immediately previous thread? ;-)
Seishonagon:
No, no Arabic-language interest at all so far as I know.
I’m reading Zoë’s Tale right now. I bet it’s the hardest one to translate while maintaining the tone of the original. The point of view is what makes it unique, and you’d have to find a translator with a real feel for teen communication in both languages to make it work.
Czech your self before you wreck yourself
Ouch, that hurts. Congratulations, you were published by the publisher that is well known country-wide for their unbelievably crappiness. Insanely bad translations (you see, they’re cheapstakes and only hire the cheapest translators they can get), poor typography, no proof-reading (and so, typos all over every page). You didn’t deserve that :(
For future reference, you want to be published by Laser-books, Talpress, Triton, Argo, BB art or Polaris – these are established quality SF publishing houses. But Classic?! Stay the hell as far from they as you can.
I hope the publishers are prague-matic about signing up for sequels.
Vaclav:
Gee, thanks very much for telling me how shitty you assume these translations are. Come back around on my birthday and tell me how much closer I am to death, too.
A proverbial Bohemian rhapsody of colors.
Ever think about using a foreign translation of one of your own books to help learn a foreign language?
You mean you aren’t going to tell us to Czech these out?
To do list:
Avoiding Any Puns Involving the Word “Czech?” Check.
what’s that sucker on the cover of last colony supposed to be? an Obin? I’ve been drawing sketches of those punks for a couple days from the old “mind’s eye”, i’d be interested in what others saw. do you have any artwork of Obin anywhere, Señor Scalzi?
I know you are fond of dogs and cats, and Athena likes horses, but perhaps the royalties from these publications could encourage you to buy a bird or two. You know, move your taste in pets in a Moravian direction.
Before banning puns, perhaps you should Pole your readership.
20 responses, and no “Czechmate”?
I guess I’ll just “czech” back with you later, then.
Now I know what to have my kid bring me next year when he comes to California for the summer. He’s already en route for this year, so too late to have him run down to the knihkupectví for me. I’ve been trying to learn Czech since he moved there for school four years ago, but it’s really, really hard. It’s a really, really difficult language. It’s a lot more regular than English, but the words have so many, many, many forms. There are words that have three plurals (two is the standard).(somebody will make a play on that, probably. I’m too traumatized)
I’ve been giving your books to my brother for Christmas each year, very successfully.
Serbs you right.
I don’t know how a Czech pun thread became pan-Slavic. I’m Russian out of here before it’s too late!
I bet Budapest is hungary for a translation as well.
hugh57@7: That post makes me want a Google +1 button for individual comments in this blog. Now I have to–*gasp*–type out complete sentences. Well played.
So, the publisher has a czechered past?
The puns are falling in here like a Prague of locusts!
This thread is one Turkey after another. Cut the bolshevik guys and don’t be a bunch of Weimars.
Oh, Joe Hill. YOU KNOW BETTER.
But John, how could he resist. Like all of us, he’s a Slav to his baser instincts. Though, some of us do try and Polish our jokes a bit before we present them.
:)
Bleys @27: Now I have to–*gasp*–type out complete sentences.
Just be sure that you spell-czech your sentences before posting them. ;-)
Proof that the writer lives a Bohemian existence…
Oh really, nobody’s made that connection yet?
And only one cover with a laser-firing space ship. If I were a czech (Chekov? Don´t know what they call themselves) I´d totally go for these books!
So, congratulations for opening up a new market! I hope your books sell well, so we may enjoy many many more!
It’s nice to have something to Croat.
If you think warning us about czech puns will make me balkan, think again…
Look, I didn’t know where to put this so I stuck it here. Hope you’re not anal retentive about stuff like that.
I’m in this book club (yeah, I know) and someone suggested “Old Man’s War.” My taste in science fiction usually runs to dystopias, but since I’m an old man, I thought hey whatever. Read it and really liked it. Kinda of a futuristic techno-do-over that all old people dream about. Youth is wasted on the young, etc.
I know I’m late to the party since the book came out in 2005, and I’m not going all JD Salinger on you. It didn’t change my life, but it was a very pleasant week reading (hey, I have a job).
Anyway, sorry if this is in the wrong place, but I just wanted to say thanks.
I’ve only today read this post (I was away from the computer for a realy long time), but since you like seeing your books in languages you can’t read, if you can’t read hebrow, Enjoy:
Old Man’s War:
http://simania.co.il/bookdetails.php?item_id=935684
The Ghost Brigades:
http://simania.co.il/bookdetails.php?item_id=145252