Michael Kandel
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
translator and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
. He received a doctorate in Slavistics
Slavistics
Slavic studies or Slavistics is the academic field of area studies concerned with Slavic areas, Slavic languages, literature, history, and culture. Originally, a Slavist or Slavicist was primarily a linguist or philologist who researches Slavistics, a Slavic or Slavonic scholar...
from Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
, and is an editor at the Modern Language Association
Modern Language Association
The Modern Language Association of America is the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature...
. Kandel is also a part-time editor at Harcourt
Harcourt (publisher)
Harcourt was a United States publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. The company was based in San Diego, California, with an Editorial / Sales / Marketing / Rights offices in New York City and Orlando, Florida.In 2007, the U.S...
, editing (among others) Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
's work.
Kandel is perhaps best known for his translations of the works of Stanisław Lem from Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Recently he has also been translating works of other Polish science fiction authors, such as Jacek Dukaj
Jacek Dukaj
Jacek Dukaj is a Polish science fiction writer. Winner of the Janusz A. Zajdel Award , Śląkfa , Żuławski Award , Kościelski Award and the European Union Prize for Literature .-Career:Dukaj studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian University...
, Marek Huberath
Marek Huberath
Marek S. Huberath is a Polish professor of physics in the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and an award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer. His themes are philosophical, moral and religious: how people become beasts or remain human in extreme circumstances. Many of his stories focus on...
and Andrzej Sapkowski
Andrzej Sapkowski
Andrzej Sapkowski, born 21 June 1948 in Łódź, is a Polish fantasy writer. He is best known for his best-selling book series The Witcher.-Biography:...
. The quality of his translations is considered to be excellent and is especially notable in the case of Lem's writing, which makes heavy use of wordplay and other difficult-to-translate devices.
Novels
- Strange Invasion (1989)
- In Between Dragons (1990)
- Captain Jack Zodiac (1991)
- Panda Ray (1996)
Short fiction
- "Acolytes" (1997) in The Horns of ElflandThe Horns of ElflandThe Horns of Elfland is a 1997 fantasy anthology edited by Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman and Donald G. Keller.-Background:The Horns of Elfland was first published in April 1997 by Roc Books in paperback format. It was a nominee in the 1998 Locus Awards for best anthology, finishing eighth out of 17....
(ed. Ellen KushnerEllen KushnerEllen Kushner is an American writer of fantasy novels, who for many years was the host of the radio program Sound & Spirit, produced by WGBH in Boston and distributed by Public Radio International.- Background and personal life :...
, Delia ShermanDelia ShermanCordelia Caroline Sherman , known professionally as Delia Sherman, is a fantasy writer and editor. Her novel The Porcelain Dove won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award...
, and Donald G. KellerDonald G. KellerDonald G. Keller is a science fiction and fantasy editor and critic. He was the co-founder of Serconia Press and was Managing Editor and a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Science Fiction , where his seminal essay on Fantasy of Manners, 'The Manner of Fantasy', appeared in 1991.He...
)
Of Stanisław Lem's Works
- Memoirs Found in a BathtubMemoirs Found in a BathtubMemoirs Found in a Bathtub is a science fiction novel by Stanisław Lem, First published English in 1973 , a second edition was published in 1986...
(with Christine Rose, 1973) - The CyberiadThe CyberiadThe Cyberiad is a series of humorous short stories by Stanisław Lem. The Polish version was first published in 1965, with an English translation appearing in 1974. The main protagonists of the series are Trurl and Klapaucius, the "constructors"....
(1974) - The Futurological CongressThe Futurological CongressThe Futurological Congress is a 1971 black humour science fiction novel by Stanisław Lem detailing the exploits of the hero of a number of his books, Ijon Tichy, as he visits the Eighth World Futurological Congress at a Hilton Hotel in Costa Rica...
(1974) - The Star DiariesThe Star DiariesDzienniki gwiazdowe is a 1971 collection of short stories by Polish writer Stanisław Lem around the character of space traveller Ijon Tichy...
(1976) - Mortal Engines (1977)
- A Perfect VacuumA Perfect VacuumA Perfect Vacuum is a 1971 book by Polish author Stanisław Lem. It is an anthology of reviews of nonexistent books. It was translated into English by Michael Kandel...
(1978) - His Master's Voice (1983)
- Fiasco (1987)
- Peace on EarthPeace on EarthPeace on Earth may refer to:*Peace on Earth, a phrase meaning the concept of world peace*The Biblical phrase "Peace on Earth, good will to men" used in the Annunciation to the shepherds...
(with Elinor Ford, 1994) - Highcastle: A Remembrance (1995)
Of Paweł Huelle's Works
- Who Was David Weiser? (1992)
- Moving House and Other Stories (1995)
Editor and Translator
- A Polish Book of Monsters: Five Dark Tales from Contemporary Poland (2010, contains stories by Marek HuberathMarek HuberathMarek S. Huberath is a Polish professor of physics in the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and an award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer. His themes are philosophical, moral and religious: how people become beasts or remain human in extreme circumstances. Many of his stories focus on...
, Andrzej SapkowskiAndrzej SapkowskiAndrzej Sapkowski, born 21 June 1948 in Łódź, is a Polish fantasy writer. He is best known for his best-selling book series The Witcher.-Biography:...
, Tomasz Kołodziejczak, Andrzej ZimniakAndrzej ZimniakAndrzej Zimniak is a Polish chemist and science fiction writer. He has published two novels and eight short story collections....
, and Jacek DukajJacek DukajJacek Dukaj is a Polish science fiction writer. Winner of the Janusz A. Zajdel Award , Śląkfa , Żuławski Award , Kościelski Award and the European Union Prize for Literature .-Career:Dukaj studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian University...
)
Quotation
"We want the Demon, you see, to extract from the dance of atoms only information that is genuine, like mathematical theorems, fashion magazines, blueprints, historical chronicles, or a recipe for ion crumpets, or how to clean and iron a suit of asbestos, and poetry too, and scientific advice, and almanacs, and calendars, and secret documents, and everything that ever appeared in any newspaper in the Universe, and telephone books of the future..."- Stanislaw LemStanislaw LemStanisław Lem was a Polish writer of science fiction, philosophy and satire. He was named a Knight of the Order of the White Eagle. His books have been translated into 41 languages and have sold over 27 million copies. He is perhaps best known as the author of the 1961 novel Solaris, which has...
, The CyberiadThe CyberiadThe Cyberiad is a series of humorous short stories by Stanisław Lem. The Polish version was first published in 1965, with an English translation appearing in 1974. The main protagonists of the series are Trurl and Klapaucius, the "constructors"....
(tr. Michael Kandel)
External links
- Michael Kandel on Words Without Borders
- "Being an Editor" by Michael Kandel