No. 101

WORLDCON 2008 2 EDITORIAL

Dear reader,

"Parsek" is the oldest Croatian fanzine, first published in 1977 as the Aleksandar Žiljak bulletin of Science Fiction Club SFera from Fluffy 3 Zagreb. Today, SFera consists of some two Veronika Santo hundred members and is a literary society, The Heart of the Beast 8 as well as being a fan club. The annual Zvonko Bednjanec SFeraKon conventions attract hundreds of The Ninth Duck 11 fans, while prestigious SFERA Award is Milena Benini being given in several categories. You will The Circus Has Come 15 also notice that many authors represented Dario Rukavina here are SFERA Award winners. A Passage to the East 23 Now, let me introduce you to the Živko Prodanović Croatian SF, with the little help of SFERA's SF haiku 28 official mascot, Bemmet. Aleksandar Žiljak Science Fiction in Croatia 29 Enjoy! SFeraKon GoHs They Said on Croatia… 43 Boris Švel Dalibor Perković and Boris Švel SF Conventions in Croatia 46 In Zagreb, 31st July 2008 NOTE: all materials are translated by the "Parsek" on net: authors themselves, unless stated otherwise http://parsek.sfera.hr/ " and: http://parsek.blog.hr/

PARSEK is bulletin of SFera, Društvo za znanstvenu fantastiku, IV. Podbrežje 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Editor

and designer: Boris Švel. All materials are translated by the authors themselves, unless stated otherwise. Proof-

reader: Aleksandar Žiljak. Cover: Darko Macan. All rights reserved. 3 Being one of the foremost Croatian SF authors, Aleksandar Žiljak was born in 1963 and resides in Zagreb. He won SFERA Award six times, equally excelling in illustration and prose, as well as the editorial work, being the co-editor of the new Croatian SF literary magazine UBIQ.

Aleksandar Žiljak FLUFFY

“Well, not bad for the first day”, measures her up - not too obviously, she Ivana mutters with satisfaction, glancing at a hopes - and adds. Shoes plus black trousers clock on the wall. True, the clock shows plus red jacket plus shawl plus purse... Well, there’s still two hours till closing time, but several grand at least. And that’s on sale. Ivana doesn’t expect anyone to bring a pet Only, this woman doesn’t look like someone for trimming at six p.m., so she hopes for shopping on sales. And there’s also a some idling. Perhaps she could phone a bracelet and rings and ear-rings, probably a coffee bar across the street and ask Martin to necklace, too, hidden under the shawl. And fetch her a cup of coffee. He doesn’t look a hairdo and make-up - discreet but top bad, Ivana muses. Not bad at all. Quite a quality - that you don’t get for small change. hunk, as a matter of fact. And she didn’t And all that on a supremely shaped and miss the way she caught his attention, too. polished body, despite her late forties. As She’ll let things develop for a day or two, Ivana’s brother, an auto mechanic, would say till weekend, and then... Maybe they say: nothing beats a well-refurbished old- could take a ride out of town and who timer. knows what can happen next... “No, Mrs. Hulme is absent today... Ringing interrupts Ivana’s Some family business, you know.” daydreaming rudely. It’s the entrance “Oooh... And I really have to go for a membrane, announcing a customer. Ivana trip tomorrow, and my Fluffy can’t travel rolls her eyes. Damn, just as she was hoping the way he is... You’re new here?” for some rest! “Yes, I’m Ivana. This is my first day. “Mrs. Hulme is not here?” Mrs. Mrs. Hulme is not here, I’m sorry.” Hulme owns the pet care salon. She hired “Hmmm, and what am I to do now? Ivana three days ago, telling her to start And Fluffy is really...” The woman today. The woman standing before Ivana is obviously doesn’t have much faith in a dressed in money from head to toe. Ivana beginner, and the hurt professional pride 4 starts stirring in Ivana. Was I best in class or waving them menacingly right now, keeping wasn’t I, she thinks angrily. And why is this Ivana at safe distance. His hair falls almost woman kidding me, as if I can’t trim some to the floor: warmer days are nearing, and poodle? Ivana has no doubt he could use some “Well, no problem, madam. I can take trimming. But, when Fluffy’s owner left and care of your Fluffy!” Ivana took scissors in her hand, sighing... “Really?” Ivana nods eagerly. Fortunately, Fluffy warned her with “You’re right, I think you’ll manage! Fluffy threatening grumbling: Ivana would have is not difficult, you know...” never deduced from his tiny, dumb eyes that Where the hell is that Fluffy, Ivana a creature like that can have deadly intents. wonders. The woman entered without any Apparently, he doesn’t recognize her scent. dog or kitten or whatever people keep as But, what was that damned woman thinking, pets. But, the entrance membrane remained Ivana wonders, why didn’t she warn her? opened... “Come, Fluffy! That’s the boy, Well, serves me right! I have no one you just come in... You’ll tidy him up, won’t to blame for this but myself, Ivana curses as you? You just trim his hair a little, while I Fluffy sits on his haunches, overgrown in a take a walk. I’ll return in an hour, hour and a meter-and-a-half long hair, snarling every so half, OK?” often as the deadly-looking claws whiz Fluffy enters the salon somewhat through the air. reluctantly, and Ivana immediately curses “All right. Relax, take a deep breath... her professional pride and best marks in There must be a way to handle this hairball. school and her big mouth. Fluffy stops, Maybe I should call Mrs. Hulme?” Ivana sniffs around and then comes to his lady and reaches for a cell phone in the pocket of her licks her hand. Ivana stares in disbelief and smock, but then she stops. It may not be then snaps out of it. “Err... Madam... such a good idea after all, not on her first Fluffy... What species did you say he is?” day here. Mrs. Hulme could get an impression that Ivana cannot handle matters. * * * No use that she trimmed four pocket poodles

A Korab ground sloth is a three- under a magnifying glass (each barely meters-long animal, measured from the twenty centimeters long), used tweezers to blunt snout to the tip of its short tail. It is exterminate ticks on a Maltese dwarf meter and a half tall at its shoulders. Fluffy’s elephant (wasn’t that a veterinarian’s job?), front paws are armed with strong claws, cleaned ears of an Aldebaran haremorph some fifteen centimeters long, and he’s (half a meter long!) and polished a Wistary armourclad’s carapace (the most grateful 5 customer: she just pulls in and there’s Only, his stare stopped being stupid and nothing to worry about). No use, if Mrs. definitely became angry. “All right, all Hulme decides that Ivana cannot handle a right! You’re right, it pierced my ears, too!”, simple Korab ground sloth! Ivana admits, returning the horn back into So, Ivana decides not to phone for the drawer. help. Maybe there’s something in drawers, Maybe she should try the Net? Ivana some instructions or notes? Only, the desk is looks at the clock on the wall. Damn, she on the other end of the salon, and there’s already lost ten minutes, and by the time she Fluffy between Ivana and the desk. finds how to trim a Korab ground sloth... And so, Ivana slowly heads for the She knows what she’s facing: she graduated desk, her back against the wall, not taking on hygiene and grooming of Aldebaran her eyes away from those claws. Tiny, snow cat. 357 000 sites on Aldebaran snow mistrusting black eyes follow her, but if cats, mostly about sex among Aldebaran Fluffy didn’t charge so far, Ivana hopes he snow cats and sex with Aldebaran snow won’t. cats. And only three sites with coherent The desk has several drawers. Ivana instructions on how to groom Aldebaran saw some pads and notebooks in one of snow cats. Same thing with all exotic pets. them. She knows that one notebook is for And she didn’t even hear about that damned bookings. She opens the drawer and takes sloth in the school... everything out of it. Still keeping her eyes “Bloody cow!”, Ivana curses aloud. on Fluffy, she leafs through the notes. Yes, “Loaded herself with dough, so no way here it is, she found it! Mrs. Sova and she’ll buy pets normal people buy! A Fluffy, booked for 18:15 today. So, Fluffy’s poodle, a great Dane, a Persian cat, a panda owner is Mrs. Sova. Pleased to meet you! bear? No, milady has to have a ground sloth! And Mrs. Sova even brought Fluffy a little What does she see in you, anyway, all you early. But there are no instructions, none do is sit and growl!” Fluffy doesn’t reply, whatsoever. Apparently, Mrs. Sova but he doesn’t lower his claws, either. presumed that Ivana knows what to do with Damn, she can’t even reach him... Maybe Fluffy. But, she doesn’t... Sighing, Ivana she should try some nice words? digs deeper in the drawer, finding some “You’re a goood one, Fluffy, goood displaced pencils and an old lighter. And one... Now, you must be soo hot and auntie then she finds a little horn... Hmmm... Ivana will trim you just a little bit... Just let Bad idea! The moment she honked, me take care of you, and you’ll be so niice once, twice, Fluffy reared and howled and and coool...” Ivana tries to approach Fluffy, sat back, still holding his claws before him. comb in one hand, scissors in another. She 6 barely makes a step before those claws rummaging through them. “I did find a whizz through the air. Ivana bolts away, but horn...” also realizes that Fluffy could have already “Nooo! No horns, he hates that! Find shred her to ribbons if he really wanted to. the box, it must be there somewhere...” This way, he just warns her and keeps her at “But, there’s no... Oh! Here it is!” bay. Only, this stalemate can last forever: it The box is a piece of kitsch Ivana wouldn’t won’t do if Mrs. Sova returns to find her even look at, pushed deep in the third Fluffy as overgrown as he was when she left drawer. Obviously, Fluffy doesn’t come too him here. often. “And this will calm him down?” “Perhaps Martin knows something”, “No. Look, it’s not for him...” Not for Ivana hopes as she takes her cell phone. The him? “I don’t have time to explain right way he brought coffee to Ivana today, he now, you just play the box and see for was bringing coffee to Mrs. Hulme and all yourself. I’ll call you back, OK?” And the others working here, so maybe he Martin hangs down, leaving Ivana more knows... baffled than before. Not for him? Then for “Yes?”, Martin’s voice on the other whom? end of the line sounds impatient. Ivana hears OK, let’s see, Ivana sighs and winds murmur of guests and music: the coffee bar the music box. A quiet, ringing melody must be crowded. spreads from it, some ancient lullaby. Fluffy “It’s me, Ivana.” is still reared, his claws drawn, but Ivana “Listen, I’m a little pressed here, notices the hair on his belly moving, as if I’ll...” there’s something hidden in it. “HEEEEELP!” “What is that?” A tiny pointed snout “Let me guess: Fluffy? I’ve seen the emerges, sniffing the air. And then, a small Sova woman bringing it to you.” animal, no longer than Ivana’s index finger, “Devil may take him, all he does is disappears back under the hair. Some more rears and growls and waves those claws of commotion, it takes perhaps a minute for a his and he won’t let me close and...” grown male zebra shrew to come out of “Hey, listen, no panic! You’ve got a Fluffy’s coat. Ivana recognizes it, it’s a little box in one of the drawers. Pale blue, common animal in gardens, named after with fancy butterflies and flowers and a key. striped back. Another one appears after the Take it and wind it... It’s for little babies.” first one, somewhat smaller. It’s a female, “A little box? I didn’t find any little and she’s not alone! A tiny shrew holds her boxes”, Ivana opens drawer after drawer, tail with its teeth. Its tail is held in turn by the second one, who is held in turn by the 7 third one. Ivana counts six little ones. Daddy Martin’s. She had to thank him somehow for zebra shrew, mummy zebra shrew and a his advice, and the Saturday evening is caravan of six baby zebra shrews. “I’m not already agreed upon. supposed to trim them, too, am I?!” And When Ivana was done trimming and then the caravan stops, mummy looks brushing him, Fluffy looked pleased. And around and squeals silently. A moment later, the shrews looked pleased, too: they rapidly the seventh tiny shrew leaves the sloth’s hair climbed his leg and crawled back into his and grabs the sixth one with its teeth. Now, coat. Most important, Mrs. Sova was also with everybody present and accounted for, pleased. “Oh, my, you really tidied him up! the procession descends to the floor next to And you didn’t have any problems with Fluffy and moves aside. him, did you? He’s a good boy, my little Fluffy looks at them for several long Fluffy! And I’m sure to tell Mrs. Hulme moments. Ivana has a momentary how good a job you did!” The tip turned out impression that he’s counting them, and to be quite nice, not bad for the first day, not then, when he’s certain that everybody got bad at all. off him, he lowers his claws. “I mean, “Well, he wanted to see if anybody really!”, Ivana mutters as she approaches was missing.” Fluffy carefully, holding scissors in her “But, I mean, isn’t he too stupid to hand, suspicious and ready for all kinds of count? And where did he pick them up, dirty tricks. But, the huge animal, that anyway?” threatened to tear Ivana apart only a moment “Probably in his garden.” ago, is now waiting meekly for her to start “You know what?”, Ivana murmurs. trimming his hair. “Come to think of it... He was really overgrown, but his coat was completely * * * clean. No ticks, no fleas, mites, seed,

“You see, the lullaby is a sign for the nothing.” shrew family to leave the coat while the “Ha”, Martin winks, “Why do you trimming goes on. The Sova woman has the think he guards them so jealously? Zebra same box at home. She winds it when she shrews are renowned pest exterminators.” baths and brushes Fluffy. That’s what the “Well”, Ivana thinks about it for a shrews learned to recognize.” moment, then shrugs and takes another sip. “You know, I could have sworn he “I guess there must be more than meets the was counting them!” Ivana sips her coffee. eye behind those eyes.” Working hours are over and she dropped to 8

It is sometimes quoted that the female authors are the actual mainstay of the Croatian science fiction, and Veronika Santo certainly comes to mind for that matter. Born in 1957, she currently resides in Rome, Italy and is a SFERA Award winner. Venturing into most diverse motifs, ranging from cyberpunk to the magic realism, her stories are always a pleasure to read.

Veronika Santo THE HEART OF THE BEAST

Alisandra dreamt. the room. “What are you dreaming tonight?”, * * * Kaliopo asked. “Why don’t you take the tape

She paused briefly beside the stony well. off for one night and dream your true dreams?” As she leaned toward the smooth dark water, “These are my true dreams”, Alisandra she saw his face. muttered, her head sinking into the pillow. He watched her behind the water mirror, Kaliopo studied her spilled curls for black eyes sprouting like geysers. He was hairy, another moment, white face smiling at the first infinitely ugly and she felt tears of pity filling touch of sleep, and then he pulled his blanket to her eyes. She didn’t turn. Instead, she reached his chin and turned to the other side of the bed. for the reflection. * * * “I won’t hurt you”, Alisandra said. “If you let me touch you...” Alisandra already walked the dreamy The image wavered and a moment later, path that opened to the garden and castle. The the black water plate was empty again. garden changed considerably since last night. A knot of dark paths spread before her, Weeds disappeared from graveled paths, hedges leading into a labyrinth in the middle of the lost their untidy crowns and stretched all the garden. A white rose bud lay on the ground way to the central labyrinth. Even the castle before her. The stem was squashed as if looked somewhat brighter: the shutters of her somebody chewed it through with teeth, but the room were opened, so sunlight mixed freely flower smelt fresh and sweet. with the cool of inside darkness. She stepped freely on the path, feeling * * * the fresh sharp smell of trimmed box in her

Next night, Kaliopo watched again as his nostrils. She knew the tale. The beast was wife attached the dream-tape around her head. somewhere in the castle or the garden, waiting Its crystals glittered softly in the grey light of for her. It hid in the dark corners, ashamed of 9 the evil encrusted in its grotesque mask. Once it “For the beast to turn into a prince. feels love, the magic will save it and she will That’s the tale, isn’t it?” experience the final scene with the prince. “That means I’m not enough as your Today, the paths opened willingly before prince”, Kaliopo tried a joke. her, just like spread fingers. She chose one and Alisandra didn’t answer him. She turned it took her straight to the shady interior of the to the other side of the bed and closed her eyes. castle. Still, she didn’t put the tape that night. Like always, the warm live coal in the fireplace broke the darkness of the large central * * * hall. Alisandra quickly stole upon the stairs and In two days, Alisandra was back in the run up. She felt her heart flutter uneasily in her garden. She passed all the paths, only avoiding chest. the labyrinth. The garden was resplendent. The Her room was upstairs. It had a high rose shrubs were flowering, fountains were ceiling and walls covered in dark wood awake, water drops opened on the gravel like traversed by a tall mirror, like a stone inserted tiny rainbows. in a ring. Alisandra smiled at her reflection and He wasn’t in the garden, he wasn’t in the reached for a dress, its spread white lace house. And yet, he was there somewhere, waiting on the bed. Alisandra felt his stare. The wind dragged his A dead bird stared glassily at her from breath along the path, weaving it before and beneath the dress. Feathers on her wings were behind her as if she was closed inside a noose. torn, tiny droplets of blood spread on the white Alisandra stopped suddenly and looked into the sheets around the twisted neck. Alisandra closed walls of the labyrinth. slowly opened her mouth, and then she “If you let me kiss you...”, she said. “If screamed forcefully. you let me kiss you...”, she shouted at the dark

* * * entrance of box, not finishing her thought. Small green leaves rustled, as if the wind “I don’t want you sleeping with that rose suddenly from the ground. A white rose tape anymore”, Kaliopo said resolutely. fell quietly before her feet. Somebody tried to “It’s a classic tale”, Alisandra replied. open the bud and the petals now lay opened and Her voice was calm, but she still felt her pulse despised. Alisandra recalled the previous bud beating madly. and the dead bird and started crying. “This is just the story framework”, Kaliopo answered. “I know you’re using semi- * * * autonomous programs.” Kaliopo watched her walking across the “That means nothing can happen to me house restlessly. that I don’t want.” “You’re ruining yourself”, he said. “That “And what do you want?” damned night-program will kill you!” 10 “He wants it, he must want it”, Alisandra daring to reach for the heart of the beast. said more to herself, as if she didn’t hear him. Alisandra turned and run, straight down “That’s how it is in all tales. A frog and a the path disappearing in the outer part of the princess, for instance. Why do you think I’m labyrinth. Moon shimmered palely on the box ruining myself?”, she rose her head suddenly. shrubs. White gravel flew beneath her feet, “It’s just a tale.” twigs caught her dress. She felt strange silence “It possesses you too much for being just behind her. Perhaps the beast didn’t even need a tale”, he answered her, turning his back to her. legs. It will catch her with thoughts like Suddenly, he felt very tired. tentacles and pull her into its abyss. Alisandra “Besides”, she laughed and he shivered thought of Kaliopo. She stopped for a moment, at that laughter, ringing like autumn rain against closed her eyes tightly and thought of Kaliopo pavement, “I think you’re just being jealous.” sleeping on the pillow next to her.

* * * * * *

Alisandra stood at the entrance of the Kaliopo turned in bed and looked at his labyrinth and listened to her heart beating. She wife uneasily. Her face was pale, her hair black. knew he was there, waiting for her. She took a She’s beautiful like Snow White, he thought deep breath and started ahead. She walked gently, and then he leaned and kissed her calmly and steadily, as if knowing the way. The fleetingly in her mouth. center unwrapped towards her like a coil of thread. * * *

He waited for her there, his back turned Alisandra felt the kiss and opened her to her, his arms and legs too long, his head too eyes swiftly. She saw Kaliopo’s face in the large. Revulsion filled her for a moment, but semidarkness. then she recalled the tale and stepped straight “Your heart beats so strongly”, he said ahead. and kissed her once again. “Why don’t you stop She stood behind him, barely reaching these nightmares?” his shoulders, completely calm. The moment She reached for him and embraced him came, she knew what she had to do. tightly. They lay like that for a long time, side The beast turned and Alisandra yielded by side, as the night drained slowly towards the at the same moment. They looked at each other. first lights of the day. His eyes moved like boiling sea, sucking her in like whirlpool of hot tar. She realized instantly that there was nothing beneath, nothing hidden, (Translated by Aleksandar Žiljak) no prince. This dark stare was all the reality, timeless evil getting ready to punish her for 11 One of the younger authors, Zvonko Bednjanec is a name to reckon with...

Zvonko Bednjanec THE NINTH DUCK

On the very edge of the Universe, in Finally, the slug reached the hut. He the most distant arm of the Galaxy, on the last greeted the horned one with a nod and planet of the System, there’s a Hill. Freshly entered. Interesting thing was, as he passed overgrown in grass, a really large hill by some the doors, stooped and with difficulty, his standards, it has a dilapidated wooden hut on bulk changed from slimy and stocky mass its top. The hut is without windows, smoke into a bill and head and feathers. The truly rises from its chimney. A huge slug, weighing real Great Duck entered the hut! But these several tons, white in color with blue polka- weren’t real bill and head and feathers, they dots, climbs that hill, advancing its were more energy-like, untouchable. The voluptuous mass towards the hut. The volume Great Duck waddled to the semi-circular of the hut is such that it’s not even table. The other nine ducks, also transformed, theoretically capable of accommodating the already sat at their places. slug. The outer doors closed. The horned one Will anybody of them figure it out remained outside and hung the inscription today?, the slug thought. Will anybody stand ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP - DO NOT out? DISTURB, positioning himself menacingly You must know that climbing of a slug before the doors. Not that there’s anything scaling several tons takes time. Although in that could overwhelm him, not that anything the barren grassy landscape, a lot of things exists that could hurt the creatures that just happened before him. Numerous flying things entered. circled above the hut and disgorged their “The reason we met here today”, the gaudy and multi-tentacled passengers. One of Great Duck started without greetings and them just materialized at the entrance, introductions, “is an ever-increasing number surrounded by the bright white light. Before of mistakes and faults in our products.” All entering the hut, they were all searched by a the nine sitting ducks observed her waddling, quick look of a three-legged and four-armed left-right. “The deadlines are prolonging, the monster with horns and so much equipment expenses are mounting. Gods are unsatisfied - all over him that you wouldn’t feel like telling they devote eons to a Universe, without him a joke in the broadest of daylights. results.” The silence echoed. “You know what 12 are the unsatisfied gods like, don’t you?” “That cannot be”, the morose duck Thundering silence. “Does anybody know spoke. “In matter-matter, you at least know where does the mistake lie?” what you’re working with. Everything else is The gazes of nine ducks flew across the zero. That’s the only way things get any table. The tension grew visibly, because this good...” was an architecture workshop after all, and “If I really set myself to work”, the they should have an answer. Then, the toothed mustached duck interrupted the morose one, duck with glasses spoke. Of course, we all “I’d work on matter-energy universe. It’s know that ducks don’t have teeth, but this one much easier to reach the balance. When you really looked as if her front teeth project a work that way, it doesn’t matter if the little bit... construction of the universe is petard- “I think... err... I think the Universes contracting...” are becoming increasingly monopolar”, the “Ooooh, you know what”, a duck with toothed duck said. really fine energy feathers rose. “This sounds “Explain”, the Great Duck real super, but then you get Mirko the two- commanded. legged, you know... The beach is real cool to “Every universe is based on him, but he doesn’t take his eyes off his She- transformation of energy and matter”, the Mirko, much less his fingers, pardon me for toothed duck said and adjusted her glasses saying, so at the end the Being of the with her wing. “In the last several instances, I Universe again comes to nothing. And wars worked on markedly matter-matter ones. The and all that? They’re still here. ‘Cause you energy level is low and so the fight to control can buy She-Mirko with money.” the matter happens all the time. Wars, money, “The only correct universe organization slavery, all that... I think.” setting relates to energy-matter.” It was a “Give us an example”, the Great Duck deep-sounding voice of the plate-billed duck. commanded again. Met by the horrified stare “Beings elevated above the need to satisfy the of the toothed duck, she put forward a material achieve considerably larger degree of suggestion: “For instance, Mirko the two- comprehension...” legged goes for summer holidays.” “Me disagree...”, the pointed-ears duck “Mirko goes for summer holidays on opposed her. the beach”, the toothed duck started with “That cannot be”, the morose duck scared look. “He just digs the sand and sea spoke, but the pointed-ears duck was louder and stores them in his pockets. He doesn’t and so she continued: even look at She-Mirko: she doesn’t interest “Energy-matter not dealing so much him. He does not think about the Being of the with material. Control, also. Control what Universe.” others think. Control others to control what 13 others think. Mirko and She-Mirko on the universe also has its structure: the big bang beach all the time, eat sand and sea a little, and/or contraction, the DNA helix, two poles because they stable bio-fields, mixed, with interfering shadows and so on. All together. Sun enough for them. They no think according to the investing deity order. All how is being a duck.” right?” The ready duck saw a moment of Silence. silence and jumped the meeting. “My choice C’mon, the Great Duck thought. would always be the energy-energy setting, Anybody. Anything. yes, yes. Little raw materials, a lot of energy, “We need something new, don’t we?”, without much bothering, yes. And then I the Great Duck asked. “A new premise? Not choose the Great Contraction option and just the stated ones?” C’mon, ducks! It’s right everybody learns how it’s done.” before your bills! “Don’t give us the crap that it works! It Nothing. never works”, the morose duck said. “What does universe do, besides the “What doesn’t work?”, the ready duck said transformation?”, the Great Duck asked. shouted. “It grows old, doesn’t it? If it grows old, “Yeah, well, it’s sooo...”, the fine- what’s the third premise?” feathered duck spoke again. “But even here Suddenly the ninth duck spoke, the one Mirko-boy is not much-of-a-something, just that kept silent all the time: “We don’t know. floating through beach and water. He doesn’t Would you help us?” look at Mirko-baby but chooses the best spot The Great Duck studied all that for the energies of sea and sand and sun. And worthlessness that looked at her, begging. what? What’s there for him to worry about? “The growth spin. The beings helping No tale of Being and blah-blah. It’s all so other beings to develop. The beings that help clear.” the processes of universe transformations.” The silence was again audible in the Nothing. room. They all somehow seemed to look at “And of course, the decay spin. The the Great Duck. They expected something. beings that steal the growth from others. That Miraculously, she spoke: steal energy from the correct sequence. That “And? What’s the solution?” destroy civilizations, kill species and The answer didn’t come. They all sat, subjugate them. Thus maintaining the balance crestfallen. of positive and negative.” “All right, then”, the Great Duck said. Nothing. “You said everything. Every universe is The Great Duck stared at a point on the transformation: from several-atoms-amoeba floor. She must do it now. Indeed, it can’t be to pure energy being. And vice versa. Every helped. 14 The Great Duck drew a matter-energy and feathers. A duck is an idea! You cannot knife and went after her pupils. Some ducks think like a duck - you must be a duck! tried running, some tried outwitting the This is not the first time that he had to horned one at the doors. With the same clean the entire workshop. Really clean. It is outcome. terrible to think of a path that every of these beings had to pass, things that an individual * * * has to do in order to overgrow the universe it

The huge slug with blue polka-dots was lives in? To survive its death? The path that in front of the wooden hut, accompanied by elevates the being to the level of a god? But, the monster carrying so much equipment: recently, these young gods... So lost... “Did you do them, Boss?” You cannot really kill a god. Not even The slug nodded his colossal head. a young one. These ones will be returned, “Shall I gather them and send them sown into some young universe. Let them back?” start the cycle once again. You can imagine The slug looked sadly somewhere things he will have to hear from their parents. downwards: “Not this time, Strongy. This It happens more and more often. time, I did them for real.” Universes without offspring. Naturally, The horned one became dejected. He everybody blames his office. The question he didn’t understand. “But, Boss, these guys keeps asking himself is, what kind of parents were close?” they are, unable to create children, gods “There’s no ‘close’ with us, ducks. You without heirs? Or is the fundamental idea either are or you aren’t.” The slug started his really worn out? This Being embodied in the descent down the hill. holiest of symbols? Is the Time of the Duck “It’s all about the ninth duck, isn’t it, reaching its end? Boss?”, he heard behind him. All the time, he kept running into a cow across universes. Sacred cow this, sacred * * * cow that. Is that some rudiment from the past?

A subtle game played by an even greater It is a good question what conclusion player? A sign of things to come? will the scientists of every universe reach If he was forced to choose... A more when they discover that ducks are the only significant shape? A porcupine, perhaps? A organism and species capable of surviving in camel? No. That’s not it... It cannot be. every biotope on almost every world. Many species then try - by changing their genetic (Translated by Aleksandar Žiljak) structure - to approach this ideal to the maximum. But a duck is not just bill and head 15

Well established author and editor, Milena Benini is also a renown translator. Being a SFERA Award winner, she never hesitates to lend help to the younger colleagues. Milena lives and works in Zagreb. Her stories are usually irresistibly charming, and we hope you will enjoy this one.

Milena Benini THE CIRCUS HAS COME

Some things never die. Like flies. The The fly answered this with another one on the ceiling above Chico's bed was so quick round of the room, then returned to tiny, Chico had been staring at the little dot the place on the ceiling where Chico had for a couple of minutes without knowing it first spotted it. was alive. And then, as flies sometimes do, "Besides," added Chico, leaning back it started walking in senseless, confused so he could keep the fly in sight, "your lines, and the man on the bed realised what travels seem as well-planned as ours." he had believed to be a spot of dirt was The fly said nothing, again. Chico let really a living creature. He followed it with out a resigned sigh. The fly wasn't his gaze for a while, trying to discern a particularly good company. But then, after pattern in the fly's itinerary. When both the being crammed in the small ship for almost fly and Chico's gaze ended up at the same a month, neither was anybody else. Chico place for about the sixth time, the man gave closed his eyes. It was better than staying on up. The fly made a few circles around the surface, he supposed, but being the biggest little room, and then settled dignifiedly in a small interstellar circus had its drawbacks, far corner to resume its confused walk. too. Chico smiled at the fly across the room. Like the rain, for example. Chico "You're just like us, really," he missed the rain. He frowned, trying to recall murmured, but the fly didn't reply. "I'll bet when was it that he had last felt it. He no one expected your species to survive missed the tiny dum-dum sound of raindrops deep into the space-age. But you did. And so and, also, he missed the meaning of it: rest. did we." There was no dead season for a space-going circus and, since Benjy had, three years ago, 16 faced them all with the choice of closing up could still find late shows where dashing or going to the stars, the only periods of rest heroes confronted dangerous black spiders they had were the four weeks the ship from galaxies far away. And the border needed to travel in deep space, two in stations, nick-named boredom stations, reaching the relativity-banned hole and two remained. And circuses, even small ones to cool off after coming out of it. like Benjy's, were a welcome sight. They were actually earning money, Which was why they were heading to which was better than they could hope to do a border station right now. But Chico was on surface, that much was true. The getting bored with border stations and just colonised planets were either too developed about everything else. Travelling through and rich to give a chance to a six-men show, space sounds grand, but it's really very much or too busy with staying alive to have time like going around the world in a jet: it's fast, for fun. But the stations were different. and you don't get to see anything. Only, it Sprinkled all over the known universe, they takes a lot longer. served as mid-points between planets and Even the fly seemed to lose interest in the space, where people would serve in short Chico and buzzed through the half-closed shifts between real duties. In practice, they door out into the corridor. Outside, were used for storing away the too old or too somebody said, "Hey!" shaky. There was nothing really to do in a "Yes?" station. But people were still posted on "We're nearing the docking area, stations. Like flies or circuses, old habits Benjy wants you in the control room." didn't die away. "Oh." And then there were the border Of all the people aboard The Lucky stations. Not connected to any single planet, Bastard, Chico was the only one with a they were the outposts of the empire, pilot's licence. Most of the time, it didn't circling in endless waltzes on the very edges matter - the automatic controls took care of of the space man had conquered. They were everything - but, near the stations, Benjy supposed to serve as welcoming-committees always insisted on Chico being present, just in case some alien race decided to make its in case. With a sigh, Chico got up and went appearance. Pushed further on every year, out. they were small, boring, and useless. "Couldn't you have just buzzed me?" Mankind had spread far from its original he asked. planet. But it was still alone. Chances that a "The intercom's broken again," foreign race would be found were replied the tall man who had been waiting considered non-existent by now. But you for him. "The twins are trying to fix it but, 17 considering what happened when they tried "I don't know," answered Pieter. to fix the artigrav system, I thought this "Haven't you checked it from here?" would be quicker." "We've been far too busy trying to "Well, you're the magician, you make make the bloody computer work." Benjy it work." turned to Chico with an expression of Everything was always coming apart despair on his face. "We can't make on The Lucky Bastard, and Chico was contact." starting to suspect the ship's name related to Chico looked at the radar and the fat the fact that it still managed to fly. light-bug that represented the station. "But The magician smiled and shook his that's impossible. We're so close now we head. "Not even Houdini could make that should be able to phone them, let alone work," he said. "And I doubt very much that connect with their computer. Let me see." the twins can. But they're trying." Brushing Benjy aside, he seated himself at Something in the magician's voice the controls and pressed several buttons. made Chico looked at him suspiciously. When the computer ignored him, he turned "Using what technique?" on the communicator. "Curse it and slam it, than switch it on "This is The Lucky Bastard," he said. again and see what happened." "Registration number LBD/4-CA3 We're "I don't know why I'm the clown," having trouble with our computer. Request murmured Chico climbing the steps that led permission to come down." to the control room. "You should take my He waited for a while, but nothing job, Pieter." came out of the speaker. He tried again, with Pieter, better known as Pierrot the the same result. Magnificent, shook his head. "This is insane," he said finally. "Oh, no. You couldn't do the magic "Impossible." He turned to Pieter. "Go down act." and see what the twins are doing. If they've "Anyone can take cats out of top- messed with the communication system, I'll hats." personally throw them both off their trapeze "Not with my style. Besides, Belle without a net." Speaking, he started turning wouldn't let you stab her with stilettos." the power cells off. "Or with anything else, for that "What are you doing?" matter," added a female voice from the "Saving power. If we can't contact the control room. "Have the twins done computer, we can't get into the station. If we anything to the intercom?" can't get in, we'll have to go someplace else." 18 "But we can't," said Benjy. "We've "I don't suppose either of you just enough batteries to get us down. We geniuses would care to share your brilliant were counting to get a refill here." idea with the rest of us mortals?" Chico sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Don't you see, Pieter?" Belle got into "Couldn't we have taken some reserve?" the seat next to Chico's and started turning Benjy fidgeted with his tie. "Well, the front lights off. "We'll contact them power's so damn expensive on Vars, I visually. With our candle." thought..." That was the nickname the twins had "The twins swear they haven't given to the ship's beam-cannon. It was so touched anything but the intercom system. weak the best it could produce was a Which still isn't working", interrupted Pieter blinding light. But, since The Lucky Bastard coming back. kept well away from dangerous areas, the "Great," said Chico. "What now?" weapon was never replaced. Pieter sighed. "The way things are Pieter frowned slightly. "Suppose going, we can expect the power cells to go nobody happens to look out of the down on us any moment now. Do we have window?" any candles?" "Don't be so pessimistic, Piet," Suddenly, Chico slammed his fist snapped Bell. "Somebody's bound to, sooner against the control panel. "Candles! That's or later. After all, what else have they got to right!" do, in a border station?" Pieter lifted his eyebrows. "I suppose "You've got a point there," admitted there's a pun coming, but I admit I don't see Pieter and settled into his chair. "Let's just it," he said. hope there's somebody bored - and familiar "Not a pun," answered Chico with Morse - down there right now." enthusiastically, "but a solution!" He There was, apparently. As soon as the switched the engine back on. station came up on the front window, Chico "What are you doing?" asked Benjy stopped the ship and started shooting in worriedly. "You're getting us closer to the Morse. He sent several SOS's, then their station." name and registration number, then the SOS "Of course I am." Chico was again. concentrating on manoeuvring the ship. "I "What could they use to reply with?" have to, if we want to contact the station." asked Benjy. "I don't suppose they've got a "Why? We're too close as it is." lousy beamgun, too." "Of course!" exclaimed Belle. "The candle!" 19 "No, but they should find something. Turn the communicator on, too," said Chico. They were, but not half as much as "It might decide to start working again." the circus crew. With The Lucky Bastard A couple of minutes passed with the safely stored in one of the station hangars, station apparently unconcerned. Then, they were greeted by an old, wrinkled man. suddenly, all the tiny lights on station "Hi there," said the man. "My name's windows went out at once. Jeremiah Toretti. Welcome to my station." "Either they've forgotten to pay some "Your station?" Benjy forgot his bills or they're answering us," Pieter manners in surprise. "What do you mean?" murmured. Chico waved him to silence with "Well, there's nobody else here but an impatient hand, watching the dark spot me and Connie." that the station had become. The lights went "Connie?" on again… then off. Urgently, Chico started As the man nodded, a wild scream writing the dots and the dashes down. rang through the hangar and a ten-year old "Wel-come the Lu-cky Bas-tard. Per- boy ran to meet them with all the eagerness mis-sion to dock gran-ted," Belle was of his age. deciphering. "Ha-ving com-pu-ter trou-ble, "Here you are! Great!" so-rry. Will beam do-cking in-struc-tions. Seeing the old man's look, the boy Great!" she exclaimed finally. "So we're stopped shouting and straightened his stuck with a station that's as lousily shoulders, extending a serious little hand equipped as ourselves." towards Benjy. "All they have to have is a generator "Constantin Toretti-Yasharin, at your where we can fill our batteries," replied service." Chico. "And then we can go someplace "That's Connie," explained Jeremiah. civilised and have our systems repaired." "My daughter's son. His parents died, so he "Well," tried Benjy gently, "the least lives with me. And you are...?" we can do is give a show for them, too." As one, all six member's of Benjy's Chico nodded without turning, shouted: "We're Benjy's - the biggest small carefully noting down the relative co- interstellar circus in the Universe!" ordinates he would need to dock the ship by Both the man and the boy seemed a hand. bit startled by this unexpected publicity "Of course we'll give a show. We're a stunt. circus, aren't we?" "What's a circus?" asked Connie. "I wonder if they'll be surprised when John, the younger of the twins, exchanged a they find that out," said Belle. look with his brother and ran towards the 20 wall. His speed allowed him to make a few and then." Jeremiah shrugged almost steps fly-like vertically, opposing the apologetically. "Never mind that. There's station's artigrav, then he made a back flip in nothing to communicate, anyway. But here, the air and landed securely on his brother's let me offer you some refreshments - I'm shoulders. sure our supplies are still more varied than "That's a circus," he said, jumping ship food." back to the ground. "We'll be more than glad to accept "And, if I may add," interrupted your offer," said Benjy. "And tomorrow Pieter, reaching behind the boy's ear and morning, we will put a show for you." taking out a big bunch of artificial flowers, The crew exchanged curious looks. "this also." He presented the flowers to the Benjy was a nice man, but volunteering to boy, covered them with a handkerchief, took do a show for two... the bunch back and blew, showing the "Well, what?" Benjy shrugged. empty hand that was all that was left under "We're a circus, aren't we?" the blood-red silk. "And there are animals, too," said And so, the next morning found all Belle, "only I'm afraid I can't show them to the crew at work, setting up their one and you before I've fed them." only ring. Belle was showing Connie her "Wow," said the boy. "That's lion and two lionesses, and the twins were amazing." warming up for their trapeze act. Chico, his "Well," Benjy turned to the old man, face already made up, fidgeted for a while, "we're sorry to impose on you in this way, then finally got up and went to Pieter's but our batteries are empty and we seem to cabin. have some slight trouble with our "Listen," he said. "There's something computer..." strange going on." "Yes," Chico added, "you said yours "What do you mean?" Pieter was isn't working properly either." checking out all the equipment in his "That's right," said Jeremiah. "All magician's tails. communication systems have gone on "I don't know, exactly." strike." "Well, if you're talking about all "Really? That's strange - the same communication systems going down, I think thing happened to our ship. How long has you're right. But since our collective this been going on?" knowledge of such things could be engraved "Oh, this is one of the oldest stations, on one of Cleo's claws, I don't really see you know. Things break down every now what we can do about it. Do you?" 21 Chico shrugged. "I don't know. Why "Do I have to like them?" asked isn't the man more upset? He lives here, for Chico. Before Pieter had time to answer, God's sake! If I lived on the edge of the Benjy knocked on the door. known universe, I'd get crazy with worry if "We're going in five," he shouted. my communication system went down." "And that goes for both of you Siamese!" "Well, if I lived in this station I'd go Chico frowned. "Do I always end up crazy period, but I can see what you mean. here before the show?" Maybe he's gaga." Pieter shook his head seriously. "Of "Did he seem so?" course you don't. Sometimes I go across to "Not really." Pieter finished his your room. Let's go." dressing and checked himself in the full- The ring was set in all the glory it length mirror. "But then, you never know." possessed, just like for any other show. If it "Some help you are." weren't for the single bench that faced the Pieter smiled as he put Cleo into her arena, no one could have guessed the hiding place. "On the other hand," he said, amount of audience the Benjy's were "we've been in space for three years now. preparing for. Jeremiah was already in his Maybe it's time we took a good long rest on seat, but Connie was nowhere in sight. In his firm ground somewhere." MC suit, Benjy peered through the curtain. "You think I'm growing paranoid?" "Where's the rest of the audience?" he Pieter just looked at him with his asked. eyebrows raised. Finally, Chico gave up Jeremiah looked around with a with a sigh. confused expression on his face. "He was "Alright, maybe I am," he said. "But with your animal trainer. I thought he would this isn't what we usually meet at the come down with you." stations." Muttering curses under his breath, "This is one of the oldest borders, you Benjy went behind the curtain, shouting for know. Practically all the spreading has gone Belle. But before he found her, Connie came in other directions. That could account for running from the opposite direction. some things." "Can we wait just a little longer?" he "Like an old man being the only one shouted. "They haven't come yet!" left in charge, okay. But not for the Jeremiah let out a sound of both communication systems. Both on the surprise and anger, but the boy ran past him Bastard and on the station." and caught Benjy's sleeve. "Coincidences do happen." "Please? Just a few minutes. Please!" 22 Benjy automatically looked at his "Gods!" crew for reaction. Jeremiah let Connie go and let out a Chico frowned and leaned towards deep, desperate sigh. Chico looked at him the boy. "Who hasn't come?" and said: "Suppose you tell us what's going "My friends. I told them about you, on?" and they so want to see you, only they "Yes," answered the old man. "I don't haven't arrived yet... But they're real close, see that I have a choice." it'll only be a moment or so..." "What friends, Connie? How could Half an hour later, the entire crew of you tell them about us? Who are they?" Benjy's was gathered behind the curtain, Jeremiah's hurried steps approached ready to start the opening parade. them, and Connie suddenly froze, as if "Nervous?" asked Pieter in a low afraid. voice. "What's going on?" asked the station Chico laughed. "Of course I'm keeper. "What has Connie been telling you? nervous. How many times in your life have The boy's constantly inventing stories, you you performed for alien life-forms who know," he added, taking his grandson's prefer to keep quiet about their existence but hand. "He's lonely. Don't pay any attention wouldn't let an old man and a boy be lonely to it." on a station?" "No, grandpa," said Connie. "It's too "Well," said Pieter, straightening his late. I've told them." top-hat, "who cares who's in the audience? "I know you have, Connie. Now We're a circus, aren't we?" you'll just apologise to the gentlemen for wasting their time and... you mean them?" Connie nodded. "They're coming." "What, now? You can't be serious!" "They wanted to see the show." 23 One of the newcomers to the genre, Dario Rukavina quickly established himself as a relevant author within the younger generation of Croatian SF writers. He was born in 1972 and lives in Zagreb.

Dario Rukavina A PASSAGE TO THE EAST

It was morning and they were sailing aristocrats, who are silently encouraging her the skies above the Atlantic when Mr. with meaningful glances over the edge of D'Alema rose from the table, went to the spread-out newspapers. If she did not cheese platter, sliced a thick piece of respond to the children's whining, as if she ementaler cheese, brought it back on a were a kind of train station PA, he usually saucer, put it in front of himself, turned to said, Darling, restrain the children or But Michael and said with a wink: darling, why won't you answer them when - The Universe is as curved and hollow they're asking so nicely. She put butter and as this cheese. cranberry jam on his toast. Dropped a Michael looked inquiringly at his sugarcube into his coffee. Stirred it. Wiped father, who did not so much as blinked. He Michael's smutty mouth and warned Carol only wiped his mouth with a napkin and to sit properly, as befits a young lady. took a sip of coffee. Michael then turned Admonished Martin for smudging the towards his mother and asked: zeppelin window with his fingers. - Mommy? - What in God's name are you doing, A knot of shame in the pit of Mrs. Martin? Moorcock's stomach swells each time a - I'm diverting a flock of birds from child comes to her with questions. They call flying into a propeller... or over Russia - her mummy, and they don't look at her Martin responded in a heavy voice, as if he while speaking to her but peek out the were putting a lot of effort in what he did. - I window in a jolly conversation with clouds, want to save them and earn some good like, you know, I'm not really speaking to karma. you, mummy, I'm just thinking out loud and The men at the next table were if you do not want to be disturbed, hell, exchanging glances in silence. Mrs. that's okay. Even the eldest daughter, Carol, Moorcock was afraid that they might be rambles on and on while seductively Russian anarchists. Such men, they plant twisting her neck towards a pair of young bombs and kill innocent folk. 24 - Leave the birds alone, Martin... - she Relativism. This was why Zacharia groaned, ill at ease. - How would you feel if Moorcock wasted not a moment to cross your soul were in a bird, and someone on a swords with someone of their kind. zeppelin is disturbing you while you fly the Around noon, Michael drove his remote skies freely? control robot to the saloon door where the Mr. Moorcock made a sour face. gents had been enjoying brandy and cigars - There goes your mother, Martin, with as much as the bitter bickering about the another bright idea. And they just keep warping of space, wormholes and the getting brighter. There's no immortal soul amount of energy required to open an trapped in a bird's body! - he leaned towards interdimensional portal. He could hear his his daughter and muttered icily: Would you father shouting: I piss, beg pardon, my dear please shut up already? sir, on your exotic matter, ha, ha, ha. - Let the children speak, my dear sir - His father was twitching most Mr. D'Alema, the Italian industrialist, cut in peculiarly, like his robot. His hand was pale again, - children are the ones closest to the as he clutched the glass feverishly, and he truth, but I think that immortality is when stared in anxious anticipation for the glass to someone does something that will truly burst into pieces in his hand. make them Immortal. Take Einstein for During that time, Mrs. Moorcock and example! - Martin strolled to the bridge. They did not Mr. Moorcock sat awhile clutching the care for these never ending squabbles edge of the table, then he took a napkin, amongst Teslocrats and Einsteinians at all. wiped his mouth and said: - We are done Dynamic theory or the Unified field theory? with our breakfast. We are going to our Martin had decided that he would go room. - Fuming the entire way, he said that into bird-observation business anyway, once he had nothing to discuss with a bloody he's grown. They were watching the tame relativistic provocateur. landscape of Provence passing underneath, Zacharia Moorcock was a Teslocrat, when suddenly a dove bumped against the Senior Supervisory Engineer, Second Class. open window of the ship's bridge, fell into He is traveling with his family to Croatia, on the room and lay still. a pilgrimage to pay his respects to Nikola - Don't touch that thing! - Mrs. Tesla, the great inventor and founder of the Moorcock screamed at Martin as he was League of Teslocratic Domains (LTD), and bending to observe the bird more closely. to receive a promotion. A Teslocrat of his Even with her Teslocratic upbringing, she rank, he hadn't had much chance to travel a was deeply superstitious and her memory lot, let alone argue with proponents of still rang with the words of her Nan, a 25 Romanian emigrant, saying that the bird were aghast to find out that Carol and the flying into a room was an omen of death of young Russian count were missing. a loved one. Disquiet came over her - the Moorcock was furious and insisted that thought that the Russian nobles were in fact the zeppelin should re-dock, but the captain anarcho-terrorists capable of abducting her led him to the radio-room and reported the or, God forbid, blowing up the airship, saw disappearance to the police. Moorcock her to her room, a bout of pill-popping and, exercised his influence as Senior Engineer, finally, dreamland. After finding himself Second class, to speak to the Vienna Police alone, Martin lifted the wounded bird gently Commander himself, upon which he got up and hid it in his shirt. firm reassurances that Carol would be Before lunch, the parlor debate was discreetly escorted to Zagreb in the most momentarily interrupted by a prima donna expedient manner. That calmed him down who was returning from a successful somewhat. The web of Teslocratic agencies American tour and decided to treat them all was widespread and strong, and nobody to the Brunnhilda passage from Wagner's could slip through undetected - least of all, a Die Walkure. big-mouthed American girl accompanied by War es so schmählich aria was drilling a Russian anarchist. painful wormholes in Mr. Moorcock's A warm summer day welcomed them to migraine, far more painful than the ones Zagreb. They were staying at the Esplanade caused by Mr. D'Alema theory of ripping Hotel. They took a stroll around the Dolac through the web of space-time continuum, marketplace and were delighted by the taste when he noticed Carol missing. Sneaking of štrukli. In the hotel, at the reception desk, out of the parlor, he found her accompanied they were handed a memo from the Vienna by the young Russian. She was clinging to Police Dpt. which said they could pick up him like English ivy. Blood rushed to his Carol at the train station, as she was arriving head. He turned on his heel, stormed back to on the first train from Vienna. the parlor and threw himself in a seat. The train noiselessly hovered over the - Your daughter, Adela... - he was tracks and Mrs. Moorcock brooded on the hissing at his wife under the breath - She wonderful, romantic times when one could flirts shamelessly with that damn Russian see lithe figures of men emerging out of the lowlife! It's your blood, Adela... Balkan, steam of a railway station. She loved gypsy blood! railway stations, the old era, and the sterility After docking at Vienna, they took a of Teslocracy mortified her. Carol was short sightseeing tour of the city and some escorted off the train by two agents, doped new passengers boarded. Upon leaving, they up on meds, her grin as wide as one on a 26 rag-doll's painted-on face. They boarded the Tunguska region. The Marconi trial. War. train going to the town of Gospić, from Squadrons emerging out of the forests of where they proceeded to Smiljan and the Lika armed with death rays. Hitler's Nikola Tesla Memorial Center. factories burning, Pearl Harbor in flames, Zacharia Moorcock got ready for the the scalar wave hits Tokyo. Tesla's United commemoration: he went through the ritual Nations speech. The dissolution of the UN bathing and dove feeding, intoned guild Council. The founding conference of the chants at the temple, entrusted the patent Teslocratic bloc. Peace under the officer with his most secret ideas. Michael sponsorship of Teslocrats. Tesla retiring. was dressed in an azure jacket with golden Tesla feeding a white dove. Tesla's funeral. epaulettes; he too would be attending the Michael experienced a strange sensation ceremony, going through his rite of passage while watching these images. It occurred to and joining the guild's youth as Moorcock's him that their sequence on the wall should successor. Michael shone as the midsummer not be changed. If they were disarranged, if sun, rubbing the robot with his sleeve, and those invisible threads of awkwardness were then the Procurator of Teslocratic Youth to break, whole worlds might perish. Slide rounded up the boys and led them into the on them slowly, as a spider, toward the Memorial Room. center of all things. The Memorial Room was thick with Upon exiting the Memorial Room, they dusty hallucinations. Entering, Michael felt boarded the open-top scenic buses powered his life accelerating, coming off the walls - by aether, and were underway towards the old photographs: New York docks, men in Plitvice Lakes National Park. Somewhere uniforms, special occasions, gatherings, along the way, Carol came to, drugs wearing cracks of happiness framed. Tesla and off. Einstein in an argument, Tesla and Swami - Momma, momma, they shot him like a Vivekananda in the lab, Tesla showing him dog... - she started crying. the mathematical confirmation of Vedic - Have no fear, dear child, you'll meet scriptures. Tesla not giving over the yet again, in some other, happier contracts to Westinghouse, but giving them incarnation, - Adela whispered, reading the to his people. Coming back to Croatia. The instructions for the proper dosage on a little speech in Zagreb. The people pooling in blue box and smiling sourly at women as if gold to continue his research. The promotion waiting for their silent acceptance. Her of the Dynamic Theory of Gravity. words were drowned in the engineers' Receiving the Nobel Prize. Tesla donating booming song which resounded in the front resources for the reconstruction of the of the column, just to get wind-blown all 27 over the mountains of the Lika region. For a Zacharia Moorcock hugged his time, Carol regarded the astonishingly colleagues, said his farewells, handed out beautiful landscapes of Lika, the country of his business cards inviting them to visit him wolves and lakes, with a dull look, asking in America; Martin gathered crumbs for his herself how it was possible that Tesla was wounded dove; Carol stared somewhere born in such a backwater; a second later, she eastward with a glazed look, propped up by was sleeping like a log and she did not wake her mother; and Michael, eyes filled with during the rest of the way to the Plitvice admiration, watched his father. Lakes. There they joined the procession. On His attention was caught by the stands foot. From the topmost lakes, from one along the pathway. On them, gold-crusted powerplant to the next, all the way to the cheeses ripened. main waterfall - the magnificent concrete - Mommy, look, cheese! - he cried. monster where the dazzling ceremony was A heavyset native of Lika, with a thick held. moustache, a wide toothless grin, a lopsided At the end of it, they received a small red cap and a sheep-fur waistcoat, sliced a chunk of concrete chipped off the chunk and offered it off the knife-blade. powerplant - as a souvenir, a reminder of - Mommy, it squeaks on the teeth! - said times past when each and every energy Michael, chewing. quant was needed for the young Teslocracy And he was positively certain that the to survive; also that everything comes and Universe was not as hollow and hole-riddled goes and that nothing of this world lasts as the heretics used to say, but that it was forever, save for great men and their ideas bent and looped back, squeaking along the which will be written for all eternity in way, exactly as a Lika cheese. Akasha, the Great Book of Universe. (Translated by Miheala Marija Perković and Tihomir Maček) 28

Živko Prodanović SF haiku

seven galaxies seven great admirals one war

golden birds of Orion ineffectual running - men have come

the space games - bravo, the very first medal for the Earth

worried keepers - the ninth human being ran away from zoo

robot's eyes in the dark deepness's a drop of oil

great revolt robots disclaiming to change their heads

the end of war victorious robots separating defeated

29

Aleksandar Žiljak SCIENCE FICTION IN CROATIA

1. The Beginnings Degal (most likely a pseudonym): Atomska raketa (The Atomic Rocket), Zrake smrti Although the elements of fantastic (The Death Rays) and Smaragdni skarabej and speculative (as far as science in the (The Emerald Scarab), all dating from early modern sense is concerned) in the Croatian 1930s. Also worthy of mention is the novel literature can be traced back to the years Majstor Omega osvaja svijet (The Omega immediately before and after World War I Master Conquers The World) by Stan Rager, (for instance, the novel Crveni ocean (The serialized in 1940. Stan Rager was a Red Ocean - 1918) by Marija Jurić - pseudonym used by Stanko Radovanović Zagorka and some stories by Vladimir and Zvonimir Furtinger (whom we’ll Nazor), it is generally agreed today that the encounter later) writing in tandem. Very first true Croatian SF novel was Na Pacifiku little is known of these texts today, most of 2255. (On The Pacific In 2255) by Milan them appearing in newspapers and Šufflay, first serialized in 1924 and re-issued magazines. They are seldom available and in a book-form in 1998. they need to be more thoroughly studied and In 1932, Mato Hanžeković published critically evaluated. The same goes for some Gospodin čovjek (A Man Of Rank), a utopia proto-SF works dating as far back as the about a group of people rebuilding the Renaissance. civilization destroyed in a new world war. Better appreciated are the early Even more novels and stories appeared in Croatian SF comics from the 1930s. The Zagreb during the 1920s and 1930s, mostly first-ever was Gost iz svemira (The Guest by authors using pen-names, initials, or From Outer Space) by Božidar Rašić and altogether omitting to sign themselves. Leontije Bjelski, published in 1935 in Claimed by some authorities to be the best Zagreb, followed by Krešimir Kovačić’s and are Muri Massanga (1927) by Mladen Andrija Maurović’s Ljubavnica s Marsa Horvat and a series of novels by Aldion 30 (The Mistress From Mars) and Podzemna (Nothing Without Božena - being an updated carica (The Underground Empress). version of The Mysterious Machine Of Professor Kružić) in 1970. Well-written, 2. Croatian SF Comes Of Age these novels deal with cosmic catastrophes, aliens visiting Earth, artificial intelligence Some SF stories by Croatian authors, and robotics, and various machines, such as still using pseudonyms, were published even matter replicator and anti-gravity device. during World War II. Immediate post-war Character-oriented, action-packed and years, with the war-winning Communist spiced with humor and fine irony, they often Party becoming the ruling political force in include elements of the mystery genre. Yugoslavia and Croatia, represented a short Bjažić and Furtinger novels were the lull in the continuity of the Croatian SF. pioneering works in Croatian science However, the 1950s saw an increase in fiction, introducing many new and fresh number of translated novels (by American, ideas and it is no wonder that they were very Russian and European authors) published by popular. Being reprinted several times, they various Yugoslav publishers. undoubtedly influenced many fans and As far as Croatia is concerned, late subsequent writers, which makes them even 1950s and early to mid-1960s were more important. Both Bjažić and Furtinger definitely marked by Mladen Bjažić and were very prolific authors of popular and Zvonimir Furtinger, writing in tandem. Both juvenile literature, but Furtinger remained stemmed from the juvenile magazine Plavi more faithful to SF, writing a considerable vjesnik, where Bjažić was the editor, while number of SF stories and radio-plays on his Furtinger contributed stories (most notable own. being his SF novelette Vila na otoku - The After Bjažić and Furtinger, the second Villa on an Island) and scripted comics. most important author was Angelo Ritig Their first collaborative effort was Osvajač with his novels Sasvim neobično buđenje 2 se ne javlja (The Conqueror 2 Does Not (Quite an Unusual Awakening - 1961) and Reply), first published in 1959. Svemirska Ljubav u neboderu (Love in the Skyscraper - nevjesta (The Space Bride), Varamunga - 1965). As opposed to Bjažić and Furtinger, tajanstveni grad (Varamunga - The who were concerned with action and humor, Mysterious City) and the juvenile novel Ritig was more interested in psychological Zagonetni stroj profesora Kružića (The development of his characters facing Mysterious Machine Of Professor Kružić) technologies such as brain transfer and a followed in 1960, Mrtvi se vraćaju (The mind-reading device. It’s a shame that he Dead Return) in 1965 and Ništa bez Božene wrote only two science fiction novels, 31 because he was successfully combining reaching 30 000 in its heyday, and was mature literary style with interesting elected twice (in 1980 and 1984) the best scientific speculations and convincing European SF magazine. After Jurković futuristic settings. edited Sirius for more than 100 issues, he Silvije Ružić published the juvenile was succeeded by Hrvoje Prćić, although Uspavani diktator (The Sleeping Dictator) Milivoj Pašiček was signed as an editor for in 1961, while Milan Nikolić, otherwise a some time. very prolific and skilful crime and mystery Sirius was modeled after American writer, ventured into SF with his 1960 novel SF magazines and published stories of Zovem Jupiter … Beležite (Calling Jupiter various lengths, mostly by English- … Take Notes). speaking, but also Soviet and European Other Croatian authors of that period (particularly French) authors. In more than were mostly writing SF novels for children, thirteen years, Sirius introduced the Croatian the tradition continuing to the present day. readers to the stories by the best SF writers in the world, authors both classic and recent 3. The Sirius Years ones. Sirius was also opened to various theoretical works, reviews, biographical The crucial year in the history of the texts, interviews and fandom news, and all Croatian SF was 1976. In July of that year, this had considerable influence on the the first Croatian SF magazine Sirius was development of SF in Croatia. started. Sirius was published by Zagreb Most important of all, Sirius offered newspaper and magazine publisher Vjesnik, Croatian (and Yugoslav) writers an one of the largest such companies in opportunity to publish. Having the full-color socialist Yugoslavia. It was started by cover and later even black-and-white story Borivoj Jurković (its first editor) and Damir illustrations, Sirius also became a sort of Mikuličić, no doubt inspired by a growing exhibition hall of the SF art. interest in SF manifested in Yugoslavia in Several writers became well-known the early 1970s. Despite severe economic on the pages of Sirius. While Branko Belan difficulties in the 1980s Yugoslavia and Zvonimir Furtinger were the best of (resulting in inflation and chronic shortage those already established on the Croatian of paper), Sirius maintained a regular cultural scene (Belan was a film director and monthly rhythm throughout most of the lecturer, as well as writer, and Furtinger was period of its publication, lasting until a journalist and writer, both being in their December 1989, when it reached issue mid-sixties when Sirius was started), number 163/164. It had a circulation Predrag Raos was certainly the greatest 32 among the young writers beginning their subjects and subgenres were also present, career in Sirius. The most prolific Sirius such as space-opera, hard-SF, first contact, authors were Branko Pihač and Živko time travel and ESP. On the other hand, Prodanović, and we should also mention some of the then-popular subgenres were Neven Antičević, Radovan Devlić almost completely missing, such as (otherwise a comics author), Darije Đokić, cyberpunk. There was also a total lack of Damir Mikuličić, Slobodan Petrovski, alternative histories and parallel world Zdravko Valjak and many others. The pages stories. Due to the strict editorial orientation of Sirius also revealed the significant towards SF, encouraged by contemporary presence of women-writers, such as Vera readers, there was no fantasy or horror on Ivosić-Santo (a.k.a. Veronika Santo), Vesna the pages of Sirius. Gorše, Biljana Mateljan, Vesna Popović, Between 1976 and 1989 - years now Tatjana Vranić and several others. We can dubbed the Sirius period - some very state without any doubt that women important SF novels appeared. publishing in Sirius were on the average Predrag Raos published his two-part superior writers to their male colleagues, epic Brodolom kod Thule (Shipwrecked At both thematically and stylistically, Thula) in 1979. Mnogo vike nizašto (Much particularly when their relatively small Ado About Nothing) followed in 1985 and outputs are considered. Nul effort in 1990. Shipwrecked at Thula, Although it is really impossible to almost 850 pages long, is the most important draw any common denominator for some and possibly the best Croatian science 500 Croatian SF stories (including short- fiction novel so far. Describing the utopian, short ones) published in Sirius, some trends but stagnant human society 600 years in the are obvious. For instance, it’s easy to notice future that sends the first faster-than-light a large number of anti-utopias, most often expedition to Alpha Centaury, and the post-nuclear. This was an obvious comment disaster striking this expedition, it is on the Cold War, as well as the Yugoslav brilliantly written and never boring despite single-party socialist society. (We must its length. It is at the same time great point out, however, that socialism in literature and great science fiction, firmly Yugoslavia was much more liberal than in based in sound scientific speculation. other East European countries, let alone Shipwrecked at Thula, Sirius stories, Much USSR. Yugoslavia was not a member of the Ado About Nothing (about an expedition to Warsaw Pact, and indeed maintained a Mars) and Nul effort (about a space delicate balance between West and East, expedition caught in a middle of an being opened to both.) Other classic SF intergalactic war) firmly established Predrag 33 Raos as one of the finest Croatian writers. year or two that Sirius will be revived, In the mid-1980s, Neven Orhel wrote nothing ever came out of it. In the two medical-SF novels, Uzbuna na odjelu za meantime, the clouds of war were gathering rak (Alert At The Cancer Ward) and over Croatia... Ponoćni susret (The Midnight Encounter). The early 1990s, marked by the fall of Branko Belan published the anti-utopian socialism and the violent break-up of Utov dnevnik (Ut’s Diary) in 1982, Yugoslavia, seemed hardly an appropriate incorporating some of his stories previously time for the Sirius successor. So it came out published in Sirius. In the same year, Damir of the blue when, in late autumn 1992, a Mikuličić published a collection of his small Zagreb graphic design and publishing stories entitled O. Hrvoje Hitrec, well- company Bakal introduced Futura to the known Croatian writer, published his SF news-stands. Less than a year after the war novel Ur in 1982, and is also famous for his in Croatia was stopped by an uneasy cease- SF novel for children Eko eko from 1978. fire, and with war at full swing in Bosnia Some other mainstream writers also and Herzegovina, here we were, bewildered, incorporated the SF and fantastic elements holding a new SF-magazine in our hands! in their novels, most notably Pavao Pavličić Basically, Futura was not very and Goran Tribuson, two of the most different from Sirius. It was a monthly and it prominent and prolific of several so-called opened its pages to the Croatian artists and Croatian Borgesians appearing on the writers almost immediately. However, the literary scene in the early 1970s. times had changed. Futura’s circulation was So far the only two Croatian SF much lower than that of Sirius. Denied the movies also appeared in this period. The support of the major state-owned publisher first was Izbavitelj (The Rat Savior) in 1977, and faced with a general drop in income and directed by Krsto Papić and awarded at the living standard in Croatia, Futura had Trieste SF Film Festival. The second was financial problems. It changed several Dušan Vukotić’s SF comedy Posjetioci iz editors (they were: Vlatko Jurić-Kokić, galaksije Arkana (Visitors From The Arkana Krsto A. Mažuranić, Mihaela Velina, Galaxy), shot in 1980. Davorin Horak and Milena Benini) and was sold to another publisher several years ago. 4. Future With Futura Eventually, it became very irregular, not appearing at the news-stands for months. The untimely death of Sirius in Apparently defunct, Futura currently (July December 1989 is still mourned by many. 2008) stands at issue number 129. Although there were rumors in the following 34 Futura had similar importance for the Stars), both from 1996. Raos is also a well- Croatian SF as did Sirius. It became the known translator and controversial public place where authors could publish. personality, always opposing any authority. However, in 1995 Futura stopped being the Zdravko Valjak collected his old Sirius only such place. stories in Plastična duša (The Plastic Soul), published in 1997. Živko Prodanović 5. New Vibrations published the somewhat out-of-date Tamara in 2000 and Smrt među rimskim ruševinama In spring of that year, a new and (The Death Among The Ruins Of Rome) in important project in the Croatian SF was 2003. Damir Mikuličić became an important started. The SF-club SFera from Zagreb SF and popular science (Einstein, Hawking, issued the first of their story-collections, etc.) publisher. Neven Antičević, too, entitled Zagreb 2004 and edited by Darko became one of the most important Croatian Macan. Zagreb 2004 collected stories by publishers. Vesna Gorše, also one of the young (the oldest being 32) writers, about Sirius writers, but today better known as an Zagreb 10 years in the future. The collection ethno-jazz musician, collected some of her was actually prepared in 1994, hence the stories in the book Dar (The Gift), published reference in the title, but was somewhat in 2003. delayed, and the primary subject of the In the meantime, SFera continued stories was obviously the war in Croatia, at producing its collections, timing them to that moment still unresolved. Although coincide with the annual SFeraKon many featured writers had already convention held in Zagreb. After Zagreb published, mostly in fanzines and Futura, 2004, Dnevnici entropije (The Entropy this collection proved that a new generation Diaries) followed in 1996. Then, there were of SF authors had arrived. At the same time, Kvantni portali imaginacije (Quantum it seemed that the Sirius generation had Portals Of Imagination), Zagreb 2014, mostly faded away, at least in their capacity Krhotine svjetova (Fragments Of The as writers. Worlds), Dvije tisuće šarenih aliena (Two Not that nothing was heard of them. Thousand Gaudy Aliens), Jutra boje potopa Predrag Raos was vehement as a member of (Deluge-Colored Mornings), Alternauti the opposition against President Tuđman’s (Alternauts), Djeca olujnih vjekova authoritative rule. However, only two of the (Children Of The Stormy Eras), Zagreb books he published in the 1990s were true 2094, Kap crne svjetlosti (A Drop Of Black SF: Mayerling and the children’s novel Od Light), Zagrob (Aftergrave - a collection of rata do zvijezda (From The War To The horror stories), Trinaesti krug bezdana (The 35 Thirteenth Circle of Abyss) and, finally, in Young writers now pay more attention to 2008, Zmajev zlatni svitak (The Dragon’s characters and plotline. The stories are no Golden Scroll). The editor of - and the more used just as an excuse to elaborate driving force behind - most of these some SF idea, which was a frequent collections was Darko Macan, alone or shortcoming of numerous Sirius stories. together with Tatjana Jambrišak and, New generation of authors devoted more recently, Darko Vrban. time to literary Quantum Portals Of qualities of their Imagination was edited texts, employing by Davorin Horak, modern story- while Tatjana Jambrišak telling techniques, and Darko Vrban edited some even showing A Drop Of Black Light, tendency towards Zagrob and The radical literary ex- Thirteenth Circle of periments. Finally, Abyss. They were joined the 1990s authors by Mihaela Marija freely introduced Perković for editing Croatian themes, work on The Dragon’s characters and sett- Golden Scroll. ings into their Because of the stories. Why was careful selection and the majority (not all editing, these coll- and not always, but ections became the majority never- cutting edge of the theless) of Sirius modern Croatian SF. authors reluctant to The stories published in do this, even when them were on average much better than appropriate, opting instead for stereotyped those in Futura, firmly establishing the new American and/or European characters or authors. choosing some neutral settings, remains Interesting comparisons can now be open to discussion. Whatever the reason, it made between stories in Futura and SFera seems as if the future finally started collections, and those published in Sirius. happening to Croatians in Croatia, and this The approach to various themes and subjects is a considerable and very important became more modern and diverse in 1990s. quantum step, implying a further maturing 36 of the Croatian SF that took place in the fantastic. Since late 1998, short-short stories 1990s. have been published in the juvenile Sunday- One of the results of the SFera books supplement of the Jutarnji list newspapers, was the spreading of the story-collection and we must not forget various fanzines. bug from Zagreb to Istria, so, starting in By 2003, ten years of writing and 2002, short-short story-collections were publishing resulted in enough material for promoted at annual Istrakon conventions some authors to plan their own story- held in the small town of Pazin. These collections. The edition SFera was initiated, collections are: Tvar koja nedostaje (The with four story-collections: Duh novog Missing Matter), Svijet tamo iza (The World svijeta (Spirit Of The New World) by Beyond), Bolja polovica (The Better Half), Tatjana Jambrišak, Purgeri lete u nebo Ispod i iznad (Below And Above), Sami na (Burgers Fly Up To The Sky) by Igor svijetu (Alone In The World), Krivo stvoreni Lepčin, Teksas Kid (i još neka moja braća) (Wrongly Created) and Dobar ulov (The (Texas Kid (And Other Brothers Of Mine)) Good Catch). In the last three years, by Darko Macan and Slijepe ptice (Blind additional collections are prepared for the Birds) by Aleksandar Žiljak. annual The Festival Of Fantastic Literature, This project was continued in 2004, also held in Pazin. The books appearing so with another series of four books: Najbolji far are Vampirske priče (Vampire Tales), na svijetu (The Best In The World) by Zoran Priče o starim bogovima (Tales of Old Krušvar, Preko rijeke (Across The River) by Gods) and this year’s Priče o divovima Dalibor Perković, Čuvari sreće (Keepers Of (Tales of Giants). Happiness) by Zoran Pongrašić and Frulaš Another story-collection, Priča o (The Piper) by Zoran Vlahović. Anđeli Novak (The Story of Anđela Novak) Finally, in 2005, the third set of four was published in Osijek in 2006. In the past books was published. These were Jednorog i two years, Irena Rašeta edited story djevica (The Unicorn And The Virgin) by collections blog.sf and Bludućnost (The Milena Benini, Jeftine riječi (Cheap Words) Future Lust), thus beginning an ongoing by Goran Konvični, Zvjezdani riffovi (Star TranSFuzija (TranSFusion) series. Riffs) by Krešimir Mišak and Zeleno sunce, Beside Futura and the annual crna spora (Green Sun, Black Spore) by collections, there were several mainstream Danilo Brozović. literary magazines where an occasional SF This edition brought together twelve story could be found, particularly the of the best and most prolific of the new defunct Plima that regularly published generation of Croatian SF authors. It also stories and plays with elements of the spans the entire spectrum of interests and 37 themes covered in their stories. However, remains a unique blend of space-opera, compared to writers in the West, the military SF and a sharp comment on the war individual output of Croatian authors is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the author being quite small. The reason is simple: SF writing from Sarajevo. in Croatia is not commercial and cannot be Another excellent novel appearing in turned into a profession. Therefore, it is 2003 was Christkind by Boris Dežulović, merely a hobby for most of the authors. This otherwise a well-known journalist and also results in writers who show up with columnist. In 2004, a three-part epic Araton only a story or two and then disappear for by Oliver Franić was published, while good, a phenomenon observed as long ago Dalibor Perković published his first novel as the Sirius days. Another consequence Sva krv čovječanstva (All The Blood Of during the 1990s was almost total lack of Mankind) in 2005. true (much less good) SF novels. However, Predrag Raos also returned to the SF beginning with the new century, this started scene with his first major novel in years, to change. Publishers, previously reluctant Vertikala (The Vertical) from 2006, dealing to publish Croatian SF, now show much with moral dilemmas faced by the designer more interest. This resulted in a steady of an orbital spacecraft-launch stratodrome. stream of at least one or two very good SF The Vertical was followed by two story- novels each year. collections: Škorpion na jeziku (A Scorpion In 2002, two SF novels appeared, both on the Tongue) and Hrvatski bog s Marsa including considerable amount of humor. (The Croatian God from Mars). While A These were Topli zrak (The Hot Air) by Scorpion on the Tongue collects three of Davor Slamnig and Ja i Kalisto (Me And Raos’s best Sirius novelettes, The Croatian Callisto) by Dejan Šorak. They were God from Mars contains humoristic SF, followed by two very good novels for most of it previously unpublished, editorial children, Prsti puni mora (Fingers Full Of censorship being one of the reasons. His Sea) by Igor Lepčin and Pavo protiv Pave 2007 fantasy novel Let Nancija Konratata (Paul vs. Paul) by Darko Macan. (The Flight of Nancio Konratat) further In late 2003, the best Croatian SF confirmed his status. novel in more than a decade was published. In 2006, Veselin Gatalo published It was Sablja (The Sabre) by Ivan Gavran. A Geto (The Ghetto), an action-packed fast-paced and superbly written space opera allegoric vision of future Bosnia and about a group of post-apocalypse Earth Herzegovina. His 2007-novel Cafe Oxygen, pilots fighting with their F-86 Sabre jets in a while well-written, is probably best galactic air combat tournament, Sablja considered a juvenile. Danilo Brozović 38 caused quite a furor with his 2007 political few peers indeed. cyberpunk novel Bojno polje Istra As far as other speculative fiction (Battlefield Istria), while Marina Jadrejčić - genres are considered, fantasy is represented well-known from the early days of Futura - by several novels so bad they don’t even published her story-collection Tužna desert mentioning. Two notable exceptions Madona (Sad Madonna) in 2008. Two SF are juvenile Čudesna krljušt (The serials were also initiated in the past few Miraculous Scale - 1995) by Zvjezdana years, one being Zoran Vlahović’s Odobašić, and fantasy spoofs by Vanja cyberpunk-noir Strijelac (The Shooter), the Spirin. other being Lovina Horror scene is (Prey), created by T.H. somewhat more lively, Knight (a pen-name) with the most and Marin Medić and prominent and prolific combining vampires author being Viktoria and cyberpunk. Faust (a pen-name), One of most dubbed “the first lady important events in the of Croatian horror”. last few years is the first Beside numerous collection of stories by horror and SF stories Veronika Santo, titled (collected in several Vrt pramčanih figura collections), her (The Figureheads novels include U Garden), published in anđeoskom liku zvijeri 2008. While known (In The Angelic Image from the pages of Of The Beast - 2000), Sirius, Veronika Santo, Neizgovorena priča now living in Rome, (The Untold Story - was absent from the 2005), Nasmrt pre- Croatian scene for plašen (Scared to almost fifteen years, publishing sporadically Death - 2005) and Anastasia, as well as in Serbia. The Figureheads Garden collects numerous books on supernatural. her most important stories, ranging in Denis Peričić collected his horror subjects from classic SF to Borgesian stories in Krvavo (The Bloody), published in fantasy and firmly establishing her as one of 2004. In 2006, Zoran Ferić drew a lot of the finest Croatian story-tellers, with very attention with his novel Vampir (The 39 Vampire), inspired by actual events. Zoran Jutarnji list’s Sunday-supplement stories. Krušvar’s novel Izvršitelji nauma Željko Pahek also returned to the Croatian gospodnjeg (The Executioners of Lord’s art scene, working mostly in Serbia before Intention) from 2007 developed into a the war. He is famous for his SF-art, but also multimedia project, involving heavy metal for his hilarious comics, spoofing almost bands and video artists. Darko Macan every SF-cliché known to mankind. ventured into juvenile horror with his 2007 We have already seen that the novel Dlakovuk (The Hairwolf). tradition of SF comics in Croatia dates back to the mid-1930s. During the 1950s and 6. Translations, Art, Comics, etc. 1960s, the best SF-comics authors were brothers Norbert and Walter Neugebauer, Some fifteen to twenty SF, fantasy who also started their career before the and horror novels, almost exclusively by Second World War. Later, in the 1970s and American and British authors, are being 1980s, the best new authors were Radovan translated annually into the Croatian Devlić, Igor Kordej, Goran Delić and language. Despite the 1991 - 1995 war, Krešimir Zimonić. During 1990s, the books published in Serbia were also situation with comics in Croatia was poor available through various channels. indeed. No comic magazine succeeded in Naturally, the choice of imported books running regularly and for any period of time, (exclusively in English) is much larger. so the scene was mostly oriented towards The SF art, being tied to book and fanzines and school-magazines. Foreign magazine covers, is not particularly comics translated into Croatian were also developed in Croatia. Several artists created quite sparse. Things have recently improved quite an enviable amount of artwork on the considerably, however, with new SF comics Sirius covers, the best being Miroslav being translated into Croatian in ever- Sinovčić, Vjekoslav Ivezić and Igor Kordej. increasing numbers and magazines gaining Among the artists producing in some some hold. More important, the Croatian quantity in the 1990s were Igor Kordej, comic artists have a relatively long tradition Esad T. Ribić and the author of this text. of working for foreign publishers. This Karlo Galeta and Robert Drozd continued in the 1990s with the monopolized the Futura covers for several breakthrough on the American market, years with their 3D computer-art. A much mostly in the franchise-universe and super- better computer artist is Goran Šarlija, while hero series by Dark Horse, Marvel, Miljenko Zvonar produced a large body of Antarctic Press and DC. The best-known SF art, illustrating the already-mentioned writer in this field is Darko Macan, while 40 the art was produced by late Edvin conventions and LARP events, as well as Biuković, Igor Kordej, Goran Parlov, Esad the Jules Verne’s Days and The Festival Of T. Ribić, Goran Sudžuka, Milan Trenc and Fantastic Literature, both held annually in Danijel Žeželj. Pazin. The SF-theory work was - until very SFeraKon in Zagreb is the oldest recently - sporadic at best, but we must convention in Croatia, running from 1977. It mention Darko Suvin here. One of the is organized by the SFera club and is now world's foremost SF theoreticians, he was held on the last full weekend of April at the born in 1930 in Zagreb, but, after editing the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and anthology Od Lukijana do Lunjika (From Computer Sciences in Zagreb. SFeraKon Lukian To Lunik) in 1965, he continued his attracts up to 1000 visitors (other career in the USA and Canada from the late conventions are smaller), offering the usual 1960s. convention program, lectures, movies, costumes and gaming, as well as being an 7. F Is For Fandom opportunity for fans and professionals to meet and exchange ideas. SFera Awards are The organized fandom in Croatia also given for the best SF stories of various dates back to 1976 (the year of Sirius!), lengths, plays, novels, art and life- when the SF-club SFera was founded in achievements. These are the traditional Zagreb. It was followed by more clubs, annual awards, first given in 1981. including the StarWars and the Star Trek In recent years, SFeraKon invited club. As is usual, these clubs have been quite an enviable number of foreign GOHs, involved in convention-organizing and including Martin Easterbrook, Gay Gavriel fanzines-publishing, the oldest fanzine being Kay, Robert Silverberg and Karen Haber, SFera’s own Parsek, started in 1977. Parsek Walter Jon Williams, Lois McMaster reached issue #100 in April 2008, thus being Bujold, George R. R. Martin, Ken MacLeod, by far the longest-running fanzine in Michael Iwoleit (German writer, editor and Croatia. Considering the current absence of translator), Michael Swanwick, Bruce a monthly magazine, the importance of Sterling and Richard Morgan. This is a Parsek exceeds that of a regular fanzine. continuation of good international Perhaps the true phenomenon of the relationships maintained during the 1970s Croatian fandom are conventions. At this and 1980s, when names such as Frederik moment, Croatia has annual conventions in Pohl, Jack Williamson, Brian W. Aldiss, Zagreb, Kutina, Pazin, Opatija, Rijeka and James Gunn, Bob Shaw, Richard D. Nolan, Osijek. To these, one must add gaming Sam J. Lundwall, Joe Haldeman, Paolo 41 Eleuteri Serpieri, Gianfranco Viviani and 8. Fast Forward Into Future Gerald Webb visited Zagreb and/or Croatia, either as SFeraKon or Eurocon 86 guests, or Science Fiction is now becoming on some other official occasion. accepted as part of Croatian popular culture. Istrakon in Pazin is now firmly The history of SF in Croatia includes two established as the second-largest Croatian long-running magazines, important annual SF convention. Held in March, it is now story-collections, numerous author running for six consecutive years, and is collections and several good novels, all attracting some 500 visitors looking for a lot appearing under difficult, if not severe, of fun and good times in the beautiful economic and political conditions. Indeed, surroundings of central Istria. Istrakon younger people in Croatia, including the begun inviting foreign GOHs in 2006, the author of this text, spent most of their lives first being Brian W. Aldiss, Juliet McKenna living in some sort of crisis, culminating, but and John Anthony West. Essekon in Osijek not ending with the 1991-1995 war. Several is also a convention with some tradition, authors are now well-known and established while Liburnikon in Opatija and Rikon in on the Croatian SF scene, and the next Rijeka are rapidly establishing themselves as logical step - already taking place - is their popular events. Unfortunately, Kutikon in breakthrough into the international market. Kutina seems defunct, but there are news of A process of thorough evaluation of new conventions and events being planned the historic development of SF in Croatia is all over Croatia. now under way. The first major step was Ad The spread of Internet provided a Astra, an anthology of the Croatian SF story further impetus to the growth of the Croatian from 1976 to 2006. This mammoth 640- fandom. There is a number of web-sites and page book was edited by Tomislav Šakić forums dedicated to all aspects of and Aleksandar Žiljak and published in speculative fiction in the broadest sense, and April 2006, after two years of work. It there is also a marked rise of the blog scene. contains 40 stories by the most important Besides the usual fandom communication, Croatian SF writers. Also included are the Internet scene in general supports new theoretical and historical texts, biographic aspiring writers, through on-line magazines notes on authors and other prominent (most notably, NOSF - www.nosf.net), on- characters in the Croatian SF, as well as the line literary workshops and blog-stories, reasonably complete bibliography of the thus alleviating the present lack of a regular Croatian SF story in the aforementioned 30- (semi-)professional magazine. year period.

42 Another problem addressed by the and others) and theoreticians, most famous editorial tandem Šakić-Žiljak is the lack of being Darko Suvin. Although small-press professional-looking SF magazine pub- and state-sponsored, UBIQ already caused lishing Croatian authors. While Parsek quite a commotion on the Croatian literary partly filled some vacuum created by the de scene, getting very favorable reviews and, facto closure of Futura, something better apparently, finally drawing the attention of was needed. Thus, in the so-called main- November 2007, the stream and academic first issue of UBIQ was circles to the science introduced to the public. fiction. While the future UBIQ is a 260-page of UBIQ, within non- literary magazine paying small-press devoted (at least for a limits, now seems time being,) exclusively assured, only time will to Croatian writers. It tell what its ultimate also publishes theor- reach will be. UBIQ etical and bibliogr- cannot alleviate the lack aphical texts, thus of a regular monthly creating a completely magazine, which new and desperately currently seems to be needed niche. Two commercially compl- issues are planned etely unfeasible. What annually. UBIQ - issue UBIQ can do is provide 2 appearing in April space for contemporary 2008 and issue 3 Croatian SF prose and scheduled for November 2008 - brings high- theory. There are ambitions for the quality stories and serious essayistic works expansion of this project, but they will by prominent Croatian writers (including the ultimately depend on available funds, and a come-backs by veterans such as Veronika step-by-step approach is the only one Santo, Branko Pihač and Vesna Gorše, as possible at this moment. well as established and new-generation In the meantime, we hope this text, with all authors such as Danilo Brozović, Kristijan its shortcomings, will provide the basic Novak, Tereza Rukober, Irena Rašeta, Iva insight into the past, present and possible Šakić-Ristić, Zoran Vlahović, Milena futures of the Science Fiction in Croatia. Benini, Dalibor Perković, Jasmina Blažić 43

THEY SAID ON CROATIA…

Lois McMaster Bujold, USA part this comes from their interest in SF, as 2002 SFeraKon GoH only a fraction of the available work gets translated into Croatian. Croatian SF readers

are just as avid as all others I’ve met, and "(…) In Croatia, I seemed to actually would soon run out of books to read if they be taken perfectly seriously as a writer. This didn’t sharpen their foreign language skills. seems to be something of a national habit -- In turn, the exercise improves their English, I saw more statues put up to writers than to to my benefit; I felt I was able to carry on generals in my ambles around the city. I can high-level and complex conversations about only approve. Sfnal and literary topics with little constraint (…) Usually, a visiting writer is practically throughout my stay. insulated from knocks and jars by their (…) To my surprise, we didn’t bother anxious hosts, but it was pretty clear to me with translation; all the attendees were that Americans are actually welcome in expected to follow along in English, which, Croatia. For anyone who’s considering a judging by the questions in the Q&A part, Mediterranean vacation, I would they were well able to do. I’m still deeply recommend they take a look at the Istrian impressed that we could fill the room, a and Dalmatian coast; the water is clear, the hundred to a hundred and fifty people, seafood is splendid, and an astounding random fans, all speaking a second language number of people speak at least some well enough to carry on these complex English. With some good will and an conversations. Anyway, the interview English-Croatian dictionary, I suspect one seemed to go well…" could get along rather well. And for history buffs, well, there’s a feast of Greek, Roman, http://www.dendarii.com/croatia02.html medieval, and other sites to see.

(…) I was continually impressed by my Croatian hosts’ command of English. In 44 Ken MacLeod, Scotland Michael Swanwick, USA 2005 SFeraKon GoH 2006 SFeraKon GoH

"(…) The centre of Zagreb looks very "Croatia is beautiful, small, West European: Austro Hungarian egalitarian, a great place for sidewalk cafes buildings, red tiled roofs on the houses, and and wandering about in Roman ruins and the odd sixties or seventies office block. A still-functioning Venetian cities, but few hundred metres in any direction from possessed of a complex and terrible history. the centre and it starts to look more like your And the food is terrific. Marianne and I typical commie downtown, except with stayed for several days in an small brighter neon and better stocked shops. apartment just within the Silver Gate of Many of the shops are Western chains, Diocletian’s palace in Split and while there I others date back to the Kingdom or the imagined my favorite characters, Darger and Empire, and some are survivors from the Surplus, arriving on a packet boat hauled socialist era. (…) South of the river is Novi into the harbor by plesiosaurs. We’ll see if I Zagreb, all post WW2 and mostly huge - ever get around to writing that one. I’d be and not at all identical - apartment blocks tempted to set something in the Plitvice many of which seem to have a ground floor Lakes, a long and magical valley containing of small shops and cafes. literally hundreds of waterfalls, but The general feel of the place is pretty Marianne is convinced that Terry Pratchett laid back. People dress smartly and behave beat me to it with “Thud”. politely and are friendly. You couldn't ask No toasts, but we did discover that for nicer. Croatia is both Catholic and Croatian men like to sing a capella in the nationalist, but relaxed about it, in the style bars - exquisitely melancholy old songs in of the Irish Republic today rather than in the multi-part harmony. If angels went thirties, or even modern Poland. (…)" slumming, this is what they’d sound like. (…) We left with a very warm Mostly, though, I liked the people. appreciation of Croatia, and of its fandom. Good folks, fun to hang out with, and some Croatia used to be a popular holiday of them are great storytellers." destination, and is becoming so again. We certainly intend to come back." http://scififantasyfiction.suite101.com:80/arti cle.cfm/call_me_prolific http://kenmacleod.blogspot.com

45 Richard K. Morgan, England operate at. And of course there's the 2008 SFeraKon GoH language - Croatian, helpfully lettered in Roman rather than Cyrillic characters, but

still a million miles from a Romance tongue, "(...) Zagreb in fact turns out to be this full of harsh slavic sounds and peppered small, mostly sunny and incredibly beautiful with a selection of loan words that I little city on the slopes of green hills, littered sometimes recognised from my very rusty with gorgeous Austro-Hungarian Empire Turkish. It's fascinating to read (well, look architecture, thronging with cheery blue, at) and listen to, but it's not a tongue I had clanging trams and full of laid-back, friendly any confidence about getting easily to grips people. (…) with. My publisher concurs - it is, Culturally, Croatia was for me (and apparently, incredibly grammatically even more intensely for my wife Virginia, complicated (as it seems are most slavic who is Spanish) a weird combination of very languages), with endings for everything, and familiar and very alien. There is an attitude the antique declensional complexity of here to family and to food which is pure Greek or Latin. We spent the whole six days Mediterranean. Kids are the centre of we were there eternally grateful for the high attention everywhere, eating is an important levels of English speaking competence aspect of life (rather than just the fuelling up among the Croatians we met." it tends to be in the UK) with thriving open markets for fruit and veg, broad arrays of http://www.richardkmorgan.com/news.htm (genuinely - check out the eyes) fresh fish and seafood, and everywhere buyers and Walter Jon Williams, USA sellers who want (and have the time) to talk about the produce as if it actually mattered 2001 SFeraKon GoH what you put in your stomach. To this extent, it all felt very much like being back "(…) I was guest of honor at the in Spain. But at the same time there's a dash Croatian national convention, held in of something far more north European in the Zagreb, and the object of an enormous slightly sober-looking coffee houses, the amount of warmth and hospitality, for which well behaved traffic, the more sedate, I remain grateful." quieter pace of things when compared to the frenetic speed and volume that Spain likes to http://walterjonwilliams.blogspot.com 46

Dalibor Perković and Boris Švel CROATIAN SF CONVENTIONS

SFERAKON renowned for its film programme, where people can see up to 20 films ranging from Where: Zagreb obscure and bizarre to the non-commercial When: last full weekend in April works of art, usually hard to reach. Organised by: SFera Typical attendance: 800+ ISTRAKON http://www.sfera.hr http://www.sferakon.hr Where: Pazin, Istria The oldest and biggest Croatian SF When: mid-March convention. The first convention called Organised by: Albus "SFeraKon" was held in 1983, but SFera Typical attendance: 400+ had been organizing similar events - http://www.istrakon.hr officially and unofficially - since it was formed in 1976. In 1986, SFera hosted If Zagreb has the strongest Eurocon with Sam Lundwall as a Guest of convention, Istrian is the most beloved one. Honour. Today, SFeraKon hosts The first Istrakon was held in 2000 as a part distinguished foreign GoHs and is more of "Jules Verne days". Today it is an self- inclined towards the "serious" type of standing convention whose popularity programme: lectures, panels, presentations among the Croatian fans is immense. and a yearly SFERA Award ceremony for Istrakon has strong Istrian flavour, but also best Croatian SF. In addition, during the last started hosting foreign GoHs. Although fourteen years SFeraKon visitors who attend there are many lectures and panels about SF full three days also get annual collection of and F, Istrakon's young team of organizers Croatian SF stories included in their also likes to keep their guests entertained by membership fee. However, there are also an abundance of games, shows and quizzes. quizzes and games for those with a more relaxed approach to SF. SFeraKon is also 47 KUTIKON RIKON Where: Kutina Where: Rijeka When: February When: early October Organised by: SFinga Organised by: 3. Zmaj Typical attendance: ? Typical attendance: 150+ http://www.3zmaj.hr Kutikon had its brightest days during the mid-90s. Today, it is mostly considered The most important autumn defunct, but there may always be some destination for Croatian fans. In the last pleasant surprises. couple of years, RiKon firmly established itself as the third most important convention in Croatia. Convention has a diverse LIBURNICON programme with a bit of everything. Where: Opatija When: late July ESSEKON Organised by: Kulturni Front Typical attendance: 100+ and growing Where: Osijek http://www.kulturnifront.hr When: early November Organised by: Gaia The youngest and reportedly very Typical attendance: 100+ enthusiastic convention started two years http://www.gaia.hr ago as "Abbacon", with just right mix of entertainment, literary events and popular Over the years Essekon (called after science. Being held at the peak of summer the old Hungarian name for Osijek - Essek) tourist season is a mixed blessing, however. is in constant danger of turning into a gaming convention, but the organiser have been resisting it so far, so there is always some literary SF programme included.

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