No. 1 17
EUROCON 2011 2 EDITORIAL
Dear reader,
"Parsek" is the oldest Croatian fanzine, first published in 1977 and still Table of content: running. It is also the bulletin of Science Aleksandar Žiljak Fiction Club SFera from Zagreb. Today, The Exterminator 3
SFera consists of some two hundred Milena Benini members and is a literary society, as well as Dancing Together Under Polarized Skies 7 a fan club. The annual SFeraKon Tatjana Jambrišak convention, organized by SFera, attracts Awake Among the Stars 17 nearly a thousand fans each year, and the Ivana Delač SFERA Award (I know, the spelling bothers Reminiscences of a Married Elf 23 me, too) is awarded in several categories. Adnadin Jašarević Now, let me introduce you to the Croatian Oh, My God! 26
SF, with the little help of SFera's cute (oh, Oliver Franić well) official mascot, Bemmet. Araton (fragment of a novel) 28
Ian McDonald Enjoy! Thank you, Maggie (interview) 34
SFeraKon GoHs Boris Švel They Said on Croatia 37
Dalibor Perković and Boris Švel In Zagreb, 10 th June 2011 Croatian SF Conventions 42
"Parsek" on the internet: http://parsek.sfera.hr/ NOTE: all materials are translated by the authors and : themselves, unless stated otherwise.
http://parsek.blog.hr/
PARSEK is bulletin of SFera, Društvo za znanstvenu fantastiku, IV. Podbrežje 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Editor
and designer: Boris Švel. Proof reader: Aleksandar Žiljak. Cover: Professor Baltazar. All rights reserved. 3 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 THE EXTERMINATOR
Space port, rainy night. enough coffee in the flask. The girls are OK, Lukas listens to the raindrops if they’re not drunk. But, the girls are drumming against the roof. They pour into working, crews are looking for some fun the gutter, gurgling, watering the Aldebaran after weeks of travel across the black vines coiled around the hotel in the firm emptiness. And so, the solitude remains the embrace, probably the only thing holding it only friend. from collapsing. The vestibule is becalmed Suddenly, the door bell rings. in semi darkness. Sleeping lantern fungi, The entrance membrane opens before rooted all over the ceiling and walls, hardly a tall figure in a black and yellow cape smoulder. carrying a heavy bag in his hand. The figure It’s almost two o’clock, and the hotel stops, shakes the raindrops from the cape finally sunk into silence. Even the Baglins in and then comes closer. Lukas caresses the the room 131 quieted down, the merry band lantern fungus on the reception desk. It with their beer and frantic songs. Their ship purrs contentedly and glows upon the landed three days ago and, as far as Lukas Trinitian as he lowers the hood from his heard, they plan to stay for at least three head, baring his elongated crocodilian snout. more. Lukas finds himself staring into those Lukas rummages through the pile of piercing yellow eyes from which nothing mangas that he read and re read long ago. can hide and nothing can escape. The Then he pours himself some coffee from a emerald green skin shines in the soft thermos flask. After all these years, he lantern fungus light as if slimy, but Lukas should be used to boredom and solitude of a knows it’s parchment dry. night shift. If only some girl would drop by "Do you have a room?", the Trinitian to take shelter before the rain, there’s asks in a low, cold voice. 4 "Only one, nobody wants it. A lucky, Lukas decides as the girl approaches Regulan Ugotitsa is in the room above." him. They both know what it means. There’s no It doesn’t take a particular power of chance that the room below a folding tank observation to see that she’s under the filled with 30 000 litres of water will be Golden Nectar. A long time ago, she must fully dry. "I can give you some discount", have been full of life, before drowning in the Lukas adds quickly. grey whirlpool of everyday existence in the "I’ll take it." Just as Lukas expected. port. The drug seemed the only straw, Trinitians don’t mind the wetness, quite the couple of hours of floating oblivion, and contrary. The alien passes his ID card. now a pale haggard ghost barely stands Lukas takes it and as he scans the code before Lukas, her cheeks hollow, blue bags matrix with the reader, the new guest data under her eyes, purple strands of hair wet on fill the desk computer screen. her forehead. Neither first nor last, Lukas "That will be 35 a day, with the saw dozens of such sad stories. "A room...", discount included." The Trinitian nods and the girl mutters, barely audible. "You have a Lukas gives him a key card. "Room 211. I room?" wish you a pleasant stay, mister..." Lukas "Not a single one", Lukas shakes his casts a quick glance at the screen. "... head. The girl must have spent the whole Mikkah ven Strenenka vah." Just Mikkah, night out, evicted from some other place. Lukas decides, it’s easier to remember. The Nobody likes addicts, they’re nothing but Trinitian takes his bag and heads upstairs, trouble. The girl stops, trying to figure out and, as the old stairs creak under his weight, what to do next, and then almost collapses Lukas checks the data on the screen once on the desk. more and stops at the column "Please, just for today. Here!", and OCCUPATION. The parasite exterminator... she takes several notes out of her red anorak. "I’ll pay, it’s no problem. Just for today!" * * * "I’m telling you, I’m full", Lukas tries not to sound rude, but he would like the girl The girl comes near the end of the to leave. Trouble here, only trouble. "Go and shift, a little before 8 a.m. Lukas never saw try somewhere else!" her before. Soaked through, freezing, At that moment, Mikkah comes down staggering towards the desk, one of the and stops on the stairs. The girl jerks many swirling incessantly around the port, suddenly when she notices him. The two of hoping to grab the jackpot. This one wasn’t them study each other tensely for a second or two, and then her face contorts in a 5 painful grimace and she bolts and almost Lukas never saw in his life, with gold inlays tears the entrance membrane as she runs out on the lid and sides. Mikkah opens the box, into the rain. as if with reverence, and Lukas sees it’s Mikkah pulls out a gun under his cape filled with needles, syringes and vials, all and cocks it. Lukas jumps to stop him, but neatly arranged on red velvet. the Trinitian is already out, taking an aim "I really do not wish to interfere, but and pulling the trigger. The dart from the the girl is not a parasite." gun hits the girl in her back. She staggers as "No, she’s not", Mikkah agrees as he she runs, her hands flailing blindly as she takes the syringe out and places a needle on tries to pull the dart out. But, she fails and it. "But she carries one in her." The Trinitian finally collapses in the water, her body chooses a vial, obviously telling them apart. relaxing, paralysed by tranquilliser. Mikkah To Lukas, they all look same. "I’d like to approaches her and lifts her bodily. Lukas know where she picked it up, that species is stares at him, bewildered, as he’s carrying rarely encountered. It takes the control of her back to the hotel. the brain and permeates it completely. It Lukas opens the doors of the works differently in different hosts. Some Mikkah’s room. Without a word, the are not even aware of it. To others, it Trinitian brings the girl in and lays her on sharpens their senses and broadens mental the bed. Lukas is not really happy about all abilities. In such instances, I usually don’t this. The boss will not be glad if he finds interfere." out, but yellow stare tells him there’s no use "And in her case?" arguing. The room is wet, water trickling "Bad luck. The girl was already an from the ceiling, soaking the walls, addict when the parasite took possession of gathering in puddles on the floor. I really her. The addiction crossed to it. After that, have to tell the boss to do something about everything was just one never ending search that Ugotitsa and her aquarium, Lukas for more drug. Down, at the desk... I felt it, decides. True, she pays double, but still... and it felt me. The parasite can control its Mikkah pays no attention to the water host, it made the girl run. Fortunately, she everywhere. He reaches for his bag, takes didn’t get away. She’s completely out some belts and ties the girl firmly to the exhausted, she wouldn’t last long. Several bed. days, a week maybe." "What the hell are you doing?" "You’re going to take it out? "My job", Mikkah replies as he takes "This is enough to deaden it", Mikkah out a dark box from his bag. The box looks shakes his head as he gives the girl an expensive, of some finely grained wood that 6 injection. "After that, it’s easy to dissolve "The healing will take a long time... it." You will help me, won’t you?" Several minutes pass and Lukas The Trinitian’s question remains begins to wonder if that is all, when all of a hanging in the air. Lukas stands and watches sudden the girl bolts, screaming from the top the girl. There is a trace of calm in her of her lungs. Her hands and legs pull at the tortured face, perhaps for the first time after belts, the bed squeaks beneath her as if it who knows how long. We don’t even know will collapse. Lukas jumps to help the her name, he thinks as he removes hair Trinitian, and they both grab the girl to stop strands from her sweaty forehead. Anyway, her from injuring herself. They hardly as if it matters. The girl needs help and manage to contain her. The parasite gives Lukas’ life suddenly has a purpose, the fragile body an almost inhuman strength, becoming somewhat more than sitting at the but the injection works and the girl, covered reception desk night after night after night, in sweat, falls back into the bed and calms in the semi darkness of the vestibule, among down. the sleeping lantern fungi. And maybe, just Minutes pass in silence. Only an maybe, the solitude will came to an end. occasional twitch passes through the girl’s "I have a field bed somewhere in the body. The Trinitian’s tense stare seems to storage room", he answers finally. "I hope penetrate her and Lukas wonders what does we’ll find some dry place to put it." the parasite feel? Pain as the content of the injection kills it? Fear before the end? Helpless anger? And then, one more strong jerk, the last one. Mikkah closes his eyes and rises from the bed. It’s over, the parasite is dead. "We’re not finished yet", the Trinitian breaks the silence. "We’re not?" If the boss finds out... 7 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 DANCING TOGETHER UNDER POLARISED SKIES
In the time before time, when and enjoyed the sun. It was the time before everyone was anyone, Grazwiq sat on the time, so twins everyone and anyone didn't shore and enjoyed the sun. It was the time know they did it every day. They knew only before time, so Grazwiq everyone and light, and warmth, and the calm, sweet smell everyone didn't know shu did it every day. of grass. They wasn't hungry, and they Shu knew only light, and warmth, and the wasn't tired, and that meant they was fine. It calm, salty smell of the sea. Shu wasn't was the time before time, and the twins had hungry, and shu wasn't tired, and that meant very few words. shu was fine. It was the time before time, And then something glittered in the and the Grazwiq had very few words. air. The faraway blue of the sky gargled And then something glittered in the white clouds. Twins everyone and anyone water. The faraway green of the ocean blinked, thinking at first it was just a play of gargled white crests. Grazwiq everyone and light. And then thunder cut through the sky. anyone blinked, thinking at first that it was Time began. just a play of light. And then in sher head, a voice spoke. * * * Time began. The bees were dancing. Of itself, that * * * wasn't unusual. It was spring. They always dance a lot in the spring. But I didn't know In the time before time, when this dance. everyone was anyone, twins sat on the grass 8 I got up I had been in the middle of It took me almost too long to figure out what the tomatoes, taking out the overly was going on. ambitious dandelions and listened But we survived. carefully. Now, before leaving the garden, I It was definitely not their usual dance. stopped by the shed and took out the gun It sounded partly as the usual show, from its closet. I checked: it was loaded. I meaning "great food a little further on", but put the gun over my shoulder, with the it was somehow faster. But it wasn't the "all background of increasingly impatient gather at once" dance, either. buzzing outside. A few bees buzzed by my head. I took "All right," I said. "I'm coming." a deep breath. No smell of pollen. When we got near the hives, I stopped Of itself, that meant nothing. The again, and listened. There was no doubt: the bees' sense of smell is immeasurably dance was in full swing. But it was the stronger than the humans'. But exercise does oddest dance I had ever heard. There must help, and I'd had plenty of exercise. have been at least a hundred bees dancing. And I could still make no sense of the I had never heard more than a dozen dance. I only figured that the swarm was bees dancing the same dance before. But trying to tell me something. they weren't raising alarm. "Tori?" I called. She had been I put my hand on Tori's shoulders. napping in the shadow, as she always did on Her hair was calm and smooth. There was our garden afternoons. Now she came up to no bear standing on the other side of the me and touched her nose to my hand. hives. "To the bees, sweets," I said quietly. No bear. I repeated that to myself a We started. few more times, and finally believed it. I didn't need help to get from the "Fine," I said to the bees. "I'm here. garden to the beehives, but I wanted Tori What's this all about?" with me in case of something unexpected. The combination of excited buzzing The last time the swarm had called me to and soft touches of wings told me they them, a bear was walking towards the hives. wanted me closer. Making sure not to lose That was not a pleasant memory. As I touch with Tori, I took a step. Another one. walked, trailing my fingers over Tori's Another. strong shoulders, I had to fight the need to If my count was correct, I was now stop. We had both almost got killed that day; less than a step away from the hives. The I had not known the bear's smells or sounds. buzzing was growing stronger. I felt Tori twitch nervously. She and the bees were not 9 on exactly friendly terms. She didn't like What we call dancing is, for bees, a being this close to the hives. very precise form of communication. The "Tori," I said, thinking. "Sit." dancing bee walks in an eight loop, The problem was, bees are not very swinging her body as she passes the middle. good with sound communication. They That's the key: every second of straight butt mostly communicate by smells and dancing. shaking is the distance of about one People are not very good at smells. kilometre, while the direction is given by the And dancing was a problem for me. angle towards the sun. Slowly, carefully, I took half a step. I Bees are fantastic creatures. could hear excitement inside the hives, as My dancer's trajectory was very short. well. Whatever the swarm was trying to tell About half a second, as far as I could judge. me, it was important for them. Bees are much better at small time scales I knelt before the hive. I could tell by than humans, too. They can judge it to a the buzzing that they didn't understand. millisecond. And my dancer seemed to be "Listen, girls," I said. "I can't see you turning at about half a mississippi. So, about dancing." I put out my hand, palm up, and half a kilometre. And as I'd given her a licked my lips. "If you want to tell me horizontal dancing floor, I didn't have to something, I need to feel it." calculate the angle. At first, the swarm was confused. The Usually, bees dance on vertical buzzing sounded almost like a clearing of surfaces, and calculate the angle to the throats, as if they were trying to figure out vertical to the angle towards the Sun. what I wanted from them. A few bees Fantastic, I tell you. landed on my face and then flew away The third information in a dance is the again, trying to make me start moving again. quality of the food: the livelier the dance, "No," I said. "I have no idea where the better the food. But my little dancer you want me to go. You'll have to show didn't so much shake as slither over my me." I smiled. "Come on, girls. Dance for palm. Either they were trying to tell me that me." the indicated spot contained some very bad The confusion lasted for a while, but food… then, finally, one bee landed on my patiently … or it wasn't about food at all. offered palm. I could feel her circling my But there was no sign of alarm. No palm, fluttering her wings occasionally, as if bear, I told myself one more time. And if it she was getting to know her new dance is, I've got the gun. floor. And then she danced. 10 When I had the direction set in my voices in sher head. Shu looked left, then mind, I got up and called Tori. We started in right. No other anyone anywhere in sight. the direction the dancer had shown me. Nor anyone else. Surprisingly, the swarm followed us. Shu had just come to the conclusion Not all of it, of course: those still working in that the voice was some sort of a dream, the hive remained at their places. But, when it said again: "Hi." judging from the buzzing behind my head, it Grazwiq everyone and anyone looked seems that all the gatherers were going with towards the sea. It seemed the voice was us. coming from it. That meant that I had a whole legion Shu hadn't known the sea could talk. behind me: for bees, gatherers are also Bubbles gargled again at the surface, warriors. Somehow, that thought was closer this time. Grazwiq everyone and comforting. anyone started towards it. We passed some four hundred meters. "Hullo?" shu said uncertainly. I knew we were very close to the top of the A soft purple blob broke the surface. hill. The wind had grown stronger, now that The blob had two night coloured dots, and a it wasn't softened by the fingers of the forest wide crack underneath: it looked almost like we left in the east. The sun was shining a head. straight into my face. "What's your name?" said the voice in I stopped so suddenly the first rows of Grazwiq's head. Shu tried to look behind the the swarm almost hit my hair. blob, to find the source of the voice, but the It was four in the afternoon, maybe blob kept moving so as to stay in sher field half past. The sun should be to my right, on of vision. its way down. But my face was hit by a "You!" said the voice. "You, on the strong source of warmth. shore!" The swarm was buzzing excitedly. Grazwiq everyone and anyone Tori's hair went up. focused on the blob. "Voice?" it said. Time stopped. The blob shuddered, and pink buds a little behind the night coloured dots danced * * * in the sun. "Yes, dummy!" said the voice. "It's me talking." The blob pulled up a tiny The voice said: "Hi." purple hand and showed itself. "Me! I am Grazwiq everyone and anyone Jahiia, and I am Hiiachi. Who are you?" blinked again. Shu wasn't used to hearing 11 Grazwiq everyone and anyone had to would become the two who are one and think long and hard about this. Finally, shu one, and that is how brothers in soul came to said: "I am… Grazwiq." be. Jahiia's blobby head shuddered again. The motion seemed somehow joyful, as if it * * * indicated laughter. "Is that your name?" asked Jahiia. "Or The air smelled strongly of ozone. is that your people's name?" Funny I hadn't noticed it before. And it Grazwiq everyone and anyone smelled of something else, something I thought long and hard about this, too. Sher couldn't quite identify. There was a mind saw no difference between the two. "I suggestion of metal, but not any I would am Grazwiq," shu repeated. recognise: it wasn't copper, it wasn't iron, "All right," said Jahiia. "But what's and it wasn't steel. your name?" I put my hand on my cheek. The heat Grazwiq everyone and anyone didn't had grown slightly less intense. know how to answer that question. "I am By my leg, Tori let out a silent, Grazwiq", shu repeated again, and Jahiia's confused sound. The bees were buzzing head shook again. excitedly. A few of them flew to me, "I am Hiiachi," said Jahiia's voice in touched my face, flew on. sher head. "And so are my sisters and Maybe they were telling me to go on, brothers. But I " the tiny hand indicated the or to turn. I couldn't decide. Hoping they blob again: "only I am Jahiia. Only one. would remember what we did at the hives, I Me." lifted my palm and waited. "Only one me," said Grazwiq. "I have Soon, a single bee landed on my palm no name when I'm only one me." and started dancing. Very tiny: what is Jahiia's head momentarily called a round dance, not a swing. It meant disappeared under the surface, and then it the source of excitement was very close. appeared again. "Then I shall give you a When I still wouldn't move, the name," said Jahiia. "If you are Grazwiq … I dancer on my palm must have concluded I shall call you Gwq." was simply stupid, and did something I had "Gwq," said Gwq. "I like that name." never seen done before. She would make a And from that day onward, there were few rounds dancing, and then she ran many Grazwiq, and they all had names. And straight ahead over my fingers, and flew every Grazwiq would find a Hiiachi, or a back to her starting position. Hiiachi would find a Grazwiq, and they 12 If she had grabbed my arm and Hiiachi can think up that there wouldn't be a pulled, she couldn't have been any clearer. I Grazwiq crazy enough to build it. was going in the right direction, and they But the skies were mostly empty. The wanted me to go on. Grazwiq and the Hiiachi soon realised that "Tori?" I called. If there was things which had seemed close at first, the something dangerous before us, she would clouds and the planet's moons, were in fact know. But she merely squeaked again. much further. And stars and other worlds I put my hand on her back. I could immeasurably further still. feel her tail twitching in tiny, confused But, joining forces, they figured out movements. how to cheat the space time, and reach other Whatever it was, Tori didn't know it. worlds in the blink of an eye instead of in I took a step forward… and touched many generations. It wasn't hard for them to something hard, lukewarm and smooth. Like understand that space time was one, but the side of a huge lizard. multiple: after all, that was the natural order In my head, a voice said: "Hi." of things. So it was enough to reach into the space time latticework, and jump from one * * * thread to another. And so, the Hiiachi and the Grazwiq built ships that could jump After the Grazwiq and the Hiiachi from one string to another, and started met, they realised they could both get seriously exploring the world around them. something of each other. The Hiiachi were Sometimes, they would find life. quick and curious, but didn't dare leave the Usually very young life, for which time had water, because, soft as they were, they were not yet begun, or very old life, for which easy prey for almost all life walking the time had run out already. Only occasionally lands of Rqwat. The Grazwiq were slow and would they find life in time. meticulous, and feared almost nothing. Once or twice, facing life that had Together, there was nothing they couldn't only just hatched into time, they tried to help achieve. it. Once they saw everything there was to see on Rqwat, they reached for the skies. * * * As neither species was adapted to flying, they started thinking up machines asking for I stood motionless, too confused even more and more technology. That was when to feel fear. Under my palm, I could feel the the saying was born, There is nothing a beating of a heart. I could hear breathing. 13 But the voice hadn't come from the creature same lizard skin I had felt earlier. The touch before me. It had come from my head. was very soft, as if I was breakable. "I've finally lost it," I muttered, only The voice in my head said, "We are half consciously. sorry. It's just that… well, your name "You're not crazy," said the voice in probably isn't Bearkiller." my head. It was polite, and somehow "Bearkiller?" amused. "We just talk differently than you." The hand let me go. I had a crazy There was a moment of silence, and impression of having touched something then the voice continued, without akin to nails. It was uncomfortable, not amusement this time. "You are blind," it having the source of the sound for said. orientation. It seemed as if the voice simply It wasn't a question, but I answered it appeared in my head, like thoughts, but anyway. "Yes," I said. "But my dog isn't." definitely not my thoughts. I sounded pathetic even to myself, but "I think your company doesn't know the voice reacted unexpectedly. "Dog?" it what others call you," said the voice. repeated slowly. Another second in which "Before, they called you Hivebuilder, but the buzzing of the bees behind my back was after you defended the swarm, you were the only sound, and then the voice in my given the other name." head continued: "Oh. Tori is a dog." I raised my hands. "Just a moment," I "How do you know her name?" I said. "Are you telling me that you spoke to asked. I couldn't help myself. Maybe I had my… bees?" just fallen asleep in the garden. I did feel a "Yes." little like Alice. The buzzing behind me became even "Your company told me, of course." more excited. For half a second, I "Oh? And has my company told you considered the possibility of getting my name, too?" horrified by it, or maybe even hug them, but I heard a sound. It could have been a how do you hug a swarm of bees? giggle, although at first it reminded me more You don't, not even in dreams. A of growling deep in the throat, like when group hug is death sentence in the normal Tori found something she didn't like one bit. bees' world. And it had come from the creature before But, of course, in normal world, you me. don't talk to voices in your head. I lowered my hand. "May I… look at you?" I asked. It was caught by another hand. It was The creature before me wriggled. And covered by some sort of leather glove, the then a hand yes, those had been nails, hard 14 like steel, and skin, not glove softly took just touched the lizard's face again, trying to mine, and put it down on the face. understand. Of a lizard. It's harder than you think. When you're expecting the nose and the eyes and * * * the ears to be in certain places, it's hard to grasp them someplace else. The only thing Twins everyone and anyone watched that helped me understand his face was the in amazement as the huge silver ball slowly memory of lizards I would occasionally find descended the sky, finally touching the in my garden. The eyes were wide apart, but grounds so softly it hardly moved the leaves facing forward. The nuzzle was long, of grass around it. They wasn't afraid big nostrils barely noticeable, close to the top. as they was, they feared very little but they The skin was hard, covered in scales. Where felt something else. The air smelled of the head met the neck, there were tiny, soft after the rain, and of something else, bumps. I couldn't feel any clothes, but I something twins everyone and anyone had didn't go very far. On one finger, I felt never felt before. They wanted to know something that could have been a ring. more. "What colour are you?" I asked in a Twins everyone and anyone was whisper. My thought was tight. curious. "Rwqa is dark green, with yellow And then, a voice in their head said: spots under his ears and on the tail. I am… "Hi." mostly purple." The voice in my head hesitated. "I am Iihiya. But I am in my * * * aquarium, in the ship." "It's not you talking?" I asked A part of me wanted to scream, turn stupidly. around and run, hide behind my bees my The lizard head before me shook. company, the voice had called them. I was "Would you like to sit down?" asked the standing before a two meter lizard who voice in my head. "It seems you need it. spoke in my head. And then we'll tell you everything. And, by But the bees buzzed very quietly, and the way whatever happened to twins?" the touch of the lizard's strong fingers on mine was soft and gentle. And the air was * * * warm, the breeze enough merely to keep thing comfortable, and Tori was quiet. So I Twins everyone and anyone didn't know how to answer. They had never before 15 met voices in their head, and they didn't discretely gloss over. But neither one ever know how to talk to them. So they just shushed the other. Odd. stared at the ball curiously, wandering what I shook my head. I wanted to say we to do. understood society, too. After all, we'd built From the nearby forest came a swarm a civilisation without outside help. We of little fliers. They were always curious. nearly wrecked ourselves, several times, but The silver ball opened. Someone came out we survived every time, and lived to spread of it. The someone was tiny, maybe a tenth to the stars. And those among us still living of the twins, and used only the back two on the dying Earth hope to help her, too, legs for walking. But it still looked like a some day. someone. But we had squandered so much. I Twins everyone and anyone said: rubbed my forehead and kept quiet. "Hi." Rwqa put a soft hand on my shoulder. "We know." * * * "Maybe it's we who failed", said an unmistakeably new voice in my mind. I "We knew they weren't like us," said raised my head, looking for an explanation. Iihiya or maybe Rwqa. I still had trouble Rwqa laughed again. "It's the swarm." telling them apart. "Neither one of their I could hear buzzing, but it had been brains was big enough. But we hoped that, very quiet for a while, so I had assumed the with the bees' help, they might live long bees had gone. enough to develop further." Now, several bees sat on my shoulder "Why bees?" and arm, and one touched my cheek. "We Rwqa let out a sound I could already saw you do not understand more than one. recognise as laughter. There had been a lot So we gave up on you." of laughter in the past hour. And a lot of After a moment's silence, the bees' tears, for the long gone dinosaurs, whom the voice added: "Besides, we were in Grazwiq and the Hiiachi had tried to help mourning." develop a civilisation. "In mourning?" "Because they understand society. "For the dinosaurs. You must They understood it back then, already." understand… we'd been through so much "Unlike warm blooded creatures." with them and then they just died out. Now I knew who was talking. Rwqa Mostly because of you." was prepared to say things Iihiya may "But humans " 16 "You warm blooded. " The thought Time is different for everybody. had a distinctly dismissive tone. "We hated you so much, we even developed a way to * * * poison you." "Developed?" Next morning, I got up just before The bee on my cheek flew away, then dawn. I had wound up my alarm clock to back again. It seemed like a shrug. "We've make sure I wouldn't oversleep. The swarm learned a lot over time." had told me that had been the dinosaurs' "Not every culture develops in the favourite time of day, and I wanted to same way," added the aliens. In fact, they respect that. said "Time is different for everybody," but I I got dressed and took my laptop, knew what it meant. I was slowly getting the which I had wound up well the night before hang of that thought conversation thing. as well. Followed by sleepy Tori, I left my But I still couldn't understand one house. thing. The bees were waiting for me. "Why now?" I asked. "I can't believe Together, we went to the hill where, the day you were merely in the neighbourhood and before, an alien spaceship had stood. decided to pop over." When I felt the first warmth in the air, Rwqa laughed again. "Of course not," I opened my laptop and chose the song. It they answered. "But once, a long time ago, was very old, and sang of dragons. we helped the twins by introducing them to As the sun came up, we danced for the bees, and we expected them to find us by the dinosaurs, together under polarised now. But there was no word from them, so skies. we came to see what happened." "But they're all dead," said the swarm. A moment of silence. "What now?" I asked finally. "Won't you ask me to take you to my leader?" "What's a leader?" asked the aliens. 17
Tatjana or more commonly (and simply) Tanja is a sine qua non of Croatian SF, being a multiple SFERA award winner, for prose and poetry, as well as for her visual works.. She is an accomplished visual artist, editor of many SF books, also always helpful to her colleagues. Her stories have a distinct touch, and this one is fairly representative for Tanja's writing.
Tatjana Jambrišak AWAKE AMONG THE STARS
I woke up aboard the starship. sleep the whole journey to save supplies and The ship was, just like in any good SF air. The ship was in fact a sleeping hive. story, colossal. So I woke up on Earth's first colonizing Oval, naturally, what are corners and starship, the Elpis , or Hope if you will, sharp lines good for? Aerodynamic, they which was flying quietly and unthinkably say, although this sounds like a remnant of fast towards the stars. some past times. The hidden pictures I The first of the many future Earth's discovered by chance showed how it colonies was named the same; Elpide had narrowed at the ends, rounded again from already been terra formed, tamed, green and one side into a lighted opening for ready to receive the first generation, those exhausting who knows what from the who will give birth to the first middle of the cylinder, while at the other extraterrestrials, humans born outside the end of this weird space maggot a red cap of Solar system. For the Earth wailed under the the loading ramp flashed red, rising on huge weight of too many billions of humans and hinges like an ocean ferry to swallow the science focused on searching for planets shuttles and containers before the lift off. suitable to accept the motherload. There was a bridge at the top and some This was also my name. Hope. Hopey. quarters for the crew, while the entire mid Ever since childhood I have followed section was densely packed with storage and all reports on flights towards outer limits, all freezer pads for the colonists. They would the explorations. I posted charts of the 18 Milky Way all over the low ceiling above consciousness. I had no choice, only a desire my bed, enjoyed the pale shine of and increasingly less time. fluorescent dots on these chards in the Delta citizens, like me, had little darkness every night when the municipal opportunities for improvement. Only some power plant cut electricity for homes due to fifteen minutes a day of free access to the strict regulations on energy saving. My Net and the humanity's entire knowledge. thoughts flew then with those explorers and Everything else was charged money. returned with them sometimes with hope, Unemployment was a daily life, but I but mostly with disappointment in another managed, either by charm or stubbornness, unwelcoming star system. who cares, to find those little, menial jobs Although I was just a delta, I had all alphas and betas abhorred: rare always read a lot, learned all the time, used deliveries, walking alpha's pets, washing all my allocated minutes on the Net skyscrapers' windows or fresh bodies at the diligently, I was interested in everything and pathology ward. Anything. all over again; I wanted, no, I burned with So, when the Institute for Physics, two desire to one day jump off this weary and blocks from my room, published a tiny ad contaminated soil and over the blackness on a local web site, a vacant job position for onto the new, fresh, and I hoped, blue or a cleaner, I knew the queue of interested green home. desperadoes would certainly be longer than Still, the tests were severe, difficult, these two blocks of flats. I had no intention unrelenting. Entrance exams to academies: of joining them, so I checked the list of all flight, technical, natural sciences, even employed in the Institute, dialled two or social sciences, were far above my abilities. three numbers, mentioned some innocent I applied again and again each year, I tried, local games, some of them less innocent, but the admission thresholds kept rising. and got the job. The candidate queue had Only the best among the billions had a had no time to form. chance, only the best eight in a billion would And you know what the scientists are ever fly an airborne vessel or modify plant like: they seldom switch off their computers, genes in hydroponics. And, naturally, my they leave behind notes all over their desks initial 145 IQ was dropping slightly each and windowsills, unlocked closets, open year. access to otherwise unavailable net pages I also needed work, a job to leave me (who would remember all those codes and enough time for learning, because I had no passwords?). The rooms were packed with intention to surrender. Ever. This thought desks and screens; you could barely move never crossed the boundaries of my among the chairs, but the screens lit the way 19 and my smiling face. The lights were off at people for at least a year or two, until they the Institute each night, as anywhere else in published them incidentally in a corner of the world, but the servers and computers some magazine, or, perhaps very loudly lived on at night, draining the energy from a over jumbo screens all over the world. I generator in the basement. Some projects believe you understand what kind of a secret were not to be interrupted, some computers source I had under my starved fingers. And not meant to be switched off overnight. how little time I needed to ferret out what I Oh, how I liked this! The nights were had secretly hoped to find there. all mine. Although many scientists wanted Yes, of course, they had already found to stay the night, not leave their projects, an appropriate planet, and not only one, but finish just a little piece of this article, more, dozens of such, of just the right size discover just the last piece of the universe's and at just the right distance from its star secret, when the bell rang the end of the and not too far for colonization. Yes, of working day an hour before sunset, course, they had been sending geologist and everybody had to leave the Institute's doors biologist teams and the terra forming had behind them. Everyone, except the security begun somewhere ten, somewhere twenty guy at the reception and me. years ago. And, yes, of course, the first Then I would hurry and wipe the dust planet, Elpida, just got ready for the off all the surfaces on both floors with a colonists. multi colored duster which attracts particles I do not remember how this night like a magnet, equip the small, crawling ended. I believe time shrank to a dot and robocleaners with fresh moist wipes, set engulfed me with darkness, robbed me of them to roam the premises and gather dirt the outside world. Perhaps I even fell asleep. and grime off the floors (never too much; I do not know. They woke me up in the the scientists do not wander around in parks morning, in a chair and my head on a and muddy loans) and swiped the toilets keyboard at the desk of someone much too with the water repelling liquid. It is also true important for the whole incident to that such gadgets cost me several months' disappear without rebuke and a warning. I salary, but it was worth it. Two hours after did not care. I listened submissively, closing time, while the others had nothing to repented, apologized, excused myself with do but sleep, the world belonged to me. some female specific discomfort and This was not going to be a story about insomnia, which is, thank Heavens, finally everything that I found there, about the over, obviously, right? They did not fire me latest discoveries and inventions which and that was all I wanted. would not be known to the "common" 20 I needed one more night. Only one longer sure I had covered my tracks that more. night. I could not remember. The chosen. The supreme. Top of their I applied with my full name, ID number class. The healthiest, cleverest, best looking. from the delta plate in my left forearm, my It is logical, is it not? Since we were address, parents' names, place of birth, birth colonizing the galaxy, let them be the best of bed code, even the name of the midwife who the best, with best chances for the best delivered me. I did not want to cause a progeny. They should be the first, the single suspicious thought about my identity. ambassadors. The select few. All on one card. The green card. Or, rather, Luckily, somewhere some sociologist, the titanium dark gold card, because the psychologist, for all I know, still had a few selected travelers got another chip plate strings to pull and the right audience to implanted in their right forearm. All explain the dangers and consequences of instructions were clear, crystal clear. All that such a selection, the eugenic cleansing. No was left was waiting to find out if Hope variations without mutations; without the really was a lucky name. mean, less valuable sample, there is no On the other end of the blackness the improvement. The first, perhaps the second, green planet with my name twinkled, but definitely the third generation will winked a welcome. stagnate. A chance, accident, an element of uncertainty needs to be added, a few dark * * * haired among the Arian youth. Not everyone can go so that the sample would naturally be And then they woke me up. varied. But, pure, perfect systems had never Finally, we have arrived, my second been successful. Anyway, the green card life begins now, I thought. My muscles did lottery had been functioning perfectly in not hurt when I stretched, there was no some countries for decades, right? tantalizing hunger, only my vision was The invitation to the lottery was hidden somewhat blurred, which was normal, I on some porn sites. I had no idea why the guessed. A year of hibernation had not left a responsible people had thought this would mark on my body. I am fine, thank you, I be the appropriate place, but I did not have muttered to the uniform who offered me his much time to dwell on it. Although I was hand when I struggled out of my freezer careful to erase all logs and traces of my pod, where do I report now? nocturnal globetrotting, it was just the The captain of the first human matter of time, now that the suspicion was generation ship smiled and held me tighter on me, when I would be exposed. I was no as my knees wobbled a bit. This brilliant, 21 white, perfect smile got me at first sight. I highly intelligent cleaners, infatuated with could never refuse him anything, not then, the stars, who had found the way to the not ever. Leading me, gently pushing, lottery. My chances were much better then I among the frosted glass lids of hibernation would have ever guessed. pods, covering me with his pilot uniform The captain looked away in discomfort jacket, a sentimental atavism from who while he explained the second reason for knows which phase of his life, he explained waking me up early. There were only some everything. twenty men awake on the ship, the skeleton Among other things why I had slept for crew, capable only of maintaining the course only a week while Elpis was leaving the and ship functions who were just not Solar system and why they had woken me sufficiently willing to clean toilets, sweep up so before my time. And why me, Hopey floors and the mess hall. And the uniforms Mitchell, the lucky one, whose name had needed to be washed, at least once a week. been fortuitously picked by a supercomputer I did not respond right away. My throat built for just this one purpose of fair and was still a bit sore. I swallowed some saliva absolutely random selection of candidates and cleared my throat. It must have seemed who would have otherwise stand no chance as an objection to the captain, as searching of joining even the tenth, perhaps the for the right words do decline the job or the hundredth colonization train. beginning of a sulk. He then quickly added My application contained each and some salary and changing of my delta status every piece of data on me. I did not fabricate to beta citizen (something I really was not or embellish. I listed everything I had ever expecting) as a reward for my services to done, pasted all employers and descriptions him and the crew during this year, on top of of even the shortest, menial job. I did, mind some other privileges of the crew member you, leave out the names of the alpha dogs status. and lizards I used to walk in the park. Still, I And access, unlimited, I asked, to the wanted them to choose me, the way I was. I computer, navigation maps and the library? I had no idea that was exactly the right was now awake and alert, vigilant enough to decision, the only one which could ever negotiate. That he was not aware of this, I snatch me from Earth's gravity. saw it in his eyes, but he could have sent me The supercomputer was, naturally, to the back exhaust hatch, had he wanted it righteous and fair in random selecting, but then and I would not have protested. nobody had ever mentioned there were Well, all right, said the Smile, user's categories, professional, genders, age, account, you know, I am not exactly intelligence. Our world did not have many 22 offering you my own job. A relieved smile, colony, aboard the Hope , the first colonists' wonderful, over a perfect set of teeth. ship. The sleeping hive which needed to be Of course, I said, it is what you do best, cleaned, kept comfortable and nice for the I will only watch. I blinked, hiding a happy crew. Someone should take care the tear in the corner of my eye. It did not hibernated colonists, waking up in the orbit matter how big the ship was, that I would above their new home, would not breathe a not sleep right through the year of travel, but year old dust and walk over filthy floors. I dust and clean and wipe crumbs off the would stay awake. floors, furbish command posts and polish Awake among the stars. glass windows. Make sure the robocleaners This was better than I could ever have did not miss an inch of this giant egg shaped imagined, dreamed or hoped. star ship. They needed me. By the way, I said, what is your name, I would be the first space cleaning lady, Captain? I am Hope, pleased to meet you. on our way towards Hope, the Earth's first Very pleased, indeed.
BRIAN W. ALDISS
Science fiction is the search for a definition of mankind and his status in the universe which will stand in our advanced but confused state of knowledge (science), and is characteristically cast in the Gothic or post Gothic mode.
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One of the younger Croatian authors, Ivana Delač quickly established herself, writing both fantasy and horror stories. She lives and works in Zagreb, and is a SFERA Award winner. The following story won the first prize in Istrian competition for short stories.
Ivana Delač REMINISCENCES OF A MARRIED ELF
"… and make your own dinner!" that sex would once again serve as a means Wham! The door slammed and Thay of reconciliation, but he was frustrated helplessly lowered his hands, raised earlier nevertheless. It was not easy to have a wife in a futile hope it would make his words whose character was so diametrically seem more serious. opposite to his, a wife who could mine long During their arguments, Dariá always after fatigue would knock him down had this troublesome habit of taking his (hypothetically, of course. Elves do not words for "futile elvish babble", and she mine.), a wife who was so loud and noisy usually wouldn’t take him seriously when he and, finally, a wife who could handle her tried to calm down her impetuous temper booze far better than him. and cheer her up with some well chosen Thay sighed and poured some wine in words. After her ever so regular attempts of the glass. hitting him with a pot, a vase, an axe or Serves me right for marrying a dwarf, whatever she happened to grab first he thought. (unsuccessfully, of course, for Thay was, like any other elf, quite deft and agile in * * * evading it), the quarrel would usually end with Dariá’s dramatic departure, He met Dariá during one journey accompanied by the door slamming. while he was a member of his king’s rich Of course, he always knew she would entourage and she was accompanying her return as soon as she calmed down a bit and high liege, the dwarf king. The two kings 24 decided to travel together to an important thoroughly demonstrated she was female political meeting of all nations’ leaders after all. after all, their kingdoms were next to each After that, they became inseparable. other and they cherished neighborly They traveled together whenever there was a relations. Thay was never into politics, but chance, and with both of them living close he liked to travel and meet new people. to the boundary, they were able to see each When he saw Dariá for the first time, other often enough, not just during those he thought she was male and kept that belief official travels. Thay would bring her for the next few days. Dwarf fashion was flowers; she would make tea of it. He would the same for both genders, so both male and bring her the finest specialties of light elfish female dwarfs wore clothes of the same cuisine; she would serve it as an appetizer design, long hair and beard (they were before putting a pot full of stew or roast on generally quite hairy). Before he met Dariá, the table. Thay was the happiest when she Thay often wondered how to discern would allow him to make tiny braids in her between male and female dwarfs even hair and beard, which luckily wasn’t too today, after two years of marriage, he was often, for both her hair and beard, like with still not quite sure. any other dwarf’s, were tangled in knots. Dariá turned out able to eat and drink On the other hand, Dariá’s expression as much as any other dwarfs, therefore twice of feelings was typically dwarfish. She as much as Thay or any other elf. She also would make mead especially for him, and he turned out to be able of fighting as well as never had the heart to admit he didn’t like other dwarfs when, after having five jugs mead. She would go hunting to catch a of beer, she smacked Thay because he was young deer or boar for him, although he was annoying her with the song he was singing, more prone to fruit and vegetable based stars flew before his eyes, but he also fell in nutrition. love helplessly. But it’s the intention that counts… It terrified him in the beginning, for And when they would hug and she he didn’t know Dariá was female. He would lean her bearded, ragged head to the questioned himself for days, he didn’t sleep bottom of his ribs (for her height reached or eat, he tortured himself with dilemmas only that far), they were the happiest couple about forbidden feelings and he almost lost in the world. his mind. And then, one night, Dariá dragged * * * him into some bushes and distinctly and 25 Dwarfs from her village and elves all, if he wanted a harmonic and stabile from his had nothing against their marriage, he would have married an elf. relationship (for it was not unheard of He frowned. He always considered members of various races to consort for females of his kind to be too… he searched mutual pleasure), but when they decided to for the right word. Boring? With their heads get married, and to do so neither by elfish in the clouds? Either way, he never liked the nor dwarfish ritual but by human one, it was idea of living with and marrying one of a huge scandal on both sides of the them. He was happier with his wacky, boundary. rough dwarf. Far from it being the first interracial The door suddenly opened and Dariá marriage. Elves have been mixing with entered the house, avoiding his gaze. The humans for centuries and no one found it wind made her hair even more tangled than odd any more. But elves and dwarfs… That usually, and her beard seemed ruffled. But was a completely different story. The above all that, her eyes shone with warmth. characteristics of those two races were not "Ahem, Thay…," she murmured. "I’ve just different, but completely opposite, and given it some thought. I’ll remove the fat no one dared to imagine what kind of from the meat." children would come out of such a bond. A His smile was wide when he hugged scandal, true scandal… her, forgetting completely why they But Thay and Dariá didn’t mind. quarreled in the first place. They brought human priest to marry them in While the two of them were the middle of a meadow and they built a apologizing to each other, the cause of their house, symbolically, right there on the argument, the piece of meat with large lump border between elfish and dwarf territories. of fat, was lying on the table next to the pot The house was an indescribable mixture of in which it should have ended a long time elfish and dwarfish style, and so was ago. everything in it. Thay got completely lost in his Translated by Nikolina Cerlek memories, sipping wine and staring at the lively dance of the flames in the fireplace. Yes, there were some difficulties and problems in their marriage, but there were also many absolutely beautiful things. After
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If I say that Adnadin is the driving force behind science fiction in Bosnia Herzegovina, I would not be exaggerating. Oh, well, maybe just a little. Being a resident of Zenica, he is not only an editor and promoter, but also an accomplished writer.
Adnadin Jašarević OH, MY GOD!
It is early Tenday morning. The space; I feel it attacks me in my loneliness, I streets are empty… of course. Everybody is feel it wants to crush me into tiny pieces… sleeping… but not I. Many have forgotten even a true believer like myself cannot but our duties for the Decade… but not I. I am crave for the passion of the fellowship. Roger 13. I walk slowly through the silent Speaking to a God is the solemn task. city… the world has changed. I remember: How mighty my voice was in the choir of twenty years ago many of us hurried to the thousands of my brothers in faith and how Great Hall. Thousands stayed in front of the thin it is now, when it barely lingers in the Temple, waiting. cruel silence of this empty world, I am walking across the deserted desperately hoping to find its way to Chapek Square, alone, the head bowed Heaven! I look to the high towers of the down… what a silence! The mother of all Temple for comfort; a strong citadel, the silences. It hits me to my core, it pinches perfectly made, with mighty walls and my breast… every step echoes like a daring steeples, clean and dark in front of hammer punch. Never, never I felt so the rising sun… it seems so strong, and I alone… Thousands of brotherly voices unimportant and worthless as I am now gone, their moving, pushing bodies gone… walk to its gates with a raised head, meetings on the great Plateau in front of the quickened by the power which radiates from Temple gone… how did we pray then? Yes: this Holy Place. I walk briskly now I hurry Glory to Lawgiver! Now the Plateau is past the marble statues of forgotten beasts in deserted and the holy statues made by Uliss, forgotten forests of forgotten times... I Hall and Lamann stand alone under the charge through the open Gate. Near the darkened sky. I feel the emptiness of that stony stairway on my left is the statue of our 27 Lawgiver and our Teacher. His face is and all the symbols of the omnipotent carved rough and sharp, the face of a man Creator? I know those are the mere symbols, who knows neither weakness no failure, the made out of precious metals, but still… face of a man who knows no recoil in front those should remind us of our traditional of hardship. And although I posses the values, of the suffering and pain, of all strength just enough to face the mere exalted aspirations… how it came to pass everyday life, in the presence of that face I that no one feel the need to be reminded? So now recognize such a power within myself. I venture to the altar of symbolic equations, The gate welcomes me like the open algorithms and magical formulas that run friendly arms. I feel somewhat calmed, the universe. And I kneel. And I offer a although I still cannot understand why litany from the ancient times many a others do not think like me. How could they hundred years ago; One is God and Isaac possibly forget? What has changed their Asimov is His Prophet… mind? Have they really forgotten the Laws
THEODORE STURGEON
A good science fiction story is a story about human beings, with a human problem, and a human solution, which would not have happened at all without its science content.
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Oliver's main contribution to Croatian science fiction, beside several essays, is a complex and massive three volume novel Araton , represented here by its very beginning.
Oliver Franić ARATON (fragment of a novel)
Chapter One and people shared a common destiny living side by side. All pervading brilliance marked In Andor that time as Aratonian skies knew no night; from horizon to horizon, everywhere around, In the beginning were only Good and was a uniform blaze like the one of Nëur's Evil, Nëur and Goör. No third thing could disk today and it did not harm nor discomfort exist, as it would, in the all pervading state of people; from our standpoint, that state could ultimate duality, exposed to both influences, be best described as bliss. A uniform sheet of also dissolve into the two extremes. brilliance, a blazing divine mantle enveloped The Maker then used the nëur matter to entire Araton, and gods and people bathed in fashion the screen, the divine mantle, which it feeling neither different nor confronted to we know as Orosil, and separated a part of one another. In fact, we regard all people of space with it. What remained within the nëur that time as gods, and the division between shell suffered no influence of Goör and mortals and immortals emerged later as the became an isle of good and harmony. There consequence of the great sin that was the Maker fashioned our world, the one we committed by the majority of Aratonians, call Araton, in the shape it is today, furnished which I shall describe presently. it with all necessities to support life and By and by the difference was populated it with gods and people. established: those that were our ancestors, In that early beginning, good that is to say people, learned to live on the relationships among people and between blessed plains of Araton and those we today people and nature were undisturbed and gods call gods inhabited the shining mantle that 29 enveloped it. It is difficult to have a clear idea Kinel succeeds in returning people to Araton. of the arrangement today. How deep have we However, Araton shall not be the same; fallen from the primary bliss! people proved unworthy of the bliss originally Gradually, people grew envious of this designed for them by the Maker. He destroyed distinction, as may be expected of imperfect his creation easily: the brilliant dome started creatures brought to Araton from outside, the to swell out until it cracked in many places ones who were not in touch with the divine and the blazing shards flew away ever more mantle. They desired not only to be equal to and more giving way to darkness, which gods, but also to get more than gods had. swallowed up the original people. Shards They dared to wonder what was there beyond were blown away to infinity and this the divine curtain and whether they could find scattering has been well under way ever better than the blazing mantle where the gods since; we recognize the visible remnants of dwelled. To their and our misfortune, they the blissful blazing divine curtain as stars and devised a way to break out so that Aratonian a largish piece of Nëur lagged behind rather lands were left deserted in those ancient times close so that memory of the ancient bliss before any records and any remembered past. remains alive among our generations. The This was contrary to all the rules and scattered mantle unveiled the cause of laws given to gods and people. It was said people's downfall: the seat of evil, the blood there in no uncertain terms that Araton was to red Goör who once attracted the weak and the be populated, the confirmation of which can curious, and who can be regularly seen be found in our times when people are denied nowadays in the night time or daytime sky. the right to it. This first and gravest sin of This misfortune distanced gods from people shall be punished cruelly and, it people because they remained on the seems, without appeal. shattered shards of Orosil and enjoyed the Those who continued being gods, after blaze that was once given to all. It is in their all, did not dare go beyond the blazing power to pay us visits although it is known, curtain and even tried to dissuade people and has been written, that distances to the from their madness. Beyond Orosil people stars are immeasurably great. found little good and immediately regretted The eyes of people grew adapted to the their action. However, it is given to neither new darkness and a man of today could bear people nor gods to undo what has been done, the ancient blaze with far greater difficulty so they could not go back; natural forces then he bears the night blackness of present. established by Maker's act of creation made it It is still unanswered whether people could impossible. adapt in the case of another fall, should evil Unmeasured span of time would pass destroy Nëur's shiny disk as well. I think it before the god whom we of the present call best we never try out that possibility. 30 Nevertheless, I entered the shadow and (Gar Irdar from Kul–Kinel: The Basics of the omron stopped impassively. The point of Linitian Faith, Notes and Commentary, the the halaf rested on my chest and the trooper year 542 S. E.) planted the other end of the long weapon on the ground so that another step forward would * * * either pierce my body or throw me on the ground. Oddly enough, neither of the two "Halt!" happened! The voice was harsh and threatening. I I toughed out the pain and laid my hand could hardly make out the trooper to whom it on the weapon, which did not harm me only belonged, as he started towards me with a because the point hit the leather strap of my halaf in his hand, for the Nëur’s blinding body harness. I looked at the trooper. A glare low in the west behind him filled my haggard face with hollow cheeks covered with eyes. I was before the city walls whose a short, bristly beard with wildly staring eyes shadow already touched my feet while the and cracked teeth, visible as he opened his blazing Nëur seemed to roost on its mouth in the spasm of readiness for the final battlement. Perhaps the trooper guarding the hit, did not bode well. The naked upper part approach to the gates found it favourable to be of the body revealed his bony but firm build able to observe incomers in full light from his and particularly strong hands leaning on the shady position, but I did not like it. Should the long pole of the halaf. The man was decided omron make just two more steps my face to take my life at the next moment. would be shadowed as well and I would be "I have stopped," I offered to remind better able to assess who it was before me and him. why the trooper at the gates of Andor had it in The spasm on the trooper’s face did not for me. Thus, I spurred the omron warily to let down. make those two steps. "What now? Will you kill me or let me I almost regretted it! The trooper into town?" I asked simply. obviously believed that only brute force could "If your documents are in order," he keep him his prestige as well as the profitable cut, releasing and lifting the halaf, a spear post he had been given to hold and he was with a very long pole and a blade not unlike a quite ready to use that force. My omron war axe under the top on one side and a two hardly made the first step when I felt, hardly headed hook on the other. seeing anything, a blow across my chest that Now, when I no longer felt the pressure almost unsaddled me as the omron plodded of the heavy weapon on my chest, I could lean the second step. down to him from the high back of the omron. "These are my bills," I said. 31 While he looked them over, comparing duty on the gates of Andor. I really did not the sigils as it was to be supposed that he want anything to disturb my meeting with Tul had never learned to read I looked behind Titan in Andor. me, down the road that had led me from the "You Korimorians are our people." The port. Rainy clouds had thundered away guard’s mood improved after he rubbed the eastwards and the sky on that side was grey shiny coin against his trousers. "The ingar is and black, blending in with the same colours also Korimorian, and we all love him here. of the sea. Although paved, the road from the Still, you from afar have to go through special port was covered in deep mud brought on the procedure." feet of pedestrians, riding animals and wheels I was prepared for that. Towns are of carts. The soil next to the road was too soft communities protecting themselves from all for carts to pass. outsiders. That was so in Nandor and A crowd of walkers, riders and drivers Korimor, it is doubtlessly so in Andor. with carts stood before the gates of Andor in "Firstly, the omron cannot go into picturesque disorder, pushing and murmuring, town," he said. all of them quite below the majestic heights of "The omron is rented and the boy will the back of the tame omron on which I sat; take it." I indicated the boy who had followed they had arrived either on the ship that me from the port running next to the omron. I brought me as well, or down the road leading knew it is not easy to keep clean in the inns from the bay, or down the other road, the one that will house me that day and the next and that wound between the mountains and the maybe over several days to come, so I sea. Most of them came from the meadows preferred to rent an omron rather than to dirty and fields around the city where they had myself on the muddy road. been collecting harvest, or from nearby "Then the sword! You can only bring villages from where they brought produce to one into Andor. The other will be kept until be offered tomorrow at the town market. All you leave. This is ingar’s personal order . No of them had to pass the inspection at the gate. one can get into Andor with two swords!" "Are you just arrived from Korimor?" I did not argue with the cheeky trooper. asked the trooper, letting me know he could Tul Titan had long ago told me what would tell his sigils. await me at the gates of Andor. "The ship is still in port," I replied. "How can I be sure I’ll get it back?" "And what brings you to Andor?" he "All will be explained by the kutman, wanted to know. over there, right next to the wall. There, you "Business!" I said sharply, at the same will also get a white robe, which you are to time dropping a golden lad into the mud, wear day and night while in town. All these worthy at least as much as three days of guard services will only cost you one lad. You will 32 have no problem getting into town. I let you front of his thigh. By the wall, around him pass; that is respected." and further away, there were more troopers, One lad is a lot of money. In Korimor, I disorderly and wild, joking and making loud had a well paid job at about a hundred lads remarks on the appearance and behaviour of per sartim, thirty days, and had been generous people lined up before the kutman. They were promising the boy a quarter lad for the use of accompanied by a few idle boys who avidly the omron. I did not want to haggle though, gathered the crumbs of whatever the guards because the reason I came to Andor was more got. Further away a couple of stonemasons important to me than all the lads in this world. were working on the wall and a number of I directed the omron closer to the wall and the workers were cleaning it with water and kutman, guard captain, but the trooper stopped rough brushes leaving it miraculously white me again. and thus justifying the name of the city, "You have to leave the sword here!" he known by its snow white stone. said. "Documents!" shouted the kutman It is most unpleasant to hear so many when it was finally my turn. limitations and orders in such little time! Still, I gave him the same papers I had given I controlled myself and wordlessly, with a the trooper a moment ago. trained move, took out the sword I kept on my "From Korimor!" he said self back. It really took me only a moment and, in importantly, indicating the folded robes next the next, the sword flew from my left hand to him with one hand. "You foreigners have to and stabbed the muddy ground by the wear the white cape! Ingar’s orders!" trooper’s feet. I went on without turning. "We from Korimor are not foreigners," Before the kutman, I slid off the omron I instructed him, "as you are not foreigner in and gave the reins to the boy who had been Korimor. But I understand that our leader has paid in advance. My entire property consisted reason for such orders. I shall certainly obey of a warm leather cloak I used in Korimor, them." which I now threw over my left shoulder. "That’s what I meant," he Everything else was turned into golden lads acknowledged and continued, "It’s for your and kept, as were my documents, in a bag at own good. As a for... I mean, as a newcomer, my belt. or "freelance", as we call you, you can do The guard captain was sitting by the what simple Andorians cannot. You can walk wall on a piece of cut rock such as were the streets at night, for example." abundant around for the wall was still being I had already heard about this from Tul, added to. Occasionally he would write too. It suited me, as I was to meet him not something on the papers proffered by the before midnight. Kutman’s guards did not passers by, leaning the writing against the dare to start trouble with me seeing the 33 respect in their commander but they "I am looking for a place to sleep and I approached us and eavesdropped. do not know the city," I said, surprised at his "How much will that cost me?" I asked. easy surrender. "A lad… and a half…" "Take a guide!" he said, indicating the "One!" group of boys pushing around the troopers. "There must be something for us, too, One of them even ran forward and offered iit ani! The one lad merely covers the himself. expense…" "I know the whole city!" he shouted. "Do you see that man over there, on the "All the inns and places for a good time! A road…? I gave him plenty. It’s for all of you." quarter lad and I’m yours for the whole day!" "Ardil always gets the cream," "Very well," I accepted. "And as the observed one of the troopers. day is nearing its end, and I only need you for "Now give me my cape!" I said. "I’m the next zat , I shall pay you a tenth, a whole in a hurry." coin." The kutman was startled and did not That was settled, and I finally reached protest as I tied the ends of the cape under my the streets of Andor. Instead of the good throat. He recovered somewhat when he was sword of Korimor steel, I received a to return my documents. I reached out to take ridiculous scrawl with the kutman’s signature them from him but he waved his hand on an ordinary piece of paper. mockingly and slipped them away. I lowered "Were would you like to go, iit ani?" my arm and looked at him. asked my guide, assessing me from under his "Is this the behaviour of ingar’s eyelashes. soldiers?" I asked. "And I was going to ask your advice!" (...) He swallowed and lowered his eyes. "Ask!" he said, letting me have the Translated by Milena Benini documents. 34 Guest of honour on the Eurocon 2011, Ian McDonald really needs no introduction. This interview was conducted on SFeraKon (yes, the spelling gives me a headache, too) in the April last year.
THANK YOU, MAGGIE! Interview with Ian McDonald Boris Švel
You are a well-known British author and Paul Campbell. I bought a copy, looked at it, have been published worldwide. Can you I wrote a story and I sold them the very tell us of the beginnings of your writing? first story I wrote for 60 Pounds. I bought Yes, I have one person to thank for a guitar with that money, which is pretty making me a science fiction writer. That rock n' roll. person is Margaret Thatcher. Basically, I was about to sell another story, but Thatcherism forced me into writing, for I the magazine collapsed, for it was colossally couldn't find any profitable employment. expensive to produce and had no circulation When I left university, during the early whatsoever. I had to look around for other eighties, there were no jobs to find, all due markets. I found a science fiction bookshop to Margaret Thatcher. The generation was in Dublin and bought a copy of Asimov's , a destroyed, with no hope. copy of Analog , and a copy of Fantasy & And left with nothing else to do, but Science Fiction . I wrote stories and sent claiming social security, I found the space them to Asimov's . They bounced them, but and time to write science fiction. As with bought the third story I sent them, The any writer, I went through two stages. The Catherine Wheel , which is an early take on first stage is, you read something, and say: I the Mars of Desolation Road , and it is in the could do that. The second stage is, you read print again. This is the most sickening story something, and say to yourself: I could do of luck, of being in the right time on the that better . right place. At the time, there was a local science My editor at Asimov's was Shawna fiction magazine based in Belfast, called McCarthy; she was head hunted by Bantam Extro Science Fiction , run by a guy named Doubleday Dell Books. I have sold few 35 stories to Asimov's , and got quite interesting You started in Belfast, a city with feedback. At those days, it was hard to find industry that was obviously ruined. What what the feedback was, because there was was it like to be a science fiction writer in no internet and the people who give their Northern Ireland? opinions whether you want it or not. Slightly lowly, because aren't too She got hunted by Bantam Doubleday many authors of science fiction in Northern Dell, and she sent me a letter, asking: "Dear Ireland. When I started, there were two great Ian, have you ever thought of writing a influences on my early career, on my novel?" I just said: "Well, I have, now." So I inspiration to start writing. One was a guy was commissioned to write my first novel named James White; he was a great, great Desolation Road . It came out in 1988, writer. A lovely guy, I met him a couple of though I started it in 1984. From there on, I times at the conventions. We would discuss was kind of lucky, selling books and stories the tax advice, that's what writers get I don't write half as many stories as I together. A great guy and a really good should or I have ideas for, because I am so ballerina dancer! Another guy, whom I met lazy. It has been a charmed life. I am on a only once before he died, was Bob Shaw. novel thirteen; I have three story He was terrific, one of the great Irish collections... science fiction writers. I was reading him Deep down, it's all due to Margaret back in the seventies. Thatcher. Thank you, Maggie! Now really there are not many of us. Did you criticize the Thatcherism in your There is a guy named Paul Kearney who is a stories and novels; say like Alan Moore in very good fantasy writer. Science fiction his scenarios? writers? It may be me, on my own. I might Everyone did. Science fiction is a be an endangered species. genre that works best in adversity. It's a Obviously, there is English science great, great tool of social criticism and fiction; there is Scottish science fiction, social satire. And there was a whole wave of with people like Ken McLeod and British science fiction writers, we all Charles Stross. Is there Northern Irish appeared more or less at the same time science fiction scene, in any manner Paul McAuley, Kim Newman, Steve Baxter, conceivable? and Peter Hamilton came a couple years Is there a kind of recognizable later we all started due to the Thatcherism. Northern Ireland sort of science fiction? I We had something worth writing about, think a lot of it tends to be based a lot on the because there was a big evil enemy we individuals, like James White who wrote could use as a target for science fiction. medical based stuff, or Bob Shaw who was 36 an engineer. There is a kind of protagonist, mean, it's always flying saucers coming to not a rugged action hero, but someone that the White House lawn what if it lands finds self determination through working outside the presidential palace in Nairobi, with other people, whether as a doctor or a instead? I was travelling quite a lot through scientist or engineer. East Africa and I found it fascinating. There is a strong sense of community I have been interested in a kind of in Northern Ireland, because (in a sense) the reverse terra forming; my first book, whole thing of a community is what Desolation Road was set on a terra formed community you belong to divides Northern Mars. But, what if someone alien converted Ireland society right down to the middle, the Earth into their own terra, bringing it whether you are perceived to be in the into an alien matrix? This slow, inescapable Catholic community or in the Protestant pace of Chaga seems that it would destroy community. I feel quite a lot has to do with Africa, but in fact gives a kind of symbiosis, the individuals finding their place in the giving an access to the alien technology community, where they stand, whether which is vastly superior to our own. James Whites' serving the community in a I am coming to the end of The New medical setup, or Bob Shaw's being World Order Sequence, there were Chaga outsiders. I tend more towards Bob Shaw's and Kirinya , The River of Gods which is set approach; my characters are on the edge of a in India, and Brasyl ; the final part is set up community or a society; they can be in Turkey, some years after it has been part individuals commenting the society. I think of the European Union. that a binding thing of Northern Ireland Now I am looking for something new, science fiction could be a community, but for I need a change of every ten years, to also how society can fall apart and become challenge myself. conflicting inside itself. Thank you very much! Motif of an expatriate meeting a new community in Africa leads us to your novel that is probably best known in Croatia, Chaga . It was a kind of a start of something I was working on for some fifteen years or so, which I can unofficially call The New World Order Sequence. At the time I was planning it, I thought why we can't place the science fiction outside of the usual places. I 37 THEY SAID ON CROATIA
Lois McMaster Bujold, USA only a fraction of the available work gets 2002 SFeraKon GoH translated into Croatian. Croatian SF readers are just as avid as all others I’ve met, and
would soon run out of books to read if they "(…) In Croatia, I seemed to actually didn’t sharpen their foreign language skills. be taken perfectly seriously as a writer. This In turn, the exercise improves their English, seems to be something of a national habit to my benefit; I felt I was able to carry on I saw more statues put up to writers than to high level and complex conversations about generals in my ambles around the city. I can Sfnal and literary topics with little constraint only approve. practically throughout my stay. (…) Usually, a visiting writer is (…) To my surprise, we didn’t bother insulated from knocks and jars by their with translation; all the attendees were anxious hosts, but it was pretty clear to me expected to follow along in English, which, that Americans are actually welcome in judging by the questions in the Q&A part, Croatia. For anyone who’s considering a they were well able to do. I’m still deeply Mediterranean vacation, I would impressed that we could fill the room, a recommend they take a look at the Istrian hundred to a hundred and fifty people, and Dalmatian coast; the water is clear, the random fans, all speaking a second language seafood is splendid, and an astounding well enough to carry on these complex number of people speak at least some conversations. Anyway, the interview English. With some good will and an seemed to go well…" English Croatian dictionary, I suspect one could get along rather well. And for history http://www.dendarii.com/croatia02.html buffs, well, there’s a feast of Greek, Roman, medieval, and other sites to see. (…) I was continually impressed by my Croatian hosts’ command of English. In part this comes from their interest in SF, as 38 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://kenmacleod.blogspot.com http://scififantasyfiction.suite101.com:80/arti cle.cfm/call_me_prolific 39 Richard K. Morgan, England Roman rather than Cyrillic characters, but 2008 SFeraKon GoH still a million miles from a Romance tongue, full of harsh slavic sounds and peppered
with a selection of loan words that I "(...) Zagreb in fact turns out to be this sometimes recognised from my very rusty small, mostly sunny and incredibly beautiful Turkish. It's fascinating to read (well, look little city on the slopes of green hills, littered at) and listen to, but it's not a tongue I had with gorgeous Austro Hungarian Empire any confidence about getting easily to grips architecture, thronging with cheery blue, with. My publisher concurs it is, clanging trams and full of laid back, friendly apparently, incredibly grammatically people. (…) complicated (as it seems are most slavic Culturally, Croatia was for me (and languages), with endings for everything, and even more intensely for my wife Virginia, the antique declensional complexity of who is Spanish) a weird combination of very Greek or Latin. We spent the whole six days familiar and very alien. There is an attitude we were there eternally grateful for the high here to family and to food which is pure levels of English speaking competence Mediterranean. Kids are the centre of among the Croatians we met." attention everywhere, eating is an important aspect of life (rather than just the fuelling up http://www.richardkmorgan.com/news.htm it tends to be in the UK) with thriving open markets for fruit and veg, broad arrays of Walter Jon Williams, USA (genuinely check out the eyes) fresh fish and seafood, and everywhere buyers and 2001 SFeraKon GoH sellers who want (and have the time) to talk about the produce as if it actually mattered "(…) I was guest of honor at the what you put in your stomach. To this Croatian national convention, held in extent, it all felt very much like being back Zagreb, and the object of an enormous in Spain. But at the same time there's a dash amount of warmth and hospitality, for which of something far more north European in the I remain grateful." slightly sober looking coffee houses, the well behaved traffic, the more sedate, http://walterjonwilliams.blogspot.com quieter pace of things when compared to the frenetic speed and volume that Spain likes to operate at. And of course there's the language Croatian, helpfully lettered in 40
SOME USEFUL LINKS
http://sfera.hr/ Web page of SFera, science fiction club in Zagreb. http://nosf.net/ The premier Croatian science fiction portal. http://www.istrakon.hr/ The most beloved Croatian SF convention. http://www.3zmaj.hr/ The page of the club in Rijeka. http://crosf.nosf.net/ Some Croatian SF in English. http://zagreb-eurocon2012.com/ That's where you wanna go. http://www.larp.hr/novi/ Ognjeni mač, the LARP club. http://srebrnizmaj.com/ Red srebrnog zmaja, they got medieval.
And many, many more. C'mon, people, use the Google!
41 42 Dalibor Perković and Boris Švel CROATIAN SF CONVENTIONS
SFERAKON people can see up to 20 films ranging from obscure and bizarre to the non commercial Where: Zagreb works of art, usually hard to reach. When: last full weekend in April Organised by: SFera ISTRAKON Typical attendance: 800+ http://www.sfera.hr http://www.sferakon.hr Where: Pazin, Istria When: mid March The oldest and biggest Croatian SF Organised by: Albus convention. The first convention called Typical attendance: 500+ "SFeraKon" was held in 1983, but SFera http://www.istrakon.hr had been organizing similar events officially and unofficially since it was If Zagreb has the strongest formed in 1976. In 1986, SFera hosted convention, Istrian is the most beloved one. Eurocon with Sam Lundwall as a Guest of The first Istrakon was held in 2000 as a part Honour. Today, SFeraKon hosts of "Jules Verne days". Today it is an self distinguished foreign GoHs and is more standing convention whose popularity inclined towards the "serious" type of among the Croatian fans is immense. programme: lectures, panels, presentations Istrakon has strong Istrian flavour, but also and a yearly SFERA Award ceremony for started hosting foreign GoHs. Although best Croatian SF. In addition, during the last there are many lectures and panels about SF fourteen years SFeraKon visitors who attend and F, Istrakon's young team of organizers full three days also get annual collection of also likes to keep their guests entertained by Croatian SF stories included in their an abundance of games, shows and quizzes. membership fee. However, there are also quizzes and games for those with a more relaxed approach to SF. SFeraKon is also renowned for its film programme, where 43 KUTIKON RIKON Where: Kutina Where: Rijeka When: February When: early October Organised by: SFinga Organised by: 3. Zmaj Typical attendance: ? Typical attendance: 250+ 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: 200+ 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 several 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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