Around the Universe in a Thousand Words
Thoughts on International Science Fiction
The world is growing smaller every day, not physically but through the advent of the Internet, the cellular phone, social media, and other tools that connect us; landmasses, bodies of water, and national borders are slowly becoming less relevant, certainly less of a hindrance to communication and, most importantly (for what we care about here anyway) the telling of our stories … our science fiction stories. For many years, the international voices in science fiction remained relatively quiet compared to the roar coming from North America, but now the voices of other nations and cultures grow louder every day as they share their stories in this wonderful genre.
Though not the only theme in science fiction, space exploration remains a common trope among international writers, and it is difficult to imagine a time when it will not be. Personally, half the stories I have edited for InterNova have been space-themed, though there may be other factors behind that.
“The Bends” by Polish author Nina Chyll, published in Reedsy Prompts, is about a long-distance relationship across deep space, strained by time dilation and unexpected parenthood.
“Azania” by South African author Cristy Zinn, published in the anthology AfroSF, follows a psychologist and neurosurgeon who awakens from twelve years in stasis as her ship arrives at the planet that gives the story its title.
AI is another common theme in recent science fiction. It is certainly not new, though it is more relevant today than ever. “The Green Ship” by Ugandan author Dilman Dila, published in the collection A Killing in the Sun, tells the story of a mysterious and possibly sentient vessel that brings unsettling transformations to those who encounter it.
Climate is also becoming a major theme in international science fiction, to the point that it has even grown into its own genre known as cli-fi (climate fiction). “Wild Dark Shore” by Australian author Charlotte McConaghy is an emotionally intense survival novel set on remote Shearwater Island off the coast of Antarctica, where a family is guarding a large seed vault.
Another theme growing in popularity is biopunk, a derivative of cyberpunk (of which there are many), with common themes of genetic manipulation, DNA, and biological alteration, is fertile ground for many interesting stories.
“The Slows” by Israeli author Gail Hareven, published in the New Yorker, follows an anthropologist who studies a human community called the Slows, who refuse a futuristic medical procedure that rapidly matures infants.
“A Series of Steaks” by Singaporean author Vina Jie Min Prasad, published in Clarkesworld, is about a bioprinting expert living under an assumed identity in Nanjing, who, after being blamed for an artificial organ failure, survives in the criminal underworld by forging steaks for high-end restaurants.
There are only so many stories that can be told. Some have argued that there are only eight stories in existence. But what seems nearly inexhaustible are the subgenres, hybrid genres, and microgenres appearing within international science fiction.
A newer microgenre features rural magic, pastoral craft, and gentle romance. “In the Shade of the Pixie Tree” by Philippine-born Rodello Santos, published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, is a nonlinear bildungsroman about a witch’s apprentice, a forbidden orchard, and a tragic romance. It has helped codify the superficially simple yet deeply complex microgenre known as cottagecore.
Thirty years ago, the controversial author Harlan Ellison claimed that Science Fiction was the only hopeful genre in fiction. From that idea, we get hopepunk, another derivative of cyberpunk and an antithetical response to the grimdark genre. Hopepunk features radical optimism, utopian thinking, an emphasis on community over lone wolf heroism, and cooperation over conflict. “Harefoot Express” by Portuguese/Canadian author Paulo da Costa, published in the Mithila Review, follows a man preparing for a journey through a world shaped by climate, civic responsibility, and careful ecological stewardship. It is a quintessential example of the global hopepunk movement.
And speaking of hope, it is more than encouraging that young people are a driving force in not only the survival but the growth of science fiction. The genre is not being kept alive by a few older writers holding on. Today, science fiction is breathing fresh air thanks to Gen Z. With their collective fear of what the future may hold and their collective hope that these challenges can be overcome, and armed with modern tools like TikTok and BookTok, they are pushing the genre among themselves and far beyond.
India, Mexico, and Brazil are producing more science fiction now than they ever have before. International book market data shows that Brazilian science fiction has grown sixteen percent, thanks to authors like Jana Bianchi and Sybylla. Mexican science fiction has grown by twenty percent, with popular authors like Andrea Chapela and Pepe Rojo. Indian Science Fiction has grown more than thirty percent, with authors such as Samit Basu, Vandana Singh, and Gautam Bhatia pushing the genre both at home and abroad.
The Japanese writer Haruki Murakami may continue to be denied a Nobel Prize in Literature, but what cannot be denied is how much science fiction has influenced his work, and how much his work has influenced contemporary fiction, both speculative and otherwise.
Japan may be where Haruki Murakami is from and where he lives, but he belongs to the world, just as science fiction does. And right now, I am happy to say, the world is ready for all these new voices. There are many more to come, so start reading.
Zach Smith is a short fiction writer from the northeastern United States and has been editing for InterNova for about a year. He has published more than one hundred stories, some of which have recently appeared in Nova, InterNova, New Pop Lit, and the Short Humour site. He is currently in the process of shopping around his first story collection, Tales Along Turtleheart Road. His second and third collections will follow close behind. Aside from fiction, he is also a music composer, chess composer, video editor, and collector. Zach was recently married and has a stepdaughter in high school.