Science-fiction books from India?
February 12, 2016 12:13 AM Subscribe
Hi guys, does anyone have recommendations for titles or authors to discover Indian "sci-fi" books or authors?
I loved the Three Body Problem, which to me seemed like sci-fi from a Chinese perspective, I love Stanislaw Lem for his east-european outlook and recently had an afro-futurism period... Now I'm curious, is there an "Indian" Three Body Problem / Lagoon / Solaris out there?
I loved the Three Body Problem, which to me seemed like sci-fi from a Chinese perspective, I love Stanislaw Lem for his east-european outlook and recently had an afro-futurism period... Now I'm curious, is there an "Indian" Three Body Problem / Lagoon / Solaris out there?
Best answer: Ian McDonald is British, but he wrote two books set in a future India: River of Gods (which won a British Science Fiction Association award) and Cyberabad Days (a collection of short stories and a novella).
posted by neushoorn at 1:43 AM on February 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by neushoorn at 1:43 AM on February 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
Best answer: While not strictly sci-fi, you should definitely check out Sunil Patel - I suggest either The Merger, and Marcie's Waffles Are The Best In Town as starting points.
In the interest of transparency, Sunil has been a friend for the last 15 years, but has nothing to do with this recommendation - I just think he's a wonderful author.
posted by cerulgalactus at 2:39 AM on February 12, 2016
In the interest of transparency, Sunil has been a friend for the last 15 years, but has nothing to do with this recommendation - I just think he's a wonderful author.
posted by cerulgalactus at 2:39 AM on February 12, 2016
Best answer: Samit Basu's Turbulence is a fun superhero novel.
posted by yarntheory at 5:02 AM on February 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by yarntheory at 5:02 AM on February 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Somewhat dated, and not really hard SF, but Professor Shonku adventures by Satyajit Ray.
posted by Dotty at 6:49 AM on February 12, 2016
posted by Dotty at 6:49 AM on February 12, 2016
Best answer: Strange Horizons had this roundtable a couple of years ago, which I vaguely remembered but have not read in detail.
I am absolutely desperate to read Indrapramit Das's novel The Devourers, which is fantasy but, uh, fantasy is sort of connected to SF in the popular imagination?
This is a great question! I am going to share these recommendations with my SF class.
posted by Frowner at 7:12 AM on February 12, 2016
I am absolutely desperate to read Indrapramit Das's novel The Devourers, which is fantasy but, uh, fantasy is sort of connected to SF in the popular imagination?
This is a great question! I am going to share these recommendations with my SF class.
posted by Frowner at 7:12 AM on February 12, 2016
Best answer: Also, I love The Woman Who Thought She Was A Planet. Just wonderful stuff.
posted by Frowner at 7:12 AM on February 12, 2016
posted by Frowner at 7:12 AM on February 12, 2016
Are you looking for "Indian" as in southern Asia, or are you looking for "Indian" as in Native American or indigenous fiction?
posted by yohko at 1:48 PM on February 12, 2016
posted by yohko at 1:48 PM on February 12, 2016
Response by poster: India the nation, primarly, but all of SE Asia is interesting too. Am not ignoring you, Americas, just, currently curious about India. Awesome answers so far!
posted by gmm at 3:08 PM on February 12, 2016
posted by gmm at 3:08 PM on February 12, 2016
Best answer: It's no longer updated, but you could check out the World SF Blog, edited by Lavie Tidhar and originally set up to promote a short story collection, now in four volumes, the Apex Book of World SF - I've only read the second volume which was pretty good. Looks like the 3rd and 4th have a bunch of authors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka...
posted by Pink Frost at 5:37 PM on February 12, 2016
posted by Pink Frost at 5:37 PM on February 12, 2016
Best answer: Nilanjana Roy's The Wildings is an incredible book about a band of stray cats living in New Delhi.
The 3 anthologies of Blaft's Tamil Pulp Fiction feature some suitably over-the-top (but excellent) pulpy science fiction.
Seconding Ghosh's Calcutta Chromosome and Basu's Turbulence.
A few comic book recommendations:
The work of Sarnath Bannerjee might be of interest- weird, fantasy-esque comics set in modern Indian cities.
The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye is a comic book about a speculative history of SF/F comics from Singapore. It's hard to describe, but is easily one of the best comics I've ever read.
posted by beijingbrown at 1:17 AM on February 13, 2016
The 3 anthologies of Blaft's Tamil Pulp Fiction feature some suitably over-the-top (but excellent) pulpy science fiction.
Seconding Ghosh's Calcutta Chromosome and Basu's Turbulence.
A few comic book recommendations:
The work of Sarnath Bannerjee might be of interest- weird, fantasy-esque comics set in modern Indian cities.
The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye is a comic book about a speculative history of SF/F comics from Singapore. It's hard to describe, but is easily one of the best comics I've ever read.
posted by beijingbrown at 1:17 AM on February 13, 2016
Response by poster: Thank you so much everyone, this is wonderful. I've marked all the answers as best, because you guys are the best.
posted by gmm at 2:00 AM on February 15, 2016
posted by gmm at 2:00 AM on February 15, 2016
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posted by kbuxton at 12:33 AM on February 12, 2016 [1 favorite]