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Zion's Fiction

A Treasury of Israeli Speculative Literature

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

This anthology showcases the best Israeli science fiction and fantasy literature published since the 1980s. The stories included come from Hebrew, Russian, and English-language sources, and include well-known authors such as Shimon Adaf, Pesach (Pavel) Amnuel, Gail Hareven, Savyon Liebrecht, Nava Semel and Lavie Tidhar, as well as a hot-list of newly translated Israeli writers. The book features: an historical and contemporary survey of Israeli science fiction and fantasy literature by the editors; a foreword by revered SF/F writer Robert Silverberg,; an afterword by Dr. Aharon Hauptman, the founding editor of Fantasia 2000, Israel's seminal SF/F magazine; an author biography for each story included in the volume; and illustrations for each story by award winning American-born Israeli srtist, Avi Katz.

PRAISE FOR ZION'S FICTION

"Zion's Fiction will supply a distinctive bright line to the spectrum of futuristic fiction, which stands in sore need of broadening, in the cause of promoting cross-cultural understanding as well as showcasing exciting new talent."– Brian Stableford, author of over 70 novels and renowned SF historian

"Zion's Fiction explores the unlimited dreams of a people who have learned to stand on shifting ground. To face a future filled with danger and hope, forging into territory that can only be surveyed with the lamp of imagination on our brows."– David Brin, multiple Hugo and Nebula award-author of EARTH and Existence

"When my collection Wandering Stars: An Anthology of Jewish Fantasy and Science Fiction was published in 1974,[It] became a classic. And now...we have the first ever anthology in the entire universe of Israeli fantasy and science fiction: Zion's Fiction...Go forth and read...and may you find Zion's Fiction unexpected, delightful, and delirious!" –Jack Dann, award winning author and editor of over 75 books including The Memory Cathedral and The Silent

"The basic joy in science fiction and fantasy is the chance to look inside minds different from your own. Here's your chance. Some bright minds in the nation of Israel have been exercising their imaginations, sharing their different dreams and nightmares, and the results are ours to enjoy." – Larry Niven, a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of the Ringworld Series

Sheldon Teitelbaum, an award-winning Los Angeles-based Canadian/American/Israeli writer, and former member of the Editorial Board of Fantasia 2000, is a longtime commentator on Jewish and Israeli science fiction and fantasy literature who has published widely in the Los Angeles Times, Cinefantastique, The Jerusalem Report, Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction, and The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

Emanuel Lottem, a central figure in Israeli science fiction and fantasy scene and former member of the Editorial Board of Fantasia 2000, is the translator and editor of some of the best SF/F books published in Hebrew, and a moving force in the creation of the Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Avi Katz, an award-winning American-born Israeli illustrator, cartoonist, and painter, is the staff illustrator of Jerusalem Report magazine. He has illustrated over 170 books in Israel and the United States.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 23, 2018
      Though science fiction and fantasy were regarded with disdain in Israel until the late 1970s (as elucidated in the editors’ informative introduction), this anthology showcases an impressive array of 16 speculative stories by Israeli authors. Most show clear evidence of the author’s ethnicity and nationality; for example, Lavie Tidhar’s “The Smell of Orange Groves,” a moving account of a man’s efforts to be remembered by his descendants, includes references to the question of which robots are to be considered Jewish, mirroring a current real-world controversy, and also addresses continued Israeli economic dependence on foreign workers. Elana Gomel’s “Death in Jerusalem,” a dark fantasy with elements reminiscent of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s occasional flights of fancy, features a woman who learns that her husband is one of multiple tangible incarnations of means of death, along with one responsible for the Nazi genocide. Those that focus on other themes, such as Guy Hasson’s stellar “The Perfect Girl,” are still thought-provoking and imaginative. The high quality of work makes this anthology enjoyable and accessible for any fan of speculative fiction.

    • Library Journal

      September 15, 2018

      This first English-language collection of Israeli speculative fiction fills a hole in the literature of international sf that readers might not have realized needed filling. Although the stories, some originally published in Hebrew or Russian, don't all have an Israeli "feel" to them, they present fascinating futures from another culture. Standouts include Guy Hasson's "The Perfect Girl," about the dangers of telepathically connecting with the deceased; Rotem Baruchin's "In the Mirror," a Twilight Zone-type story about changing one's fate; and Gail Hareven's "The Slows," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for aspects of modern Israel. A historical survey of Israeli sf contextualizes the works for new readers, and a foreword by American Jewish sf Grand Master Robert Silverberg sets the stage. An afterword by Aharon Hauptman, editor of the first Israeli sf magazine that included original stories (the now-defunct Fantasia 2000), and illustrations by Katz round out the volume. VERDICT This notable anthology is appropriate for all sf fans and a valuable resource for any library.

      Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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