Even though science fiction writing doesn’t earn these authors a livelihood, they remain fixated on readership, often personally translating their work into English to reach a larger potential audience.
“It’s a small niche genre. As of today, only 1-2 % of our total published output can be classified science fiction,” says Binny Kurien, editor of the National Book Trust, one of India’s biggest book publishers. “Currently, regional writers have a much greater following for their works, than English writers. But writing in English is the best way, writers believe, to be seen and reach the international market.”
“Noted Marathi science fiction writer Bal Phondke’s anthology of science fiction, It Happened Tomorrow, remains one of the best collections of Indian science fiction stories,” adds Kurien. “Now, we are trying to translate that into as many regional languages. As long as that demand remains, Indian sci-fi has a future.”
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