Vladimir Colin
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Vladimir Colin (pen name of Jean Colin; May 1, 1921 - December 6, 1991) was a Romanian short story writer and novelist, one of the most important fantasy and science fiction authors in Romanian literature. His works of fiction are known on several continents.
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[edit] Biography
Born in Bucharest into a family of Romanian Jewish extraction, he was the son of Lazăr Colin, a clerk, and Ella (née Pauker, the sister of Ana Pauker). He attended the Cantemir Vodă High School and then the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Letters. He left the latter institution after only one year, since he used to spend most of his time working as a political activist for the Central Committee of the Union of Communist Youth (UTC, the youth wing of the Romanian Communist Party). Subsequently, he worked as an editor for various magazines, including Orizont, Flacăra, and Revista Literară, and became a member of the editorial staff for Viaţa Românească.
In 1943, he married his fellow writer Nina Cassian; the two divorced five years later, and Cassian remarried Al. I. Ştefănescu.
After the establishment of a Romanian Communist regime, Colin became noted for his vocal support of the new authorities. In 2006, the Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania nominated him (together with Ştefănescu, Sorin Toma, and others) among the prominent Communist activists responsible for censorship.[1]
Vladimir Colin made his science fiction debut contributing short stories for Colecţia Povestiri SF, which functioned as a literary supplement for the magazine Ştiinţă şi Tehnică.[2] He became especially noted for his works in the science fantasy genre, for which he became the recipient of three Eurocon awards during his lifetime (a recognition that no other Romanian writer has since equaled).
In 2000, Ion Hobana and Gérard Klein instituted the Vladimir Colin Awards for excellence in science fiction literature. As a posthumous tribute, Nemira publishing house has republished Colin's fiction books in a Vladimir Colin author series.
[edit] Work
Colin made his debut with a book of fairy tales, Basme, in 1953, which earned him the National Award. This was followed by the science-fiction books Pentagrama (The Pentagram, 1967), Un peşte invizibil şi douăzeci de povestiri fantastice ("An Invisible Fish and Twenty Fantastical Stories", 1970) and Imposibila oază ("The Impossible Oasis", 1984). For much of his early career, Colin was also known for his proletkult poems and agitprop articles in the official press.
Colin's works in the science fantasy genre include the books of tales Viitorul al doilea ("The Second Future"), Dinţii lui Cronos ("The Teeth of Cronos") and the novella Babel. His published texts comprise fantasy and science fiction novels, such as A zecea lume ("The Tenth World"), as well as a historical fantasy book for the youth, Legendele Ţării lui Vam ("Legends from Vamland"). This latter work became his best known book — translated into several languages, it has since been edited and printed as a comic book in Spain and France, with drawings by the Croatian artist Igor Kordey.
He also compiled a French science fiction literature anthology: Un pic de neant. O antologie a anticipaţiei franceze contemporane ("A Piece of the Void - an anthology of contemporary French science-fiction literature", 1970).
[edit] Selected literary awards
- The Romanian Writers' Association Award for Capcanele timpului ("Time Traps") in 1972 and for Dinţii lui Cronos ("The Teeth of Cronos") in 1975
- Three Eurocon Awards at the European Science Fiction Society reunions
- The golden medal in Poznań, Poland
- The Europe Award for best novel (Babel), 1978
- The Grand Prize in recognition of his Opera Omnia, San Marino
[edit] Selected works
- Basme ("Fairy Tales"), 1953
- Zece poveşti pitice ("Ten Dwarfish Stories"), 1957
- Basmele Omului ("The Fairy Tales of Man"), 1958
- Legendele ţării lui Vam. O mitologie a omului ("Legends from Vamland. A Mythology of Man"), 1961
- Povestea scrisului ("The Story of Writing"), 1966
- A zecea lume ("The Tenth World"), 1964
- Pentagrama ("The Pentagram"), 1967
- Un peşte invizibil şi douăzeci de povestiri fantastice ("An Invisible Fish and Twenty Fantastic Stories"), 1970
- Capcanele timpului ("Time Traps"), 1972
- Dinţii lui Cronos ("The Teeth of Cronos"), 1975
- Grifonul lui Ulise ("Ulysses' Gryphon"), 1976
- Babel, 1978
- Timp cu călăreţ şi corb ("Time with Rider and Raven"), 1979,
- Imposibila oază, povestiri fantastice ("The Impossible Oasis - fantastical stories"), 1984
- Xele, motanul din stele ("Xelar, Tomcat Stellar"), 1984
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- (Romanian) The final report of the Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania
- Mike Ashley, Transformations: the History of the Science-fiction Magazine, Vol. 2: from 1950 to 1970, Liverpool University Press, Liverpool, 2005 ISBN 0853237697
[edit] External links
- (Romanian) The 2006 Vladimir Colin Awards, at SFera
