April 29, 2024
Meghan O'Toole
Tessa Sermet co-edits collection of French science fiction stories translated to English
Assistant Professor of French Tessa Sermet co-edited Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories, which was recently published by Ooligan Press.
The collection compiles newly translated short stories, featuring both classic and contemporary French science fiction for English-language readers to experience. The stories explore themes of simulated reality, speciesism, ecology, and transhumanism.
“There is very little French science fiction translated to English,” Sermet said. “There are a couple of short stories and novels, but the only two anthologies we found of translated science fiction short stories date from the '70s. We wanted to provide something more updated. We curated stories from different authors, different periods, and different topics.”
Sermet worked with co-editor Annabelle Dolidon, Associate Professor of French at Portland State University, on the project. In addition to editing the collection, Sermet also translated two of the stories: “I had never translated fiction before. The two stories I translated were completely different from each other and have very different styles,” Sermet said. “One was from the '50s, and the other was a contemporary story written just a few years ago.”
After each story, Sermet and Dolidon included a section intitled “Expansion,” which provides additional information on the authors as well as discussion questions that can be used in classroom and book club settings
Order Continuum at Ooligan Press.