So the Russian edition of SPIN STATE arrived in the mail today. This was a big surprise, since I haven't heard word one from Russia since the advance arrived lo these many years ago. I assumed that the translation had fallen through. Apparently not.
I say apparently not because a Ukranian friend's on-the-fly translation of the back cover copy bore only the most passing resemblance to the book I remember writing. On the other hand, I love the cover, which features futuristic onion domes and a sexy blonde chick who I have no idea who she is. Maybe she's a space princess.
The thing I love most about this cover, though? Check out the words up above my name. Even my one semester of college Russian is sufficient to translate "fantastiskyafiktion bestseller."
O-Daddy-O! Stand in front of the mirror and practice saying "I'm a bestseller in Russia" a few times. Doesn't it make you feel like a walk-on character in a Quentin Tarantino movie? Cue the surfer music. Fox Force Five here I come!
5 comments:
Surfer music? How'bout some Tom Waits, "(I'm) Big In Japan"?
I was wondering who the blond chick was...
I was wondering the same thing. It certainly is hard to find a logical explanation for why a blonde russian bombshell has shown up on the cover of a book whose main character is Korean. Hence my space princess idea. Perhaps we need to contact Mr. Wright and ask him if a woman so non-bare-midriff boasting is eligible for space princessdom? I think she ought to at least get extra credit for looking so much like those ladies who used to read the news on Russian cable in various states of non-attire.
heh, being a Russian i can aswer this question. They put word "Bestseller" to assure they will sell it in Russia. You know, kind of sworm instinct - if they buy in USA, we should try it too. They put blond on cover for the same reason. If they`d have Korean woman instead -they chances to sell it would be close to zero. its not racism or so, its just mentality. very few russians will read book about Korean woman, as much as very few american will read book about russian woman, sorry...
By the way, how do you like the title "Lonely"????
I assume they would just print 2 copies in Russian - one for you and one to OCR for the inevitable bootlegging.
In China, they'll probably just put the title "Harry Potter and The Magical Spinning State" on it.
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