A Plea for Incorporating Science Fiction in the Translation Curriculum
A Plea for Incorporating Science Fiction in the Translation Curriculum

Summary/Abstract: The paper seeks to explore some of the issues related tothe contemporary status of science fiction as a tool of knowledgetransfer between the sciences and the humanities. Regardless of itsname – science fiction, speculative fiction, paraliterature – this genresucceeded in convincing of its potential to educate and entertain thereader. The initial controversies about its place within the literarycanon served as incentives for more nuanced definitions, as well asbetter articulated views on its capacity to inspire fresh and thoughtprovokingworld perspectives. We argue that the inclusion of sciencefiction into the curriculum should not be reduced to an attempt to addan ‘alien touch’ to the texts usually approached in the classroom. Inthe last part of the paper, we aim at lending another dimension to thedebates surrounding translation practice, focusing on science fictiontranslators’ testimonies, in order to cast light on prejudices andcompare theoretical assumptions with the reality of the translationprocess.

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