Book Review: This Eden by Ed O'Loughlin

Michael is a struggling engineering student whose girlfriend, Alice, is a coder and is working on a mysterious project for a big Silicon Valley corporation. When she dies, that same corporation offers him a job, though he doesn’t really know why. With the job come secrets, industrial espionage and shadowy figures from Alice’s other life he knew nothing about.

Read the rest of my review at SF Crowsnest.

A Day at Dublin WorldCon

I’ve driven past the Dublin Convention Centre numerous times while I’ve been in Dublin on business, but this was my first time venturing into the huge glass edifice that features endless zigzagging escalators that seemingly reach for the stars. There were 6000 people expected at WorldCon, which meant it was almost impossible to find anyone you were hoping to bump into at random. The programme was also vast, but I’d downloaded the app to help me keep track of which items I wanted to see and when they were on.


Read the rest of my account at SF Crowsnest.

Book Review: The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich

The Irish Empire takes the place of the traditional British Empire in The Time Roads, an alternative history/steampunk tale from Beth Bernobich, set at the turn of the 20th century when European geography and politics are almost familiar yet convincingly different.

Read the rest of my review at SF Crowsnest.

Magazine Review: Albedo One #39

There are two competition-winning stories in this issue of Albedo One, along with some well-known authors. They like to pack in as much good fiction as possible, keeping interior illustrations to a minimum – basically just book covers for the reviews and interview – and concentrating on the writing.

Read the rest of my review at SF Crowsnest.

Magazine Review: Albedo One #38

Read my review at SF Crowsnest.

Magazine Review: Albedo One #37

I like Albedo One – they send the friendliest rejections. It’s a nice looking magazine too with a colour cover and clear interior layout. The majority of space is given over to the fiction with just a few book reviews at the end and an interview at the beginning. It’s an interesting interview with Greg Egan, an author whose work I always enjoy. A generous seven stories pack out the rest of the pages.

Read the rest of my review at SF Crowsnest.

Celtic Polyglot

Having had The Gondolier translated into all 6 Celtic languages, I thought it would be interesting , for the scholarly minded, to present them all alongside each other. All of the trasnlations were done independantly with varying amounts of poetic licence, so this polyglot is presented for illustrative purposes rather than as a definitive document.

BRETON / BREZHONEG – Translated by Loic Cheveau
CORNISH / KERNEWAK – Translated by Neil Kennedy
WELSH / CYMRAEG – Translated by Lili Fach
MANX / GAELG – Translated by Robard Y Charlsalagh
IRISH / GAEILGE – Translated by Abigail Mitchell
SCOTTISH / GAIDHLIG – Translated by Niall Gordan

Ar goñdolour
An Gondoler
Y Gondolïwr
Yn Gondoleyr
Fear an Ghondala
Fear a’ Ghondòla




Penn a-raok ma goñdolenn a oe waet dousik tre doùr sioul ar c'hanolioù. Ar vag lintr en noe jervijet diñ a-feson a-bad ur bochad blezadoù, kaset voaiajerion tre hentoù-doùr ar gêr-sen, renet get daouarnoù rummadoù ma zadoù-kozh.
Pedn dirag du ow gondola a droghas leven der dhowr kosel an gwerdhowrow. An lester smoth re servyas dhebm lies bledhen ha degi trethyji dre dhowrhensyow an cyta 'ter dornow sur ow hendasow, henath war henath.
Torodd trwyn du fy ngondola yn esmwyth trwy ddŵr llonydd y gamlas. Roedd y llong lefn wedi fy ngwasanaethu’n dda am lawer blwyddyn, yn cludo teithwyr trwy ddyfrffyrdd y ddinas, dan ofal cenedlaethau o’m cyndadau.
Skeab gob doo my ghondoley dy rea trooid ushtaghyn kiune ny ammyryn. Va’n baatey s’keylley shoh er chooney lhiam dy mie ’syn obbyr aym rish ymmodee bleeantyn, as er n’arraghey troailtee trooid bollee ushtey yn valley ard fo laueyn stiuree sheelogheyn my henn ayraghyn.
Shlis gob ciar mo ghondala trí uisce ciúin na gcanálacha go séimh. Is maith mar a d'fhóin an bád slim dom le blianta anuas, maith mar a d'iompair sí paisinéirí ar uiscebhealaí na cathrach faoi stiúir lámha mo sheacht sinsir.
Sgolt sròn dorcha mo ghondòla slighe rèidh tro uisgeachan ciùine nan sruth-chlaisean. Bu mhath a bha an culaidh slìom seo air m’ obair a dhèanamh fad iomadh bliadhna, a’ giùlan luchd-siubhail tro sheòlaidean-uisge na cathrach fo làmh-stiùiridh mo shinnsrean.



An heol a oe é vont da guzh a-dreist ar gêr gozh, é lakat an doùr da vout ur seizenn du a-hed batisoù brav a vein-krag. Analet em moe don avel fresk an abardaez.
Th era an howl ow sedha dres an cyta goth, ow treylya an dowr maga tewal vel funen dhu 'ter treven fin derhevys a grag. Me 'anellas down ayr yeyn an gwyns gorthuher.
Roedd yr haul yn machlud dros yr hen ddinas, yn troi’r dŵr yn ruban inciog rhwng yr adeiladau tywodfaen. Cymerais anadl ddofn o awel oeraidd yr hwyrnos.
Va’n ghrian goll dy lhie harrish yn valley ard feer henn, as va’n ushtey myr rybban doo currit ny lhie eddyr troggalyn cumir ass clagh-gheinnee. Hayrn mee stiagh ennal dowin jeh fynneraght yn ’astyr beg.
Bhí an ghrian ag dul faoi in éadan na seanchathrach, an t-uisce á fhágáil ina ribín dubh leagtha idir fhoirgintí galánta gaineamhchloiche. Tharraing mé lán scamhóige de leoithne fhionnuar an tráthnóna.
Bha a’ ghrian a’ dol fodha thar na cathrach aosta, a’ fàgail uachdar an t-uisge mar ribean dubhadach na laighe eadar na togalaichean clach-ghaineamhach cuimire. Ghabh mi tarraing-analach d’ osag fhionnar an fheasgair.



Daoustoc'h ma oe ur lec'h bravoc'h eit ar gêriad varvailhus-sen get he c'hanolioù? Pa oe ar vag é tizh hec'h amarroù, em moe gwraet un arrast, da sellet get plijadur doc'h oebl Meurzh é tañvalhaat.
Era teller y'n bys o tekka 'vel an cyta varthys-ma a werdhowrow ? Ha'n skath ow tos es dh'y theller yn porth, me a sevis malja'ma miras der vaner lowen ort an ebren a vis Meurth yn tewlwolow.
Oes yna harddach le na’r ddinas ryfeddol yma yn llawn camlesi? Wrth i’r bad orffwys i’w hangor, syllais lan yn fodlon i wybren dduog Mawrth.
Row ynnyd ny s’aaley na balley ard yindyssagh shoh ny ammyryn? Choud’s haink yn baatey dy aashagh gys e voaral, scuirr mee dy yeeaghyn seose lesh aigney jeant magh gys speyryn conghorraghey yn Vart.
An raibh áit ar bith ab áille ab iontaí ná cathair seo na gcanálacha? Shleamhnaigh an bád isteach ina poll feistithe agus bhreathnaigh mé uaim go sásta, suas ar spéir chrónta Mharsa.
An robh àite na b’ àille na cathair annasach seo nan sruth-chlaisean? Mar a chaidh am bàta gu socair a-steach gu caladh, stad mi gus amharc suas le sonas air ciaradh speuran Mhàrs.


Achiv.
An Diwedh
Y Diwedd
Yn Jerrey
An Deireadh
A’ Chrìoch.

Friday Flash Fiction: Fear an Ghondola

My tour of Celtic langauges continues this week with the Irish translation of The Gondolier.

Fear an Ghondola
Le Gareth D Jones


Shlis gob ciar mo ghondola trí uisce ciúin na gcanálacha go séimh. Is maith mar a d'fhóin an bád slim dom le blianta anuas, maith mar a d'iompair sí paisinéirí ar uiscebhealaí na cathrach faoi stiúir lámha mo sheacht sinsir.

Bhí an ghrian ag dul faoi in éadan na seanchathrach, an t-uisce á fhágáil ina ribín dubh leagtha idir fhoirgintí galánta gaineamhchloiche. Tharraing mé lán scamhóige de leoithne fhionnuar an tráthnóna.

An raibh áit ar bith ab áille ab iontaí ná cathair seo na gcanálacha? Shleamhnaigh an bád isteach ina poll feistithe agus bhreathnaigh mé uaim go sásta, suas ar spéir chrónta Mharsa.

An Deireadh


Translated by Abigail Mitchell