Hungarian SFT: An Overview

Hungarian speculative fiction in English translation has been around since the early twentieth century, with more than thirty novels, collections, and stand-alone stories. From the Gulliver’s Travels-inspired stories of Frigyes Karinthy to the Kafkaesque absurdity of Ferenc Karinthy, and from the hard science fiction of Péter Zsoldos and Botond Markovics to the horror of Atilla Veres, there’s something for every reader to enjoy!

Essays on Hungarian Speculative Fiction- Written for this Feature

“Translating (SF) from Hungarian” by Peter Sherwood

“Hungarian Speculative Fiction: The Three Pillars” by Austin Wagner

Other Essays on Hungarian Speculative Fiction

“The Hungarian Way of Science Fiction” (SFRA Review)

“Hungary” (Encyclopedia of Science Fiction)

“Hungarian Speculative Fiction: Forceful, Vicious, Viscous” (Hungarian Literature Online)

“The Kaleidoscope Of Hungarian Fantastic Literature In The 21st Century” (Sci Phi Journal)

NOVELS

1916 / tr 1966 1941 / tr 1975 1983 / tr 1984 1970 / tr 2008 2002 / tr 2012 1992 / tr 2013 1971 / tr 2018 2014 / tr 2021 2011 / tr 2021 2023 2023 2023 2017 / tr 2023

COLLECTIONS

1904 1916 / tr 1965 1908 / tr 1980 2022

STAND-ALONE SHORT STORIES

Jokai, Mor. “The Drop of Blood,” unknown translator (The Fifteenth Fontana Book of Great Horror Stories, 1982).

Képes, Gábor. “House on the Edge of the Crater,” translated by Anna Kállai (Samovar, 2024).

Kleinheincz, Csilla. “A Drop of Raspberry,” translated by Noémi Szelényi (Interfictions: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing, 2007).

—-. “After Midnight, Before Dawn,” unknown translator (Black Petals #39, 2007).

—-. “Mermaidsong,” translated by Bogi Takács (Mermaids Monthly, 2021).

—-. “Rabbits,” translated by the author (Expanded Horizons, 2010).

—-. “A Single Year,” translated by the author (The Apex Book of World SF 2, 2012).

Komor, Zoltán. “The System’s Lymph Node,” translated by Austin Wagner (Hungarian Literature Online, 2023).

Lengyel, Peter. “Rising Sun,” translated by Oliver A.I. Botar (The Penguin World Omnibus of Science Fiction, 1986).

Nagy, Lajos Parti. “Oh, Those Chubby Genes,” translated by Judith Sollosy (Words Without Borders, 2010).

Rusvai, Mónika. “Bone by Bone,” translated by Vivien Urban (Samovar, 2024).

Sepsi, László. “Déniel” (excerpt from Fruiting Bodies), translated by Austin Wagner (Hungarian Literature Online, 2022).

Szélesi, Sándor. “Creative Years,” translated by Gergely Kamper (Creatures of Glass and Light, 2007).

—-. “How Long is the Road?” translated by Gergely Kamper (SFRA Review, 2022).

—-. “You Will Go, You Will Return,” unknown translator (The Viral Curtain, 2022).

Veres, Atilla. “Just a Bit Easier,” translated by Austin Wagner (Hungarian Literature Online, 2023).

—-. “The Time Remaining,” translated by Luca Karáfiath (The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, Volume One, 2020).