Seven Terrors
2010 book by Selvedin Avdić
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Seven Terrors is a science fiction novel by Selvedin Avdić. Originally published in 2010 in Bosnian, it was translated into English by Coral Petkovich published in the UK by Istros Books in 2012.
| |
| Author | Selvedin Avdić |
|---|---|
| Original title | Sedam Strahova |
| Translator | Coral Petkovich |
| Language | Bosnian |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Istros Books |
Publication date | 2010 (Bosnian) 2012 (English) |
| Awards | International Dublin Literary Award nominated, longlist, 2013 |
The book, which includes themes of violence, oppression and injustice, is set in post-war Bosnia. The unnamed protagonist, while dealing with depression, navigates an underground mystical world, in search of a lost friend.
The book won praise from literary correspondents Nicholas Lezard and Eileen Battersby. It was nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Award.
Publication
Synopsis
The book is set in post-war Bosnia.[4] It is narrated by an unnamed former radio journalist. The protagonist, who split with his wife 9 months prior, is struggling with depression and ethnic tensions.[1][4] The protagonist meets Mirna, the daughter of an old and now missing friend Aleksa and helps her navigate a mystical underground.[5]
Themes in the book include systemic violence, worker oppression, and injustice.[6]
Critical reception
Nicholas Lezard writing in The Guardian described the book as "remarkable" and states that "This is a story that starts off weird and gets weirder, but with the logic and clamminess of a bad dream. It's quite unlike anything I've read before, but it has all the consistency and force of something major and assured"[1] Ali Alizadeh, writing in the Sydney Review of Books calls the novel "gripping", "spinechilling," and "a terrifically compelling discourse on war, violence and humanity's dark heart".[6] The Irish Times' literary correspondent Eileen Battersby described the book as witty and surreal.[7]
The book was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award in 2013[8] and shortlisted for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards 2013.[9] Literalab identified the book their number one on a list of 15 best books of 2012.[10]
