On Translating Irrealia

Abstract

The genre of speculative fiction has long been gaining popularity among both readers and authors. With the increasing demand and supply of, particularly from the perspective of small languages, published foreign language texts in the genre, the frequency of translation of such texts has been increasing as well. While the genre is broad and includes multiple subgenres, most notably science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural horror, there is connective tissue common to all of them which is also significant for translation – irrealia. This article explores irrealia as a defining feature of the speculative fiction genre. It discusses the nature of irrealia and argues they do not represent a homogeneous body, but rather there is a distinction to be made between different types of irrealia, with each presenting translators with unique challenges on top of those common to all irrealia. The article also delves into the implications the presence of irrealia has in regards to the text as a whole, and into the intertextual potential seemingly inherent to irrealia, while illustrating both on examples drawn primarily from the short story The Private Life of Genghis Khan by Douglas Adams.