Inhumans and Other Stories

Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay is Associate Professor in Global Culture Studies at the University of Oslo. He is the leader of CoFUTURES, an international research group on contemporary futurisms headquartered in Oslo. He is a World Fantasy Award–winning editor, translator, writer, and critic of speculative fiction, and the producer of Kalpavigyan: A Speculative Journey, the first documentary film on Indian science fiction.

• CONTENTSSeries Foreword ixIntroduction: Hemendrakumar Roy and Bangla SF in the Radium Age xvBodhisattva ChattopadhyayThe Inhumans (1935) 1Hemendrakumar Roy1 The Hunter’s Heaven 12 The Night Guest 253 In the Lion’s Den 394 The Eyes in the Barrel 445 The Diary Begins 546 Sixteen Arms Long 577 The Kind Kamala 618 The History of the Juju Kingdom 649 The Human Egg 6810 I Will Be a New Human 7611 The Human Egg, Once Again 8212 Looming Threats 8713 Kamala’s Barrel 9014 The Real Face of Bhomboldas 9415 My Great Courage 9616 The King’s Judgment 10217 Exile 107Voyage to Venus (1895) 111Jagadananda RayThe Mystery of the Giant (1931) 137Nanigopal MajumdarThe Martian Purana (1931) 147Manoranjan BhattacharyaNotes 157

"The historical parallax provided by a book such as The Inhumans is . . . where the full potential of the [Radium Age] shines through. It is a very welcome addition to the series.”—Locus Magazine"Makes for a great introduction to this moment in SF history."—Reactor Magazine“The range of styles represented are compelling, both in the stories that they tell and in the way the authors represented in these pages blend the futuristic with unexpected dramatic elements. . . . A welcome expansion of speculative fiction for anglophone readers.”—Words Without Borders"Chattopadhyay’s collection will add to [the Bengali science fiction] canon in English and is sure to appeal to fans of sci-fi and general readers alike.”—Kajal Magazine"Chattopadhyay is an acknowledged authority. . . . [on] Bangala and science fiction stories from colonial India."—The Bookseller"Studying how sci-fi themes were treated by Bengalis is a worthwhile academic pursuit. . . . Offers a valuable peek into genre history.”—Publishers Weekly"A fascinating read. . . . shed[s] new light and complexity to the story that is science fiction.” —Transfer Orbit“Mr. Chattopadhyay divines anti-colonialist sentiment within Roy’s satirical take on the strictures of civilization.”—The New York Sun“The Inhumans and Other Stories is a fine anthology, presenting four strange, funny, and above all memorable tales in slick and accessible translations. . . . For a book so full of experiments gone wrong, the inclusion of The Inhumans and Other Stories in the Radium Age series feels utterly right.”—Strange Horizons“Whether one loves sci-fi or simply enjoys a good story, this anthology offers a rewarding read that crosses linguistic barriers. I recommend this book to everyone.”—Nature Physics