Australian sci-fi expert and historian Andrew Milner has said of the French sci-fi novelist extraordinaire Jean-Marc Ligny: "He's the Kim Stanley Robinson of France!"

Yes, at a recent Science Fiction Research Association (#SFRA2016) conference in the UK at Liverpool University at the end of June during a three-day academic paper fest, Dr Andrew Milner delivered a keynote address he had prepared and in some off-the-cuff remarks during his presentation, according to Glyn Morgan, he compared JML to KSR, saying, as Glyn Morgan noted in a live-tweet during the event:

Glyn Morgan ‏@GR_Morgan Jun 29

Milner proclaims Jean-Marc Ligny the French Kim Stanley Robinson #SFRA2016

 

This blog forwarded the nice tweet from Dr Morgan to JML in France the very next day after seeing the tweet online as part of our Twitter monitoring work, and Mr Ligny was delighted the learn of the tweet and the wonderful compliment from Dr Milner. In addition, Dr Milner told this blog that, well, in his own words:

 

''Hi Dan

''And you're absolutely right about Jean-Marc - he really should be published in English translation. Thanks very much for giving him my email address. .....Yes, it really might be a good idea for you to ask Stan for help about getting Jean-Marc a US publisher. Feel free to tell Stan what I said in Liverpool.''

Regards

Andrew

 

 

After JML sent a thank you note to Dr Milner, via this blog's prompt and email address, text here below:

 

 

''Hello Andrew Milner

 

I’m the Jean-Marc Ligny you have mentioned at the SFRA 2016 and compared with Kim Stanley Robinson, wow!

It’s your old friend Dan Bloom who gave me your email address.

I’m very glad and proud to be mentioned as a sci-fi author outside of my own country (France)

I’m trying hard (with some help of Dan and my French publisher) to make my sci-fi trilogy (or at least one of three books) translated in English and published in English spoken countries (USA, UK, Australia...) but as you know certainly, it’s not so easy as most of publishers from these countries have no French readers. For all that, I’ve some extracts of two of them already translated in English... but it’s only extracts. Would you be interested to have a look on these extracts? (Aqua^TM, the first book of my trilogy, has been published in Germany and China...)

Many thanks again, and all my best,''

 

Jean-Marc Ligny

 

After JML sent a thank you note to Dr Milner, Dr Milner wrote to the French writer on the same day in internet time:

 

Dear Jean-Marc,

 

Good to hear from you. I'm flattered that a real novelist should take notice of a mere professor. It was only an unplanned off-the-cuff remark, but 'the French Kim Stanley Robinson' still seems a reasonable enough description to me. I'm glad you approve. Yes, I would love to see the translated extracts you mention.....And I look forward to your finding an Anglophone publisher.

 

Regards,

Andrew 

 

SO THE SEARCH IS ON NOW FOR A PUBLISHER IN THE USA OR UK to take on the task of publishing and paying for the translation of JML's sci-fi trilogy.

REFERENCES:

 

Dr Andrew Milner
Monash-Warwick Emeritus Professor of English and Comparative Literature

School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics
Monash University

AUSTRALIA

UPDATE

mORE INFO COMING IN FROM SOME PEOPLE WHO KNOW THINGS IN THE PUBLISHING WORLD. oNE TELLS US:

''Dear Dan,
the French govT usually has translation grants.

Especially if a publisher is interested. Jean-Marc might need to get someone to translate a chunk of it first.

Orbit Books   [that is THE publisher for KSR!]   MIGHT BE ONE GOOD PLACE TO TRY TO PLACE IT perhaps. But Solaris Books is ALSO an option. But I doubt any of them would finance a translation. That usually occurs on the other end.''


 

====================

So i wrote back to him immediately!

=============================

''THANKS, Sensei!  JML has a partial translation already of a few chapters to show potential publishers in USA or UK, and the woman who did the translation Teia Maman is long time American translator living in France, so she knows both languages well and is on board to do the entire translation IF they  can find a USA or UK publisher. JML ''REALLY'' wants to make a mark as a sci fi novelist in the USA, and he derserves it!!! - and he is really a nice guy, but as you know translated books from France are a hard sell, but maybe not for a sci fi novels.

IF JML or his publisher can find a publisher. I will tell him your advice today. His publisher is "L'Atlante" in France, and they are helping too. And Terry Harpold at UF realy wants to help JML find a publisher and using his contacts too. But as you know better than most of us, translations are not easy deal to make. JML is still largely unknown in USA.

But i am sure if part one of his trilogy could find a publisher with say, Orbit, or SOLARIS and the sci fi community in UK and USA got behind the book and read it and reviewed it. it might push things to book 2 and 3. But for now JML will be very happy to get book one into English. THANKS for advice, sir. Orbit is KSR's publisher, right?

LAST Q. are there any high-powered sci fi ''literary agents'' in NYC or UK who might want to represent JML to UK / USA market? Maybe he needs a TOP literary agent to make this happen? ADVICE? - dan''