Wolfgang Jeschke

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Wolfgang Jeschke, March 2008 in Munich

Wolfgang Jeschke (November 19, 1936 in Děčín, Czechoslovakia) is a German sci-fi author and editor, publishing at Heyne publishing house (Heyne-Verlag). In 1987, he won the Harrison Award for international achievements in science fiction. He lives in Munich.

Biography

Wolfgang Jeschke was born in 1936 in Děčín and grew up in Asperg, near Ludwigsburg. After graduating from high school, he trained as a toolmaker and worked in mechanical engineering. In 1959, he went back to complete the abitur and studied German, English literature, and philosophy at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He then completed a publishing internship at Verlag C. H. Beck. In 1969, he was hired as editorial assistant for Kindlers Literaturlexikon, and then later editor.

In 1970 nonfiction author Herbert W. Franke offered Kindler a science fiction novel; the publisher remembered Jeschke's interest in science fiction and asked him for his opinion.[1] The result was the series "Science Fiction für Kenner" ("Science Fiction for Connoisseurs") under the imprint Lichtenberg Verlag, in which appeared not only Franke's novel Zone Null but also Jeschke's own short-story collection, Der Zeiter (The Bridegroom). This imprint published a number of important authors unabbreviated in German for the first time, including Robert Silverberg, Thomas M. Disch, and Brian W. Aldiss. At the end of 1972, Jeschke took the position of science fiction consultant and editor at Heyne Verlag – originally together with Franke – at first as a freelancer. The success of Heyne Science Fiction and Fantasy led to a growing number of titles, so that in 1978, Jeschke left Kindler and became full-time science fiction specialist for Heyne. After Franke's departure in 1979, Jeschke was the sole science fiction editor at Heyne, where he remained until his retirement in 2002. He currently lives in Munich, where he still works on the Science Fiction Jahrbuch (Science Fiction Yearbook), together with Sascha Mamczak.

Work

Jeschke had been interested in science fiction since the 1950s, and was one of the first members of the SFCD (Science Fiction Club Deutschland), founded in 1955. His first short stories appeared in fanzines and semi-professional publications, and together with Peter Noga, he published his own fanzine, Ad Astra. He wrote little during his years as consultant and editor, and his body of work remains relatively small. His science fiction is known for its themes of time travel and paradox.[2] His first novel, Der letzte Tag der Schöpfung (The Last Day of Creation), was widely translated. Jeschke also writes radio plays.

Bibliography

Novels

  • 1981 Der letzte Tag der Schöpfung (The Last Day of Creation)
  • 1993 Midas oder Die Auferstehung des Fleisches (Midas Or The Rising of the Flesh; UK edition 1990: Midas. ISBN 0-450-50937-0 )
  • 1997 Meamones Auge (Meamone's Eye)
  • 1997 Osiris Land (Land of Osiris; US edition The Land of Osiris in „Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine“, March 1985)
  • 2005 Das Cusanus-Spiel oder Ein abendländliches Kaleidoskop (The Cusanus Game, Deutscher Science Fiction Preis)
  • 2013 Dschiheads

Short Fiction

  • 1959 Die Anderen (The Others)
  • 1970 Der Zeiter (rev. Edition 1978)
  • 1993 Schlechte Nachrichten aus dem Vatikan (Bad News from the Vatican)

Collected Stories

Non-fiction

  • 2003 Marsfieber (Mars Fever, with Rainer Eisfeld)

Anthologies/Magazines

  • Heyne Science Fiction Jahresband. ("Heyne Annual Science Fiction Anthology", 21 volumes published 1980-2000)
  • Heyne Science Fiction Magazin. ("Heyne Science Fiction Magazine", 12 issues published 1981-1985)
  • Bibliothek der Science Fiction Literatur. ("Library of Science Fiction Literature", 101 volumes published 1981-2001)
  • Das Science Fiction Jahr. ("The Science Fiction Year of...", 26 volumes published since 1985, on-going)
  • Science Fiction Story Reader. (21 issues published 1974-1984, six of them edited by Herbert W. Franke)
  • Titan. (23 issues published 1976-1985)

References

  1. ↑ Vgl. Erhard Ringer: Interview mit Wolfgang Jeschke, in Fantasia, Nr. 1, 1978.
  2. ↑ "Jeschke, Wolfgang" The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

External links

Authority control
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