Avram Davidson in Japan

last updated: July 4th, 2009

Novels | Collections | Stories | Interviews | Back

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Novels

To our regret, Avram Davidson's novels have not been translated into Japanese yet, except two Ellery Queen novels:

Dai-Hachi No Hi

translation of And on the Eighth Day
translated by Masaru Aota
published by Hayakawa Shobou (paperback)

Sankakkei No Dai-Yon-Hen

translation of The Fourth Side of the Triangle
translated by Masaru Aota
published by Hayakawa Shobou (paperback)

Collections

10-gatsu 3-ka No Mokugekisha

originally edited in Japan
partly translation of Or All the Seas with Oysters (1962)
translated by Jitsuko Murakami
published by Asahi Sonorama (paperback), 1984

contents:

The Grantha Sighting
The Golem
Or the Grasses Grow
Help! I am Dr. Morris Goldpepper
Summerland
The Sixth Season
Negra Sum
I Do Not Hear You Sir
The Montevarde Camera
My Boy Friend's Name is Jello
The Woman Who Thought She Could Read
Author, Author

Dongaragan

originally edited in Japan
edited by Masayuki Shunou
translated by Norio Itou, Hisashi Asakura, Mariko Fukamachi, Tadashi Wakashima, Toru Nakamura
published by Kawade Shobou Shinsha, 2005

contents:

Preface (by Grania Davis)
The Golem
The Necessity of His Condition
Now Let Us Sleep
Or All the Seas with Oysters
The Affair at Lahore Cantonment
Where Do You Live, Queen Esther?
The Tail-Tied Kings
Sacheverell
A Quiet Room with a View
The Goobers
Captain Pasharooney
And Don't Forget the One Red Rose
Naples
The Power of Every Root
The Sources of the Nile
Bumberboom

Stories

As far as I know, almost 30 stories were translated in magazines and anthologies:

Affair at Lahore Cantonment
translated by Masami Fukushima
EDOGAH SHOU ZENSHUU vol.1
(Hayakawa Shobou, 1983, translation of The Edgar Winners: 33rd Annual Anthology of the Mystery Writers of America, ed. Bill Pronzini)

And Don't Forget the One Red Rose
translated by Norio Itou
Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine Dec, 1996

Apres Nous
translated by Hisashi Asakura
SEKAI SHOHTO SHOHTO KESSAKUSEN 2
(Kodansha, 1979, originally edited in Japan)

Bumberboom
translated by Mariko Fukamachi
TSUIOKU URIMASU
(Hayakawa Shobou, 1978, translation of World's Best Science Fiction, 1967 First Series, ed. Donald A. Wollheim & Terry Carr)

The Captain M. Caper
translated by Takashi Ogura
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine Mar, 1970

The Certificate
translated by Kazuko Yamada
Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine Oct, 1971

Crazy Old Lady
translated by Hiroshi Takami
KONGETSU NO PETEN-SHI
(Tokyo Sogensha, 1980, translation of Best Detective Stories of the Year - 1977, ed. Edward D. Hoch)

The Creator of Prelude
translated by Masaru Aota
EQMM Japan Nov, 1960

The Dive People
translated by Michiko Iwata
EQMM Japan Apr, 1961

Down By The Dept
translated by Kenji Natsuki
EIBEI CHO-TANPEN MISUTERIH 50-SEN
(Kobunsha, 1996, originally edited in Japan)

Duke Pasquale's Ring
translated by Sayako Asaba
FUSHIGI NA NEKO TACHI
(Fusousha, 1999, translation of Magicats II, ed. Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois)

The Golem
(1) translated by Yoshi Takenaka
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine Aug, 1975
(2) translated by Akira Takegami
KAIKI GENSOH NO BUNGAKU vol.5
(Shin-Jinbutsu-Ouraisha, 1977, originally edited in Japan)
(3) translated by Seiichi Yoshida
SF BESUTO OBU ZA BESUTO vol.2
(Tokyo Sogensha, 1977, translation of SF: The Best of the Best, ed. Judith Merril)

The Goobers
translated by Hisashi Asakura
Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine Jul, 2004

The Grantha Sighting
translated by Hisashi Asakura
Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine Oct, 1969 extra issue

The Holy Man
translated by Yasukuni Takahashi
EQMM Japan Apr, 1959

The Ikon of Elijah
translated by Yuuko Takemoto
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine Sep, 1999

The Invasion
translated by Yoshizumi Ooi
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine May, 1975

The Liberty of the Subject
translated by Masao Nakagiri
NENKAN SUIRI-SHOUSETSU BESUTO 16
(Arechi-Shuppansha, 1963, translation of Best Detective Stories of the Year - 18th Annual, ed. Anthony Boucher)

The Lineaments of Gratified Desire
translated by Teruo Uno
EQMM Japan Apr, 1964

The Mad Sniper
translated by Jun Kazami
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine Jan, 1973

The Memory Bank
Translated by Shichisei Okamoto
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine Dec, 1967

My Boy Friend's Name is Jello
translated by Mamoru Nakagami
Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine Jan, 1970

The Necessity of His Condition
translated by Komimasa Tanaka
OUGON NO 13 / GENDAI-HEN
(Hayakawa Shobou, 1979, translation of The Golden 13, ed. Ellery Queen)

Now Let Us Sleep
translated by Masahiro Suhama
Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine Nov, 1982

Or the Grasses Grow
translated by Akira Kagami
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine May, 1972

Or All the Seas with Oysters
translated by Shinpei Tokiwa
HYUHGOH-SHOU KESSAKUSHUU vol.1
(Hayakawa Shobou, 1965, translation of The Hugo Winners vol.1, ed. Isaac Asimov)

The Restorer of Balance
translated by Teruo Uno
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine May, 1966

Revolver
(1) translated by Shinroku Mizusawa
EQMM Japan Nov, 1964
(2) translated by Nobumitsu Odaka
SEKAI BESUTO MISUTERIH 50-SEN vol. 2
(Kobunsha, 1994, translation of Fifty Best Mysteries, ed. Eleanor Sullivan)

The Roads, The Roads, The Beautiful Roads
translated by Kouzou Hirota
SEKAI KAH SF KESSAKUSEN
(Kodansha, 1981, translation of Car Sinister, ed. Robert Silverberg, et al.)

Sacheverell
translated by Hiroki Murakami
Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine Aug, 1984

The Spinner
translated by Nagaaki Iijima
Manhunt Japan Apr, 1962

The Tenant
translated by Toru Nakamura
SEN NO ASHI O MOTSU OTOKO
(Tokyo Sogensha, 2007, originally edited in Japan)

The Third Sacred Well of the Temple
translated by Youto Soga
EQMM Japan Dec, 1965

Thou Still Unravished Bride
translated by Minoru Taguchi
EQMM Japan Jul, 1959

Traveller from an Antique Land
translated by Keigo Hirao
EQMM Japan Feb, 1962

The Trefoil Company
translated by Yoshio Kataoka
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine May, 1972

The Unknown Law
translated by Fusa Obi
Hayakawa's Mystery Magazine Jul, 1971

Where Do You Live, Queen Esther?
translated by Masanobu Takanashi
GENSOU TO KAIKI vol.3
(Hayakawa Shobou, 1978, originally edited in Japan)

Interviews

Youkoso, Deviddosun
means "Welcome, Davidson"
Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine Apr, 1976

In January, 1976, Avram Davidson arrived Japan for Tenrikyo festival. Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine interviewed Davidson in Ginza Daiichi Hotel, and published as 2-page article.

At this time, we Japanese discovered that his name is pronounced as [avram], not [eivram]!

When Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine asked "Why have you stopped writing science fiction?", Davidson answered.
"There is no distinction between science fiction and non-science fiction. There is only a creative art."
(Caution: This is a translation from Japanese article. So it is not as exactly same as what Davidson answered in English.)

Deviddosun-Shi O Kakonde
means "With Mr.Davidson"
by Gene Van Troyer
Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine Jun, 1976

The long version of the interview up above (6 pages).

In this long interview, Davidson was explaining the concept of The Phoenix and the Mirror in details.