<영어로 읽는 SF소설 _ 키스 라우머의 문화교류>
“Cultural Exchange “는 키스 라우머(Keith Laumer)가 1962년에 출판한 공상과학 소설이다.
이 소설은 외교관과 농부의 대화를 통해 Lovenbroy라는 독특하고 이상적인 문화를 가진 행성을 소개하고 있다. Arapoulous가 Retief를 찾아온 진짜 이유에 대한 궁금증을 유발하며 앞으로의 전개를 예고하고 있다.
“Cultural Exchange” is a science fiction novel published in 1962 by Keith Laumer.
This novel introduces a planet with a unique and ideal culture called Lovenbroy through conversations between a diplomat and a farmer. It raises curiosity about the real reason why Arapoulous came to Retief and foretells future developments.
Summary
It was a simple student exchange—but Retief gave them more of an education than they expected!
Hank Arapoulous, a farmer from the planet Lovenbroy, visits the MUDDLE office where space diplomat Retief works.
Lovenbroy is a planet that harvests grapes once every 12 years, with little farming to do in between, so its residents devote themselves to artistic activities. Lovenbroy's seasonal artistic activities are dominated by painting and sculpture in the winter, woodworking in the spring, music composition in the rainy season, and theater and symphony performance in the summer.
Lovenbroy has a lot of beautifully colored wood due to its rich metal content and sulfate content, and since most of it is an island, people enjoy concerts over bonfires on the beach.
Arapoulous says that this year is special, saying that it is the year of the wine harvest, which returns after 12 years, but he does not say the purpose of his visit...
Keith Laumer (1925-1993)는 미국의 과학 소설 작가로, 주로 1950년대부터 1980년대까지 활동했다. 그의 작품들은 주로 과학 소설, 판타지, 스파이 스릴러 등 다양한 장르에 걸쳐 있으며, 특히 특이한 캐릭터와 창의적인 전개로 유명하다.
작가의 주요 작품은 다음과 같다.
1. Retief Series: Retief는 국제 외교 기구에서 활동하는 외교관으로, 불합리한 비서 관리와 대립적인 외계 생명체들과의 협상에서 유머와 풍자를 가미한 이야기가 특징이다.
2. Bolo Series: 이 시리즈는 거대하고 강력한 전투 로봇인 Bolo에 관한 이야기로, 인류를 보호하고 싸우는 고무적인 캐릭터들이 등장한다.
3. A Trace of Memory: 이 소설은 주인공이 자신의 아이덴티티와 과거를 되찾기 위해 사건의 뒤를 추적하면서 고전적인 장르를 탐험한다.
Keith Laumer은 그의 작품을 통해 사회 비판과 유머, 그리고 인류의 도전과제에 대한 논의를 하며 독창적인 세계를 구축하는 데 중점을 두고 있다. 그의 작품은 여전히 과학 소설 팬들 사이에서 인기가 있으며, 그의 창의적인 사고와 풍부한 상상력으로 잘 알려져 있다.
Keith Laumer (1925-1993) was an American science fiction writer, active primarily from the 1950s to the 1980s. His works mainly span a variety of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, and spy thrillers, and are especially famous for their unusual characters and creative development.
The author's major works are as follows:
1. Retief Series: Retief is a diplomat active in an international diplomatic organization, and the story is characterized by humor and satire in negotiations with unreasonable secretarial management and conflicting alien life forms.
2. Bolo Series: This series is about Bolo, a huge and powerful battle robot, and features inspiring characters who fight and protect humanity.
3. A Trace of Memory: This novel explores a classic genre as the protagonist traces events to regain his identity and past.
Through his works, Keith Laumer focuses on social criticism, humor, and discussion of humanity's challenges, as well as building an original world. His work remains popular among science fiction fans, and he is well known for his creative thinking and rich imagination.