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| SFReader Forums > Book, Magazine, and eZine Publishers > Flashing Swords > Vampire Hunter D | Forum Quick Jump
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kiki
Stablehand
      
Date Joined Aug 2005
Total Posts : 14
| Posted 8/10/2005 7:06 AM (GMT -4) |   | | Since a few of you mentioned anime in your He-Man posts (thanks for all the comments by the way), what do you think of the Vampire Hunter D novel that Dark Horse has translated? I know some of you aren't big vampire fans - I'd certainly like to stake a few of the books on the shelf - but Vampire Hunter D seems to mix so many different genres it's in a class of its own. You have a post apocalyptic future, an almost spaghetti western feel, vampires and other creatures of the night, and a sword slinging hero who is Elric like. There's the high science, but you also have magic. So could you call it S&S? | | Back to Top | | |
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PaulMc
Adept
Date Joined May 2005
Total Posts : 990
| Posted 8/10/2005 7:20 AM (GMT -4) | | quote:
Originally posted by kiki
Since a few of you mentioned anime in your He-Man posts (thanks for all the comments by the way), what do you think of the Vampire Hunter D novel that Dark Horse has translated? I know some of you aren't big vampire fans - I'd certainly like to stake a few of the books on the shelf - but Vampire Hunter D seems to mix so many different genres it's in a class of its own. You have a post apocalyptic future, an almost spaghetti western feel, vampires and other creatures of the night, and a sword slinging hero who is Elric like. There's the high science, but you also have magic. So could you call it S&S?
I wrote a review of the novel, actually. Take a look over on the Writing/Reviews board.
http://www.sfreader.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1216
If anything, you might call it 'sword-and-planet', given that it has a post-apocalyptic setting.
I really like the anime movie. Wasn't so crazy about the novel.
-- Paul McNamee
http://writer.paulmcnamee.net
http://www.dorancoyle.net | | Back to Top | | |
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Christopher Heath
Neophyte
Date Joined Dec 2004
Total Posts : 95
| Posted 8/10/2005 7:20 AM (GMT -4) | | | I know I won't read the book, but I really liked both animes Vampire Hunter D and the sequel. I think many would call it Sword and Planet or maybe just Dark Fantasy. | | Back to Top | | |
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J Harper
Stablehand
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 39
| Posted 8/10/2005 8:00 PM (GMT -4) | | The novel was a horrible, horrible disappointment. I had been anticpating reading it for years, and when I finally purchased my copy of the Dark Horse translation and started reading it I felt ill. I have read fan fiction light years ahead of the D novel in quality. I don't know if the author is truly terrible or if it's the fault of the translator, but take my advice and avoid the novel at all costs. Stick with the anime, which, IMHO, is truly fine.
Take care,
Jeremy Harper
I am staunch and black and have one mood, and this - to defend my masters and their green earth.
Tintaggon
The Coming of the Sea by Lord Dunsany
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J Harper
Stablehand
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 39
| Posted 8/10/2005 8:03 PM (GMT -4) | | Also, the really sad thing about the novel is, much like the world background in the roleplaying game _Rifts_, there is tremendous potential. A post-apocalyptic world, once ruled by vampires, haunted by mutants and demons, scourged by both science and sorcery, is a fascinating setting. Too bad its soured by terrible, ham-fisted writing.
Cheers,
Jeremy Harper
I am staunch and black and have one mood, and this - to defend my masters and their green earth.
Tintaggon
The Coming of the Sea by Lord Dunsany
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erazmus
Master
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 4475
| Posted 8/10/2005 8:49 PM (GMT -4) | | I looked through this book at the store. No way. I have the japanese version somewhere in the piles and even though I need a translator or at least a couple of dictionaries myself to dig through it, its head and shoulders better that this edition. I could crap better writing.
I think half the people on this board, given access to the source material, could have done a better job.
Stopping now--I don't have time to do animie tie in novels
Mike
Michael D. Turner
"Psyched Up" in _Turn the other Chick_-ed. E. Friesner-Baen books
www.baen.com
"Two Ravens" in Amazing Journeys Magazine coming Sept. 05 | | Back to Top | | |
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J Harper
Stablehand
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 39
| Posted 8/11/2005 9:37 AM (GMT -4) | | quote:
Originally posted by erazmus
I looked through this book at the store. No way. I have the japanese version somewhere in the piles and even though I need a translator or at least a couple of dictionaries myself to dig through it, its head and shoulders better that this edition. I could crap better writing.
I think half the people on this board, given access to the source material, could have done a better job.
Stopping now--I don't have time to do animie tie in novels
Mike
Michael D. Turner
So you are saying the translator is at fault? That's something of a relief. The D novels are suppose to be fairly popular in Japan, and after reading the first translation I had dire thoughts about the taste of the average Japanese reader.
(Not that American readers are all that more sophisticated [:D])
Jeremy Harper
I am staunch and black and have one mood, and this - to defend my masters and their green earth.
Tintaggon
The Coming of the Sea by Lord Dunsany
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erazmus
Master
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 4475
| Posted 8/11/2005 6:40 PM (GMT -4) | | Translation from a oriental language can be very difficult as the way we express ideas in writing tends to be very difficult. The translators job is not usually just to change what is written from japanese to english, say, but to tell the story as effectivly in English as it was in Japanese. Unless the publisher desired otherwise thats the name of the game. This is not easy to do and thats why the best translations are usually done by a person with some skill and experience at riting similar work in the language being translated too. From an original author's point of view its a crap shoot and you mostly can't even tell if the translator did a good job or a bad job. Sometimes the translation isn't to blame, your work just doesn't mesh with the culture your being translated to. Other times the translator has managed to make the work suck.
I like Vampire Hunter D. I think I could tell the story in an entertaining manner, as could most compentent writers. So who did the translation?
Mike
Michael D. Turner
"Psyched Up" in _Turn the other Chick_-ed. E. Friesner-Baen books
www.baen.com
"Two Ravens" in Amazing Journeys Magazine coming Sept. 05 | | Back to Top | | |
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J Harper
Stablehand
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 39
| Posted 8/11/2005 9:07 PM (GMT -4) | | It was translated by Kevin Leahy, who, as far as I know, is not a professional translator but an eager fan who initially translated the novels for fun. Dark Horse heard about his translations, I think, and the rest was history. There's probably a write-up on how it happened at the Vampire Hunter D Archives, a fan site devoted to all things D.
Jeremy Harper
I am staunch and black and have one mood, and this - to defend my masters and their green earth.
Tintaggon
The Coming of the Sea by Lord Dunsany
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erazmus
Master
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 4475
| Posted 8/13/2005 9:05 AM (GMT -4) | | Well I can hardly complain about a fan's for the love project that got picked up. I hope any future versions/projects of this nature will be better produced (I rather despise a publisher too cheap to hire good work, unless they're hiring me instead.)
Mike
Michael D. Turner
"Psyched Up" in _Turn the other Chick_-ed. E. Friesner-Baen books
www.baen.com
"Two Ravens" in Amazing Journeys Magazine coming Sept. 05 | | Back to Top | | |
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