Tetsu Yano ( Japanese 矢野徹 ''Yano Tetsu''; October 5, 1923 – October 13, 2004) was a Japanese

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

translator and writer. He began to introduce to Japanese readers the works of US science fiction writers in the late 1940s. He was the first Japanese writer of the genre to visit the United States, in 1953. He took part in founding Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (SFWJ, 日本SF作家クラブ) in 1963, and served as its president from 1978 to 1979.(ja
SFWJ site
/ref>(ja
SFWJ: about
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Biography

Yano was born in

Matsuyama 270px, Matsuyama City Hall 270px, Ehime Prefectural Capital Building is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, in Japan and is also Shikoku's largest city. , the city had an estimated population of 505,948 in 243,541 h ...

Ehime Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...

and grew up in

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

. After studying at

Chuo University , commonly referred to as or , is a private research university in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan. The university finds its roots in a school called Igirisu Hōritsu Gakkō (English Law School), which was founded in 1885, and became a university in 1 ...

for three years, he was drafted into the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

, serving two years and two months.(en
SFWJ-E site
/ref> After the war he made a living collecting trash on a US military base, where he became fascinated with the colorfully illustrated science fiction works thrown away by the soldiers. He learned to read English and eventually began translating science fiction. The works of Robert A. Heinlein,

Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American list of science fiction authors, science-fiction writer, editor, and science fiction fandom, fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first ...

Desmond Bagley Desmond Bagley (29 October 1923 – 12 April 1983) was an English journalist and novelist known mainly for a series of bestselling Thriller (genre), thrillers. He and fellow British writers such as Hammond Innes and Alistair MacLean set conventi ...

, and

Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science-fiction author, best known for his 1965 novel Dune (novel), ''Dune'' and its five sequels. He also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, ...

were among the some 360 translations by him. He also wrote stories of his own, including '' The Legend of the Paper Spaceship'', which first appeared in English translation in 1984 and has appeared in several collections. Some of his stories have been adapted into

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

. Yano died on October 13, 2004, from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

of the

large intestine The large intestine, also known as the large bowel, is the last part of the gastrointestinal tract and of the Digestion, digestive system in tetrapods. Water is absorbed here and the remaining waste material is stored in the rectum as feces befor ...

. Although he made a partial recovery after an operation in November of the previous year, he relapsed. His funeral was held on October 16, 2004. The SFWJ gave the Special Award of Nihon SF Taisho Award for his contributions to Japanese science fiction.(ja
SFWJ: Winners
/ref>

Works

Novels

* ''Chikyū zero nen'' () 1969 Rippu shobo * ''Kamui no Ken'' () 1970, Rippu shobo : '' The Dagger of Kamui'' * ''Shinsekai yūgekitai'' () 1972 Tsuru shobo seikosha * ''Orgami uchūsen no densetsu'' () 1978 Hayakawa shobo : '' The Legend of the Paper Spaceship'' * ''Karasu no umi'' () 1977 Kadokawa shoten * ''442 rentai sentōdan'' () 1979 Kadokawa shoten * ''Jisatsu sensuikan totsugeki seyo'' () 1980 Kadokawa shoten * ''Akumu no senjō'' () 1982 Hayakawa shobo * ''Kōtei heika no senjō'' () 1983 Kadokawa shoten * ''Telepath-gari no wakusei'' () 1992 Hayakawa shobo * ''Sōgen wo yuku hansen'' () 1993 Hayakawa shobo * ''Sabaku no time-machine'' () 1993 Hayakawa shobo

Translations

* ''Tenkai no ō'' ( Star King) by Edmond Hamilton * ''Uchū no senshi'' ( Starship Troopers) by Robert A. Heinlein * ''Akutoku nanka kowakunai'' ( I Will Fear No Evil) by Robert A. Heinlein * ''Dune'' (

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

) by Frank Herbert

English translated novel

* '' The Dagger of Kamui'' (Kamui no Ken)

References

External links

Official SFWJ profile

Entry
in

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (''SFE'') is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appea ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yano, Tetsu Japanese science fiction writers Japanese male short story writers Japanese speculative fiction critics Japanese speculative fiction translators 1923 births 2004 deaths People from Matsuyama, Ehime Deaths from colorectal cancer in Japan Chuo University alumni 20th-century Japanese translators Imperial Japanese Army personnel of World War II