The Protean View by Toren Smith
How Appleseed Came From There To Here
Originally published in Appleseed Book One, Volume 5 by Eclipse Comics.
It began in August of 1986, when I arrived in Osaka in the company of James P. Hogan, jet-lagged to a quivering jelly and ill-prepared for the extended debauch the Japanese call a science fiction convention. In addition to meeting several Japanese who were to become good friends over the next year, I also became aware of the work of Masamune Shirow when Appleseed Book One won the Seiun Sho (equivalent to our Hugo) at the convention. I survived the con, [thanks] to Jim and an SF writer named Tetsu Yano who has been described as "the Isaac Asimov of Japan" for his prolific writing and charming lechery towards every female in sight. No one warned me about Yano's startling capacity for alcohol, however. Climbing up eight stories in a stuffy coma the morning after, in ninety degree heat and ninety-five percent humidity, was an experience I could forego repeating. But Tetsu's recommendation of Appleseed was the trigger that started this whole project, and in a way, the whole concept of Studio Proteus.
The road to releasing an English translation of Appleseed has been a long one, but due to the efforts of everyone involved, rather less torturous than it could have been. There are those, however, who have distinguished themselves and deserve special thanks. High on the list is Mikuru Abo, a well-known translator of science fiction in Japan. Mikuru, who has translated such books as Heinleinās The Star Beast, supported the project enthusiastically from the beginning. Without his help and introductions, it never would have happened. The president of Seishinsha, Harumichi Aoki, also deserves an accolade for his cheerful āno problem!ā approach to things, his reliability in an often unreliable field, and his picking up the tab at a popular club we attended. At Eclipse, many thanks to Dean Mullaney for believing in us and supporting us through thick and thin, and Fred Burke for pulling together the parts into a comic weāre all proud of. Thanks to Lois Buhalis, for long hours at the drawing board getting the sound effects ājust right,ā and Tom Orzechowski for the wonderful Appleseed logo. The support of Mike Ebert and the staff of Animag has been more than welcome, and may their success continue. And last, but by no means least, thanks to Masamune Shirow himself, for his helpāand good humor on those occasions when things have gone wrong.
Concerning the translation... Japanese presents special problems to the translator, not the least of which is that its grammar is totally unrelated to English. Meanings must be absorbed by the translator and then released in an English sentence that not only encapsulates the meaning of the original, but reads effectively as well. Shirowās literate, clipped, highly stylised and often terse Japanese is unusually difficult to render into English, but every effort has been made to maintain the atmosphere of the original. It is part of the nature of Appleseed that the meaning of certain comments and exchanges may not be readily apparent. However, as in Watchmen, patience and a good memory for detail will reward the attentive reader as the pieces come together.
English renderings of names have been made with the help of Shirow; and in response to a common question, yes, most of the technologies mentioned in Appleseed exist today, at least in germinal formāthe books are more speculative fiction than science fantasy.
I must also make very special mention of my partner in crime, David Lewis. From writing for Newsweek and translating speeches for the Prime Minister of Japan to working on Appleseed and Lone Wolf and Cub is quite a jump, but if heād never made it, thereād be no Studio Proteusāand that means no NausicaƤ, Dirty Pair, Outlanders, etc.
Thanks to all the readers who have followed us through this first book of many to come, and donāt be afraid to drop Fred a line at Eclipse to let him know what you think. Shirow is still producing the story and is very interested in the opinion of his American fans.
Best regards,
Toren Smith