Why Didn't/Hasn't Michael Kandel Translate(d) SOLARIS?

[Dragon of Improbability]

There's a thought that naggs me like a stone inside my shoe,
 
          Why didn't Michael Kandel translate SOLARIS? I know that there is an effort from Lem fans trying to encourage Kandel to translate the book properly, but why didn't he do it? Was it because he wasn't commissioned to do one? Was it because he found the other Lem books he translated to be more interesting than SOLARIS? Was it because it was already translated, even though it was a double and indirect translation? Why didn't he set the record straight by showing American audiences how SOLARIS is supposed to be translated?

(On a separate note, why did the translators chose the French edition of SOLARIS? Was it because it was more poetic, and they liked French better?)

         Back to Kandel, could it be that he hasn't attempted to translate it because he had no interest in it? Does this website keep a tab on Michael Kandel, and try to communicate with him just to see if he is interested?

        I wish that Kandel could publish a book on how to translate Polish books from his experience translating Lem (since Lem, as I've understood, uses a great deal of words which he borrowed and invented, and integrated into his own language), that way I could translate myself! (For private scholarly purposes, that is. No risk to infringe on copyright.)

[skrzat]

When Michael Kandel emerged as one of the best of Lem's translators “Solaris” was already translated (from the French).  The publisher, who holds world English rights for book edition of Solaris, had no intention of replacing this version.

Once new media (e-books, audiobooks) emerged, Lem's heirs contacted Mr. Kandel regarding a new edition of “Solaris”, however he was not interested in this project.

The good news is that a new translation is in progress;  the book, which shall be published as an audiobook by Audible and (somewhat later) in e-book form shall be translated from the Polish original by Bill Johnston, a professor of Second Language Studies and Comparative Literature at Indiana University. 

[margaretfit]

The good news is that a new translation is in progress;  the book, which shall be published as an audiobook by Audible and (somewhat later) in e-book form shall be translated from the Polish original by Bill Johnston, a professor of Second Language Studies and Comparative Literature at Indiana University.

That is good news indeed. Thanks for the info. I am looking forward to the new translation.

[Dragon of Improbability]

I saw that Audible was selling an audio book of SOLARIS (though it was published by the BBC, but Audible was holding it). Does that mean that this version of SOLARIS is the Bill Johnston translation we've all been waiting for in audio book format before becoming an e-book, or is this an audio book of an earlier translation of SOLARIS?

[Nicolai]

I saw that Audible was selling an audio book of SOLARIS (though it was published by the BBC, but Audible was holding it). Does that mean that this version of SOLARIS is the Bill Johnston translation we've all been waiting for in audio book format before becoming an e-book, or is this an audio book of an earlier translation of SOLARIS?

It's a BBC radio play by Hattie Naylor; a 2 hour long two-part dramatization of Lem's novel:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007v5n9
I have no idea if it's based on the faber and faber edition but as the CD was released in 2008, it most likely has nothing to do with Bill Johnston's forthcoming translation.

A 3 minute sample is available on amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602838194/?tag=bbctradesite-20

An even shorter sample:
http://www.talkingbooksdirect.com/Title.aspx?titleId=12470

Apparently it's available in an abridged as well as an unabridged version but I haven't been able to clarify wherein the difference lies. The product details regarding either all state 2 hours as the running time.

Here's a review from amazon.co.uk:

Well, many years ago I read the book (Solaris) by Stanislaw Lem. It's a brilliant, if rather long book. As well as a love story, the book also contains a large section of scientific exposition, as the scientists try to unravel a wonderfully alien planet entity.

Then I saw the Tarkovsky film (Solaris [1972]) and was mesmerised by the hypnotic portrayal of the planet, plus engrossed by the human tragedy unfolding on the semi-derelict space station.

Next, I watched the Soderbergh (Solaris [2003]) version. An hour shorter than Tarkovsky, but still a bewitching film, and a beautiful soundtrack by Cliff Martinez.

And then I came to this radio play. Normally, I love radio plays because, and I know it's a bit of a cliché, the 'pictures are better'. But here, I'm afraid, they aren't.

The script seems to mirror the Soderbergh film script pretty closely but, in the radio 'environment' the central themes become far more the internal, psychological struggles of Chris Kelvin and the other scientists, far more a question of identity and memory, and far less about the relationship between humans and an incomprehensible but almost god-like alien presence.

That's not to say that the psychological themes were not present in the films and, to a lesser extent, the book, but in this radio play they become central and so, to my mind, the radio play looses some of the depth and majesty of the other versions.

Perhaps I was expecting too much and perhaps if I had not read and seen the earlier productions I would be less critical. But radio can deliver great science fiction. This is good, but not great.

(N.B. This production comes on two one hour CDs).