Sera Kalpa bigyan by Anish Deb [Hardcover]

In world literature, the inception of science fiction is attributed to her, yet her name might have been confined to a minor mention as merely the wife of a poet. Mary Shelley's name is no longer limited to just being the wife of poet P. B. Shelley. The work she began as a teenager and published before turning twenty-one, the novel "Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus," instantly drew the attention of the literary connoisseurs, making Mary Shelley well-known and established. While there might have been writings hinting at science fiction before, it can be said that with Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," the triumphal march of science fiction in world literature truly began. Mary Shelley's novel was published in book form in 1818. At that time, the term "science fiction" had not yet been coined. The term was first used by critic William Wilson in a book published in 1851.

And when immensely talented writers like Jules Verne and H. G. Wells established their lasting places in literature, it became clear that from that moment on, "science fiction" had secured its place as an unstoppable new branch of literature. The term "kalpabigyan" (science fiction) is now well-known in Bengali literature. Although the term is familiar, its definition is still not precise. It is evident that science fiction is created by combining imagination and science. However, how much imagination and how much science should be present in successful science fiction, and what kind of science should be its element—whether it should be the imagined scientific analysis of supernatural phenomena or the yet-to-be-discovered but potential science fiction—has not yet reached a final resolution.

One theoretical reason for this might be that no genuine literature can be fully confined within a strict definition. The very nature of living literature is to constantly expand its boundaries and defy known patterns. If a collection is named "Best Science Fiction" and needs to live up to that name, the selection of stories must be based on a specific perspective. The editor of this collection, Anish Deb, is not only a science fiction writer but also deeply familiar with the entirety of world science fiction literature as a reader. Moreover, his livelihood is based on studying science. Therefore, he has clearly stated the specific perspective from which he selected the stories for this collection.

In the valuable preface, he presents a comprehensive introduction to the progress of science fiction from its origins to modern times, stating, "Science fiction stories will have a direct or indirect controlling role of science, and will include unknown possible worlds, creatures, and the future." Based on this specific perspective, this book compiles twenty-seven stories. Some feature divine prophecies from magical caves, others showcase a fantastical creature that changes appearance every moment. The time machine might take you on a future trip, robots might demand equal rights as humans, you might encounter a peculiar glass-eating insect, or imagine Kolkata covered in five feet of snow. Trapped in the web of science, this feels like a modern Arabian Nights. Just like saying "Open Sesame," twenty-seven doors will open one by one. The interior, arranged by twenty-seven different writers in twenty-seven ways, offers a thrilling, magical world. This "Best Science Fiction" collection invites you on an extraordinary journey through that world.