After more than twenty years of searching for an English translation of this poem, I finally have had the great fortune to obtain a copy!

This is the 24-year story of how the 8,000 inhabitants of a doomed 'space ark' try to cope with their hopeless situation. It is a dark review of the human condition, sometimes difficult, often beautiful.

The introduction and translator's notes are a must-read. Strangely, there is no mention at all of the 'modern' opera by Karl-Birger Blohmdahl (the only true 'space opera'?) which is how most non-Swedes have been introduced to Aniara for many decades.

The Aniara Suite was featured as side 2 of a very rare release of the "2001..." soundtrack years ago. If still available, the 1985 Caprice 2-CD set (CAP 22016 1-2) is an excellent companion to this book.

Martinson's epic poem is composed of separate episodes which form distinct and richly resonant threads in a tapestry of voices, each clearly and palpably real. The language has a range similar to that of the composer, Mahler, delving fearlessly into the plain, the sparse, even the tacky, pausing there only to soar with equal courage into the shatteringly beautiful. Suffused throughout with a combination of subtle insight and deep compassion, the work is deeply moving as only great things are. Any concern that an "epic poem" or "science fiction" are not for you should be gently set aside. Pick a starry window on a quiet night and read this book.

This review is based on the Swedish version since the English is not yet in print at the time of writing. Aniara is a poetic tale of a spaceship with the same name. Aniara is lost in space, headed out of our solarsystem, and beyond all rescue. Experience the frustration, fear, and yearning for confort that the passangers feel, in this fantastic poem.