Heidrun Jänchen

Heidrun Jänchen was born in Burgstädt on October 10, 1965. She studied physics at the University of Jena, graduating with a doctorate. She then worked in the optical industry as a device developer. From 2014 to 2019, she was a member of Jena town council for the Pirate Party.{{cite web|access-date=2023-01-11 |date=2012-04-08 |language=de-DE |title=Über mich |url=https://heidrunjaenchen.wordpress.com/about/ |website=Heidrun Jänchen – Aurora schießt quer}}. She stood as a candidate in the 2018 municipal elections in Jena.{{Cite web |last=Mediengruppe |first=FUNKE |date=2024-02-12 |title=Volt und Piraten wollen Jenaer Stadtrat aufmischen |url=https://www.otz.de/regionen/jena/article241650524/Volt-und-Piraten-wollen-Jenaer-Stadtrat-aufmischen.html |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.otz.de |language=de}}

Jänchen has been writing prose and poetry since she was a child. She took part in the Schwerin poetry seminar on several occasions. After winning the {{Interlanguage link|Storyolympiade|lt=Storyolympiade|de|Storyolympiade}}, a German internet phantasy and SF short story contest, in 2002, her first novel The Iron Throne (2003), which she wrote with Andrea Tillmanns and Christian Savoy, was published. This was followed by a screenplay for the ZDF series Wilsberg, her own fantasy novel Nach Norden! (2006) and her first science fiction novel Simon Goldsteins Geburtagsparty (2008). Since 2003, she has edited the SF series at Wurdack-Verlag with Armin Rößler and Dieter Schmitt, in which some of her own short stories and novellas also appeared. She is also a regular contributor to her blog, where she writes about both politics and literature.{{cite web |date=2012-04-08 |title=Über mich |url=https://heidrunjaenchen.wordpress.com/about/ |website=Heidrun Jänchen – Aurora schießt quer |language=de}}.

In der Freihandelszone, a short story published in 2012, tells the story of the planet Leiwal, coveted by Earth, which intends to use it to develop a form of sex tourism. Martin Stricker, a member of the German Science Fiction Prize selection committee, highlights the subtlety with which Heidrun Jänchen turns her story into a metaphor for the exploitation of developing countries, and the skill with which she uses an entertaining and amusing tone to talk about serious subjects.{{cite web |title=Laudatio 2012 Beste deutschsprachige Kurzgeschichte {{!}} Deutscher Science-Fiction-Preis (DSFP) |url=https://www.dsfp.de/preistraeger/2012-2/laudatio-2012-beste-deutschsprachige-kurzgeschichte |website=www.dsfp.de |language=de}}.

In the same year, she published the collection of short stories Willkommen auf Aurora, which was well received by critics.{{cite web|access-date=2023-01-21 |language=de-AT |title=Rundschau: Zivilisation war gestern |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/1246542950230/rundschau-zivilisation-war-gestern |website=DER STANDARD}}{{Cite web |last=Löchel |first=Von Rolf |title=Hirnverbrannt - Die SF-Autorin Heidrun Jänchen heißt die Lesenden auf Aurora willkommen : literaturkritik.de |url=https://literaturkritik.de/id/17655 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=literaturkritik.de |language=de-DE}} As in In der Freihandelszone, Jänchen uses science fiction to convey a socially engaged message, portraying characters confronted with a power beyond their control. In a review of the collection, the author and essayist Karsten Kruschel wrote that the collection consisted almost exclusively of short stories that came close to perfection.{{cite book|access-date=2023-01-19 |date=2013-11-13 |first1=Sascha |first2=Sebastian |first3=Wolfgang |isbn=978-3-641-10595-2 |language=de |last1=Mamczak |last2=Pirling |last3=Jeschke |publisher=Heyne Verlag |title=Das Science Fiction Jahr 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Y0BAgAAQBAJ}}

In 2020 Der grüne Planet, a collection of short stories, was published by Hirnkost. The book had an ecological slant and is made up of works by various authors. Heidrun Jänchen's short story Mietnomaden was cited as one of the highlights of the collection [1], despite its mixed critical reception.{{cite web |last=Josefson |title=Hans Jürgen Kugler & René Moreau (Hrsg.): "Der grüne Planet" |url=https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000118662301/hans-juergen-kugler-rene-moreau-hrsg-der-gruene-planet |website=DER STANDARD |language=de-AT}} As Marten Hahn wrote in a review for Deutschlandfunk Kultur:

{{Quote|text=Many of the stories in Der grüne Planet have good ideas. Mietnomaden by Heidrun Jänchen is more complex. In clear prose, the author recounts in various episodes how humanity has become a climate refugee.{{cite web |last=Hahn |first=Marten |date=19 June 2020 |title=Erzählungsband "Der Grüne Planet" – Ritt durch postapokalyptische Landschaften |url=https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/erzaehlungsband-der-gruene-planet-ritt-durch-100.html |website=Deutschlandfunk Kultur |language=de}}

}}

In 2009 she won the Kurd Laßwitz Prize for her short story Ein Geschäft wie jedes andere.{{cite web |title=KLP 2009 Beste Erzählung |url=http://www.kurd-lasswitz-preis.de/2009/KLP_2009_Erzaehlung.htm |website=www.kurd-lasswitz-preis.de |language=de}} That same year, her novel Simon Goldsteins Geburtstagsparty came second in the German Science Fiction Prize, a prize she also won in 2012 for her short story In der Freihandelszone.{{cite web |title=Laudatio 2012 Beste deutschsprachige Kurzgeschichte {{!}} Deutscher Science-Fiction-Preis (DSFP) |url=https://www.dsfp.de/preistraeger/2012-2/laudatio-2012-beste-deutschsprachige-kurzgeschichte |language=de}}.

• {{cite book |volume=1 |location=Nittendorf |language=de |last1=Jänchen |first1=Heidrun |title=Der eiserne Thron |last2=Tillmanns |first2=Andrea |last3=Savoy |first3=Christian |date=2003 |publisher=Story Olympiad |issn=1612-0566}}
• {{cite book |title=Nach Norden! |date=2006 |publisher=Nittendorf |isbn=978-3-938065-09-9 |location=Wurdack-Verlag |language=de |oclc=181524339}}.
• {{cite book |title=Simon Goldsteins Geburtstagsparty |date=2008 |publisher=Wurdack-Verlag |isbn=978-3-938065-33-4 |location=Nittendorf |oclc=239582982}}.

• {{Cite book |title=Vor dem Sturm in Deus ex Machina |date=2003 |publisher=Story-Olympiade |issn=1618-9647}}
• {{Cite book |title=Fallstudie: Terroristin Jenny S. in Überschuß |publisher=Wurdack-Verlag |year=2005 |isbn=3-938065-08-7}}
• {{Cite book |title=Das Projekt Moa in Tabula rasa |publisher=Wurdack-Verlag |year=2006 |isbn=3-938065-18-4}}
• {{Cite book |title=95 Prozent in Lazarus |publisher=Wurdack-Verlag |year=2007 |isbn=978-3-938065-21-1}}
• {{Cite book |title=Regenbogengrün in Der Moloch |publisher=VISIONEN 4 |year=2007 |isbn=978-3-926126-74-0 |location=Shayol}}
• {{Cite book |title=Slomo in Das Mirakel |publisher=edfc |year=2007 |isbn=978-3-932621-99-4}}
• {{Cite book |title=Ein Geschäft wie jedes andere in Lotus-Effekt |publisher=Wurdack-Verlag |year=2008 |isbn=978-3-938065-32-7}}
• {{Cite book |title=Kamele, Kuckucksuhren und Bienen in Die Audienz |publisher=Wurdack-Verlag |year=2010 |isbn=978-3-938065-62-4}}
• {{Cite book |title=In der Freihandelszone in Emotio |publisher=Wurdack-Verlag |year=2011 |isbn=978-3-938065-75-4}}

• Der Mumanz muss weg!, 2018

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{{Feminist science fiction}}

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Category:1965 births

Category:Living people

Category:German science fiction writers