Inner Space is my translation of Jakub Szamałek's Stacja, a techno-thriller set on the International Space Station. It starts as a locked-room mystery. What or who is the cause of the mysterious ammonia leak that is slowly contaminating the internal atmosphere of the space station? Lucy Poplaski, the ambitious Expedition Crew Commander, is instructed to investigate without any of her crew—Russian or American—knowing what she is doing. She tries to make sense of confusing facts, the underlying politics, and evident personality clashes, but before she can disentangle any of these threads the situation escalates—ammonia becomes one of many worries. Tensions mount not only in the cramped quarters of the ISS, but also in Houston, and internationally as the mystery develops into a gripping thriller.
Elegantly translated by Kasia Beresford, "Inner Space" is by turns lyrical, claustrophobic and terrifying.
Sarah Lyall, Aug 18, 2025, 'Twisty New Psychological Thrillers', The New York Times,
What do an old teddy bear, a penguin, and a baking frame have to do with translating a novel about the International Space Station?
Well, both the teddy bear and the penguin have been substitutes for Lucy Poplaski and the square baking frame stood in for the ring of sleep stations in the Harmony module of the International Space Station. As space and zero-gravity are outside my range of experience, I had to maneuver the teddy or penguin toward the baking frame to visualize Lucy's position and movements as she floated through Harmony, turned in the air, peered out from behind the door of her sleep station.... The things translators do to make sure a description matches fictional reality!
Well, both the teddy bear and the penguin have been substitutes for Lucy Poplaski and the square baking frame stood in for the ring of sleep stations in the Harmony module of the International Space Station. As space and zero-gravity are outside my range of experience, I had to maneuver the teddy or penguin toward the baking frame to visualize Lucy's position and movements as she floated through Harmony, turned in the air, peered out from behind the door of her sleep station.... The things translators do to make sure a description matches fictional reality!
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