Karel Čapek

Karel Čapek
Born January 9, 1890
Died December 25, 1938
Occupation writer
Spouse Olga Scheinpflugová
Signature

Karel Čapek (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkarɛl ˈtʃapɛk]  ( listen)) (January 9, 1890 – December 25, 1938) was one of the most influential Czech writers of the 20th century.

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Life and work

Čapek was born in Malé Svatoňovice, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic).

He wrote with intelligence and humour on a wide variety of subjects. His works are known for their interesting and precise descriptions of reality, and Čapek is renowned for his excellent work with the Czech language. He is perhaps best known as a science fiction author, who wrote before science fiction became widely recognized as a separate genre. He can be considered one of the founders of classical, non-hardcore European science fiction, a type which focuses on possible future (or alternative) social and human evolution on Earth, rather than technically advanced stories of space travel. However, it is best to classify him with Aldous Huxley and George Orwell as a speculative fiction writer, distinguishing his work from genre-specific hard science fiction.

House of Čapek brothers in Prague 10-Vinohrady

Many of his works discuss ethical and other aspects of revolutionary inventions and processes that were already anticipated in the first half of 20th century. These include mass production, atomic weapons, and post-human intelligent beings such as robots or intelligent salamanders.

In addressing these themes, Čapek was also expressing fear of impending social disasters, dictatorship, violence, and the unlimited power of corporations, as well as trying to find some hope for human beings. Čapek's literary heirs include Ray Bradbury, Salman Rushdie, Brian Aldiss and Dan Simmons.

His other books and plays include detective stories, novels, fairy tales and theatre plays, and even a book on gardening. His most important works attempt to resolve problems of epistemology, to answer the question: "What is knowledge?" Examples include "The Tales from Two Pockets", and first book of all the trilogy of novels Hordubal, Meteor, and An Ordinary Life.

Grave of Karel Čapek and his spouse Olga Scheinpflugová in Vyšehrad cemetery

Later, in the 1930s, Čapek's work focused on the threat of brutal Nazi and fascist dictatorships. His most productive years coincided with the existence of the first republic of Czechoslovakia (1918–1938). He wrote Talks with T. G. Masaryk[1] – Masaryk was a Czech patriot, the first President of Czechoslovakia, and a regular guest at Čapek's Friday garden parties for Czech patriots. Čapek was also a member of Masaryk's Hrad political network. This extraordinary relationship between the author and the political leader may be unique, and was an inspiration for Václav Havel. He also became a member of International PEN.

Soon after it became clear that the Western allies had refused to help defend Czechoslovakia against Hitler, Čapek refused to leave his country – despite the fact that the Gestapo had named him Czechoslovakia's "public enemy number 2." Though he suffered all his life from the condition Spondyloarthritis, Karel Čapek died of double pneumonia on December 25, 1938, shortly after part of Bohemia was annexed by Nazi Germany following the so-called Munich Agreement. He was interred in the Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague. His brother Josef Čapek, a painter and writer, died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

After the war, Čapek's work was only reluctantly accepted by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia, because during his life he had refused to accept communism as a viable alternative.[2]

Etymology of robot

The word robot comes from the word robota meaning literally serf labor, and, figuratively, "drudgery" or "hard work" in Czech, Slovak and Polish. The origin of the word is the Old Church Slavonic rabota "servitude" ("work" in contemporary Russian), which in turn comes from the Indo-European root *orbh-. Robot is cognate with the German word Arbeiter (worker).

Karel Čapek introduced and made popular the frequently used international word robot, which first appeared in his play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) in 1921. While it is frequently thought that he was the originator of the word, he wrote a short letter in reference to an article in the Oxford English Dictionary etymology in which he named his brother, painter and writer Josef Čapek, as its actual inventor.[3] In an article in the Czech journal Lidové noviny in 1933, he also explained that he had originally wanted to call the creatures laboři (from Latin labor, work). However, he did not like the word, seeing it as too artificial, and sought advice from his brother Josef, who suggested "roboti" (robots in English).

An outline of Čapek's works

Works which can be considered early science fiction

Anti-Nazi plays from the 1930s

Other works

Travel books

Selected bibliography

Čapek in popular culture

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Talks with T. G. Masaryk at Google Books
  2. ↑ K. Čapek, Why I am not a Communist?, Přítomnost 4 December 1924.
  3. ↑ Karel Capek - Who did actually invent the word "robot" and what does it mean? at capek.misto.cz
  4. ↑ The Gardener's Year at Google Books
  5. ↑ Apocryphal Tales at Google Books
  6. ↑ Dashenka, or the Life of a Puppy at Google Books
  7. ↑ Letters from Italy at Google Books
  8. ↑ Letters from England at Google Books
  9. ↑ Letters from Spain at Google Books
  10. ↑ Letters from Holland at Google Books
  11. ↑ Travels in the North at Google Books

External links