Tiit Tarlap

Tiit Tarlap (13 November 1954 – 24 February 2017) was an author of science fiction, fantasy and adventure stories.

He lived in Sindi, Pärnu County. Tarlap’s first fantasy story Tänav akna taga (‘The Street Behind the Window’) was published in the magazine Noorus in 1988. His stories have been published as serials in county newspapers. Some stories were published in the magazines Horisont and Favoriit.

Tarlap’s first book, the collection of stories Viiking, kes armastas haisid (‘The Viking Who Loved Sharks’) was published in 2001. Tarlap’s work is included in Eesti ulme antoloogia (‘Estonian Science Fiction Anthology’), published in 2002. Outside science fiction and fantasy, Tiit Tarlap’s best-known work is Tšernobõl 1986 (‘Chernobyl 1986’), published in 1993, which tells the story of the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, where Tarlap was forcibly sent. The book has been translated into English and Japanese.

In 2005, with the help of Pärnu Chernobyl veterans, Tarlap published the collection of two short novels, Kurjuse tund. Koidiku lapsed (‘The Hour of Evil. Children of the Dawn’). Tarlap’s novel Meie, kromanjoonlased (‘We, the Cro-Magnons’) was published in 2009. After that, Tarlap published a book almost every year. Tarlap’s work is characterized by adventurousness, glorification of male values, social criticism and the author’s intransigence with the growing falsity and inhumanity in the world. One of the characteristic features of Tarlap’s fantasy is its strong origin in crime literature.
Tiit Tarlap received the Stalker award for science fiction twice: for the novella Vihkamise suund (‘The Direction of Hate’) and the novel Lõhestusjoon (‘The Line of Rupture’).

L. P. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Novels
Kurjuse tund; Koidiku lapsed. Pärnu: T. Tarlap, 2005. 279 lk.
Meie, kromanjoonlased. Pärnu: Jumalikud Ilmutused, 2009. 407 lk.
Tuleriitade öö. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2010. 501 lk.
Roheliste lippude reservaat. Pärnu: Pärnumaa Tšernobõli Ühendus „Gamma”, 2011. 300 lk.
Lõhestusjoon. Tallinn: Varrak, 2012. 574 lk.
Aegade julm laul. Tallinn: Varrak, 2013. 362 lk.
Äraneetute pärijad. Tallinn: Varrak, 2015. 327 lk.
Rajake tähetolmus. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2016. 335 lk.

Short prose
Viiking, kes armastas haisid. Viis eriskummalist seikluslugu. Pärnu: T. Tarlap, 2001. 302 lk.
Haldjatants. Jutukogu. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2014. 288 lk.

Memoirs
Tšernobõl 1986. Pärnu: Juks, 1993. 68 lk.