Kristjan Sander

Kristjan Sander (born 8. XII 1977) is a science fiction writer.

In 2012, Sander graduated with a degree in history from the Department of Philosophy of the University of Tartu and in 2014, received his master’s in archeology from the same university. In 2014, he became a PhD student at Tallinn University. Kristjan Sander is an editor of the sci-fi and fantasy magazine Algernon and a member of the Writers’ Union since 2012.

Sander has mainly written sci-fi stories. His short novel Valguse nimel (‘In the Name of Light’) was published in 2003. It tells the story of humanity’s centuries-long dream coming true: the first Earth-like planet has been discovered and settled.

In his second short novel Kolmteist talvist hetke (‘Thirteen Winter Moments’, 2008), the main character Mihkel is transported into a parallel world similar to our own in which humans are fighting the alien and unexplainable creatures Swans to prevent them from infiltrating the regular world. The critics have compared this work to the Strugatsky brothers, the authors of Russian sci-fi classics. The short novel is published in the collection 13 talvist hetke (‘13 Winter Moments’) along with three other stories. His 2012 collection Õhtu rannal (‘Evening on the Beach’) includes seven shorter and longer stories that are all stylistically and content-wise very different but joined by the delving into the characters’ inner worlds.

Sander’s works include examples of several speculative fiction subgenres from hard sci-fi to horror.

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

Books in Estonian

Short novels and stories
Valguse nimel. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2003. 66 lk. [Lühiromaan.]
13 talvist hetke. Tallinn: Varrak, 2008. 310 lk. [Lühiromaan ja jutud.]
Õhtu rannal. Tallinn: Varrak, 2012. 162 lk. [Jutud.]