"My Creator, My Creation" - A Short Story by Tilna Raevaara (2012, translated from Finnish)

Information on Women in Translation Month

Short stories I have read so far for Women In Translation Month - August, 2017

1.  "Happy New Year" by Ajaat Cour - Translated from Punjabi
2. "The Floating Forest" by Natsuo Kirino- Translated from Japanese
3. " A Home Near the Sea" by Kamala Das - Translated from Malayalam
4. "Maria" by Dacia Maraini- Translated from Italian
5. "Zletka" by Maja Hrgovic - Translated from Croatian
6. "Arshingar" by Jharna Raham - Translated from Bengali
7. "Tsipke" by Salomea Perl - Translated from Yiddish
8. "Mother" by Urmilaw Pawar - Translated from Marathi
9. "My Creator, My Creation" by Tiina Raevaara - Translated from Finnish

"My Creator, My Creation" by Tiina Raevaara is a strange story belonging, I think, to the science fiction genre.  The narrator is a self conscious robotic creation, part sex doll, house hold drone.  As the story opens it is not totally clear what is happening but it looks like her male creator is having some kind of sexual contact with the narrator.  She, I will call her that, is not sure what is happening but it seems like maybe he orgasmed while caressing her.  Yes pretty creepy. He is a member of a group that creates, exhibits, trades and sells automatons of all sorts.  The man, seems your stereotype of a scientific nerd sitting around drinking some days, hanging with others into robots on other days.  He teaches her to read, telling her this will make her more valuable.  She begins to have waking dreams.  He takes her to a big exhibit of creations.  He has friends over to admire her.  It appears they also may sexually be stimulated by contact with her.  She doesn't yet understand sex so as we are seeing things through her eyes we must speculate.  Her creator is short of money so as the story closes he tells her she has been sold.

I think this story might be good for classroom discussion for older teenagers.

I read this story in best Best European Fiction, 2013.  Began in 2010, the series is now in year nine.  I have the 2012, 2013, and 2015 editions.  Judging from these three books, about 33% of the  authors translated are women.


TIINA RAEVAARA was born in 1979 in Kerava, Finland. In 2005 she received her doctorate in genetics from the University of Helsinki. Her first novel, Eräänä päivänä tyhjä taivas (One Day, an Empty Sky) was published in 2008. Her first collection of short stories, En tunne sinua vierelläni (I Don’t Feel You Beside Me, 2010) won the prestigious Runeberg prize. Her most recently work is a scientific exploration of the relationship between dogs and humans Koiraksi ihmisille (About Dogs and Humans, 2011). Her fiction, which draws on elements of science fiction, fantasy, and surrealism, stands apart from the largely realistic mainstream of contemporary Finnish literature. - From The Best of European Fiction, 2013

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