LINGUISTIC CREATIVITY IN SCIENCE FICTION TRANSLATION: FROM ASIMOV'S ROBOTS TO MODERN AI NARRATIVES

Аннотация

This article explores the role of linguistic creativity in translating science fiction (SF) literature, focusing on how translators mediate between technological innovation and literary imagination. The analysis spans from Isaac Asimov's mid-20th-century works such as I, Robot to modern Al-centered narratives like Ted Chiang's The Lifecycle of Software Objects and Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice. Science fiction, as a hybrid genre, often merges scientific discourse with speculative storytelling, resulting in unique linguistic challenges that require creative solutions in translation. Through comparative textual analysis of English originals and Russian and Uzbek translations, this study identifies key strategies used to render neologisms, technolects, and metaphorical constructs. The findings show that while Russian translations prioritize lexical fidelity and genre precision, Uzbek translations tend to favor cultural readability and emotional accessibility, reflecting differing linguistic traditions and technological lexicons. The study argues that translation of SF is inherently creative, demanding the invention of new words, syntactic flexibility, and cross-disciplinary understanding. It concludes that linguistic creativity in SF translation not only preserves the integrity of speculative worlds but also extends the expressive capacity of target languages, fostering cultural adaptation to technological modernity.