WHO I AM AND WHAT I’M OFFERING
My name is Václav Dvořák and I write and publish science-fiction novels aimed at younger readers (aged nine and above) which largely take place in space. In my stories there is an emphasis on positive role models and friendships between the child protagonists, but the most important thing is a gripping tale set in a believable space environment. Since I am a university lecturer and scientist by profession, there is also an educational dimension to my books. I am 45 years old and have two children of my own.
Although several reputable publishers expressed an interest in the books, I chose to self-publish my work. In the beginning it wasn’t easy, and it took several years, but in spite of all the obstacles (a completely unknown author and self-financing) success was eventually forthcoming.
Although the combination of the science fiction genre and the children's book seemed unusual at the beginning, it turned out to be in demand on the market. Both of my books attracted attention from literary critics and were listed among the Best Czech Books for Children and Young Adults in the relevant year as well as being recognized through other awards and being included in recommended reading lists by a number of primary and secondary schools.
Without support from any established publishing house, my books have sold more than 10,000 copies, the threshold for a book to be considered a bestseller in the Czech Republic (a country with a population of approximately 10 million). However, I see my greatest achievement as the fact that my books have encouraged children to read more.
I receive comments on a daily basis from parents who tell me that my book was the first one to really engage their children so that they read the whole thing on their own. I try to write in an intelligent way that challenges the reader, and according to parents who have read my books themselves or together with their children (younger and older than 9 years old), I have succeeded in doing so.
Allow me to introduce my two books.
I, Finis
Twelve-year-old Peter sets out to rescue his missing brother.
Summary
Boys are disappearing from Earth. On the day of their eighth birthday, they vanish without a trace, and no-one can prevent it. People have lost all hope – they have even stopped asking themselves where and, most importantly, why the boys are being taken. However, twelve-year-old Peter didn’t vanish. The reason may be his extremely sensitive eyes, which are protected by thick black glasses. These allow him to see in the dark and to witness shadowy wraiths stealing his younger brother away. Peter hatches a crazy plan, and it is because of his unusual eyesight that he is able to find his way to a dark and frightening world inhabited by monsters. What has only been whispered in fearful tones up till now begins to take on a very real form – we are not alone. Who is the all-powerful Enemy, where did he come from, what is he planning and why is he doing all of this? The decisive battle is approaching, and the end of the world as we know it is closer than we could have imagined.
Successes
- Magnesia Litera 2021 - price of readers
- Czech edition supported by the Czech Ministry of Culture
- Included in the Best Books for Children 2020 (a selection of original Czech books compiled by experts on literature for children and young adults)
- Chosen for the Battle of the Readers competition (a nationwide event in which primary-school pupils are quizzed on their knowledge of selected books)
- Shortlisted for the Magnesia Litera 2021 in the category Books for Children and Young Adults
- Golden ribbon 2021 (Czech section of IBBY) - aword for artictic part, nomination for the text part
- Over 18,000 copies sold
- Foreign rights - sold to Bulgaria
Information
- I, Finis – Václav Dvořák, 2020
- Illustrated by Jakub Cenkl - 35 illustrations
- Space adventure, age 11+, for independent reading or reading with parents
- 220 standard pages (67,000 words) in 80 chapters (Czech version)
- English translation available.
Free download
The Sandies and the Stray Asteroid
Eleven-year-old Tom Nebula and his friends uncover the secrets of the universe.
Summary
When you grow up in an orphanage on the backwater planet of Sandus, your prospects aren’t exactly great. And it makes no difference that you have a special talent for finding your way around the mines excavated by an alien race. All you can do is dream of going to the Capital one day. Unless…
Unless an interstellar spacecraft is approaching your planet and you’ve been invited to come on board. Then you have to choose: fly away forever and study at a space academy for the mysterious searchers or stay and try to unravel the secrets of your own past.
Successes and future developments
- Included in the Best Books for Children 2019 (a selection of original Czech books compiled by experts on literature for children and young adults)
- Recommended reading for children aged 9+
- Liberec Region Book of the Year (2020)
- More than 31,000 copies sold
- Second edition with additional illustrations 2021.
- The first sequel was released in 2022.
- The second sequel is being prepared for 2025.
- Foreign rights - publication in Slovakia is being prepared for autumn 2024.
Information
- The Sandies and the Stray Asteroid – Václav Dvořák, 2018
- Illustrated by Jakub Cenkl - 23 illustrations
- Space adventure for readers aged 9+, for independent reading or reading with parents
- 360 standard pages (106 000 words ) in 23 chapters (Czech version)
- English translation – first 3 chapters (free download)
Free download:
The Sandies and the awakening of the king
Twelve-year-old Tom Nebula and his friends uncover another secret of the universe. The first sequel of The Sandies and the stray asteroid.
Summary
After twenty-seven long years, the crew of an interstellar ship awakens from hibernation. However, our heroes don't have much time to look around. They soon fly off with a special mission to a foreign planet, and strange coincidences begin to happen around Tomáš. At any time, he will be visited by a terrifying unknown darkness and a message from the ancient past will catch up with him. The two seem to be related. Even the fact that something or someone is still waiting for their awakening...
Successes and future developments
- Included in the Best Books for Children 2022 (a selection of original Czech books compiled by experts on literature for children and young adults)
- Recommended reading for children aged 9+
- More than 8,000 copies sold
Information
- The Sandies and the awakening of the king – Václav Dvořák, 2022
- Illustrated by Jakub Cenkl - 30 illustrations
- Space adventure for readers aged 9+, for independent reading or reading with parents
- 496 standard pages (143 000 words ) in 29 chapters (Czech version)
- English translation – not available)
Free download:
How to Cook a Dragon
Who wouldn't want to have a real fire-breathing dragon at home?
Summary
Would you like to have a fairy tale creature at home? Adam, the hero of the novel How to Cook a Dragon, certainly does. At school, he learns to cook, that is, to use genetic engineering to modify living creatures. However, he is tired of making rats gills or fireproof skin so they can survive Professor Zacharias' crazy experiments. How about cooking a real dragon? However, creating an intelligent, fire-breathing flying lizard is too difficult even for Adam. Will the mysterious Evolutron help him? What does fellow student Evelína, who is always one step ahead of him, hide? And how does the rust on the ship's surface relate to the biological material being lost? The story, full of twists and turns, suggests that even if dragons and other mythical creatures never existed, they surely will one day. Join Adam and his friends and discover a world of new possibilities!
Successes and future developments
- Realeased in 2023
- Foreign rights - publication in Slovakia is being prepared for autumn 2024.
Information
- How to Cook a Dragon – Václav Dvořák, 2022
- Illustrated by Jakub Cenkl - 41 illustrations
- Space adventure for readers aged 8+, for independent reading or reading with parents
- 160 standard pages (47 000 words ) in 13 chapters (Czech version)
- English translation – not available)
Free download: