[A special interview with the reputed author Marathi author Dr. Ranjan Garge.]
Dr. Ranjan Garge, is a writer in Marathi and in English, with a focus on science fiction. These questions are mainly based on the short stories from his book ‘DNA Cha Akrosh’.
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Sanchika Team: Namaste Dr. Ranjan Garge.
Dr. Ranjan Garge: Namaste.
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Q1: How, when and why did you start writing Science Fiction? What inspired you?
A: Having a background of modern science like Microbiology and Biotechnology I have been reading about the recent advances in the field. Many experiments were yet in a budding state. I thought of extending them and created an environment and the situations around it. Made the appropriate arrangements of different characters and created the conflicting issues out of it. This is how I started writing the futuristic science fiction stories. I was writing in science since 1970. My first book came in 1980. I started writing science fiction since 1998. At present I have 4 SF anthologies to my credit and 1 SF Novel. I switched to S F writing because it gave wings to my imaginations and scope to flourish my ideas.
Q2: What type of research you do before you write a story?
A: S F writing is just like butterfly undergoing the process of metamorphosis. I first select the ‘seed’ of the story. E.g. cloning or brain dead mother giving birth to a child. Etc. second stage is creating different situations and detailing of characters. In the third stage I inter-relate the situations and characters. Here it can be a love story, adventure story, environmental story, war story etc. Now the framework of my story is almost ready. The fourth stage is very important because the butterfly is about to come out of the cocoon. Here I check the chronology, the missing links, time lines etc. I try to put appropriate pictures too.
Q3: How do you select an idea to turn into SF story?
A: S F story is based on some scientific principle but it has to be essentially a story form. So it is not a story of science but projecting the bad or good effects of that science on the society at large. Accordingly it becomes a, utopian or a dystopian story.
Q4: What is the main purpose behind the story Sukhsmajeev Boltoy? Is it environmental? Psychological? Or, human stupidity?
A: It is a satire. It is as if microorganism making human scientists aware of their stupidity.
Q5: How true is the idea of phantom gene proposed in the story Kutumbaka? What scientific facts that you clubbed to get this idea?
A: Phantom gene is an imagination. Phantom pain is a reality. Sensing the pain to the part of your body which is amputed.
Q6: Hayavadan is a wonderful story which has echoes in Puranic stories and folk tales of Vikramaditya and Betal. Will it ever be possible for head transplant to take place?
A: Hayvdan is a fantasy. Head transplant surgery is as on today a dream. Surgeons are trying hard.
Q7: The story placenta is very interesting. How did you arrive at the concept and the technical details available? What sort of psycho, social problems are likely to arise if women resort to marrying clones?
A: Gene cloning, organ cloning and even animal cloning is a reality. Human clones under medical ethical issues are not allowed in the world. Secrets we do not know. It is observed that in animal clones few genetic flaws remain. However the fact is if one preserves his/her placenta, one can recover the stem cells and prepare a healthy organ through organ cloning. That is how through healthy organ transplant, defective organ can be replaced.
Q8: Beejankur is definitely a gem of a story. How did you plan this story?
A: It is a great creation. Sometimes you do not have to plan, it just clicks. I wanted to create a unique situation of a brain dead surrogate mother to deliver a child. In the end the conflict goes to the court of law.
Q9: Please tell us the scientific concept that you based the story of Shalaka on. It looks outrageously plausible!
A: Seed of a story is sex transformation through slow Harmon treatment. This is a story happening in a joint family.
Shalaka is based on the principle of slowing down of the time when it passes closer to black hole. It can help taking pictures of the actual past events and help in knowing the history or the criminal records.
Q10: The story canyon has more adventurous elements. How did you fuse the adventurous elements with SF?
A: Canyan story is based on a real story; of course adventure part of it. It was not originally a science fiction story but an adventure one. In the real story she actually kills her half dead husband because she has lost the hopes of his survival. She knew these desert foxes 🦊 will eat him away. But the paradox is as she kills him, the helicopter 🚁 arrives in the sky to rescue them. Now in my story being S F, I did not want that sad end. So I turned the story as to the safe return with a newly discovered fossil that she sees in the cut stone.
Q11: All the stories have complicated concepts from different fields. How do you keep yourself abreast with contemporary developments in science?
A: I am a Scientist, science journalist, Mountaineer, Social worker, corporate social trainer, Outdoor management expert and a wide traveler. Having gone through variety of situations and interactions, good or bad, I can handle complicated concepts.
Receiving Lifetime Achievement Award in 3rd International Conference on Biotechnology 2025
Q12: Ved has a philosophical touch to it. Please explain the way you mixed Veda, philosophy and SF interestingly into a story?
A: It is basically a ‘Time travel’ story. Eli is a Humanoid robot and a salesman from extraterrestrial galaxy. He has an order for suture needle that Sushrut used during his nose transplantation surgery. Of which one is available in Ved Bhavan on Earth. The story is full of interesting conversations between Eli and Vedprakash.
Q13: What books and magazines do you read to keep yourself update?
A: I read the books and magazines from all the areas of my interest. Worldwide travel, management, Science, Science communication, adventure Magazines like Reader’s Digest, National geography, Indian Mountaineer, The Rotarian. I put down the ideas. I have an Idea bank. As a result I have authored 52 books. I have more than 100 PPT presentations in science and corporate social training areas.
Q14: Of all the stories, if you were asked to pick one best story, which one would you choose and why?
A: Kutumbakam.
Q15: Which story you found difficult to write?
A: Bruhannada.
Q16: Which one took longest time to research?
A: Bandh.
Q17: Is there any story, after reading it you felt you have not done justice to the subject and wanted to rewrite? If so why?
A: Many stories like Shalaka, Bruhannada. The reason being chronology and flow of events in the story.
Q18: In this collection which is the fastest story you wrote?
A: Mi Sukshmajiv Boltoy.
Q19: What are your upcoming books?
A: My two novels are on the way ‘Planet of the nudes’ and ‘Oxygen’.
Q20: What motivates you to write in regional language?
A: The idea was Regional language writers should get a global platform..
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Sanchika Team: Thank you Dr. Ranjan Garge, for taking out your valuable time and answering our questions.
Dr. Ranjan Garge: Welcome.
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Author: Dr. Ranjan Garge
Publisher: Authorspress
Paperback: 170 pages
Price: ₹ 395/-
Link to Buy:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09SM578VT/
