Our Vision

Why This Matters

Science fiction and fantasy are not escapism. They are instruments of imagination, orientation, and possibility. As Ursula K. Le Guin reminded us, we shape the world through the stories we tell ourselves. Stories define what we consider thinkable, and therefore what we consider doable.

Yet most of the speculative fiction that reaches international audiences is written in English. Brilliant stories in German, French, Polish, Finnish, Spanish, and dozens of other European (and non-European) languages remain invisible to readers who would love them, simply because no translation exists, or because translated works disappear into obscurity without discovery mechanisms.

This is a loss. Europe's cultural landscape is inherently plural: multilingual, historically layered, shaped by exchange, contradiction, and coexistence. This makes it especially suited to tell stories that cross boundaries, between nations, disciplines, genres, and lived experiences. But those stories need pathways to travel.

What We're Building

Palimory is a platform where:

• Authors can publish original short fiction in any language
• Translators can create authorized translations, making works accessible across linguistic borders
• Readers can discover, support, and engage with stories they would never have found otherwise

We believe translation is not just a service but a creative act, a bridge built by skilled practitioners who deserve recognition and compensation. Our model ensures that translators share in the success of the works they bring to new audiences.

A Sustainable Ecosystem

Discovery without sustainability is hollow. We are building an economic model that:

• Rewards quality and engagement, not volume or clickbait
• Splits revenue fairly between authors, translators, and the platform
• Protects minority languages from being drowned out by dominant ones
• Makes creative work economically viable for those who produce it

This is not about building the next content mill. It's about creating conditions where diverse voices can sustain themselves through their craft.

In the Spirit of Exchange

Palimory is being developed in connection with the European science fiction community, including initiatives like EuroCon Berlin 2026 and EuropiaSF. We share their commitment to:

• Exchange rather than assertion
• Curiosity without colonisation
• Dialogue across differences
• Collaboration instead of isolation

In a world increasingly dominated by polarisation and simplification, speculative fiction can be one of the last spaces where complexity is allowed to breathe, where uncertainty is explored rather than weaponised, and where alternative futures can be imagined without collapsing into ideology or nostalgia.

An Invitation

Palimory is just starting. We are building in the open, learning as we go, and shaping the platform together with the community it serves.

If you are an author seeking readers beyond your language, a translator looking for works worth bringing across, or a reader hungry for stories you haven't yet discovered, we invite you to join us.

Not as prophecy, not as instruction, but as an invitation: to imagine futures that are readable, shared, and meaningfully human.

If you have any ideas and suggestions to make this work even better, please reach out without hestitation, we are grateful! Just write to help@palimory.org.