Alban Nikolai Herbst [ Germany ]

Alban Nikolai Herbst was born Alexander von Ribbentrop near Cologne in 1955. Grandson of the German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, he grew up in Traunstein, Braunschweig and Bremen. In Bremen he studied to be a legal assistant and went to night school to finish his high school leaving certificate. He then went on to study philosophy, history and social sciences in Frankfurt am Main. His nom de plume was chosen for him by friends.

His work has been published using this name since 1981. From 1987 to 1992, he was employed as a stock and foreign exchange broker in Frankfurt trading on the US stock exchanges. He changed his career after the publication of his ›opulent‹ third novel »Wolpertinger oder das Blau« (1993, t: Wolpertinger or the blue) turning to professional writing. In the 1000 plus pages that make up the book, the author portrays a surreal summit conference at a hotel. At the conference, every day people, scientists and politicians introduce themselves as mythical beings, fairy tale and fable characters who meet to discuss world supremacy. On three chronological levels, the author shifts from the grotesque to the pedestrian, linking a wide spectrum of themes from intellectual history. This work of fantasy established Herbst’s reputation in post-modern literature.

We are still waiting for the final instalment of the epic »Anderswelt« (Otherworld) trilogy, »Argo. Anderswelt«. The first two parts, »Thetis. Anderswelt« (1998) and »Buenos Aires. Anderswelt« (2001), bring together elements of fantasy with the real world, but as a whole remain within an apocalyptic science-fiction scenario. Herbst, the tireless storyteller, leads us once again in various directions through the history of human thought, joining what is well-known with things that are more obscure and this often in absurd situations.

Influences on Herbst’s writing include the associative imagery in the work of the Cuban writer, José Lezama Lima, (1910-1976)   James Joyce’s cryptic experimental novel »Ulysses,« and William Gibson’s  science-fiction   These models in no way serve as blueprints for Herbst; he is a writer who searches for his own path and, in doing so, also flirts with forms of media outside  literature. He has written plays for stage and radio. He has been especially influenced by the internet in recent years. Since 2003, he has been writing a literary blog called »Die Dschungel. Anderswelt« (The Jungle. Otherworld; http://albannikolaiherbst.twoday.net/), where he shares his every day experiences and photos as well as his professional life. Alban Nickolai Herbst’s awards include the Fantasy Prize of the city of Wetzlar. He lives and works in Berlin.

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