Author Guide | BookFairy
📖 About Florin Purluca
Florin Purluca is a Romanian science-fiction and fantasy author born in Focșani, Romania. His fiction explores posthuman societies, artificial intelligence, survival, dystopian futures, alternative histories and the relationship between humanity and technology.
An active contributor to the Romanian speculative-fiction community, Purluca began his literary career by publishing short stories in specialised magazines before moving into novels, short-story collections and graphic fiction.
His work has appeared in Romanian publications including Gazeta SF, Nautilus, Helion, Argos, Ficțiuni and Revista de suspans.
His fiction has also reached international readers through English-language publications and translations appearing in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
In 2015, his English-language collection Iman and Other Fantastic Stories was published by America Star Books.
His first Romanian science-fiction novel, Cum să fabrici un semizeu, followed in 2016 through Tritonic.
Since then, Purluca has developed an extensive bibliography spanning science fiction, dystopian fiction, fantasy, thrillers and graphic storytelling.
🌌 Why Read Florin Purluca?
Florin Purluca is particularly interesting for readers who enjoy ambitious speculative concepts and unusual fictional worlds.
His writing frequently explores societies transformed by extraordinary circumstances, whether through technological progress, ecological disaster or supernatural forces.
Recurring themes include:
- Posthuman evolution: what humanity might become after radical biological and technological transformation.
- Artificial intelligence: the changing relationship between people, machines and autonomous systems.
- Survival: the moral and practical challenges of living through societal collapse.
- Alternative history: speculative reinterpretations of real historical events.
- Fantasy and warfare: conflict, loyalty and power within imagined worlds.
- Human identity: the qualities that might endure even when civilisation changes beyond recognition.
His bibliography offers several possible starting points, depending on whether readers prefer standalone science fiction, post-apocalyptic narratives, epic fantasy or shorter fiction.
🏆 Literary Career and Recognition
Before publishing his first Romanian novel, Purluca was already an established presence in science-fiction magazines.
His short story Observatorul, published in 2014, received a nomination at RomCon 2015 in the speculative short-fiction category.
His story Veșnic, regrete!, subsequently included in Progradia, also received recognition in a Helion short-fiction competition.
In 2022, Purluca appeared among the Romanian nominees for the European Science Fiction Society’s Hall of Fame Award in the Best Author category.
His growing bibliography reflects his sustained contribution to contemporary Romanian speculative fiction.
📚 Florin Purluca’s Books
Early Publications
Iman and Other Fantastic Stories (2015) — America Star Books
An English-language collection published before Purluca’s first Romanian novel.
Its existence is particularly significant because it documents his international publishing activity from an early stage in his career.
Cum să fabrici un semizeu (2016) — Tritonic
A standalone posthuman science-fiction novel imagining a future in which humanity has undergone profound changes.
The setting explores relationships between different branches of humanity, technology and biological evolution.
This is also the novel reviewed on BookFairy.
Science-Fiction and Fantasy Publications
Progradia (2017) — Pavcon
A collection of speculative short fiction.
Praf (2017) — Pavcon
The opening volume of a post-apocalyptic science-fiction trilogy.
1944 – Ein Freak (2017) — Pavcon
A short-fiction collection associated with the story that later inspired a graphic-novel adaptation.
Furia Fiarelor (2017) — Pavcon
A speculative novel associated with the author’s RSA fictional setting.
Sânge, metal și speranță — Pavcon
A science-fiction work featuring detective Armand Călinescu.
Blestemul celor patru fantome — Pavcon
A further work featuring Armand Călinescu.
Silenzio stampa — Pavcon
A novel centred on relationships and personal experience.
Nihil sine bacteria (2021) — Pavcon
A science-fiction publication sharing its title with one of Purluca’s shorter works.
Additional volumes include the later books of the Praf trilogy and the three novels forming the fantasy series Mercenarii.
📚 Florin Purluca’s Book Series
🌫️ Praf Trilogy
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction
The Praf trilogy follows humanity’s struggle to survive after an ecological catastrophe.
As ash falls relentlessly from the sky, sunlight disappears, ecosystems collapse and civilisation begins to disintegrate.
The story follows Abu through different stages of his life as he attempts to survive in a devastated world.
📖 Reading Order
- Praf — Book 1
- Atingerea sălbăticiei — Book 2
- Testament — Book 3
The trilogy combines survival fiction with questions about morality, environmental disaster, hope and the possibility of rebuilding civilisation.
⚔️ Mercenarii Trilogy
Genre: Epic Fantasy
The Mercenarii series explores conflict, power, warfare and survival within a fantasy setting.
📖 Reading Order
- Războiul pietrelor — Book 1 (2018)
- Luptător cu Moartea — Book 2 (2018)
- Origini — Book 3
The trilogy represents an important part of Purluca’s fantasy bibliography and demonstrates his ability to write beyond science fiction.
🕵️ Armand Călinescu
Genre: Speculative Detective Fiction
The Armand Călinescu books combine investigative storytelling with speculative elements.
📖 Reading Order
- Sânge, metal și speranță
- Blestemul celor patru fantome
These works offer readers another perspective on the author’s approach to genre fiction.
📕 Short Stories and Collections
Short fiction has been an essential part of Florin Purluca’s literary career.
His writing has appeared in several Romanian science-fiction magazines and anthologies.
Selected works include:
- Observatorul
- Veșnic, regrete!
- Pogradia
- E o chestiune de conexiuni
- Nihil sine bacteria!
- Poltergeist spațial
His short-fiction collections include:
- Iman and Other Fantastic Stories
- Progradia
- 1944 – Ein Freak
Purluca has also contributed to collective anthologies, including Argos Doi, Argos Trei and Exit.
The dedicated bibliography will distinguish individual magazine appearances from collected stories, later editions and translations.
🎨 Graphic Novels and Collaborations
1944 – Ein Freak (Graphic Novel, 2020)
Publisher: Pavcon
Illustrations: Daniel Danil
Story and adaptation: Florin Purluca
The graphic novel 1944 adapts Purluca’s earlier speculative story set during the Second World War.
Its premise involves secret Nazi experiments intended to give children extraordinary abilities.
The project brought together Purluca’s speculative storytelling and Daniel Danil’s visual artwork.
The graphic adaptation is a separate publication from the original prose story and its appearance in the collection 1944 – Ein Freak.
🌍 International Publications
Purluca’s work has appeared outside Romania, particularly through English-language publications.
His international publishing activity includes:
- Iman and Other Fantastic Stories — America Star Books, 2015.
- Short fiction in Aphelion.
- Short fiction in The Singularity.
- Translations and appearances in publications reaching readers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
His international presence reflects the growing visibility of Romanian speculative fiction beyond its original language.
🦋 Florin Purluca on BookFairy
📕 Cum să fabrici un semizeu (2016)
Publisher: Tritonic
Genre: Science Fiction / Posthuman Science Fiction
Format: Paperback
BookFairy has reviewed Cum să fabrici un semizeu, Purluca’s ambitious posthuman science-fiction novel.
The review examines the book’s central ideas, its imagined future and the difference between an intriguing premise and the experience of reading the story.
Read Cum să fabrici un semizeu by Florin Purluca — BookFairy Review
Additional reviews will be added as more of Purluca’s books are covered on BookFairy.
📖 Where to Start Reading Florin Purluca
Purluca writes across several genres, so there is no single reading order covering his entire bibliography.
For Posthuman Science-Fiction Readers
Start with Cum să fabrici un semizeu, a standalone science-fiction novel exploring the possibilities of humanity’s future evolution.
For Post-Apocalyptic Fiction Readers
Read the complete Praf trilogy:
- Praf
- Atingerea sălbăticiei
- Testament
For Epic Fantasy Readers
Begin with the Mercenarii trilogy:
- Războiul pietrelor
- Luptător cu Moartea
- Origini
For Short-Fiction Readers
Explore Progradia, 1944 – Ein Freak and Iman and Other Fantastic Stories.
For Readers Interested in Graphic Fiction
Try 1944, the graphic adaptation created with Daniel Danil.
📚 Complete Florin Purluca Bibliography
Explore the complete bibliography of Florin Purluca, including his science-fiction novels, fantasy series, short-story collections, graphic novels, collaborations and international publications.
Discover the complete reading orders for the Praf and Mercenarii trilogies, along with publication dates, publishers and links to BookFairy reviews.
📚 *Explore the Complete Florin Purluca Bibliography