Jaroslav Velinský

Jaroslav Velinský (December 18, 1932 – February 19, 2012) was a Czech science fiction and detective writer, publisher, songwriter and musician. He was also a miner, metalsmith, graphic artist, science fiction and detective writer, publisher, musician (banjo and swing guitar). Velinský was one of the founders of the Czech folk festival, Porta. In the folk arena and among SF friends and fans he was known as Kapitán Kid (other pseudonyms included: Václav Rabský, C.P. Stonebridge and Agáta Bílá).

He was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The author of songs — more than 50 country and folk hits such as: "Jenofefa", "Krinolina" and "Mary Celeste". Books - SF: Engerlings, Notes from Garth, Dzwille, Continent of Unlimited Possibilities etc. Honorary member of Ertar-Czech Relations Society (SF club). 8 staged theater plays and more than 30 detective novels (Dark Well, Man-eater, Death of a Midget, Lady with a Green Elephant, Very Long Stairs, Murderer's Road, Estimated Solution and others).

It is believed that Ota Fink, hero of these books, is such a success for his detective insight is based on a detailed knowhow of common industrial professions and small problems of plain Czech people this in a way of method resembling the books of Dick Francis. The reader feels a close kinship to Ota Fink, as the books use the familiar places and professional tricks as cornerstones of the story on the same level as psychology and action. Leading translator of American literature František Jungwirth wrote: "If our literature has its own Philip Marlow, it is Ota Fink from the books of Jaroslav Velinský."

Jaroslav Velinský was a pioneer of a new and interesting way of art business—he founded a one-man publishing house "Club of Friends of Captain Kid", the club consisting of readers of his books and fans of his music. He was using the club data and close contact with his audience for better planning of his production. This concerns not only the amounts of published books and CDs, but it leads to correct deciding between writing music or literature and selecting the best themes as well. The result is a high efficiency publishing house producing new original books and songs "on demand" while being active on a competitive scale.

Velinský died of lung cancer in Ústí nad Labem in February 2012, aged 79.