Yes, it is. The story of 'Slow Horses' has its roots in real - life spy scenarios. It takes inspiration from the murky world of intelligence operations where things are not always as they seem on the surface. There are often internal power struggles, moles, and complex operations just like in the story.
It's a spy thriller. It follows a group of misfit intelligence agents in a slow horses department. They deal with various espionage - related issues and often find themselves in dangerous and complex situations.
There is also River Cartwright. He is a young agent trying to find his place among the misfits in the slow horses. Another important character is Diana Taverner. She is involved in the power dynamics within the intelligence agency. These characters interact in complex ways, with their own goals and secrets that drive the plot forward in the 'slow horses novel'.
Jackson Lamb is a very notable character. He's the head of Slough House and has a rather unorthodox leadership style. He's gruff, often seems lazy, but is actually very shrewd.
The cultural references in science fiction can be difficult to translate. A story might reference a particular historical event or a cultural icon from the author's home country. Translators need to either find a similar reference in the target culture or find a way to explain it without losing the essence of the story. For example, if a science - fiction story in the US mentions the Apollo moon landings as a reference for a future space exploration mission, a translator into a language of a country with no such space - faring history needs to be creative.
One of the best ways is to have a deep understanding of both the source and target languages' cultural backgrounds. Science fiction often contains unique concepts, so being familiar with the genre's common tropes in different cultures helps. For example, in English - speaking countries, some science - fiction concepts like time travel are very common, but they might be expressed differently in other languages. Translators also need to be good at handling technical terms which are abundant in science fiction.