Russian fiction is quite different from fiction in the English language. Perhaps these differences are primarily due to the fact that Russian science fiction as part of the literary culture was developed under socialism, since the 20-ies of the last century.
There is such joke that "the Russian literature is characterized in the English - speaking countries often one surname-Tolstoyevsky".
In fact, in Russia there is a huge cultural layer, which is not very much represented abroad.
Do you know writers such as Evgeny Zamyatin, Alexey Tolstoy (no, this is not the Tolstoy who wrote " War and Peace"), Aleksander Belyajev, Ivan Efremov, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Kir Bulychev, Sergey Pavlov, Vladimir Mikhailov, Eugene Gulakowsky, Vladislav Krapivin, Evgeny Veltistov, Alexander Volkov, Alexander Kazantsev?
Do you know any of their works, have you read the books they wrote?
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Re: What Russian science fiction writers do you know?
You forgot Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Re: What Russian science fiction writers do you know?
salttee wrote:You forgot Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
that's a pretty subtle joke.
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- WIederling
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Re: What Russian science fiction writers do you know?
Scorpius wrote:Do you know any of their works, have you read the books they wrote?
Some.
.. not a Russian but Stanislav Lem was rather popular here and the Czech Carel Capek.
IMU there are more German translations available from Russian language SF / Utopics than
english ones.
The works of the Brothers Strugatzky seem to have even reached the english language domain.
Re: What Russian science fiction writers do you know?
WIederling wrote:Scorpius wrote:Do you know any of their works, have you read the books they wrote?
Some.
.. not a Russian but Stanislav Lem was rather popular here and the Czech Carel Capek.
IMU there are more German translations available from Russian language SF / Utopics than
english ones.
The works of the Brothers Strugatzky seem to have even reached the english language domain.
Well, Strugatsky's works reached the English-speaking zone a little earlier. The film" Stalker "by Andrei Tarkovsky based on the story Strugatsky "Picnic on the roadside". This story told about the anomalous Zone formed under unclear circumstances behind which the visit of the alien ship which did not wish to come into contact with mankind disappears.
Generally Strugatsky wrote a lot of good books with completely different plots, but they have in common is, perhaps, one trait - in all their books, a lot of attention paid to the psychology of people motivation their actions and attempts to understand what motivates mankind in its development. They are still in 1964 wrote a book called "Predatory things of the century", which is quite accurately reflect modern society - gadgetmania, society wild consumption, mass culture, which lead to the dehumanization of society as such.
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- WIederling
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Re: What Russian science fiction writers do you know?
Scorpius wrote:The film" Stalker "by Andrei Tarkovsky based on the story Strugatsky "Picnic on the roadside".
Stalker isn't all that well known afaik ( it is more of a "Geheimtipp" ).
Inhabited Island / Prisoners of Power
has seen a movie adaption ( rather recently, not bad ) :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Planet_%28film%29
quite the contrast to the majority of Hollywood Science Fiction
IMU the Philip K. Dick movie adaptions have a similar tone
( though a different viewpoint )
Re: What Russian science fiction writers do you know?
WIederling wrote:Scorpius wrote:The film" Stalker "by Andrei Tarkovsky based on the story Strugatsky "Picnic on the roadside".
Stalker isn't all that well known afaik ( it is more of a "Geheimtipp" ).
Inhabited Island / Prisoners of Power
has seen a movie adaption ( rather recently, not bad ) :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Planet_%28film%29
quite the contrast to the majority of Hollywood Science Fiction
IMU the Philip K. Dick movie adaptions have a similar tone
( though a different viewpoint )
Oh, "Inhabited Island" is a wonderful book. And absolutely a talentless the film, alas.
By the way," Inhabited Island " - only the first part of the trilogy of books:
1. The Inhabited Island
2. Beetle in the anthill
3. The waves extinguish the wind.
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- WIederling
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Re: What Russian science fiction writers do you know?
Scorpius wrote:Oh, "Inhabited Island" is a wonderful book. And absolutely a talentless the film, alas.
By the way," Inhabited Island " - only the first part of the trilogy of books:
1. The Inhabited Island
2. Beetle in the anthill
3. The waves extinguish the wind.
I got it from the public library at the time. Thus it must have been between 1973
( W.German translation available ) and 1976 ( moved away and the new
town didn't have the excellent public library system Hamburg had.).
I should have a look at the other two books !?
Re: What Russian science fiction writers do you know?
WIederling wrote:Scorpius wrote:Oh, "Inhabited Island" is a wonderful book. And absolutely a talentless the film, alas.
By the way," Inhabited Island " - only the first part of the trilogy of books:
1. The Inhabited Island
2. Beetle in the anthill
3. The waves extinguish the wind.
I got it from the public library at the time. Thus it must have been between 1973
( W.German translation available ) and 1976 ( moved away and the new
town didn't have the excellent public library system Hamburg had.).
I should have a look at the other two books !?
Definitely worth it. Both books tell about the future of Maxim Kammerer, and about the events that will occur further in the universe of Half a Day of humanity. Among other things, there is a connection with another novel Strugatsky - there are explicit references to the characters of the book "Hard to be God", the progressors of KOMKON on the planet Arkanar.
Re: What Russian science fiction writers do you know?
One of my favorite books is sci-fi: "Moon rainbow" by Sergey Pavlov. A novel in two parts, the first book "black trail" was released in 1978, the second book of the "Soft mirror" was released in 1983.
The action of the books takes place presumably in 22-23 century: humanity on the Earth has completed the process of unification, States are merged into a single global structure. Humanity is mastering the Solar system, integrating the resource base of other planets into the earth's economy. Travel between planets much faster now, but still flight, for example, from Earth to Uranus is about six months. An absolutely amazing example of Soviet science fiction, in which you nevertheless will never see words like "communism".
The action of the books takes place presumably in 22-23 century: humanity on the Earth has completed the process of unification, States are merged into a single global structure. Humanity is mastering the Solar system, integrating the resource base of other planets into the earth's economy. Travel between planets much faster now, but still flight, for example, from Earth to Uranus is about six months. An absolutely amazing example of Soviet science fiction, in which you nevertheless will never see words like "communism".