Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
The brothers Arkady (Russian: Арка́дий; August 28, 1925 – October 12, 1991) and Boris (Russian: Бори́с; April 14, 1933 – November 19, 2012) Strugatsky (Russian: Струга́цкий; alternate spellings: Strugatskiy, Strugatski, Strugatskii) were Soviet-Russian science fiction authors who collaborated on their fiction.
Contents |
Life and work [edit]
The Strugatsky brothers (Бра́тья Струга́цкие or simply Струга́цкие) were born into a Jewish family. Their father Natan Zalmanovich Strugatsky was an art critic,[1] their mother a teacher. Their early work was influenced by Ivan Yefremov. Later they went on to develop their own, unique style of writing.
Their famous novel titled Piknik na obochine has been translated into English as Roadside Picnic. In 1977 Andrei Tarkovsky adapted the novel for the screen under the title of Stalker.
Several other of their fiction works were translated into German, French, English, and Italian but did not receive the same magnitude of the critical acclaim granted them by their Russian audiences. The Strugatsky brothers, however, were and still are popular in many countries, including Poland, Hungary, the former republics of Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Germany, where most of their works were available in both East and West Germany. Nowadays they are arguably the best-known Russian science fiction writers, with a well-developed fan base.
The Strugatsky brothers were Guests of Honour at Conspiracy '87, the 1987 World Science Fiction Convention, held in Brighton, England.
In 1991, Text Publishers brought out the collected works by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.
Arkady [edit]
Arkady Natanovich Strugatsky was born August 25, 1925 in Batumi; The family later moved to Leningrad. In January 1942 Arkady and his father left the besieged city, but Arkady was the only survivor in his train car; his father died on reaching Vologda. Arkady was later drafted into the Soviet army, training first at the artillery school in Aktyubinsk and later at the Military Institute of Foreign Languages in Moscow, from which he graduated in 1949 as an interpreter of English and Japanese. He worked as a teacher and interpreter for the military until 1955. From 1955 he began to work as an editor and writer. In 1958, he began to collaborate with his brother Boris, a collaboration that lasted until Arkady's death October 12, 1991.[2]
Boris [edit]
Born April 14, 1933, Boris Natanovich Strugatsky remained in Leningrad with his mother during the siege of the city during World War II. He graduated from high school in 1950 and applied to the physics department at Leningrad State University, but studied astronomy instead. After graduating in 1955, he worked as an astronomer and computer engineer until 1966 when he became a full-time writer.[3] Boris Strugatsky died in Saint Petersburg on November 19, 2012.[4][5]
Noon Universe [edit]
Several of the books written by the Strugatsky brothers take part in the same universe, known as The World of Noon; another unofficial and perhaps less-known title is the Wanderers Universe. The name is derived from the title of one of their texts, Noon: 22nd Century. The main characteristics of the Noon Universe are: a very high level of social, scientific, and technological development; the creativity of the general population; and the very significant level of societal maturity compared to the modern world. For instance, this world knows no monetary stimulation (indeed, money does not exist), and every person is engaged in a profession that interests him or her. The Earth of the Noon Universe is governed by a global meritocratic council composed of the world's leading scientists and philosophers. That Noon World has been clearly named as "World of Communism" in their novels, which was handy for publishing their novels in the USSR where the Communist Party decided whether a book would be printed, and approved for mass circulation.
The Universe was described by the authors as the world in which they would like to live and work. It became highly influential for at least a generation of Soviet people, e.g. a person could quote the Strugatsky books and be sure of being understood. At first the authors thought that the Noon Universe would become reality "by itself", but then they realized that the only way to achieve it is by inventing the High Theory of Upbringing, making the upbringing of each person a unique deed.
One of the important story arcs of those books is how the advanced human civilization covertly steers the development of those considered less advanced. Agents of humans are known as Progressors. At the same time, some humans suspect that a very advanced spacefaring race called Wanderers exists and is 'progressing' humanity itself.
Works [edit]
Novels [edit]
| English title | Russian title | Published in Russian | Published in English | Type of work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Beyond | Извне | 1958 | 1982 | novella |
| The Land of Crimson Clouds | Страна багровых туч | 1959 | N/A | novel |
| The Way to Amalthea (also known as Destination: Amaltheia) | Путь на Амальтею | 1960 | 1963 | novella |
| Noon: 22nd Century | Полдень, XXII век | 1962 | 1978 | novel / collection of linked stories |
| Space Apprentice (also known as Probationers, includes The Gigantic Fluctuation short story) |
Стажеры | 1962 | 1981 | novel |
| Escape Attempt | Попытка к бегству | 1962 | 1982 | novella |
| Far Rainbow | Далёкая Радуга | 1963 | 1979 | novella |
| Hard to Be a God | Трудно быть богом | 1964 | 1973 | novel |
| Monday Begins on Saturday | Понедельник начинается в субботу | 1965 | 1977 | novel |
| The Final Circle of Paradise | Хищные вещи века | 1965 | 1976 | novel |
| Disquiet (initial variant of Snail on the Slope) | Беспокойство | 1990 (written 1965) |
N/A | novella |
| Snail on the Slope | Улитка на склоне | 1966–68 (written 1965) |
1980 | novel |
| The Ugly Swans | Гадкие лебеди (also known as Время дождя) | 1972 (written 1966–67) |
1972 | novel |
| The Second Invasion from Mars (also known as The Second Martian Invasion) |
Второе нашествие марсиан | 1967 | 1970 | novella |
| Tale of the Troika | Сказка о Тройке | 1968 | 1977 | novella |
| Prisoners of Power (also known as The Inhabited Island) | Обитаемый остров | 1969 | 1977 | novel |
| Dead Mountaineer's Hotel (also known as Inspector Glebsky's Puzzle) | Отель «У Погибшего Альпиниста» | 1970 | 1982 | novel |
| Space Mowgli | Малыш | 1971 | 1982 | novel |
| Roadside Picnic | Пикник на обочине | 1972 | 1977 | novel |
| The Kid from Hell | Парень из преисподней | 1974 | 1982 | novella |
| Definitely Maybe | За миллиард лет до конца света | 1977 | 1978 | novella |
| The Doomed City | Град обреченный | 1988–89 (written 1970–75) |
N/A | novel |
| Tale of Friendship and Non-friendship | Повесть о дружбе и недружбе | 1980 | 1988 | novelette |
| Beetle in the Anthill | Жук в муравейнике | 1980 | 1980 | novel |
| Limping Fate | Хромая судьба | 1986 | N/A | novel |
| The Time Wanderers | Волны гасят ветер | 1986 | 1987 | novel |
| Overburdened with Evil | Отягощённые злом | 1988 | N/A | novel |
Short stories [edit]
| English title | Russian title | Published in Russian | Published in English | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The White Cone of the Alaid | Белый конус Алаида | 1959 | 1968 | included in the novel Noon: 22nd Century as "Defeat" |
| The Mu Man | Человек из Пасифиды | 1962 | N/A | |
| The Gigantic Fluctuation | Гигантская флуктуация | 1962 | 1973 | included in the novel Space Apprentice |
| Wanderers and Travelers | О странствующих и путешествующих | 1963 | 1966 | included in the novel Noon: 22nd Century as Pilgrims and Wayfarers |
Short story collections [edit]
Short stories originally published in Six Matches:
| English title | Russian title | Published in Russian | Published in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six Matches | Шесть спичек | 1958 | 1961 |
| Spontaneous Reflex (also known as Initiative) | Спонтанный рефлекс | 1958 | 1959 |
| Forgotten Experiment | Забытый эксперимент | 1959 | N/A |
| The Examination of SCYBER | Испытание СКИБР | 1959 | N/A |
| Special Assumptions | Частные предположения | 1959 | N/A |
| An Emergency Case | Чрезвычайное происшествие | 1960 | 1966 |
Short stories originally published as part of the novel Noon: 22nd Century:
| English title | Russian title | Published in Russian | Published in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Night on Mars | Ночь в пустыне | 1960 | 1978 |
| Almost the Same | Почти такие же | 1960 | 1978 |
| Old-timer | Перестарок | 1961 | 1978 |
| The Conspirators | Злоумышленники | 1962 | 1978 |
| Chronicle | Хроника | 1961 | 1978 |
| Two from the Taimyr | Двое с «Таймыра» | 1961 | 1978 |
| The Moving Roads | Самодвижущиеся дороги | 1961 | 1978 |
| Cornucopia | Скатерть-самобранка | 1961 | 1978 |
| Homecoming | Возвращение (also known as Известные люди and Пациенты доктора Протоса | 1962 | 1978 |
| Langour of the Spirit | Томление духа | 1962 | 1978 |
| The Assaultmen | Десантники | 1961 | 1978 |
| Deep Search | Глубокий поиск | 1960 | 1978 |
| Pilgrims and Wayfarers (also known as Wanderers and Travelers) |
О странствующих и путешествующих | 1963 | 1978 |
| The Planet with all the Conveniences | Благоустроенная планета | 1961 | 1978 |
| The Mystery of the Hind Leg | Загадка задней ноги (a.k.a. Великий КРИ) | 1961 | 1978 |
| Natural Science in the Spirit World | Естествознание в мире духов | 1962 | 1978 |
| Candles Before the Control Board | Свечи перед пультом | 1961 | 1978 |
| The Meeting | Свидание (a.k.a. Люди, люди...) | 1961 | 1978 |
| What You Will Be Like | Какими вы будете | 1961 | 1978 |
Solo works [edit]
The following titles have been published by Arkady Strugatsky under the pseudonym S. Yaroslavtsev (C. Ярославцев):
| English title | Russian title | Published in Russian | Published in English | Type of work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Expedition into Inferno | Экспедиция в преисподнюю | 1974 | N/A | novel |
| The Details of Nikita Vorontsov's Life | Подробности жизни Никиты Воронцова | 1984 | 1989 | short story |
| Devil Amongst People | Дьявол среди людей | 1991 | N/A | novella |
Following titles have been published by Boris Strugatsky under the pseudonym S. Vititsky (С. Витицкий):
| English title | Russian title | Published in Russian | Published in English | Type of work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search for Designation or Twenty Seventh Theorem of Ethics | Поиск предназначения, или Двадцать седьмая теорема этики | 1994 | N/A | novel |
| The Powerless that be | Бессильные мира сего | 2003 | N/A | novel |
Adaptations [edit]
Strugatskies books were often adapted for screen, stage, comics and video game. Some of the adaptations are very loose, like Tarkovsky's Stalker, some are not adaptations but rather a new script written by Brothers themselves, like The Sorcerers.
- Stalker (1979) by Andrey Tarkovsky, inspired by The Roadside Picnic
- Dead Mountaineer's Hotel (1979) by Grigori Kromanov based on the novel of the same name
- The Sorcerers (1982), by Konstantin Bromberg, based on Strugatskies' script inspired by Monday Begins on Saturday
- Days of Eclipse (1988) by Alexander Sokurov, inspired by One billion years before the end of the world
- Hard to be a God (1989) by Peter Fleischmann, based on the novel of the same name
- The Ugly Swans (2006) by Konstantin Lopushansky, based on the novel of the same name
- The Inhabited Island (2009) by Feodor Bondarchuk, based on the novel of the same name
- History of the Arkanar Massacre (in production) by Alexei German, based on Hard to Be a God
Legacy [edit]
Several writers have to a varying degree paid their tribute to the works of Strugatsky brothers:
- Sergey Lukyanenko in his duology The Stars Are Cold Toys has the main character visit a world that is in many aspects strikingly similar to Earth from Noon Universe but in truth is revealed to be fundamentally different and oppressive. On his website, Lukyanenko commented that he disagreed with Strugatsky's view on education and upbringing and conceived his duology partly as a polemic criticism of it.[6]
- The plot of Kir Bulychov's novella from Alisa Selezneva series, Vacations in Space, or the Planet Five-Four, is based on finding a secret base of mysterious "Wanderers" (Странники), an extinct highly advanced civilization. He also depicted his own Zone in the story Save Galya!
- In late 1990s, a three-volume collection of fiction by notable contemporary Russian science fiction authors, titled The Time of the Apprentices (Время учеников), was published with an endorsement of Boris Strugatsky. Each piece in the collection was a sequel to one of Strugatskys' books.
- The asteroid 3054 Strugatskia, discovered by Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in 1977 was named after the Strugatsky brothers.
- The fictional planet Pandora depicted in the movie Avatar by James Cameron contains some similarities with the Noon Universe series, where the planet is also called Pandora, it is also filled with jungle, where live weird animals and humanoid race. Also, the girlfriend of Biologist Sidorov in Strugatskys' novel is called "Nava" (compare to "Na'vi" as name of the humanoid race in the movie). However, Boris Strugatsky had rejected accusations of plagiarism, despite the similarities.[7]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=ZfbHbsBOiEsC&pg=PA96&dq=Strugatsky+jewish&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OnCrUP-jKo3Hsgar-4CwAw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Strugatsky%20jewish&f=false
- ^ Alexandr Usov, Strugatsky Brothers bio
- ^ Arkadii and Boris Strugatsky, Escape Attempt, Swarthmore.edu
- ^ Lenta.ru, Умер Борис Стругацкий (in Russian)
- ^ Locus Online, Boris Strugatsky (1933-2012)
- ^ Sergei Lukyanenko. "Works. F.A.Q. Full list of questions and answers" (in Russian). Retrieved 2008-02-14.
- ^ OFF-LINE интервью с Борисом Стругацким Январь 2010, 18 January 2010 (in Russian)
External links [edit]
- (Russian) Includes the complete works in Russian and selected translations
- (Russian) Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The Complete Works
- (English) Includes free library, bibliography of their books translated in English and other languages and awards sections
- (Russian) Stalkers of Russian Science Fiction – the Strugatsky Brothers
- (Russian) Boris Strugatsky on Avatar (on the BVI site)
- (English) Boris Strugatsky on Avatar (fan's translation in English)
- (English) Arkady Strugatsky at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- (English) Boris Strugatsky at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
