Sergey Lukyanenko
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Sergey Lukyanenko (Russian: Сергей Лукьяненко) (born April 11, 1968) is a science fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian. He was born in Kazakhstan and educated as a psychiatrist. It is said that he has been heavily influenced by Robert A. Heinlein, Strugatsky brothers, and Vladislav Krapivin in his writings. Sergey Lukyanenko is surprisingly tolerant of fanfiction, going as far as to incorporate some of the better fanfics into canon. He's married and lives in Moscow.
Although his books are often set in harsh worlds Lukyanenko is a humanist writer, and in this sense he follows traditions of Strugatsky brothers. Boris Strugatsky referred to the spirit of his books (on May 2000) as "that goodness with fists, those tortured attempts by the heroes to remain kind while being strong", and added "this is the underlying theme for Lukyanenko: how to preserve your goodness in the world of evil when you are strong and well-armed." [1]
Only few of his works were commercially published in English, partially because Western publishers were apprehensive about the state of modern Russian copyright laws. Night Watch translated by Andrew Bromfield was published in the UK on 6 July 2006 by William Heinemann; in the first day 18185 paperbacks [2] and over 1200 hardcovers [3] of this title were sold. The book was published [4] in the US on 26 July 2006 by Miramax books. Day Watch will be published [5] in the UK on January 4, 2007 and [6] in the US on January 10, 2007.
The 2004 film Night Watch (Nochnoy dozor), regarded as "the first Russian blockbuster" was based on the book. The film grossed over $16 million in Russia, a box office record at that time. In the United States, adaptation of the film was [7] released by Fox Searchlight. The film Day Watch (Dnevnoy dozor) was released in Russia on January 1, 2006 and its adaptation is to be [8] released in 2007.
[edit] Acclaim for His Work
- 1993:"Aelita" - "Start Award" for his tale Atomny son (Атомный сон - Nuclear Dream)
- 1995:"Interpresscon" - short form "Interpresscon Award" for his short story Fugu v mundire - Poached fugu
- 1995:"Sibcon" - "Sword of Rumatha" Award for "Knights of forty islands" novel
- 1996:"Interpresscon" - "Interpresscon Award" for "Servant" tale
- 1997:"Stranger" - "Sword of Rumatha" Award for "Imperiors of Illusions" dilogy
- 1998:"SF Forum" - "Sigma-F" Award for "Autumn Visits" novel
- 1998:"Zilantkon" - Award "Big Zilant" for "Labyrinth of Reflections" novel
- 1999:"Aelita" - "Aelita" award for general progress in the Science Fiction genre
- 1999:"Stranger" - "Stranger" award in the nomination "Major form" for "Night Watch" novel
- 1999:"Star Bridge" - "Silver Kladutsey" award in the nomination "Serials and sequels" for "False Mirrors" novel
- 1999:"Star Bridge" - "Silver Kladutsey" award in the nomination "Major form" for "Night Watch" novel
- 2000:"Interpresscon" - "Interpresscon" award in the nomination "Major form" for "False Mirrors" novel
- 2000:Special Award - "Best literature murder of Yury Semetsky" for "Genome" novel
- 2000:"Star Bridge" - "Gold Kladutsey" award in the nomination "Serials and sequels" for "Day Watch" novel
- 2000:Special Award - from the "Kharkov's institute crankes" award for outstanding merits in the Science Fiction
- 2001:"Russcon" - "Gold Russcon" award for "Day Watch" novel
- 2001:"Interpresscon" - "Russian S.F." award for "Seekers of the Sky" dilogy
- 2001:"Lituanikon" - 1st place in the nomination "best novel of foreign author"
- 2001:"Star Bridge" - "Silver Kladutsey" award in the nomination "Serials and sequels" for "Morning Nears" novel
- 2001:"Stranger" - "Stranger" award in the nomination "Minor form" for "Evening conference with Mr Separate Deputy" short story
- 2002:"Ruscon" - "Alisa" award for "Dances in the Snow" novel
- 2002:"Interpresscon" - "Interpresscon" award in the nomination "Minor form" for "From fate" short story
- 2003:"Ruscon" - "Gold russcon" award for "Spectrum" novel
- 2003:"Ruscon" - "Silver russcon" award for "Frontier time" short story
- 2003:"Kiyvcon - "Big Urania" award for "Spectrum" novel
- 2003:"SF Forum" - "Sigma-F" Award for "Spectrum" novel
- 2003:"Interpresscon" - "Bronze snail" award in the nomination "Major form" for "Spectrum" novel
- 2003:"Interpresscon" - "Interpresscon" award in the nomination "Major form" for "Spectrum" novel
- 2003:"EuroCon-2003" - Sergey Lukyanenko admitted as the best Europe author
- 2003:"Star Bridge" - "Gold Kladutsey" award in the nomination "Major form" for "Spectrum" novel
- 2004:"Star Bridge" - "Gold Kladutsey" award in the nomination "Serials and sequels" for "Twilight Watch" novel
- 2005:"Ruscon" - "SF writer of the year"
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Knights of Forty Islands
This harsh tale describes children, moved into an artificial alien-created environment. Their "Copies", indistinguishable from them, make sure their absence isn't noted on Earth. An expedition, sent by an advanced civilization, examines "psychological charts" of the kids, detected as potential future leaders. The boy Dima, who used to fight in streets [Don't remember him doing that often], now has to fight in a place where swords are used instead of fists. His new environment consists of forty islands, each connected to three others via high and narrow bridges. There is a castle on each island; and about 18 kids ("knights") live in each one. The islands are distinct: dictatorship or democracy, a brutal rude leader or a quiet one. The population is made up of 70% boys and 30% girls in homogenous or heterogeneous national groups, no one older than 18. Everyone wants to return home, but to do so they must conquer all 40 islands - then, the aliens promised, they would return the winners to their homes. There are also several rules of engagement, also set down by aliens. Swords are wooden at first, but (unknown to the wielder) a sword turns steel when the owner feels hatred towards the opponent. Although retaining the world of feelings of usual children, these "knights" change: they learn to fight to the death, not to pay much attention to wounds; they cover friends and take revenge for fallen ones. Dima sees his new friends being killed, and he kills, too. He and Inga, a girl he knew before, propose the establishment of a Confederation of islands as the way to stop the Game. But the idea fails to be realized, resulting in many deaths: some knights refuse to join the Confederation, others just want in to seize power for themselves... The way of life at islands proved to be very stable, since Aliens took into account human psychology and sociology. Dimma with friends even were not the first. They discover a hidden room with remains of children, who got on islands during the Second World War and locked themselves in, when their Union collapsed due to betrayal. But our heroes also find in this room old weapons, including dynamite. Now the action rushes... This novel contrasts with the books of Vladislav Krapivin, who emphasises the inherent goodness of children. Lukianenko draws on a harsher city subculture and is closer to Golding's pessimistic outlook in Lord of the Flies, though his skepticism expresses on higher levels of social and inter-cultural interaction, than just descent to savagery. The author's attitude towards the topic is expressed openly: {...} Author believes, that in the childhood, when every courtyard is an island, and every street is a bridge to unbeknown, one day there will remain no place for the Game, in which they kill. |
[edit] Nuclear Dream
Description (to be expanded) On the post-nuclear landscape of the United States some people survived though... And the most ruthless are dragons, rejecting to be people and the notion of "kindness" itself. People from underground bunkers don't like to visit the surface, too brutal is the life there. But what to do if you are young and fair and know of an automated missile base, programmed to perform a nuclear strike after twenty years since the War? Mike from "Reserv-6" meets Drago, a dragon who can communicate telepathically to his dog, Prince. As the three journey to stop a missle launch aimed at Russia, Drago learns much about himself that he didn't know, and by the end, questioning himself being a Dragon altogether. |
[edit] Island RussiaTrilogy, co-authored with Juliy Burkin.
Description (to be written) |
[edit] A Lord from Planet Earth
Trilogy
An action-filled space opera with evolving characters. Each subsequent book involves more ethical problems and philosophy, while at the same time the scale of action steadily increases. This is Lukianenko's only major work that is partially set in the same imaginary universe as the "Road to Wellesberg" series of short stories.
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In the novella "A princess is worth dying for", we follow Serge, a young retired sergeant of the Army of the country that now ceased to exist, who accidentally met and loved a Princess. After five years she calls him for help. Serge agrees at once to join her at another planet, Turr. The book is full of fighting with curious weapons (the most effective are plane swords), and galactic laws. Serge is not a weak character, and he knows the price of life — but not his enemies'... The thread going through this book is what love is worth, and what can't be allowed even for the sake of love.
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With the main Enemy eliminated, why can't Serge just live with the Princess?
The ancient vanished civilization, the "Seeders" (who seem to have born all known galactic races), left a Temple at each inhabited planet. A Temple is both a keeper of galactic customs, and a beacon for flights in hyperspace — a selection of four beacons defines a destination in 3D space. The Earth is the only planet without a Temple, and no known combination of beacons leading to it. The people of Turr will not accept a Prince from a non-existent planet; and besides that, the Princess doesn't love Serge...
The second book is devoted to efforts of Serge and his friends to find the Earth. It involves well-thought and credible starship battles, etc. Surprisingly, Serge finds a boy from Earth. This, and some other accidents, convince Serge's crew that they have an unknown enemy. A sect called "The Descendants of Seeders" also wants to find "the planet which doesn't exist", to explode a quark bomb on it (a terrible weapon, turning a whole planet to atomic dust), thinking that only this will bring the Seeders back and make the universe wonderful. Who will reach the Earth first? It becomes a race for survival.
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The action in the final book approaches the level of total war between two interstellar civilizations with incompatible basic values — and our friends are forced to be between the upper and the nether millstone. Despite harsh action, the style is somehow intrinsically poetic, even metaphoric — Serge will have to deal with a different culture whose values are based on beauty.
Death can seem beautiful, we see charm in destruction... but what lies beneath it all? Aren't pain and fright the real basis of all wars? Aren't all beautiful words justifying wars only the way that we, people, devised to reconcile our consciences with killing?
What is the meaning of life, what is the sense of living? Everybody finds it in his own way, but the large ancient civilization of Fungs found it in beauty. They have a single word for "truth", "beauty", and "faith". They gave up wars long ago. Any Fung that killed another died, realizing the unbeauty of his act. But human culture has taught them otherwise...
[edit] The Boy and the Darkness
Partial English translation available online. |
A fantasy novel where a modern boy, Danny, comes to a world without sunlight. According to the inhabitants, the sunlight was sold a long time ago to some evil entity. In order to get back home, Danny needs to find some sunlight that could help him open the True Door. All the people are divided into the good Wingers, that live in cities, and the bad Flyings, that live in towers. The Wingers are descendants of the people who sold the sunlight, and the Flyings are a kind of undead who serve a Dark Lord. They are both capable of flying, and continuously fight each other in small local clashes. The plot is a quest, similar to Stephen King's "The Talisman". Danny joins the side of the Wingers, and starts his journey attempting to acquire sunlight, or any other kind of something called "True Light".
[edit] Line of Delirium
Trilogy
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Description (to be written) |
- "Sword of Rumatha" Stranger award.
[edit] Autumn Visits
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[edit] Not the time for dragonsCo-authored with Nick Perumov.
Description (to be written) |
[edit] Labyrinth
Trilogy
[edit] Labyrinth of Reflections
This book is a one of a "human mind inside of virtual reality" theme. It tells about virtual reality called "The Deep" and its main, and perhaps only city named "Deeptown". The book has written slightly before the web becomes popular, so some original fictional technologies are invented. The people from real world can get inside and achieve "full presence" effect using special psycho visual interface, called "deep-program". Due to that access to The Deep relatively expensive, most of the visitors spend only limited time inside. Once get inside, the people are able to detach their mind from The Deep only at the special "exit points", that usually look like various exits at the real world, e.g doors, restrooms, "end-level" buttons, etc.. The protagonist of the novel, Leonid, belongs to very rare kind of people, calling themselves "divers", who are able to enter and exit The Deep whenever they want, without using exit points. This ability makes them almost impossible to be harmed or caught by other people within The Deep. They often hired for spying or intruding other organizations and businesses. Also they're used to rescue people who jammed out of exit points or can't exit The Deep alone. The story reaches its climax when Leonid realizes that he tries to rescue a man who exists in The Deep on his own, without being connected from the real world. |
- "Big Zilant" Zilantcon award.
[edit] False Mirrors
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- "Silver Kladutsey" Star Bridge award.
[edit] Transparent stained-glass windows
Description (to be written) |
[edit] The Stars Are Cold Toys — Star Shadow
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[edit] World of Watches
Tetralogy
[edit] Night Watch
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- "Stranger" award in the nomination "Major form".
- "Silver Kladutsey" Star Bridge award.
[edit] Day Watch
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Co-authored with Vladimir Vasilyev.
- "Gold Kladutsey" Star Bridge award.
- "Gold Ruscon" Ruscon award.
[edit] Twilight Watch
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- "Silver Ruscon" Ruscon award.
- "Gold Kladutsey" Star Bridge award.
[edit] The Last Watch
Description In the final novel "Последний Дозор" the main character Gorodetsky deals with a group of people that organize the Last Watch to empower their abilities and find the artifacts of great Merlin. |
[edit] Genome
Trilogy
Description The story is set in the future, where genetic engineering has become a commonpalce. The embryos's DNA can be altered to make a future "specialist" - a human genetically adapted to a specific job. Specializations range anywhere from a "politician" to "prostitute". This book deals with a specialist-master-pilot, who, when assigned a mission, is forced to deal with the very essence and personality of being genetically altered, and not just with himself, but his diverse crew on board a starship |
- "Best literature murder of Yuriy Semetskiy" award.
Description (to be written) |
- "Alisa" Ruscon award.
[edit] Seekers of the Sky
Duology
Description (to be written) |
- "Russian S.F." Interpresscon award.
Description (to be written) |
- "Silver Kladutsey" Star Bridge award.
[edit] Spectrum
Description (to be written) |
- "Gold Ruscon" Ruscon award.
- "Big Urania" Kiyvcon award.
- "Sigma-F" SF Forum award.
- "Bronze snail" Interpresscon award.
- "Gold Kladutsey" Star Bridge award.
[edit] Rough Draft
This is a fantasy novel of a "parallel world" genre. The story starts with the hero, Kirril, being "erased" from daily life in present Moscow. Everybody forget him (even his parents and dog), other person lives in his apartment, all IDs and files in all offices disappear. After a while he is phoned and proposed to go in an old water tower — but inside is his future home and working place. There he reveals that he is able to open doors, leading to other worlds — although at first all but one are locked. After first opened each door becomes rigidly connected to some world, but which one can't be said before. All of worlds have mostly similar environment and seem to be on the planet Earth but societies and people are different. After a while Kirril contacts a very small if compared to all population group of functionals, called so due to they gained supernatural abilities making them excellent in some profession (processing their function). They serve other people, but mostly other functionals. They say Kirril has become one of them — a customs officer. He benefits from taxes, paid by people who pass through his tower. Also he holds a superhuman strength and is almost immortal, but only within some range (10 km) from his tower. Kirril enjoys new worlds, people and abilities. A politician Dima meets him and asks to find a national idea for Russia. He informs Kirril about the world number One, which nobody can access and which seems to be exactly our world living 30 years later. Critical information from this world may enhance the prestige of the country... Kirril also encounters underground, that is few people fighting against 'corporate laws' of functionals and their working for themselves or elites of worlds. But he remains untouched by rhetorics of the underground, justifying most of this. Ideas of armed opposition are alien if not to say ridicilous for him. But a younger 20-aged girl who Kirril fell in love with is a genuine underground activist... The last door opened leads to the world number one: A lovely Moscow filled with smiling people; there were no Second World War and no horrors of revolution, due to this world lags for 30 years and rulers of it carefully study mistakes of others. It's just what Dima proposed to Kirril, but applied reversly. Upon rather bloody returning to our world, Kirril faces troubles with his girl. Hating system of functionals, she manifests disobedience. But their laws don't forgive this, and functioner Natalie murders her, Kirril being unable to resurrect her...
In Kirril's fighting Natalie, his tower became devastated, this ceased his being a functional and restored his former life. The ending of this story we will learn from the second book of the future duology... |
[edit] Short Story Collections
[edit] H is for Human
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Beautiful away (Прекрасное далеко)
- My father is an antibiotic (Мой папа - антибиотик)
- Road to Wellesberg (Дорога на Веллесберг)
- The smell of freedom (Запах свободы)
- Almost spring (Почти весна)
H is for Human (Л - значит люди)
- Servant (Слуга)
- H is for Human (Л - значит люди)
- Visit (Визит)
- Train to the Warm Lands (Поезд в Теплый Край)
- The guide to Away (Проводник Отсюда)
- Master of the roads (Хозяин дорог)
The man that couldn't do very much (Человек, который многого не умел)
- Behind the Forest, where the cowardly enemy lurks (За лесом, где подлый враг...)
- The ability to pull the trigger (Способность спустить курок)
- Violation (Нарушение)
- In the name of Earth! (Именем Земли!)
- The man that couldn't do very much (Человек, который многого не умел)
- Captain (Капитан)
- Last chance (Последний шанс)
- Humans and nonhumans (Люди и не - люди)
- Category "Zed" (Категория "Зет")
Сasual Fuss (Временная суета)
- Сasual Fuss (Временная суета) - Short story, fanfiction.
- Caressing dreams of midnight (Ласковые мечты полуночи)
Poached fugu (Фугу в мундире)
- Duralumin sky (Дюралевое небо)
- Eastern ballad about a valourous cop (Восточная баллада о доблестном менте)
- Poached fugu (Фугу в мундире)
[edit] Nuclear Dream
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- Transparent Stained-Glass Windows (Прозрачные Витражи)
- Nuclear Dream (Атомный Сон)
- Evening Conference with the Mr Special Deputy (Вечерняя беседа с господином особым послом)
- Footsteps From Behind (Шаги за спиной)
- Ambassadors (Переговорщики)
- Achaula Lalapta (Ахауля Ляляпта)
- Men's Talk (Мужской разговор)
- Professional (Профессионал)
- Coincidence (Совпадение)
- Very Important Cargo (Очень важный груз)
- Age of Moving Pictures (Время движущихся картинок) (essay)
- Case History, or Games that Play People (История болезни, или Игры, которые играют в Людей)
- Night Watch (Ночной Дозор) (preliminary scenario)
- Coblandy-Batur and Barsa-Kelmes (Кобланды-батыр и Барса-Кельмес)
- Argentum Key (Аргентумный ключ)
[edit] Gadget
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Building of the Epoch (Стройка века)
- Building of the Epoch (Стройка века)
- Come Off Clear (Сухими из воды)
- Buy a Cat (Купи кота)
- Bloody Orgy in the Martian Hell (Кровавая оргия в марсианском аду)
- If You Contact Us Right Now... (Если вы свяжетесь с нами прямо сейчас...)
- Girl with Chinese Lighters (Девочка с китайскими зажигалками)
- A New, New Fairy Tale (Новая, новая сказка)
- Don't Panic! (Без паники!)
Dive to the Stars (Донырнуть до звезд)
- We Are Not Slaves (Мы не рабы)
- Gadget (Гаджет)
- Dreamweaver (Плетельщица снов)
- I'm Not in Hurry (Не спешу)
- Dive to the Stars (Донырнуть до звезд)
- Evolution of the Scientific Worldview, Based on Fiction Samples (Эволюция научного мировоззрения на примерах из популярной литературы)
- From Columba to Hercules (От Голубя - к Гергулесу)
- Doctor Lem and Nanotechs (Доктор Лем и нанотехи)
- Nothing to Divide (Нечего делить)
- Nanotale (Наносказочка)
Note (Ремарка)
- New Novel "Note" (Ноый роман "Ремарка")
- Drill Away! (Провернуть назад!)
- Steamed Plots (Выпаренные сюжеты)
- If I Wrote "Red Riding Hood" (Если бы я писал "Красную Шапочку")
Recurring Funeral (Периодическая тризна)
- We Aren't Locals Here Ourselves... (Сами мы не местные...)
- Going to the Movies (Хождение в Кино)
- Recurring Funeral (Периодическая тризна)
- Apostles of the Tool (Апостолы инструмента)
- Cripples (Калеки)
[edit] Unpublished and early works
- Adventures of Stor(Пpиключения Стоpа) - 1989, Alma-ata, published only on the Internet.
- 13-th City(Тpинадцатый гоpод) - 1989, Alma-ata, early work.
- Pier of the golden ships(Пpистань Желтых Коpаблей) - 1990, Alma-ata, early work.
- The Eighth Colour of the Rainbow(Восьмой цвет pадуги) - 1992, Alma-ata, early work.
[edit] Incomplete Works
- Creed(Кредо) - 2003, Moscow, still incomplete.
- Rogue's tale(Плутовской роман) - 2005-2006, Moscow, author is working now.
[edit] External links
- Short annotations of Lukyanenko's books, an extensive biography and bibliography, and excerpts from English translations can be found here: http://www.rusf.ru/lukian/english/
- Official website (Russian)
- Author's LiveJournal can be read at http://doctor-livsy.livejournal.com/ (Russian)
- Sergey Lukyanenko, Night-and-Day-Watching Writer
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.rusf.ru/abs/int0020.htm
- ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0434014125/202-1630630-1631837
- ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0434016098/202-1630630-1631837
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401359795/104-5481739-0872708
- ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0434014435/202-1630630-1631837
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401360203
- ^ http://www.foxsearchlight.com/archive/
- ^ http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=9123
