Russian science fiction and fantasy

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Russian science fiction arguably had its Golden age in the 1960s^[1], when also majority of English translations were made.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early period 1.2 Late XIX-early XX centuries 1.3 Soviet science fiction 1.4 Post-Soviet period 2 References 3 External links 4 Anthologies 5 Literature

[edit] History

[edit] Early period

Though secular literature was forming gradually in Russia since XVII century, it was not until the late XVIII century that European rhetoric genres were transplanted to native ground, with narrative fiction techniques open to complex interaction with new scientific and social ideas.

The first work which is indisputably proto science fiction is Fedor Dmitriev-Mamonov's A Philosopher Nobleman («Dvoryanin-filosof», 1769).^[2] It's a voltairean conte philosophique influenced heavily by Micromégas.

Two early examples of utopias in form of imaginary voyage are Vasily Levshin's Newest Voyage (1784, which is also the first Russian flight to the Moon) and Mikhail Shcherbatov's Journey to the Land of Ophir (written the same year but published in 1896).

Some of Faddei Bulgarin's tales are set in a more or less distant future, others exploit themes of hollow earth and space flight. In the same entertaining vein Osip Senkovsky's enormously popular Fantastic Voyages of Baron Brambeus are written.

The central figure of the early 19th century is Vladimir Odoevsky who combines his vision of the future with faith in scientific and technological progress.^[3] He was also an author of many Gothic tales.

[edit] Late XIX-early XX centuries

The second half of the century, particularly the 1860-80s are marked by dominance of open hostility to fantastic in literature. Literary fantasies with scientific rationale by Nikolai Akhsharumov and Nikolai Vagner stand out amid mundane fiction of that period.

Nikolai Chernyshevsky's immensely influential What Is to Be Done? (1863) included an utopian dream of the far future.

Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin's satires tend to fantastic grotesque.

[edit] Soviet science fiction

[edit] Post-Soviet period

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Ultimate Science Fiction Web Guide
• Soviet science fiction, in Britannica Online
• Vyacheslav IVANOV. RUSSIAN SCIENCE FICTION. Course in UCLA Department of Slavic Languages and literatures, Winter 2007

[edit] Anthologies

• Soviet Science Fiction, Collier Books, 1962, 189pp.
• More Soviet Science Fiction, Collier Books, 1962, 190pp.
• Russian Science Fiction, ed. Robert Magidoff, New York University Press, 1964.
• Russian Science Fiction, 1968, ed. Robert Magidoff, New York University Press, 1968.
• Russian Science Fiction, 1969, ed. Robert Magidoff, New York University Press, 1969.
• New Soviet Science Fiction, Macmillan, 1979 , ISBN 0-02-578220-7, xi+297pp.
• Pre-Revolutionary Russian Science Fiction: An Anthology (Seven Utopias and a Dream), ed. Leland Fetzer, Ardis, 1982, ISBN 0-88233-595-2, 253pp.
• Worlds Apart : An Anthology of Russian Science Fiction and Fantasy, ed. Alexander Levitsky, Overlook, 2006, ISBN 1-58567-819-8, 740pp.

[edit] Literature

• Darko Suvin. Russian Science Fiction, 1956-1974: A Bibliography. Elizabethtown, NY: Dragon Press, 1976.
• J. P. Glad, Extrapolations from Dystopia: A Critical Study of Soviet Science Fiction Princeton: Kingston Press, 1982. 223 p.
• Scott R. Samuel, Soviet Science Fiction: New Critical Approaches. Ph. D. Dissertation, Stanford University, 1982. 134 p.
• Nadezhda L. Petreson, Fantasy and Utopia in the Contemporary Soviet Novel, 1976-1981. Ph. D. Dissertation, Indiana University, 1986. 260 p.
• Karla A. Cruise. Soviet Science Fiction, 1909-1926: Symbols, Archetypes and Myths. Master's Thesis, Princeton University, 1988. 71 p.
• Matthew D. B. Rose, Russian and Soviet Science Fiction: The Neglected Genre. Master's Thesis, The University of Alberta (Canada), 1988.
• Richard Stites, Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Experimental Life in the Russian Revolution. Oxford UP, 1989.
• Richard P. Terra and Robert M. Philmus. Russian and Soviet Science Fiction in English Translation: A Bibliography, in: Science Fiction Studies #54 = Volume 18, Part 2 = July 1991
• Anindita Banerjee. The Genesis and Evolution of Science Fiction in fin de siecle Russia, 1880-1921. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles, 2000. 324 p.
• Vitalii Kaplan. A Look Behind the Wall: A Topography of Contemporary Russian Science Fiction, Russian Studies in Literature 38(3): 62-84. Summer 2002. Also in: Russian Social Science Review 44(2): 82-104. March/April 2003.
• Science Fiction Studies #94 = Volume 31, Part 3 = November 2004. SPECIAL ISSUE: SOVIET SCIENCE FICTION: THE THAW AND AFTER.
• Park Joon-Sung. Literary Reflections of the Future War: A Study of Interwar Soviet Literature of Military Anticipation. Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Michigan, 2004. 198 p.