The brothers Arkady (Russian: Арка́дий; August 28, 1925 – October 12, 1991) and Boris (Russian: Бори́с; born April 14, 1933) Strugatsky (Russian: Струга́цкий; alternate spellings: Strugatskiy, Strugatski, Strugatskii) are Soviet-Russian science fiction authors who collaborated on their fiction.
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The Strugatsky brothers (Бра́тья Струга́цкие or simply Струга́цкие), as they are usually called, although also known as "Абээ́сы" ("Abeesy", from ABS, Arkadiy and Boris Strugatsky) in Russian, are perhaps the best-known Soviet science fiction writers with a well-developed fan base. Their early work was influenced by Ivan Yefremov. Their famous novel Piknik na obochine has been translated into English as Roadside Picnic in 1977 and was filmed by Andrei Tarkovsky under the title Stalker.
Several other of their 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, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Germany, where most of their works were available in both East and West Germany.
The brothers were Guests of Honour at the 1987 World Science Fiction Convention, held in Brighton, England.
Arkady Natanovich Strugatsky was born August 25, 1925 in Batumi; his father Natan Zalmanovich was an art critic, his mother a teacher. 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 a editor and writer. In 1958, he began to collaborate with his brother Boris, a collaboration that lasted until Arkady's death October 12, 1991.[1]
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.[2]
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.
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 |
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 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 |
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 Ones of this World | Бессильные мира сего | 2003 | N/A | novel |
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.
Several writers have to a varying degree paid their tribute to the works of Strugatsky brothers:
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