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Russian brothers, writer duo
The brothers Arkady Strugatsky (28 August 1925 – 12 October 1991) and Boris Strugatsky (14 April 1933 – 19 November 2012) were Soviet and Russian science-fiction authors who collaborated through most of their careers. Their notable works include Hard to Be a God (1964), Monday Begins on Saturday (1965), and Roadside Picnic (1971), later adapted by Andrei Tarkovsky into the film Stalker (1979).
A translated Strugatsky story appeared in Amazing Stories in 1959The Strugatsky brothers (братья Стругацкие or simply Стругацкие) were born to Natan Strugatsky, an art critic, and his wife, a teacher. Their father was Jewish and their mother was Russian Orthodox.[citation needed] Their early work was influenced by Ivan Yefremov and Stanisław Lem. Later they went on to develop their own, unique style of science fiction writing that emerged from the period of Soviet rationalism in Soviet literature and evolved into novels interpreted as works of social criticism.[1]
Their best-known novel, Piknik na obochine, has been translated into English as Roadside Picnic. Andrei Tarkovsky adapted the novel for the screen as Stalker (1979).
Algis Budrys compared their "An Emergency Case" and Arkady's "Wanderers and Travellers" to the work of Eando Binder.[2] Several other of their fiction works were translated into English, German, French, and Italian, but did not receive the same magnitude of critical acclaim as that granted by their Russian audiences. The Strugatsky brothers, however, were and still are popular in many countries, including Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, the former republics of Yugoslavia, and Germany, where most of their works were available in both East and West Germany. They are well-known Russian science fiction writers with a well-developed fan base.[citation needed]
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.[3][4]
Arkady Strugatsky was born 25 August 1925 in Batumi; the family later moved to Leningrad. In January 1942, Arkady and his father were evacuated from the Siege of Leningrad, but Arkady was the only survivor in his train car; his father died upon reaching Vologda. Arkady was drafted into the Soviet army in 1943. He trained 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. In 1955, he began working as an editor and writer. In 1958, he began collaborating with his brother Boris, a collaboration that lasted until Arkady's death on 12 October 1991.[5] Arkady Strugatsky became a member of the Union of Soviet Writers in 1964. In addition to his own writing, he translated Japanese short stories and novels, as well as some English works with his brother.
Boris Strugatsky in 2006Born 14 April 1933, Boris 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 at the Pulkovo Observatory. In 1960 he participated in a geodetic and astronomical expedition in the Caucasus. Boris Strugatsky became a member of the writers' union of the USSR in 1964. In 1966, he became a full-time writer.[6] From 1972 he acted as the head of the Leningrad seminar of young speculative fiction writers, which subsequently became known as the "Boris Strugatsky Seminar". He established the "Bronze Snail" literary prize. He was an agnostic.[7] After the death of his brother, he published two more novels under a pseudonym. Boris Strugatsky died in Saint Petersburg on 19 November 2012.[8][9]
Several of the Strugatsky brothers' books take place in the World of Noon, also known unofficially as the Wanderers Universe. The name is derived from the title of one of their texts, Noon: 22nd Century. The Noon Universe started as a "socialist utopia" in which the conflict is between "the good and the better" while the later books set in the same universe took on darker tones.[10]
The main characteristics of the Noon Universe are: a very high level of social, scientific, and technological development; 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.
The Noon 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 the Noon Universe would become reality "by itself", but then they realized that the only way to achieve it was 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 addresses 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.
The first volume of the Strugatskys' 33-volume complete works, published by A. V. Sidorovich Publishing house (2017). 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 /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 1966Short 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 (short story) 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 asThe following titles were 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 storyThe following titles were published by Boris Strugatsky under the pseudonym S. Vititsky (С. Витицкий):
The Strugatsky's books were often adapted for screen, stage, comics, and video games. Some of the adaptations are very loose, like Tarkovsky's Stalker, some are not adaptations but rather new scripts written by the Brothers themselves, like The Sorcerers.
Several writers have to a varying degree paid their tribute to the works of Strugatsky brothers:
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)I was an atheist, or as it is now for some reason, say, an agnostic. I (unfortunately or fortunately) I can not bring myself to believe in the existence of a conscious self Omnipotence that controls my life and the life of humanity.
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