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The protestors in Russia (the small number which is still on the streets) likely did not read any Soviet Sci-Fi at all. What they read is Harry Potter. The par

The protestors in Russia (the small number which is still on the streets) likely did not read any Soviet Sci-Fi at all. What they read is Harry Potter. The parable from Soviet Sci-Fi to the current events is quite confusing. It's an attempt to create a narrative where there isn't.

FpUser 4y ago
"The protestors in Russia (the small number which is still on the streets) likely did not read any Soviet Sci-Fi at all. What they read is Harry Potter." Likely why? You got any real info?
- thriftwy 4y ago
  That's Twitter crowd in Russia. Russian culture is not on Twitter hence it never existed as far as they are concerned.
trhway 4y ago
>The protestors in Russia (the small number which is still on the streets) likely did not read any Soviet Sci-Fi at all. They are living in it. Right now they moved from the chapters in the "Inhabited Island/Prisoners of Power" describing totalitarian state covered with propaganda broadcasting towers and dissent suppression into the chapter where the main characters are loaded into tanks and sent into [tactical] nukes battlefield. The power of Dostoyevsky/Strugatskis/Pelevin (to me they are parts of the same axis, though it is hard to describe why in short post) is whatever happens (or yet to happen) in Russia you still feel like you're inside one of their novel.
- thriftwy 4y ago
  This is an ample comparsion but may I remind you that Inhabited Island's plot did not resolve by the means of street protests, nor did it resolve at all even after the regime fell?
  - trhway 4y ago
    That is the point. Post Putin Russia isn't going to magically change and become a happy place. Society can't change overnight and humans can't significantly, if any, expand their mental horizon fast (even when it is supposedly advanced humans and society of the the future and when presented with tremendously wonderful new aspects of reality) - that goes through several Strugatskis works (Hard to be a God, Roadside Picnic, Anthill, The Waves Extinguish the Wind)
    - thriftwy 4y ago
      I can't say that Putin's Russia is a particularly unhappy place, especially taking into account the bad things one carries inside and will surely transplant wherever they land. And compared to the thing the world now wants to build here, which is also described in post-soviet social fiction. In Inhabited Island, Maxim takes some time to ponder whether the society he appeared in is actually unhappy and needs any help, considering its level of develoment.
cf141q5325 4y ago
>What they read is Harry Potter. Russia has some truly great fantasy series of their own. I never tire of recommending Lukyanenkos Night Watch series. Especially in contrast to trope heavy feel good stuff like Harry Potter that falls back to the heroic fight against ultimate villains. In contrast even the magic system of Night Watch throws the difficulty of the shades of grey in your face. Its especially nice that the whole thing starts as black and white as you can get with the protagonist developing throughout the whole series. edit: Only read it in German, so not sure about the English translation
- thriftwy 4y ago
  I get it, but people calling themself Russian opposition today are oblivious to any shades of grey. For them, Lukyanenko is a vatnik (a popular ethno-political slur not unlike "redneck") and nazi, case closed. Same with his comrade SF writer Oleg Divov. There are no shades of grey in political twitter. If Lukyanenko dies tomorrow, it would be a loud celebration for Russian opposition, whatever is left of it - another Putin's rag quacked. Like they celebrated the death of Darya Dugina and posted ironic memes about that. I could recommend them a Russian (or Ukrainian) writer or two who are likely sharing their world views today, but they just aren't the booky type in general. Why read more books when you get the knowledge of the current thing from Twitter. And the general life framework from Harry Potter. I don't even think you have to read that one to the end. Most of the memes like the magic hat are in the book one. I would say that the low quality and race to the bottom in Russian opposition is one of the pillars that lets Putin remain in his chair uncontested. And they keep digging. They reproduce by managing to recruit a new generation of even worse youth.
golergka 4y ago
> The protestors in Russia (the small number which is still on the streets) likely did not read any Soviet Sci-Fi at all Yeah, that's completely false. As someone who has been on these streets and it these political circles for a LONG time, I can with confidence tell you that vast majority were familiar with at least most (if not all) writers in that list.

FpUser 4y ago

"The protestors in Russia (the small number which is still on the streets) likely did not read any Soviet Sci-Fi at all. What they read is Harry Potter." Likely why? You got any real info?

thriftwy 4y ago
That's Twitter crowd in Russia. Russian culture is not on Twitter hence it never existed as far as they are concerned.

trhway 4y ago

>The protestors in Russia (the small number which is still on the streets) likely did not read any Soviet Sci-Fi at all. They are living in it. Right now they moved from the chapters in the "Inhabited Island/Prisoners of Power" describing totalitarian state covered with propaganda broadcasting towers and dissent suppression into the chapter where the main characters are loaded into tanks and sent into [tactical] nukes battlefield. The power of Dostoyevsky/Strugatskis/Pelevin (to me they are parts of the same axis, though it is hard to describe why in short post) is whatever happens (or yet to happen) in Russia you still feel like you're inside one of their novel.

thriftwy 4y ago
This is an ample comparsion but may I remind you that Inhabited Island's plot did not resolve by the means of street protests, nor did it resolve at all even after the regime fell?
- trhway 4y ago
  That is the point. Post Putin Russia isn't going to magically change and become a happy place. Society can't change overnight and humans can't significantly, if any, expand their mental horizon fast (even when it is supposedly advanced humans and society of the the future and when presented with tremendously wonderful new aspects of reality) - that goes through several Strugatskis works (Hard to be a God, Roadside Picnic, Anthill, The Waves Extinguish the Wind)
  - thriftwy 4y ago
    I can't say that Putin's Russia is a particularly unhappy place, especially taking into account the bad things one carries inside and will surely transplant wherever they land. And compared to the thing the world now wants to build here, which is also described in post-soviet social fiction. In Inhabited Island, Maxim takes some time to ponder whether the society he appeared in is actually unhappy and needs any help, considering its level of develoment.

cf141q5325 4y ago

>What they read is Harry Potter. Russia has some truly great fantasy series of their own. I never tire of recommending Lukyanenkos Night Watch series. Especially in contrast to trope heavy feel good stuff like Harry Potter that falls back to the heroic fight against ultimate villains. In contrast even the magic system of Night Watch throws the difficulty of the shades of grey in your face. Its especially nice that the whole thing starts as black and white as you can get with the protagonist developing throughout the whole series. edit: Only read it in German, so not sure about the English translation

thriftwy 4y ago
I get it, but people calling themself Russian opposition today are oblivious to any shades of grey. For them, Lukyanenko is a vatnik (a popular ethno-political slur not unlike "redneck") and nazi, case closed. Same with his comrade SF writer Oleg Divov. There are no shades of grey in political twitter. If Lukyanenko dies tomorrow, it would be a loud celebration for Russian opposition, whatever is left of it - another Putin's rag quacked. Like they celebrated the death of Darya Dugina and posted ironic memes about that. I could recommend them a Russian (or Ukrainian) writer or two who are likely sharing their world views today, but they just aren't the booky type in general. Why read more books when you get the knowledge of the current thing from Twitter. And the general life framework from Harry Potter. I don't even think you have to read that one to the end. Most of the memes like the magic hat are in the book one. I would say that the low quality and race to the bottom in Russian opposition is one of the pillars that lets Putin remain in his chair uncontested. And they keep digging. They reproduce by managing to recruit a new generation of even worse youth.

golergka 4y ago

> The protestors in Russia (the small number which is still on the streets) likely did not read any Soviet Sci-Fi at all Yeah, that's completely false. As someone who has been on these streets and it these political circles for a LONG time, I can with confidence tell you that vast majority were familiar with at least most (if not all) writers in that list.