3 ms·

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky were pretty prolific during this time (often writing in secret, and reciting their works only to trusted friends). "The Doomed City

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky were pretty prolific during this time (often writing in secret, and reciting their works only to trusted friends). "The Doomed City" is one of the best pieces of philosophical scifi I've ever read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doomed_City https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doomed_City

er4hn 3y ago
The Doomed City is a bad example since it was specifically released in a post-soviet era. It had very direct criticisms of communism which lead to the authors deciding to not release it during the soviet era they wrote it. "Hard to be a God", mentioned below, is a better example. Soviet era Sci-Fi where Star Trek esque space communists try to uplift a medieval society into modern political belief before establishing official first contact.
- thriftwy 3y ago
  The Doomed City is way deeper than "criticisms of communism". People literally wake up in The Doomed City when the pandemic has started in 2020, for example.
  - CrazyStat 3y ago
    What's deep about that?
    - thriftwy 3y ago
      You will never know until you read the book. That's the deal with good books.
- elgenie 3y ago
  Technically, 'The Doomed City' was released in Soviet times, not in the post-Soviet one, as a result of Glasnost'/Perestroika. It was published in serialized form in "Neva" magazine in '88-'89, then in book form, while the USSR would still be a going concern for a couple more years.
- tetris11 3y ago
  It had direct criticisms of capitalism too, if I recall. There were characters that thrived and drowned under many of the different social orders presented there. The main character tried to adapt to all and ultimately lost himself and everyone he knew in pursuit of his constantly changing ideals.
the-dude 3y ago
Never seen those names before this week, apparently there are new translations in 2023 : https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-beetle-in-the-anthill-the-waves-extinguish-the-wind-by-arkady-and-boris-strugatsky-review-n2zcpvg0w https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-beetle-in-the-anthill...
- kubanczyk 3y ago
  http://archive.today/xv6lX http://archive.today/xv6lX I consider The Waves Extinguish the Wind their best novel, for its simplicity. But I didn't read any English translation, and it's a big "but".

er4hn 3y ago

The Doomed City is a bad example since it was specifically released in a post-soviet era. It had very direct criticisms of communism which lead to the authors deciding to not release it during the soviet era they wrote it. "Hard to be a God", mentioned below, is a better example. Soviet era Sci-Fi where Star Trek esque space communists try to uplift a medieval society into modern political belief before establishing official first contact.

thriftwy 3y ago
The Doomed City is way deeper than "criticisms of communism". People literally wake up in The Doomed City when the pandemic has started in 2020, for example.
- CrazyStat 3y ago
  What's deep about that?
  - thriftwy 3y ago
    You will never know until you read the book. That's the deal with good books.
elgenie 3y ago
Technically, 'The Doomed City' was released in Soviet times, not in the post-Soviet one, as a result of Glasnost'/Perestroika. It was published in serialized form in "Neva" magazine in '88-'89, then in book form, while the USSR would still be a going concern for a couple more years.
tetris11 3y ago
It had direct criticisms of capitalism too, if I recall. There were characters that thrived and drowned under many of the different social orders presented there. The main character tried to adapt to all and ultimately lost himself and everyone he knew in pursuit of his constantly changing ideals.

the-dude 3y ago

Never seen those names before this week, apparently there are new translations in 2023 : https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-beetle-in-the-anthill-the-waves-extinguish-the-wind-by-arkady-and-boris-strugatsky-review-n2zcpvg0w https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-beetle-in-the-anthill...

kubanczyk 3y ago
http://archive.today/xv6lX http://archive.today/xv6lX I consider The Waves Extinguish the Wind their best novel, for its simplicity. But I didn't read any English translation, and it's a big "but".