Thread: Russian Science Fiction - Recommended books?

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Shumil - very sharp and exact technichal and logical descriptions. No contradictions and baby-talk in technics (especially computer technics) if you know what I mean. Though some major fails in psychology and ethics IMHO. The main character usually is too masculine... Though female characters around are able to make fun of him even if unable to resist his charisma.

Scheglov - his Panga series is an example of sci-fi\fantazy mixture - very natural. The idea of magic describes a perfect user interface of a powerful high-tech device, doesn't it?

Rudazov - easy reading. Travels between worlds and adventures. Particularly good in comedy situations and charachters' banters. Start with Archmage series from the beginning. Later it goes worse.

Lazarchuk - «Иное небо» - an alternative history. Intellectual and rather complicated... Actually can't recommend reading in foreign language. But it is in my short list.

Max Frei - a woman actually. No SF though. "Labyrinths of Echo" series is a Harry Potter for grown ups with a very specific view of life and philosophy, which you either adore of hate.

Kamsha - two epic sagas in fictional medieval-to-renaissance-like worlds with mystics, magic and intensive eschatology. No one is completed up to now. No problems with credible female charachters as she's a woman. She's a fan of GRR Martin and her sagas resemble his one but they are way not so cruel and way more romantic.

Bushkov - mainly known for his action but has a nice series of SF\fantasy "Svarog". A lucky idiot in a Boschian world. First three novels are readable then he sold his name to publishers and now they publish garbage by shadowwriters in that series.
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Originally Posted by it-ogo

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Bushkov - mainly known for his action but has a nice series of SF\fantasy "Svarog". A lucky idiot in a Boschian world. First three novels are readable then he sold his name to publishers and now they publish garbage by shadowwriters in that series.

Oh, Bushkov! I'd like to say a few words on him.
He seems to be a graphomaniac and the most of his publications is junk and garbage. But he wrote two such excellent novels, I can't help respecting him.
These novels are Лабиринт and Провинциальная хроника начала осени. Their genre is not SF, fantasy or action but more like a fable with profound ideas on meaning of life and what human beings are.
I heartily recommend everyone to have a look at them. They are relatively short, so that doesn't take much time.

Originally Posted by it-ogo

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Shumil - very sharp and exact technichal and logical descriptions. No contradictions and baby-talk in technics (especially computer technics) if you know what I mean. Though some major fails in psychology and ethics IMHO. The main character usually is too masculine... Though female characters around are able to make fun of him even if unable to resist his charisma.

Scheglov - his Panga series is an example of sci-fi\fantazy mixture - very natural. The idea of magic describes a perfect user interface of a powerful high-tech device, doesn't it?

Rudazov - easy reading. Travels between worlds and adventures. Particularly good in comedy situations and charachters' banters. Start with Archmage series from the beginning. Later it goes worse.

Lazarchuk - «Иное небо» - an alternative history. Intellectual and rather complicated... Actually can't recommend reading in foreign language. But it is in my short list.

Max Frei - a woman actually. No SF though. "Labyrinths of Echo" series is a Harry Potter for grown ups with a very specific view of life and philosophy, which you either adore of hate.

Kamsha - two epic sagas in fictional medieval-to-renaissance-like worlds with mystics, magic and intensive eschatology. No one is completed up to now. No problems with credible female charachters as she's a woman. She's a fan of GRR Martin and her sagas resemble his one but they are way not so cruel and way more romantic.

Bushkov - mainly known for his action but has a nice series of SF\fantasy "Svarog". A lucky idiot in a Boschian world. First three novels are readable then he sold his name to publishers and now they publish garbage by shadowwriters in that series.
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Wow, what a great summary with the hyperlinks. I think this thread may be worthy of becoming a sticky, at this rate.

On the female character aspect. Yes, I absolutely don't need feminist heroines who kick butt and are action heroes.
All I ask is that they have more than one brain cell and are in the book for some other purpose than a sexy distraction.

One of the reasons I like to watch Soviet films once in a while is because they have interesting female characters of all ages. Not feminists, beauty queens or female action heroes, but regular women with an interesting story and a bit of personality. Don't know if that was deliberate, but it's very noticeable. Another reason is that I prefer a slower development of the plot, and I'm fine without brutal violence and sex scenes.
Would be interesting to know if sci-fi written during the Soviet era has similar characteristics.

Modern Russian sci-fi interests me more though, and anything older than 20 years is probably risking being a bit dated unless is strictly philosophical.

The question is whether I am able to read in Russian at this point. It's one thing to skim through the odd comment on Masterrussian where I can cheat and look things up. It's quite another to read a book.
I listen to audiobooks a lot (lets you do other things as you "read") - and I think I understand spoken Russian a bit better, possibly.

I wonder if I'd be able to follow an audiobook? I'm on a break in my Russian studies at the moment, to be resumed next year.



I totally forgot that Goodreads have book lists for everything. They say:



They seem to be counting the same books multiple times in different languages ?! Polish, or something.