Soviet SF?

[fabrice4]

What make Soviet SF different from others?

of course beyond lack of any criticism of communism

thanks

 

[Dave Vicks]

The Film SOLARIS is called by some the Russian 2001.

 

[fabrice4]

thanks

I saw it when it came out on cinemas

but I was rather thinking about the characteristics that made it different from other SF, if there are any of course

 

[Rodders]

I haven't read Solaris, yet, but Stanislaw Lem appears to be very highly regarded.

I'm not sure if it counts, but Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky was pretty good, (as was the game) and I really enjoyed Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch series. There are six in total and I have read the first three. More Supernatural than SF, though.

 

[BAYLOR]

What make Soviet SF different from others?

of course beyond lack of any criticism of communism

thanks

You might want to check out the Arcady and Boris Strugatsky .

 

[Venusian Broon]

Stanislaw Lem was Polish so it depends if, by Soviet SF you mean something like 'Communist Bloc' SF.

I've recently read some of the Strugatski brothers which I really rate, Hard to be a God and Roadside Picnic (which was filmed as Stalker, which then I believe help inspire the video game.)

It's definitey literary SF, so you have been warned, but usually they attempted "darker themes and social satire". To be honest, I feel they were 'in step' with other SF movements in the West at the time (Ballard was publishing at exactly the same time for example, for which I can see parallels), so really I wouldn't have said there was a difference there. Reading some of the brother's memories of trying to get books published, I would guess there would have been a lot less 'pulp' SF around in the Soviet Union, but that's a pure guess.

 

[AE35Unit]

The Film SOLARIS is called by some the Russian 2001.

Written by a Pole

 

[Venusian Broon]

Written by a Pole

The book the film was based on was written by Lem, and I believe he helped Tarkovsky to adapt it, but officially the film script was written by Tarkovsky and Gorenstein (a Ukrainian) and the film itself was purely Soviet.

 

[tinkerdan]

Quote from wiki:
"Stanisław Herman[2] Lem (Polish: [staˈɲiswaf ˈlɛm] (About this soundlisten); 12/13 September 1921 – 27 March 2006) was a Polish writer of science fiction and essays on various subjects, including philosophy, futurology, and literary criticism."

Russian speculative fiction - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This might be of interest.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Co-incidentally I just came across this list

Writing the future: A timeline of science fiction literature

From Gulliver's Travels, through Brave New World and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, this timeline explores the evolution of the science fiction novel.

www.bbc.co.uk

which mentions We by Yevgeny Zamyatin.

I've neither heard of the book nor him, but since it was written just after the revolution I reckon it counts as Soviet and also something that does criticise communism:

Yevgeny Zamyatin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"We has often been discussed as a political satire aimed at the police state of the Soviet Union"

 

[Dave]

I've neither heard of the book nor him, but since it was written just after the revolution I reckon it counts as Soviet and also something that does criticise communism:

Except that he wrote it on Tyneside as an exile while working in the shipyards. Also, without making this a political discussion, I think these books (like 1984 too) are critical of rising "totalitarianism" and an authoritarian state, rather than socioeconomic policy.

 

[thestars]

Some SF themes were similar. The short story There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury was adapted into a short film by a Soviet film studio (watch film here, or lower-quality version with English subtitles here).

 

[KGeo777]

I would assume Soviet Sci-fi is less fantasy-based.
I wonder how the USSR would have made THE THING.
Since the creature is about removing all distinctions and creating as kind of equality. How different is that from a planet that is an alien organism...

The Borg is the same way. They have no distinct heritage, they are non-judgemental-anyone can become one with the Borg, no gender, yet they are ruled by a matriarchy. A win-win situation I would think with the political point score board nowadays.