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Exploring The World Of Russian Science Fiction Online

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the stuff-to-read-in-english dept.

jimharris writes: "There is a vast heritage of science fiction in Russian that is as large and diverse as SF in English. This Russian site has several complete science fiction novels in English. If you go to their home page you will feel the language barrier. Most of these are out of print in the English speaking world, but many were translated and published in the seventies, and can be found through AddAll.Com. I have found one Russian Science Fiction club that tries to help the English speaking world understand Russian SF, and also gives their view on Heinlein and Philip K. Dick. Only Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky appear on the Classics of Science Fiction list. I have to wonder what far-out concepts I might be missing because I only understand English -- maybe the Internet will help break down this barrier."

3 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Cultural-Centric SF? by purduephotog · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Like languages, environment define the terms you associate with life.

    300 words for snow? Yup, if you are from the north. I think I have 5 or 6 ... Snow, SnowFall, Blizzard... whiteout...

    What's this have to do with SF? Even if there is a perfect, idiom-perfect translation, we Americans may simply not have the cultural background to understand it. Or even do it the justice it deserves.

    This is by no means a reason to stop trying- I frankly love SF and have a library rapidly approaching 1000 books... but until I bone up on my russian history, I am afraid these wonderful texts will fall short :(

    Of course, a 'monologue' like the put down at the bottom of those ancient texts you studied in Latin class (you DID read the Aeneid, didn't you?) was more than enough to get the underlying meaning, giving you the cultural explanations of the references provided. Maybe thats what their SF needs to be complete.

    1. Re:Cultural-Centric SF? by GGardner · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I think you've got this the wrong way round.

      Is Russian fiction (SF or otherwise) a product of its culture? Sure, but that's a reason to read it, not a reason to ignore it.

      Chekhov said that only Russians could understand Russian lit. Perhaps only Russians can completely understand it, but that doesn't mean the rest of us should stop trying.

  2. a faster mirror and some must read books by dunkelfalke · · Score: 4, Informative


    this mirror should be faster for all living outside of russia.

    Monday Begins on Saturday great and funny book, kinda douglas adams style

    Hard to be a god same writers, much darker sf

    The Master and Margarita kinda Faust in USSR, funny

    --
    "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap