Arkady Strugatsky (1925–1991)

What an extraordinary book this is. Think Bulgakov combined with the Asimov of 'Asimov’s Mysteries' meets Wallace Shawn. It’s a wholly sustained SF novel set exclusively in an apartment. That description of course belies its scope and ambition. The very informative Afterword by Boris Strugatsky describes the first idea for the book as ‘“Faust, 20th century.” Hell and Heaven try to stop the development of science.’ Perfect. They carry it off.

I have to admit, I really enjoyed this one. Admittedly, the switch of Red's POV from first person to third person threw me a little at first (not sure I could figure out the reason for that either. If anyone knows the answer, please holler), but other than that it's a great read.
The pacing is great, the jumps in time smooth and natural, and all the different aspects of the story are explained just enough to be understood on a superficial level, but not so much that we're not left with heaps show more of questions. The story offers some hypothetical answers to some of those questions, but mostly leaves it up to the reader to interpret.
If you're the kind of person that needs to have everything perfectly explained, spoon-fed and tied up with a neat bow, stay clear, this book is not for you. If however you enjoy a good "what if" scenario, and aren't afraid to think for yourself, you can't go wrong here. show less

An improbable mix of Non-Stop, Dune and 1984. A favourite of Sturgeon, who provides an insightful introduction, Prisoners of Power works on several levels. At face value it's an action-packed adventure. Alternatively, a dystopia on life in an inhospitable radioactive environment. Or even a political thriller, though apparently heavily censored. Even the censored version (on which current English translations are based) gives a scathing indictment of bureaucracy. As the plot unravels, show more shattering this casual science fiction reader's preconceptions, a deep humanitarian question emerges. Does the end really justify the means? show less

This old Russian classic SF is surprisingly relevant and fresh today, sans all the copious amount of smoking going on. :) If anything is going to give this little gem away, it's pretty much only that.

It's very tight, masquerading as a scavenger adventure that becomes a black-market thriller that becomes a Question about the nature of intelligence, discovery, and even the most basic question of all: "What the hell are these aliens thinking???"

After all, they just left a huge mess by the side show more of the road, not even bothering to say hi to the damn locals before dumping their half-eaten crap and leaving their high-tech soda bottles.

I mean, seriously? Who do these Americans think they are, despoiling such a pretty Russian countryside? *sigh* And then there's the whole mess about consumerism and capitalism, giving us a pretty complete and coherent condemnation while never quite "saying" anything. It's all just shown, and shown extremely well.

And then there's the now obvious connection to the much later work that is heavily indebted to Roadside Picnic, the redoubtable [b:Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy|22752442|Area X The Southern Reach Trilogy (Southern Reach, #1-3)|Jeff VanderMeer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412547809s/22752442.jpg|42299018]. Others have gone over the connections better than I will, but I can say one thing freely: The two are very similar in the gross, between the oddness within the area and the desire for both understanding and possible trinkets, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. Sure, we'll keep asking questions in both novels, long after they've ended, but this one keeps things pretty light even when the MC is crawling through the mud. I blame it on the alcohol. But then, this is very much a Russian novel.

I think I might go ahead and say that I think this one is the tighter SF story. The first novel in Area X was delicious for the surreal and the details, but this novel had a lot more action and straight talk for those who prefer their tales snappy. Don't be surprised, though, if you get more of a bellyful of the evils of capitalism rather than a deeper exploration of aliens and our own ultimate insignificance. It's there, but the sneaky diatribe against the West is actually the superior portion of the novel. (Superior both in fun and plot and the things that our MC must endure, rather than sheer page space.)

This is quite an awesome classic SF and I heartily recommend it. It obviously had a lot of love and care poured into it, and the results are fantastic. :) show less