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Neither Arkadii nor Boris Strugatskii had originally intended to make a living in writing. Arkadii dreamed of becoming an astronomer, but his wartime experience and training led him to work as a translator and editor of Japanese literature. Boris intended to become a physicist, trained as an astronomer, and ended up as a computer specialist at Pulkovo Observatory. This common thread of astronomy turns out to be fantastically important for understanding their works, as their most important ones are experiments in cosmology, and their shared expertise is instrumental in their construction of literary hellscapes. This book explores how the Strugatskiis’ cosmological explorations are among the most fundamental elements of their art. It examines also how these explorations connect to their predecessors in the Russian literary tradition—particularly to the poetry of Pushkin.
"...Combining biographical insights with wide-ranging literary analysis, Celestial Hellscapes is an outstanding asset to scholars of science fiction. Reese’s book is particularly timely now, as the Strugatskiis’ best novels are finally re-translated and re-issued in English."
—Muireanne Maguire, University of Exeter, Slavonic and East European Review (vol. 99, no. 3, July 2021)
“Such a detailed, extensive study of the Strugatskys’ major works offers both academic and lay readers a window onto the events and ideas that influenced the brothers’ “Pushkinian cosmology…” One of only a few such studies of the Strugatskys’ works, Celestial Hellscapes shows just how integral Russian literature and culture, as well as the field of astronomy in the mid-twentieth century, were to the brothers’ literary imaginations… Reese’s study of the Strugatskys’ sf constitutes an important contribution to the field of Russian speculative fiction in particular and twentieth-century speculative fiction in general. The Strugatskys stand as authors of some of the most distinctive, thought-provoking novels and stories to have come out of the traumas of the twentieth century, and their work should be read and taught more widely in the Anglophone world.”
—Rachel Cordasco, Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts
“This engaging study sheds new light on key works by the Strugatskys and provides many useful insights for students and scholars alike… In each chapter, Reese deftly weaves close readings of the particular text with biographical, scientific and cultural context to expand the critical understanding of the Strugatskys’ works, and their place in the science fiction tradition in general. As a result, Celestial Hellscapes serves as valuable, engaging reading for students, scholars and Strugatsky fans alike.”
—Benjamin Jens, University of Arizona, Slavic and East European Journal
“This book is a first-rate contribution to scholarship on the Strugatskys. The brotherly duo of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky combine the best of the sciences and the humanities—what the late Soviet intelligentsia called ‘physicist’ and ‘lyricist.’ As a literary scholar and an amateur astronomer, Kevin Reese is well-positioned to explore their universes. … Reese has written an intelligent and enjoyable study that will speak to scholars, students, and fans of the worlds of the Strugatsky brothers.”
—Sofya Khagi, University of Michigan, Russian Review
“Crowning two decades of research on the nearly 30 science fiction works of 20th-century writers Arkadii Strugatskii and Boris Strugatskii, this book presents detailed analyses of the brothers’ symbolic, subtextual, and literary sources. Reese (also the Strugatskiis’ astute translator) writes that the authors’ experiences (biographical, political, and emotional) under the Soviets were at the heart of their work—be they in disguise or evident; in fact, they were communicating the human trauma Stalin (or any totalitarian ruler) created. … This book is interesting reading. … Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.”
—D. Hutchins, CHOICE Reviews
Kevin Reese has been studying the Strugatskii brothers for twenty years. At UNC, he developed a course on Soviet science fiction centered around their works. Currently, he is translating the Strugatskiis’ final works—their novel Those Burdened by Evil and their play The Yids of the City of Peter.
A note on the names of our “author”
The Strugatskiis’ Pushkinian Cosmology
Chapter 1: A Biography through Astronomy
Chapter 2: Minor Planets: the Strugatskiis’ Earlier Experiments in Cosmology
Chapter 3: The Hell of the Ignorant: The Second Martian Invasion
Chapter 4: Poincaré’s Starless Hell: The Inhabited Island
Chapter 5: Exceptions to the Laws of Thermodynamics: Roadside Picnic
Chapter 6: “Long live darkness!”: A Billion Years Until the End of the World
Chapter 7: The Island Universe and the Copper Doorknob: The Doomed City
Chapter 8: Chronic Bewilderment and Astronomical “Fact”: Those Burdened by Evil
Coda: “Day and night my Man in Black gives me no peace…”: The Yids of the City of Peter
Afterword
Bibliography
Appendix I: The Altitude of Vega