Arkady and Boris Strugatsky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
Born	Soviet Union Leningrad (Boris), Batumi (Arkady)
Died	Russia Saint Petersburg (Boris), Moscow (Arkady)
Occupation	Writers
Genre	Science fiction, philosophical and social science fiction

Boris Strugatsky in 2006

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky were famous brothers from the Soviet Union who wrote many science fiction books together. They are known for their unique stories that often made readers think deeply about society and the future. Arkady Natanovich Strugatsky was born on August 28, 1925, and passed away on October 12, 1991. His younger brother, Boris Natanovich Strugatsky, was born on April 14, 1933, and died on November 19, 2012.

Life and Their Amazing Books

A translated Strugatsky story appeared in Amazing Stories magazine in 1959

The Strugatsky brothers were born to Natan Strugatsky, who was an art critic, and their mother, who was a teacher. They started writing stories that were influenced by other science fiction authors like Ivan Yefremov and Stanisław Lem. Over time, they created their own special way of writing science fiction. Their books often explored big ideas about how society works and what the future might be like.

One of their most famous novels is Roadside Picnic. This book was so popular that it was made into a movie called Stalker in 1979 by director Andrei Tarkovsky. Many of their books were translated into other languages, like English, German, and French. They became very popular in countries like Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Germany. The Strugatsky brothers built a large fan base and are still well-known Russian science fiction writers today.

In 1987, they were honored as special guests at Conspiracy '87, which is a big event for science fiction fans called the World Science Fiction Convention.

Arkady's Journey

Arkady Strugatsky was born in Batumi on August 25, 1925. His family later moved to Leningrad. During World War II, in January 1942, Arkady and his father had to leave Leningrad because of a difficult time called the Siege of Leningrad. Sadly, Arkady was the only one who survived in his train car, and his father passed away when they reached Vologda.

In 1943, Arkady joined the Soviet army. He trained to be an interpreter of English and Japanese, finishing his studies in 1949. He worked for the military as a teacher and interpreter until 1955. After that, he started working as an editor and writer. In 1958, he began writing with his brother Boris. They worked together until Arkady's death on October 12, 1991. Besides his own writing, Arkady also translated short stories and novels from Japanese, and some English works with Boris.

Boris's Story

Boris Strugatsky was born on April 14, 1933. He stayed in Leningrad with his mother during the city's siege in World War II. After finishing high school in 1950, he studied astronomy at Leningrad State University. He graduated in 1955 and worked as an astronomer and computer engineer.

In 1960, Boris went on an expedition to the Caucasus mountains. By 1966, he became a full-time writer. He also led a group for young science fiction writers in Leningrad, which became known as the "Boris Strugatsky Seminar." He even created a special literary award called the "Bronze Snail." After his brother Arkady passed away, Boris wrote two more novels by himself, using a different name. Boris Strugatsky died in Saint Petersburg on November 19, 2012.

The Noon Universe

Many of the Strugatsky brothers' books take place in a fictional world they called the Noon Universe. It's also sometimes called the Wanderers Universe. This name comes from one of their books, Noon: 22nd Century.

In the Noon Universe, society is very advanced in science and technology. People are very creative, and society is much more mature than our world today. For example, there is no money, and everyone works in a job they truly enjoy. The Earth in the Noon Universe is run by a global council made up of the world's smartest scientists and thinkers. The authors described the Noon Universe as a world they would love to live and work in. It became very important to many people in the Soviet Union, who could easily understand references to the Strugatskys' books.

A key part of these stories is how advanced human civilization secretly guides the development of less advanced civilizations. The humans who do this are called Progressors. At the same time, some humans wonder if a very advanced space-traveling race called Wanderers is doing the same thing for humanity itself.

Their Published Works

Novels

Short Stories

Short Story Collections

Short stories originally published in Six Matches:

Short stories originally published as part of the novel Noon: 22nd Century:

Plays

Solo Works

Arkady Strugatsky also published books on his own using the name S. Yaroslavtsev:

Boris Strugatsky also published books on his own using the name S. Vititsky:

Books Made into Movies and Games

Many of the Strugatskys' books have been turned into movies, stage plays, comics, and even video games. Some of these adaptations are very different from the original books, while others are new stories written by the brothers themselves.

• Stalker (1979) by Andrey Tarkovsky, based on the Strugatskys' script, inspired by The Roadside Picnic
• Dead Mountaineer's Hotel (1979) by Grigori Kromanov, based on the novel of the same name
• The Sorcerers (1982), by Konstantin Bromberg, based on the Strugatskys' script inspired by Monday Begins on Saturday
• Days of Eclipse (1988) by Alexander Sokurov, inspired by One billion years before the end of the world
• Hard to be a God (1989) by Peter Fleischmann, based on the novel of the same name
• Искушение Б. (Iskushenie B.) (1991) by Arkadi Sirenko, based on the play Five Spoons of Elixir
• Nesmluvená setkání (1995 Czech TV movie, English: Unexpected Encounters) by Irena Pavlásková, based on the novel Space Mowgli
• The Ugly Swans (2006) by Konstantin Lopushansky, based on the novel of the same name
• Обитаемый остров (2008) is a two-part Russian science fiction film directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk from the 1969 novel published in English as Prisoners of Power
• Hard to be a God (2013) by Alexei German, based on the novel of the same name

Their Lasting Impact

The Strugatsky brothers' works have influenced many other writers and creators:

• The asteroid 3054 Strugatskia, discovered in 1977, was named after them.
• In 2014, a square in Saint Petersburg was named after the Strugatsky brothers, and a museum is being opened there.
• The video game The Final Station (2016) gives credit to the brothers for saving humanity.
• The game designers of Darkwood (2017) and Disco Elysium (2019) have said that the Strugatskys' writing influenced their games.

See Also

In Spanish: Arkadi y Borís Strugatski para niños