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Summary (From the publisher):The 22nd Century. Mankind is free from the age-old misery and poverty that have kept it in bondage, free to create a new world, to explore the universe, to confront the mysteries of human existence. Russia's greatest S-F writeres, Arkday and Boris Strugatsky, have produced a futuristic masterpiece of epic proportions and breathtaking vision.Two interplanetary adventurers hurtle through space at a speed faster than light, and are flung a hundred years into the 22nd century. They find themselves on a planet both like and unlike the earth they abandoned so very long ago--and so recently.It is a planet ruled by wisdom, where automated farms feed tens million inhabitants, where a complete system of moving roads brings the farthest outposts into close communion, where an advanced science in mechanization approaches the mysterious complexity of life itself. Here all effort is bound to the exhilarating art if discovery--way below the planet's waters, deep into the endless reaches of space and far beyond the boundless zones of the human mind.Night on MarsAlmost the SameOld-timerThe ConspiratorsChronicleTwo from the TaimyrThe Moving RoadsCornucopiaHomecomingLangour of the SpiritThe AssaultmenDeep SearchThe Mystery of the Hind LegCandles Before the Control BoardNatural Science in the Spirit World ilgrims and WayfarersThe Planet with all the ConveniencesDefeatThe MeetingWhat You Will Be Like
Two space travelers are propelled a century into the future, arriving in a transformed Earth that has transcended historical scarcity and conflict. The protagonists navigate this advanced society, observing the integration of high-level automation and the expansion of human potential. The narrative framework consists of a series of interconnected short stories that explore the sociological and technological shifts of this utopian era. The characters must reconcile their past perspectives with the logical, efficient, and often mysterious advancements of the 22nd century.
Readers and critics often identify this collection as a significant example of Soviet-era speculative fiction that prioritizes sociological inquiry over traditional conflict. Discussion frequently centers on the authors' optimistic vision of a future where technology serves to liberate humanity from labor and poverty. Many observers highlight the episodic nature of the book, noting that it functions more as a series of vignettes exploring a world-building concept rather than a singular plot-driven novel. The pacing is described as deliberate and contemplative, encouraging readers to consider the implications of scientific advancement on the human spirit. Critics often point to the balance between technical detail and the exploration of abstract human potential as the primary strength of the work.
Page Count:
312
Publication Date:
1978-09-01
Publisher:
MacMillan Publishing Company
ISBN-10:
0020256000
ISBN-13:
9780020256007
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