Odd request: Russian Sci-fi/fantasy novels

[Weezer]

I've read a few sci-fi/fantasy works written by Russian authors and I've found that they've had a very different 'feel' to them than most of what I'd read in the past. Taking the Russian penchant for fatalism and darker works and applying it to those genres really works well for me and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for good Russian works in those genres, that have also been translated well into english.

What I've read so far are the Night Watch series by Lukyanenko (excellent urban fantasy) and currently reading Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

Also, strictly Russian isn't necessary, dark non-American/British sci-fi/fantasy would be fine too.

[Vladislav]

Whoever recommended those to you, has good taste. Read more by the same authors, can't possibly go wrong with it. Especially Inhabited Island, I think it's called Prisoners of Power in English. If you want something else, look into works by Kir Bulychev (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kir_Bulychev). If you want something older, with a classic feel, look into Alexei Tolstoy (not to be confused with Leo Tolstoy)

To avoid like the plague: Nick Perumov.

[Manga Shoggoth]

There are a series of stories about a character called Prix the Pilot which were quite good - alas, I cannot remember the author.

(And if you liked "Roadside Picnic", I believe the PC game "S.T.A.L.K.E.R - Shadow of Chernobyl" is loosely based on it.)

EDIT: I do, of course, mean Stanisław Lem's Tales of Pirx the Pilot - although Lem is Polish, so I don't know if this really fits your entry criteria...

[GolemsVoice]

(And if you liked "Roadside Picnic", I believe the PC game "S.T.A.L.K.E.R - Shadow of Chernobyl" is loosely based on it.

Yep it is, and there's a whole series of books again based on the GAME. I'm a huge fan of the game, and I've read one of the novels set in the world, and I liked it, but I don't know if the others are any good, this kind of literature always has it's pitfalls.

[Axolotl]

If you're willing to go for old stuff then We is very good, the first distopia.

Also I think S.T.A.L.K.E.R. the game was based on Stalker the movie which was based on Roadside Picnic the book. All of them are good anyway.

[Seraph]

the movie Stalker is a very good work of sci-fi, as well.

[pita]

Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher series (Polish, not Russian), is a cynical, excellent fantasy series, though only two of them have been translated to English.

[tomandtish]

Try Sergei Vasilievich Lukyanenko's Night Watch series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Lukyanenko

[Weezer]

Whoever recommended those to you, has good taste. Read more by the same authors, can't possibly go wrong with it. Especially Inhabited Island, I think it's called Prisoners of Power in English. If you want something else, look into works by Kir Bulychev (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kir_Bulychev). If you want something older, with a classic feel, look into Alexei Tolstoy (not to be confused with Leo Tolstoy)

To avoid like the plague: Nick Perumov.

Well, I was put onto Lukyanenko by someone here, so of course it was good taste! Thanks for the recommendations.


Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher series (Polish, not Russian), is a cynical, excellent fantasy series, though only two of them have been translated to English.

How similar is it to the games? I've played the first one and enjoyed it.


Try Sergei Vasilievich Lukyanenko's Night Watch series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Lukyanenko

Well, that's one of the ones I've already read, as I mentioned in the OP.

[Vladislav]

EDIT: I do, of course, mean Stanisław Lem's Tales of Pirx the Pilot - although Lem is Polish, so I don't know if this really fits your entry criteria...Second the recommendation for practically anything by Lem... now I feel bad forgetting about him. Solaris is of course a classic. I also particularly liked Cyberiad and Peace on Earth.

[pita]

How similar is it to the games? I've played the first one and enjoyed it.


Never played the games, but I met the author who said the games were made by fans, and have his full seal of approval, so it can't be that different... From my understanding from a friend who played them, the first game starts after the fifth book ends.

[Tengu_temp]

The Great Guslar stories by Kir Bulychev. Anything by the Strugatsky brothers. The Fatal Eggs and especially The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.

From Polish writers (do note that Poland and Russia are very different countries, and you can see that in our fiction too), I second anything by Stanislaw Lem and almost anything by Andrzej Sapkowski - the Witcher books are a classic, but the Narrenturm trilogy is pretty good though (even if its ending is pretty bad, which seems to be a common trend whenever Sapkowski writes long prose).

If you liked the Witcher games, you'll probably like the books too. The games are a direct sequel to the five-tome saga, which is a direct sequel to the two short stories collections. I personally like the short stories more, a lot of them are funnier and/or more uplifting than the saga and Sapkowski is simply better at short form.