Review by R. A. Scopatz   —   January 25, 2001

This book qualifies as a "lost book" three ways. First, the Strugatsky's wrote in their native Russian language and this one (and several others by the same sibling team) were only later translated for English-speaking audiences. Second, it is, of course, out of print. As far as I know, it only ever existed here in hard cover and while wonderful, may never really have sold well. Third, and most personally, it was lost to me because I'd first encountered these authors while spending time in the NYC Public Library and had forgotten both the title and the last name of the authors. Working from the remembered facts that they were Russian and had the names Boris and Arkady, I was able to get the rest from Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury (at Hatrack River). Thanks, Kathleen.

I searched online for books by these authors and bought one that sounded like it might be the one I'd read so many years before in the library. Turns out I was wrong, but the book is delightful and I will buy the others as soon as I can afford to.

A little background is in order. While Boris and Arkady Strugatsky are nearly unknown to "western" audiences, they are THE favorites among Russian science fiction fans. Their career spanned at least four decades and sadly, has apparently ended with the death of Boris back in the late 80's. According to one web-based fan page (translated from Russian) Arkady has stopped producing since his brother's death.

Noon: 22nd Century is part of a Macmillan project called Best of Soviet SF. The collection includes other works by the Strugatsky brothers among others. This one was translated into English by Patrick L. McGuire with introduction by Theodore Sturgeon. The "story" is really a loosely knit narrative told through a series of related short stories. The common denominator are a core set of characters (or their descendants) who recur in various combinations throughout the narrative.

Individually, the stories are all worthwhile for today's audiences. They deal with issues such as first contact, mistakes about first contact, artifacts from previous civilizations far more advanced than our own, and finally, in the clincher, time travel visits from our own descendants. As the title suggests, all the stories take place within the 22nd century. They flow chronologically from the dawn of the next millennium to its close. Along the way we are introduced to characters like the first child born on Mars, some students vying for slots as planetary explorers by showing who can take the most g-force, a couple of explorers who come back to Earth and find it's a whole new century in which they don't quite fit, and many more all worth mentioning but for space limitations.

The stories were written in Moscow between 1960 and 1966. This, I think, affects the writing in interesting ways. By 2101, there are apparently no longer any separate countries on Earth. We've all joined a vast benevolent unified government. Like similar ideas from Western authors, the home team won. The Earth is full of comrades. Communism has realized its ideal state and all is right with the world. Who could've foreseen in the 1960's or even in 1978 (when this book was translated), the destruction of the Soviet state? But who knows, Arkady and Boris don't tell us how communism becomes the norm, so we can't really be sure it doesn't happen between now and then, can we? Some readers may be troubled by this presupposition. There are precious few Western characters or Western-sounding names here. The jarring thing is that when they do appear, they are just like everyone else. We are all comrades. If it helps to you to get over this, think of it as just another "one-world" vision one might expect from Star Trek or any futuristic novel where the characters have to revisit Earth from time to time. Surely, by then, we'll stop all this squabbling and work for the common good. No?

The only other barrier to accessibility, for me, is a paradox of a too-good translation. The translator clearly decided (or was ordered) to render the book into U.S. idiom. As a result, those of us who enjoy reading foreign novels for the unique turn of phrase or an interesting metaphor will feel a bit robbed of this joy. The translation is good and not dated, but also not as rich as I might have hoped. Fortunately, the ideas presented rise above all of it. There are only a few spots where the "art" gets in the way.

I'll end with a personal note on why I like these guys and this book so well. The stories are populated with biologicals. Other planets aren't barren, but are filled with all sorts of interesting creatures. But also, the tools we use in our daily lives are, in part, biologically derived. The critters and bio-mechs are all interesting and lovingly portrayed. There's a story centering on the Universal Kitchen; another is all about a computer generating its own life forms as part of some vast experiment. The humor that runs through these episodes is well timed and good for more than just a quick chuckle. I left it thinking about new possibilities.