The Eternal Thinker - The idea of ​​interstellar communications in modern science fiction.

                        Vyacheslav RYBAKOV

     THE IDEA OF INTERSTELLAR COMMUNICATIONS IN MODERN FICTION

   The popularization function of science fiction was justified
and important at certain stages of the development of society. Need for
popularization of the fundamentals of scientific concepts, already generally recognized and
which are not the subject of scientific discussions, arises when
The cultural level of the majority of the population is still monstrously low,
ketically - feudal, but the needs of the industrial revolution have already undermined
this majority nods to the rudiments of natural knowledge, to the minimum
mental training. For France, for example, this period came
in the second quarter of the 19th century (a classic example of a writer who
pleased this one, not named by anyone, but feeling no less
the most important social order is Jules Verne), for Russia - on -
the beginning of the 20th century and, mainly, the time of the first five-year plans, that is
late 20s - early 30s.
   The main characters of such works are not people (although
Jules Verne or Alexander Belyaev in his most artistic 
works managed to create memorable human-
some images), but many, many disparate scientific and technical
data. Plots and characters are dictated not by human studies, but by science.
scientific task, and are only means to sew together these disparate
collected data together, demonstrate their usefulness for everyday use
howllife, their pragmatic value, effectiveness. In these
conditions, the factor of entertainment begins to play a huge role,
the entertainment value of the plot - it should arouse interest in these
scattered data, to ensure their easier assimilation by the mind is not
trained, unaccustomed to the boring process of reading, unable to
It’s important to get rid of immediate everyday problems at least for a short time.
   As soon as a cultural revolution takes place, popularization
the role of science fiction is dying out. Strictly speaking, it remains necessary
noah only to younger schoolchildren, and even then not to the same extent as before,
and even then the laziest of them - those who are bored with reading real
popular popular literature.
   The fact is that, firstly, the literacy rate of the population is increasing.
tion, and it begins to need more detailed and qualified
ted information that cannot be squeezed into fiction.
Secondly, satisfying this need, a special scientific-
popular literature, and the need for a fantasy locomotive
for the locomotive in the mind of the reader, scientific trailers disappear. Third-
them, science itself develops, so that its materials become increasingly
more abstract, complex, extensive, and therefore do not fit under
literary covers.
   Once upon a time, many centuries ago, everyday literature, focusing
minimal attention to the psychology of people (and psychology itself was
much simpler, without reflection), practically reducedto the description on-
rows, rituals, notches on the handles of swords and patterns on blankets -
but naturally outgrew these boundaries as soon as
The spiritual needs of society grew and transformed. Exactly
science fiction has also outgrown popularization, which, in essence,
called her into the world in a modification of "science fiction". This is pro-
came out historically recently, and now science fiction is still looking for itself,
looking for its new place in culture. This process, like any other process,
The process of finding something new is not going smoothly. But speculate on
these “not-smoothness” and, even more so, aggravate them by trying again
to drive SF into the role of “awakening the desire to enter college” - that’s all
is the same as, say, pushing all literature into the framework of ethnographic
sketches. Then from "Anna Karenina", shaking the inexorable and no one
uncontrolled editorial scissors, it would be necessary to
It’s important that she not only cheat on her old man with Vronsky, but
would travel, changing lovers, all over Russia, so that it would be entertaining
the plot made it possible to unobtrusively acquaint the reader with the
that and the disposition of the Russian people in various provinces, in the capital and
in the outback...
   Fantastic stories in which flights were played out inside
Solar System, occurred in Russian science fiction during the period when
popularizing SF was still relevant. Access to interstellar
open spaces occurred at the time of the beginning of the SF search for the way to the BolshoiLiterature.
   Thus, the scientist now finally no longer has to
expect specific clues from science fiction, and for the general reader -
specific technical information. Fiction, in return for this, in co-
the ability to formulate early social orders for science and creation
create images that liberate the reader’s imagination.
   It is extremely important that both, however, the writer - if
he is a writer, not a craftsman - he does it completely involuntarily,
as if casually, incidentally, based on their purely artistic desires,
dacha Moreover, the less he dwells on these two para-
meters, the more they are an auxiliary means for him
in order to achieve the main thing - artistic authenticity, the
He achieves the best results, so to speak, according to these parameters.
   Wanting to sharpen some ethical problem, twist it tighter
conflicts of the plot, force people to appear in extreme conditions
business, the writer will inevitably try to come up with some kind of
then a realistically imaginable task facing society, and
contrast it with the minimum social
flax and technical means (and necessarily - minimally necessary)
necessary, otherwise the situation will lose its urgency, society will turn out to be sluggish,
relaxed, and to a large extent the meaning of the purpose will be lost.
changing the fantastic technique).But when securing the connection, the “task
- means of solution" in the mind of the readerthe matter will involuntarily take place
another turn, the sequence will be exactly the opposite:
a society that has reached such and such a stage of social and
industrial development, will inevitably set itself
such and such tasks, and therefore to complete them it is necessary
There are such and such technical means. If society benefits
looks reliably, and the task facing him is not far-fetched and not
lightened, this will be the formulation of long-term social
order, which modern society presents to science to the author with
indicating the necessary, however remote, period
execution.
   Resorting to sub-light and super-light technology, the author
Ley-nilly must, in order to create a reliable environment, give and auto-
in Russian speech there are certain images, and in the speech of heroes - certain replicas, relating
to this technology. If the writer is conscientious and not incompetent,
Moten, these images and these replicas must satisfy two conditions -
yam. Firstly, they should not directly contradict existing
the moment of writing the text to scientific data. Secondly, they must
more or less related to the scientific problem being addressed. If
any of these conditions are not met, artistic merit
fidelity cannot be achieved. Not even very experienced
the reader will always feel where is fantastic realism and where is -
abracadabra; and you can’t take gobbledygook seriously, andto that
what happens in connection with it - too. But that's exactly how it's created
has the most beneficial effect on the ability to fantasize
"white noise" He is nothing more than an emotional 
flax convincing and attractive arbitrary combination
a wide range of loosely related data and, most importantly, hints
on data. When reading, any analytical mind
willy-nilly begins to try to bring these hints into the system and,
what is most important is to try to fill in the missing links. And then
not far from non-standard solutions, from going beyond the established
xya and close ideas. In short, it’s not far from discovery. But this one
“white noise” arises as a side effect. The author himself sets himself the task 
chi is of a completely different order.
   It is interesting that at first, when the surge of SF in the late 50s -
early 60s was just gaining strength, sublight technology with its amazing
The powerful paradox of time reduction was mainly used
nom as an analogue of time machines of anisotropic action, that is,
capable of moving a passenger only from the past to the future. Herself
the expedition, as a rule, remained more or less behind the scenes.
"The Twin Paradox" replaced those used in 19th-century science fiction 
century spontaneous temporary shifts - the hero fell asleep, for example, on
hundred years, woke up, and around the future: spontaneous shifts in
time, in turn, were also a replacement for an even earlierwhether-
literary technique of spontaneous movement in space, neo-
the expected arrival in a place that does not exist - utopia. Everyone has a goal
three techniques remained the same - a tour of a modern
to the author of the text of a person on a world based on ideals, from the point of view
the author's point of view, social and political principles. Indicative
An example of this kind is the novel Mar-
Tynova “Guest from the Abyss”, where in the developed communist future- 
people of the 20th century end up in two ways at the same time: one is simply
resurrected 2000 years after death, others lived all this time
in a photon starship and aged seven years.
   However, science fiction writers quickly realized that the game among interstellar children
Coration gives them the opportunity to solve much more interesting artistic
social objectives rather than directly illustrating social ideals
through a more or less interestingly described excursion.
   In general, these tasks can be divided into two large subgroups:
py: initial - movement, advanced - contact.
   In the first group, the main stage for modeling ethical
The problem is the flight process itself. Conflicts play out here
between earthlings and earthlings, and the hyperbolizing factor serves
the hardships of the voyage, encounters with the Unknown, overcoming faceless forces
nature, on which, like a whetstone, the characters of people are tested.
Conflicts, as a rule, are both elementary and eternal at the same time:husband-
cowardice, the ability and inability to learn and make sacrifices
for his sake. In fact, this is literature about the fight against nature, against black
Entropy, as Efremov would put it, but since the matter is happening
is happening in the relatively near future, then our non-
descendants distant in time - people, according to our pre-
pressures, still flesh of our flesh, but for the most part already
maximally honest, dedicated, selfless, not drinking and not
smokers Subluminal relativistic cosmogation provided the broadest
opportunities to test their ideological and political preparation. Here
and the heroism of relativists who leave life for centuries for the sake of knowledge and
for the sake of future prosperity, there is boundless loneliness between
starry expanses, here and a lot of natural obstacles, here and
furious disputes between simply good people of the 21st century and amazingly good
real people - in a word, all the possibilities for modeling conflicts
commodities of “goodness and kindness”, to which the culture was oriented
early 60s.
   For example, in Efremov, sublight movements occupy a significant
part of the Andromeda Nebula. These are weakly relativistic
flights at speeds of 5/6 and 6/7 "tse", at which the reduction effect
time is still barely noticeable, and the astronauts return almost at
your world after your travels. Flight range no more
eight parsecs (about 31 light years). Overclocking is providedelementary jet thrust resulting from the reaction
disintegration of a special synthetic substance - anamezone. Cosmogation
inertial, rectilinear. After acceleration, course correction is impossible
possible without preliminary braking, since the inertial forces are at
speeds of the order of two-thirds of light will lead to destruction
ship at the slightest deviation from a straight line. The flight lasts for the equipment
page, as for the Earth, for many, many years.
   It is clear that such technology cannot give people anything other than labor.
difficulties that they will fearlessly overcome. About nothing
Widespread practical application is out of the question.
Efremov understood this himself, and already in the “Andromeda Nebula”, parallel- 
in line with the heroism of the pioneers of “Sails”, “Tantra”, “Swan”,
emerging into infinity on fragile shells, depicts heroism
of a different kind. He was the first to give - no matter how close the romance was to him -
line voyages - outlines of further progress forward.
   Unlike Efremov, the Strugatskys satisfied their passion
conquer cosmic nature, properly torturing the rest
inhabitants, even in the era of late socialism, inside the Solar system
we (and we ourselves ironized about this passion in “Interns”,
when Yura Borodin watches the stereo film "The Discoverers"). Medium
At that time, quasi-photon planetary spacecraft served as the means of movement.
type "Khius" and "Tahmasib" with speeds up to 10,000 km/sec. Propulsion
-thermonuclear; in the focus of a mirror made of sputtered meso-matter
a continuous reaction of hydrogen-helium fusion proceeds, and
The release of radiant energy by a paraboloid provides
cravings
   On the planetary ships of this series, the Strugatskys tried to go beyond
limits of the solar system, into the so-called Absolutely Free zone
Airborne Flight (ASP). The first exits of this kind followed 
experimental purposes only. The experiments gave twofold results:
tats. On the one hand, sublight speeds were achieved when
than higher than on Efremov's anamazon ships ("Taimyr"
in "Return" he was walking before the disaster at a speed of 0.957 "tseh").
On the other hand, "Taimyr" disappeared, was thrown onto the whole table -
ity and in general, apparently, turned out to be difficult to control. This is one
However, it did not stop the development of interstellar astronautics. How much
we know that in the middle of the 21st century the Strugatskys undertook
at least three relativistic stellar expeditions: under the command of
by Bykov Jr. (which disappeared and was forgotten, probably
but, due to an oversight by the Strugatskys themselves), under the command of Gorbovsko-
go (which was destined in the 22nd century by the Strugatskys exclusively
major fate) and the third, under the command of Valentin Petrov,
which, although it was subsequently unjustly forgotten, played
outstanding role in the development of sublight cosmonautics of the Strugatskys.
   The fact is that writers are alreadybegan to feel the unsuitability of re-
lativistic cosmonautics for its tasks, and therefore for
tasks of humanity. On the other hand, the dominant idea of moving
still affected their creativity. And the Strugatskys come up with elegant
a palliative that leaves the quantum limit intact
earlyness, but at the same time allows, by overcoming even more
greater difficulties than before, to avoid leaving for centuries and returning
to distant descendants. The story "Private Assumptions" specially
dedicated to the flight of "Muromets" - the first direct-flow, that is, not
limited by fuel reserves, an annihilation starship.
Six heroes, led by Petrov, plowed for 17 years
The Universe with a constant 7-8-fold overload, reached two
star systems in one flight and returned six months later on Earth
mu time.
   There is, or at least has been for a quarter of a century, development in this idea.
twisting science backwards, a kind of noble madness. Indeed, neither
Particular or general theory of relativity does not give a clear answer,
how will local time flow with powerful and varied durations?
accelerations. It is impossible to carry out experiments of this kind.
was not possible. But, in any case, accelerating coordination systems
nat are fundamentally different from inertial systems, and all formulas
Lorentzian reductions, including reductions in time, ras-
read on inertial systems. This situation givesfavorable
conditions for creating “white noise” relative to the spatial metric
time-time continuum and deformation of geodetic lines
in non-uniformly accelerating coordinate systems. This deformation
can also lead to their straightening relative to the curved
paths of light (according to Einstein, the metric of space is always curved
na), which will cause the most unexpected time paradoxes.
   The entire sublight cosmonautics of the Strugatskys later turned out to be post-
based on this principle. "Muromets" clearly went too far: overload
were brutal, but the flight lasted 34 times in local time
longer than on earth. There was a chance to equalize both times and withdraw
all relativistic effects. And this was done by the so-called D-prin-
principle that ensured interstellar communications for the Strugatskys in the Voz-
rotation", "Distant Rainbow" and other things of this period. "All sorts of things 
body at the light barrier,” the Strugatskys explain in “Return- 
nii", - extremely distorts the shape of world lines and, as it were, 
pierces Riemannian space." The D-principle provided re- 
movement at a distance of up to 12 parsecs (distance from Earth to Vladi-
fame, as Gorbovsky notes, “almost at the limit”) in six months
equivalent local-terrestrial time.
   All the latest works of Stru-
Gatsky, belonging to one degree or another to the group of “displaced 
nie". There is also heroism herepioneers in its pure, pio- 
nersky version, but questions of a higher order are raised,
questions of in-depth ethics, forced to function at times
extreme, and sometimes just strange situations.
   Efremov has a similar piece - “Heart of the Snake”. Character-
but, apparently, it is no coincidence that it is also built on a combination
collisions of space conquest with collisions of a beginner to penetrate
simultaneously in “The Return” of the Strugatskys and in “Heart of the Snake” co-
ntakta - contact. And it is extremely interesting that this intermediate
This thing, just like the Strugatskys’ intermediate thing, demanded
from Ephraim's creation, although more perfect, but palliative
means of transportation. There is an obvious pattern.
   The movement is still carried out within the limits of classical physics.
ical four-dimensional space. Despite this, the range
action increases qualitatively as compared with anameson
starships of the "Tantra" type, and in comparison with D-starships
like "Tariel". The first pulsation starship "Tellurium" departed
flax on a flight with a range of 110 parsecs, or 350 light years. Cosmogation
continues to remain straightforward and, therefore, discrete.
At the moment of pulsation, the starship is uncontrollable, people are unconscious
condition, and for them the pulsation passes instantly. After release
from the pulsation, a corrective calculation of the next jump is carried out,
parsec for 25-40, then -pulsation again. "Pulse Ships
acted on the principle of time compression, explains Efremov, and 
were thousands of times faster than the anamazon ones." However, the figure given 
in the quotation, should not be referred to the absolute speed of the starship,
and to its local time, to the period that they manage to live
astronauts during the voyage. This period is calculated, indeed,
not for years, but for weeks, and it is spent only during periods of cor-
course corrections between pulsations and during work at the destination
readings. For an outside observer, the voyage lasts 350 years from a week.
one-way route, that is, from start to finish on Earth it takes
7 centuries. Thus, “Tellurium” passes in one independent year
one light year; movement during pulsation occurs with
the speed of light, no more and no less. The quantum limit has reached
chick, but not overcome. It is clear why, according to one’s own time,
The ripple occurs instantly: at a speed equal to “ce”,
Quite according to Einstein, time goes to zero.
   At the same time, Efremov points out that the movement of Tellurium
occurs in null space. The nature of this contradiction is explained
also filmed by Ren Bose in “The Andromeda Nebula”: “If the gravitational field
and the electromagnetic field are two sides of the same 
matter, if space is a function of gravity, then the function 
tion of the electromagnetic field is antispace. The transition between them 
givesvectorial shadow function of 0-space, which is 
known colloquially as the speed of light." 
   It must be noted that here Efremov seems to admit some
some contradiction with oneself or, in any case, an incorrect
complexity of formulations. Instant breakdown of the space between the Earth
and the unknown planet of the Epsilon Tucanae system, carried out
Mven Mas and Ren Boz, he also calls it null space.
The speed of light, therefore, cannot be a null space.
Well, but rather it is precisely the shadow function of null space,
dropped into our four-dimensional world as a consequence of passing into zero-
process space. From Ren Bose's remarks it clearly follows that
the concept of null space is associated with a new metric that goes beyond
the framework of the Einstein continuum. The fourth axis of this continuum,
Ren Bose calls the temporal axis, roughly speaking, spatial
coordinate, tending to zero, since it is absolutely
rectilinear, and not curved, like all world lines of gravity
noah universe. Here we are not far from the idea of moving in a straight line
The beam, carried out ten years later by Efremov’s spaceship
"Dark Flame" in "Hour of the Ox". "Tellurium" remained a palliative, 
he moved in ordinary space with the maximum for a given
space speed - the speed of light - but with local time-
it, tending to zero. From moments, extra-spatialre-
throws of material bodies, the pulsation principle is just as distant,
as well as anameson-reactive and deritrinitational (Strugatskikh).
   The rapid transition that took place at the end of the first half of the 1960s
move from primitive jet astronautics to the development of methods
spatial movements in their pure form were simply necessary.
This was required by growing, increasingly complex social tasks, which
which science fiction set itself. The technical side of things
suggested itself. If the speed of light is the limit
in Einstein space, but this space itself
is literally a conglomerate of mysteries, from its physics to its me-
his tricks, the simplest thing was to try without creating unnecessary essences
space, to engage with space as such. Therefore, soon everything
more or less serious flights turned out to be associated with the exploitation
it properties of space, and first of all - to change its properties
curvature. If we assume the presence in the macrocosm of existence
more than three spatial dimensions (and this idea is supported by
It was already clear that for the microworld, mathematics builds worlds with
arbitrarily large number of spatial dimensions), then it is possible
A tempting opportunity looms. How can a plane be folded?
through the third dimension, and thus combine two points located
placed in two-dimensional space arbitrarily far from each other
friend, so, increasingcurvature of en-dimensional space, one can
combine objects very far from each other in space
three-dimensional.
   Efremov gave outlines of this path in “The Andromeda Nebula”, but
there it remains unclear whether Ren Bose’s inverters succeeded
break through the null channel, or the vision of Epsilon Tucan was romantic
kim delirium Mven Masa.
   The Strugatskys, with their characteristic practicality, quickly set the matter
on industrial tracks. Tragic events on the Far Rainbow,
accompanying the development of null-transportation did not prevent them
by 1963, establish mass production of household null-ships for
the broad masses of the population.
   "An Attempt to Escape" provides unsurpassed simplicity and
figurative description of the extra-mechanical, purely geometric (ve-
earlier, cosmometric) stellar flight. "The space around
The ship was twisting ever tighter. ...The arrow stopped. Epsilon- 
deritrinitation ended, and the Ship went into the Subpro- 
wanderings. From the point of view of an earthly observer, he was now “dis- 
smeared" throughout one and a half hundred parsecs from the Sun to EH 
7031. Now the return journey was ahead." 
   By the way, the partial coincidence of terms describing
movement operation (sigma-deritrination in "Return" and ep-
silon-deritrination in “Attempt to Escape”) once again indicates
It is clear that the D-principle was also based on the exploitation of the properties of met-
Rickyspace, but at a sublight level.
   A range of 150 parsecs, as is clear from the text, is
almost the limit for starships of this type. However, you can pre-
assume that this is the maximum range for only one, separately
th step (analogue of pulsation). Auxiliary drive, providing
The actual takeoff and landing on planets is, presumably, gravitational; re-
there are no loads, there are no phenomena accompanying jet propulsion
nie, tightness at the start is not required, and even Luke Anton asks
close only because there is a draft in the wheelhouse. It is clear that such
a starship is no more complicated than a car in our time. Professional
national cosmonautics with its romance of overcoming purely physical
strong and moral overload dies away. From that moment on, the Strugatskys
hands are freed for serious literature. They got everything possible
usefulness for modeling ethical problems that arise when
riction of the people of communist society (read: people
who solve all problems conscientiously and wisely) with scattered
across the Galaxy by societies of various types. These are problems like the first
kind - arising directly upon contact, and the second -
arising as a consequence of contact in human society itself
Earth. But the development of vehicles that provide contact
news, from that moment on the Strugatskys froze.
   Romantic and slightly pompous, Efremov draws, in general,
similaran act of grim grandeur. He couldn't part
be with the idea that flight is in itself heroism and tranquility
arises from a person of extreme concentration of physical and moral
strength True, but unlike the superluminal motorcycle Strug-
Efremov’s Straight Beam caravel covered the Tskikhs in one passage 
several thousand light years.
   In the "Hour of the Ox" the movement of the "Dark Flame" is again affected by
there is a strong influence of the image of sliding, dear to Efremov’s heart
along the razor's edge, between two extremes, which should be equally
avoid. Efremov dramatically complicates the structure of space. With him
heights, the Strugatskys’ home space looks infantile and primitive
vom.
   Space, according to Efremov, is not just curved. It has
spiral structure. The path of the light beam is curved in three dimensions -
in space, not only near large masses and not only relative
highly accelerated coordinate systems; direct in ordinary space
there is no relationship at all, but what we perceive as direct is
in fact, a spiral, and twisted very tightly. Light from
the source leaves, unwinding along this spiral. A similar structure
is caused by interpenetration and interaction, mutual
flattering of the world and the anti-world (Shakti and Tamas, in terminology
Efremova). According to the "Andromeda Nebula", one of them is functional 
tion of the gravitational field, the other - the function of the electromagnetic field.Null space is the boundary between worlds, where mutually balanced
the polar points of space, time and
energy. A starship that penetrated into null space seemed to conduct
spins a world spiral around itself. "...Direct beam starship
does not follow the spiral path of light, but as if across it, along the 
the longitudinal axis of the cochlea, using the anisotropy of space. Except 
Moreover, in relation to time, the starship seems to stand still, - 
Efremov explains, “and the entire spiral of the world revolves around him...
   If we try to further comprehend Efremov’s metaphor and remove
endless “as if” in the above explanation, one will have to
assume that null space is a point on the axis of en-dimensional rotation
bipolar space; three-dimensional projections of the distance from this point
ki to any point in the Universe (and the anti-universe, naturally) is equal to
us, and are equal to zero. Then we have to assume that the displacement
tion in null space is simply impossible; you can get into it
from any point in space, and the exit point is determined without moving
life, but only the ultra-precise orientation of the world frozen on the axis
("smeared", to use the Strugatskys' expression, no longer on the 
standing between two objects, and across all two universes at once)
starship in en-dimensional null space. Indirectly to the last one
a fact is indicated by one phrase from the same “Hour of the Ox”: “Starship
slid in null space onlyshort time spent on 
turns after the exit and at the exit." Thus, in Efremov’s 
In null space there is no movement, but there is orientation.
   It carries mortal risks. Infinite set
directions leading to an infinite number of gravitational points
of the Universe, in itself complicates cosmogation enough, but it,
in addition, randomly mixed with an infinite number of directions
lines leading to an infinite number of points in the universe
electromagnetic The slide into the world of Tamas was irreversible and
irrevocable; for Tamas Efremov introduces the concept of “absolutely dead”
your substance." "The accuracy of the calculation," explains Efremov, "for
navigation of this kind surpassed all imagination and not so 
has long been considered inaccessible." 
   Now for Efremov the problem of interstellar flights has disappeared.
Short voltage - and you can concentrate entirely on the problem -
mach of the "contact" rank, which were also played in "Heart of the Snake"
purely auxiliary role, humanizing the movement, and in “The Hour
Bull" confidently came to the fore. Like the Strugatskys, 
the problem of contact is determined by the conflict between people
Munism with an alternative society.
   It is interesting that both classics, who laid the foundations of semantics,
fantasy world, one can trace a striking similarity between
I look forward to the level of development of interstellar communications and the level of developmentsociety. The reasons for this were explained earlier when talking about the function
portions of fiction as an exponent of long-term social orders,
an exponent of the involuntary, but this makes it even more objective. B
depending on whether the writer wants to focus on the problem
Instead of moving or touching, he chooses the less perfect
or a more advanced ship; in a less perfect ship
conflicts will occur between crew members, which means that if they
capable of conflict due to difficulties in moving, society,
what gave birth to them is not yet completely perfect; in a more perfect co-
Rather, conflicts will occur between the crew and alternative
social society, and in order to make them as prominent as possible, general
the society that gave birth to the crew must be as perfect as possible
nom. However, the writer’s motivation, his “kitchen”, his tasks fall out
out of sight, and only rigid dependence remains. Subluminal
relativistic astronautics - the early phase of the development of communism,
perhaps even planetary. Palliative astronautics - inter-
terrible phase of developed communism, the purpose of flights from natural
scientific become social and ethical, the first contacts occur
relations with alternative societies are still very superficial.
Absolute (supradimensional) cosmonautics - extremely imaginative
the depicted flowering of communism and communist ethics, serious and
conflicting contacts withalternative societies, leading to
ethical problems of the first and second kind.
   It is clear, I repeat, that for the writer the sequence was
the opposite. Depending on what issue he is up to
“ripe”, he chose his communicative surroundings. However,
consistency of connections between setting and issues and their similarity
for both luminaries led to the fact that this surroundings acquired a familiar
great character. The level of development of interstellar communications has become
subsequent NF with an unambiguous characteristic of the level and state
society.
   For example, according to Turgenev’s phrase “he had a village with 70 souls”
any more or less educated reader can immediately understand that
we are talking, firstly, about Russia, and secondly, about pre-reform Russia,
and, thirdly, most likely the Crimean campaign has not yet begun.
In the same way, according to one phrase, for example, Rybakova “Grześ went into re-
tearing up the Star" any reader of SF will immediately, purely instinctively, 
It is striking that we are talking more about the beginning of the second half of the 21st century,
society is not yet perfect, it is replete with the birthmarks of socialism
and perhaps even capitalism. And in one phrase, say, Balabukhi:
“They came out of outspice and went to the planetary ones,” the same reading 
the body just as involuntarily decides that things are happening less
at least in the XXII century, all people are nobler and more mature than each other
There is a conflict between the best and the even better.
   Perhaps the mostan interesting attempt to break out of this two-
the slope gorge was undertaken back in the 60s by Sergei Snegov. But
he had special reasons for this; to his credit, the attempt was pre-
was not adopted with the special purpose of inventing something that
there was none before him. The remarkable thing is that, as it should be in
worthwhile work of art, a fundamentally new type
superluminal ship arose involuntarily (although when the idea
arises, there is nothing more pleasant than thinking it through, selecting
providing "white noise" terminology, etc.), simply because
that the writer was faced with a fundamentally new artistic
task. Firstly, we needed superluminal cosmonautics, close
to absolute. Secondly, it was necessary for the superluminal ship
moved in ordinary space so that there was movement, and not co-
smometric movement so that the metric of space does not change -
was lost (later this ship itself was supposed to be powerless -
linny against machine metrics of space). Thirdly, he must
was to serve not just as a means of movement or contact,
but by means of active, forceful influence on the surrounding world,
a means of reconstructing the three-dimensional Universe. Fourthly, after
since he was about to be involved in grandiose battles
actions, and it is difficult to expect from people of developed communism that
they armed their ships in some special wayinvented
superweapon, ship propulsion, being a means of reconstruction
Universe, should have had the opportunity to simultaneously become a powerful weapon-
live. And fifthly, it seems to me that Snegov had his own, excellent and
from the everyday Strugatsky, and from the seaworthy Efremov, aesthetics
movement. What is, for example, a phrase from the first volume of the novel?
“People are like gods”: “A thin trail of dust winds through Perseus 
our starship! 
   This is how Tanev’s annihilators arose, capable of destroying simple
wound, turning it into matter, and vice versa.
   The speed of light, according to Snegov, really is the limit
speed possible in physical space. But if space
the space in front of the ship is scooped up quickly enough, the ship
will fall into the opening channel faster than light.
   There is apparently nothing in this idea that directly contradicts modern
the current state of science. Concept of materiality of space
traces its genealogy back to the ether. Dirac assumed the emergence
the movement of elementary particles from absolute vacuum, which is their
neutral cluster. Finally, Hoyle, trying to explain the post-
the apparent density of the Universe in a situation where galaxies are moving away, introduced
the concept of spontaneous creation of matter by space (in “one
bucket of space" one hydrogen atom is created every 20 billion years). 
Thus, pumping the space in front back into
the form of the substance is notis blatantly absurd.
   Symptomatically different. Snegov's engine, actively called up
influence space, and not just move crew and cargo,
for the first time in the history of Russian interstellar cosmonautics it turned out to be eco-
logically alarming. The writer, of course, does not mean this at all.
meant and didn't mean to. On the contrary, the ability to create matter
anywhere and reshape planetary systems as needed
people, creating planets where they are needed is
a big plus compared to pure movement. But this is also
minus. Here we see in the purest, flawless and all-encompassing
expressed as an elementary algebraic formula is the fact that
any influence invented with the noblest motives
(if it was invented objectively, not invented, but thought out in its entirety
totality of actions of its mechanism), there is a double-edged sword -
tsakh. It fundamentally cannot influence only positive
flax. One can point out many negative consequences of industrial dust.
space and its “eating away” by Tanev’s annihilators during massive
flights, but suffice it to say about one thing: earlier or
later the flights themselves on the most commonly used routes will become
impossible, since the amount of substance in space swallowed is
produced by annihilators will exceed the maximum permissible density, and
the annihilators will simply begin to choke, “choking” on dust. On-
maturesthe need for cleaning ships that will barrage
rip tracks and turn dust back into space.
   Snegov's experiment, despite this, ended with one hundred percent
good luck. But only for himself.
   The effect of transforming space into matter and back is precisely
due to the complex of consequences that necessarily follow from it, in
determined the plot in many ways. But to repeat Snegov’s specific plot,
Fortunately, none of the epigones decided. Moving to hyperspace
space can be performed for any purpose, it does not impose
places no obligations on those being moved; flight to "space"
vein inverter", which can be a means of reconstruction, 
can be a weapon, and in addition has the ultimate, albeit in a thousand
chi times exceeding the speed of light, imposes on the subsequent
behavior flying a lot of obligations; they should use it
as a weapon, must be used as a means of reconstruction,
must fly for a long time and do something, think and talk about something
during the flight. If these obligations are not fulfilled, such
a vehicle is simply not needed, it is more economical and easier to return
move towards traditional hyperspace, which does not require anything from
astronauts. Therefore, the multifunctional Tanev annihilator is stable
did not become a viable semantic unit of the world of fantasy.
   To summarize, we can say that with the massive transition of SF from
problems moving toproblems of contact between development of means
galactic transport has ceased. Imaginative and functional
naya systems of communicative surroundings have developed, and it should not
think that new types of ships do not appear because science fiction writers
became less interested in science. Firstly, science since the 60s
did not suggest practically any fundamentally new moves. Vo-
secondly, even if such hints arise, they will only be heard
when they are able to ensure that no
new technology, but a new way of moving, and will be heard only by those who
due to their specific artistic task, it is necessary
it is this new image that is beating