Eternal Thinker - What does “F” mean?

                          Alan KUBATIEV

                        SCIENCE FICTION,
                     THE SCIENCE OF FICTION,
                     THE FICTION OF SCIENCE?
                       or WHAT DOES "F" MEAN?

   This year there seems to be some free time for reflection.
   Desperate attempts of the "Worlds" to swim may end with another
number - that's all. For how long, no one knows. Disgusting.
But interesting.
   It seems like Shchegolev in the interpretation of Eleonora Belyanchikova.
   Okay, that's all by the way. I'm more interested in the problem
This issue of "Two Hundred" is formulated shamelessly clearly.
A lot of published letters are, of course, interesting. Only in
one or two people make a hasty attempt to understand HOW this is done
WHAT. 
   Post-Belovezhskaya science fiction (let’s consider this the boundary of its
boda) there is a fairly abundant history that is completely and un-
must be described.
   But what happens to the fantasy is still unclear - constipation or childbirth?
   It is unclear once again who is actually pushing. Who is she
Mommy, like that.
   The synchronistic method in modern literary criticism is little
popular. Diachrony is usually easier. Combine times with before
achievements and establishing a connection between them is difficult. However, following
it still gives results that are not found in any other method.
de.
   Alas, those of our critics who are writers are not historians. And those
whohistorians may be writers, but they are not offensively critics.
   I suspect that any new work by a famous doctor
Katz will not contain what I am missing. In addition to the "cancellation"
no swagger,” you also need to love what you are trying to write about.
   What am I missing, old man?
   Just good, solid, in the style of Boris Remizov,
Victor Zhirmunsky or Leonid Pinsky - HISTORICAL-LITERARY- 
A NEW STUDY OF RUSSIAN AND SOVIET FICTION OVER THE LAST 95 
YEARS Even several are better. 
   I have a very good attitude towards Pereslegin and his work, I love him
Berezhny, their work already exists, but something else is needed, for now decisively 
missing. Even in their works there is talk about style, language, speech,
rhythm, image - a rare phenomenon.
   Perhaps precisely because our current science fiction is
in this respect it is quite sterile. There are authors who know
what is style, but it is Stolyarov, Uspensky, Rybakov, Mayevsky.
   Until science fiction is treated like literature, and
demand from it as from literature, it will not be literature.
Criticism, a talented and honest story about herself in literature -
an essential part of the process. One reader and bookseller
there is little literature. The whole already well-known process is needed, and even
much of what dominates science fiction, but does not yet belong.
Scandals and discussions are no substitute for real criticism. To infinityIt is possible to find out whether Stolyarov and Shchegolev are demons or
just enfant terrible, and stomp around this Black Wall until
it will not be revealed that she is a dung heap. Much harder to prove
that these and other persons are writers - or not.
   It is foolish to consider the bookseller the last resort of literary
new process. It is even more stupid to think that he is not participating in it. But
it doesn't solve everything.
   Achievements that commercial companies then rush to replicate
writer, are not created by him. They are born by a fanatic, a hungry genius.
Opened by another fanatic - Campbell, Podolny, Klyueva or Ber-
Kova - and the third “unwinds”. 
   By the way, a real book publisher and bookseller criticized the spontaneous
writes, maintains magazines and gives presentations. On the kitchen
In the language of economists, this is called a “consumer organization.”
Without a selfless, thorough and quiet critic of fantasy
tika kayak. It will turn into a tavern where people go, knowing that the booze
It's shitty, but there will definitely be a fight.

   I respect V. Rybakov’s attempt to look at science fiction among others
cultural phenomena. I'm afraid of only one thing - nine-tenths she is in
this circle has not yet entered. Cannot break the pentagram. Wanders,
looking for his Sarmatia...
   Where is she anyway? Not Sarmatia - SF. Regarding
what is comparable and what is its price?
   Andrey Nikolaev said: “Nobody wants to rebuild, so
we will resuscitatecorpses..." I'm not sure. Firstly, it seems to me that 
they are still very much alive and not buried. Secondly, don’t stop
I don’t want to repent. It’s disgusting to become a lackey of fast-moving people
times When the famous revolution came and won, good
literature hasn't been around long enough - longer than we've been around
without Glavlit. She was mature. But you can’t lose your sense of time either.
Only a writer can and should express it in a completely different way.
way than that of a publicist and historian - sometimes even paradoxically
to others.
   I'm afraid that we have to convince ourselves of all this for a long time.
specifically yourself.
   At one time there were such academic collections about Russian-zaru-
international literary connections and the global significance of Russian literature
ry. To be honest, I could never understand how it manifests itself,
even if not a single Russian writer is adequately translated into
foreign languages fail.
   Try to count how many books by Russian writers have become
masterpieces of world literature for Western readers. Dostoevsky,
Tolstoy, Chekhov, well, Solzhenitsyn.  They also say that Aitmatov. From 
science fiction - perhaps Bulgakov. And the translations... Try it
steal yourself. You won't regret it.
   To hell with them, let them figure out for themselves what a masterpiece is for them. But
for us it is a completely different matter.
   Russian-language fiction, I'm afraid, will gain foreign popularity
generally does not shine. And there is no sensible market for it yet - Oldie
are right.But the market is not only a place where they sell. This is yours
The Universe, with laws and topology.
   The matter is even darker - or brighter, depending on how you look at it - Russian-language
science fiction will be truly needed only by Russian-speaking readers
tele. And for a very long time no one else.
   There is no need to delude yourself - there are still world-class masterpieces in it
no. Masterpieces of national level or candidates for such
more. There are many things below the level of which it is already a shame to lower -
Xia. But so far there are vanishingly few things that can compete with -
wash the heavens.
   Journalism is a wonderful thing. Current criticism too. But here
Milan Kundera lamented in one essay that it was becoming a fast 
a retelling of literary events. And the transformation is actually
le degeneration. We again need good books about our science fiction
(there were only three of them), which cannot be replaced even by the most passionate
true and honest letters from readers. Only they are able to establish the true
reference points, based on which you can create a correct map
that one
   It is the literary critic who must do this. Proficient
nally with the entire body of knowledge about literature and loving fantasy
tiku, but loving the truth more.
   Tie me up, I'm a snob! And this guild snobbery has nothing in our
neither doctors Eleanor, nor imaginary engineers, nor
fugitive politicians.  And I won’t let just any philologist here.
There are such universal critics about the detective story,so about the detective, oh
villagers so about villagers. There would be a column and people: “In
hit! Got it wet! Well done!" 
   General de Gaulle advised: “If you want to understand, look from the stars.”
yes." This is the one we need. 
   Let's leave the conversation about literary criticism. Overall it's just a shame. Well
who else will take care of us if not ourselves? Try to disassemble
appear in the biographies of Russian science fiction writers. Not a damn thing is known, patronymic
and sometimes you don’t recognize them. Try to find a photo of Simone Bel-
sky or Goncharov! I'm afraid it will be the same with our contemporaries. 
   Zavgorodny at one time collected information, now, in my opinion,
switched to photo modeling. Advertises flip-flops. Or legs?
   Jokes aside, but aren't we losing our balance too quickly?
between the whole and the part? Isn't it time to find it? And we need to start with
yourself - yourself as the author, yourself as the critic, yourself as the reader. The stones are broken
pretty rosano. It's time to collect what hasn't been stopped yet. And build. And
to fall in love. If it works