The Eternal Thinker - An open letter to publishers.

                        Eternal thinker

                Dmitry GROMOV, Oleg LADIZHENSKY

                    OPEN LETTER TO PUBLISHERS

   Dear gentlemen publishers! Aren't you tired of publishing what
What have you published so far? For the twentieth time to reprint "Chro-
nicknames of Amber" Zelazny, to release the next collected works of Kha- 
online, change the names of already published and republished dozens of times 
King's works, unearth unpublished stories
Van Vogt (the fact that they are very mediocre is not important, the main thing is 
Van Vogt, not yet published!), etc. About those who publish "Pros- 
then Maria-48,” we just don’t say. 
   Let's honestly admit to each other: a huge pie of foreign
science fiction, which until recently seemed immense, almost
eaten, now the remaining crumbs are being hurriedly picked up, there is a brutal
the greatest competition; those who are richer buy the rights to new ones,
post-conventional texts - for the era of “piracy” seems to be ending
is being published, and the rest are just licking their lips, republishing what has already been published
and are feverishly searching for what else they missed?
   And no one (or rather, almost no one) thinks to look around
parties and find out who writes what here - in the former Soviet-
Soviet Union, the current CIS? Those who were not too lazy to look around,
discovered that we, it turns out, are full of our own authors who
they write no worse (and often better!)Americans. And not on-
before going far away, paying heaps of dollars, signing
agreements with draconian restrictions - in order to obtain
coveted texts with the brilliant “Made in USA” stamp - but often -
thuya of dubious quality.
   Those who are smarter have already begun to publish domestic science fiction
- and things are going quite well for them. A striking example is the same below -
native "Phlox". His "Golden Shelf of Fiction" is not lying around
in warehouses and trays - and publishers intend to soon completely refuse
get away from “foreign” products, which sell much worse, and half-
to completely switch to domestic science fiction. Moreover,
Phlox has already accumulated five years worth of manuscripts.
   But, nevertheless, the market for domestic fiction is
is in its infancy. This "ecological niche" is still
practically not busy. Isn't it time to take it? Moreover, other
there are practically no niches left in the book publishing business!
whoever manages to do this first will receive the main part
profit. How much do you think that publisher ultimately earned?
who “discovered” the then unknown Stephen King?..
That's right. More than tens of millions. Dollars. And we have our own
"Kings" and "Zelaznys" that have yet to be "discovered"! Ho-
Are you going to make it in time? Then hurry up, because you are not alone here!
   "Risky!" - you say. Yes, it's risky. Domestic fans
we have toastsalmost don't know. We need advertising, we need promotion,
It takes a lot of investment and time. But in the end you have
those have a real chance to become monopolists in the domestic fan market
Tastics. Because the set of authors at Phlox is limited, and others are seriously
There are no new competitors yet. BYE... And besides - because-
give "foreign goods", the demand for which is rapidly falling, while at the same time
Isn't it risky to face fierce competition?
                        Nick. ROMANETSKY

             A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE FLOODING

   Every flood ends sooner or later. The wind subsides
rubbed, the water rolls back, washing the soil in some places and
trashing others. Having fallen into complete disrepair, the structures collapse
dug and new buildings built by hacks. Life comes into its own
the usual rut, but people have to draw conclusions in order to avoid
disaster strike next time...
   Something like a flood swept through the domestic fantasy world.
tika in recent years. The time has come to draw conclusions, even if
marked by the inherent subjectivity of each person: from many
subjective views and an objective picture of any
phenomena. Or at least a picture that claims to be objective.
   Now it’s no secret to anyone that, for the most part, domestic
TV fiction turned out to be akin to an old building. Or new
but...
   Of course, one can blame publishers for all the mortal sins,who are not interested in the fate of their native literature. Of course, you can
to play dogs in the bad taste of the reading public. But if you don’t compare
If you swear to the ostrich, then all that remains is to draw the easily obvious conclusion -
Russian science fiction at this stage has lost the battle to its an-
English-speaking competitor for one reason only: she
was less interesting. And this is where Russian-speaking science fiction writers need to
thread only themselves.
   Another thing is that this defeat was due to a number of
completely objective reasons. To understand them, you need to remember
conditions in which modern Russian fantasy began to develop
teak.
   Late fifties - early sixties. Khrushchev's thaw,
the first sip of something reminiscent of freedom. Fiction re-
is experiencing a rapid rise. Opposition is experiencing the same rapid rise
the struggle of the “physicists” and “lyricists”, which ended in temporary defeat
the latter - after all, communism must be built by engineers. As a result
hordes of engineers poured into production. As a result, the same in-
Women came to science fiction.
   But literature is not a theory of machines and mechanisms. And the brain can
capable of calculating stresses in a cantilever beam, not statistically
always able to put human experiences on paper. But
stand out from the general mass of aspiring writers in some way
I need it. The engineer's brain is accustomed to working economically and rationally. And
This is where the slogan “Goodfiction is new ideas! Or
at least new twists on the old ones..." Down with the secondary! 
Revising an idea already expressed by someone is plagiarism! And it doesn’t matter that everything
great literature rests on several “eternal” themes. If not
you can come up with a new idea, come up with a new situation. And - forward,
for mines!
   And in school lessons they instill that literature should: 1) teach;
2) reflect reality; 3) lead. Katerina - ray 
light in the dark kingdom... Pechorin is an extra person... So as not to
it was painful for being aimless and not burning with shame... "And finally
- engineers of human souls..."
   This is how the prose of ideas was born (I can’t even call it
literature).
   And if it couldn’t stand the competition based on naked ideology
economics, why did science fiction have to do this? After all, prose
ideas provide food for the mind, and literature is always and everywhere in the first place
It gave food for the heart.
   The above does not mean at all that the author is a retrograde. Just
in literature, a new idea should not be a self-sufficient factor.
   The second reason for the defeat has the same roots as the first. Mouse-
The engineer’s application is designed in such a way that it is much easier for him to apply
think a dozen new ideas, than write down fate and character at least
one person. And if you also take into account that under the existing publishing
in the televised system, the probability of publishing something written by a newcomer
the novel was practically zero, then noit's surprising that most
The majority of existing writers are primarily auto-
rami stories. Now, if only the majority of readers were
lovers of this form of prose!..However, give them novels - after all
The stories that give food to the heart can be counted on one hand.
   And finally, the last reason is lack of professionalism. This
the turner (although also not always) earned depending on the amount
quality and quality of machined parts. For this, an engineer needs
It was all right to go to work and get eights on the report card. Ta-
Some attitudes towards work passed into literature. I myself have heard more than once -
shaft, as a certain author raises his tail with a pipe, explaining how much
he spends hours on each phrase, how many words he goes through to
find the one thing. If only the turner would boast like that, how many times
he brings the cutter to the blank to remove a tenth of a mil from it -
liter!..
   His brothers would laugh at him, but we have nothing - they listen with
Respect, the man works. That’s why we can’t do three or four
to write books a year - we’re not used to working hard in the Western way. Beam-
It’s better to concoct a short story the size of an author’s leaflet, and then a year
shout that no one understands him... Just don’t think
that I encourage hacking. Just a professional writer is obliged
find that one word the first time. Well, let it be
second... Then he will be a professional in the true sensethis term. However, in recent times, any work performed
employed outside the eight-hour working day, and was called
"hackwork". They were just covering roofs with roofing felt or sawing wood,
and others wrote stories.
   Of course, these are not all the reasons why the Russian
science fiction suffered such a crushing defeat, but how do I
seems to be one of the main ones. And those who intend to remember them should remember
create new science fiction that can compete with the prizes
to known English-speaking authorities. But the fact that she will be born, no
doubts - after all, translators with poor command of the Russian language
English are already losing ground. It's just a damn shame that
once again science fiction is flooded with hacks...
   What should it be, this new science fiction?..
   But none. Everyone will decide this for themselves. You just need to remember
that textbooks should teach people, reflect reality - pub-
lystistics, and to lead oneself is propaganda. Literature in general
She doesn’t owe anyone anything. She just makes you empathize with the reader.
body heart.
   We must remember that Alice Mary Norton (known to everyone as Andrew
or Andre), does not hesitate to admit that he takes his ideas from
read. We must remember that the abundance of stories on the market is encouraging
only publishers, simplifying their compilation work, while the reader
prefers to be with his favorite characters for a long time
how muchevenings, not ten minutes. In addition, the essay is good -
writing a good story requires much more talent than writing a good story.
our novel.
   We must remember that in literature it is better to be a turner than an engineer.
rum
   And finally, we must remember that the mere observance of these
rules do not guarantee anything to anyone. We still need something like this
talent. After all, that’s the only reason Shakespeare became Shakespeare. And has no
what does it matter that in our literary environment they would call him
a graphomaniac, sophisticated in smooth writing.
   P.S. Necessary addition: the author is also an engineer by education.
ner, and therefore should not suspect him of envy of those who received education 
education in technical universities.
                        Svyatoslav LOGINOV

                       BALLET AND FANTASTIC

         Reflections on the ways of development of Russian literature

   Probably the most hopeless activity is to talk about the future -
common paths of literature. Literature will still go wherever it wants, and
The more logically a scholarly literary critic reasons, the more reliable he is
is wrong. And yet, Cassandra’s fate does not frighten the writing brethren:
the winnings are too great - you can guess where the turn is going
literature, you quickly get ahead of yourself, and now you’re already at
tablets of history, somewhere near Pushkin. And if so, then
why not think in your spare time which of the sections is great?
In which Russian literature the long-awaited breakthrough will take place.
   BeforeIn all, let's take a look at the past to find out how
Similar processes took place in the old days. And there we will discover
that those areas of art in which the most significant achievements were made
breakthroughs, strictly speaking, were not art, but preliminary
pretended to be the most base forms of kitsch.
Let me give you an example that is very far from the literature:

   I had some strange rules:
   Scolded ballet
   But once the binoculars were framed
   I'm a general neighbor.
   I took it with a bow
   And he didn’t return it for an hour.
   "However, you are an astronomer!" -
   The general told me.

   This is Nekrasov’s testimony. Alas, to the complete indignation of
today's balletomanes, their favorite performance was anything but
art. The most respectable public, armed with powerful optics,
I went to look at the dancers’ legs. And it’s not for nothing that Leo Tolstoy is so
he angrily opposed such depraved drag-footing. A
Moliere - a man devoid of prejudices - in his comedies between 
with his actions he simply wrote: “Ballet.” What ballet? Isn’t everything ra-
really?.. Let the bored spectators admire during the change of scenery
abundance of female meat. That's all art is.
   But Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa appeared and it turned out
that dragopedism is capable of conveying the subtlest shades of feelings. And
only later, in retrospect, theatergoers remembered that they were wonderful
ballets, including The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and The Swan
lakes." Althoughthey now live in the productions of modern ballet dancers - 
sterov. And most importantly, they did not know how to change the era, if only because
that there were few of them.
   From what has been said, I dare to conclude: new directions in art
should be expected where low-quality culture flourishes today
hack. Then, when the direction emerges and the theoretical
technical rethinking of what happened, it will be discovered that before
This area had magnificent examples of true art.
Their authors will immediately be recorded as the founding fathers, although
their time, having created outstanding works, they were unable to create
give schools.
   But is it really necessary for new literature to “without shame
yes" grow out of near-literary rubbish? Unfortunately, this is not
necessary requirement. For the new to win a place in the sun,
to be read, watched, listened to. No avant-gardeism is
can create a new layer of art simply because no one
won't notice. Perhaps the developments of the avant-garde artists will be used
other artists, but the avant-garde itself will remain in a hundred years
something created for the needs of an insignificant group of connoisseurs. Present
art is born from kitsch.
   Here's another example.
   In the early sixties, the most vibrant and truly new
Science fiction became a branch of Russian literature. Something underneath
this name existed before, although hardly anyone took it seriously
will consider chubby literaturenovels glorifying teletracto-
ra and other “miracle generators” that were considered science fiction
tika in the fifties. But the time has come and from the near-literary
Literature was born from this hack. And no matter how offensive it may be, there will be a prize -
It is clear that a significant role in this process was played by the fact that the works of German
Tsova and Saparina, despite everything, were still popular. Liu- 
I wanted something extraordinary.
   Well, now, armed with advanced theory, let's try to prevent
to guess from which nook and corner the masterpieces of the future will jump out at us
Millennium. Which printed products enjoy reader popularity?
polarity, but very far from real literature?
   THE LADIES' NOVEL has gained great success in recent years. Unfortunately
Ignorance, this snotty genre comes not to art, but from it. Write-
do the ladies' romance properly, and you'll get the usual realistic
work. And vice versa - any, but definitely a stupid editor,
armed with scissors, he will cut out Anna Karenina in three days
quite a decent book for tram reading.
   DETECTIVES are always popular. True, this genre is somewhat similar
crossword - the main thing in it is to guess who the killer is. Hardly so
a narrow task can generate something significant. In any case
In fact, over the eighty years of its existence, the Russian detective has never
didn't show himself. And yet... "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is definitely
a detective story, however, he overstepped the boundaries of the genre. So, noLet's completely discount the Russian Nat Pinkertons.
Perhaps they will give birth to something decent.
   PORNOGRAPHY. Is this really the future of our literature? I don't want to. But
cold reason suggests that the already mentioned ballet also
Yes, that was the limit of permitted porn. What happened in the end?
   HORROR, or horror fiction. From other types of fiction this
the toothy bastard is distinguished only by his ardent desire to let
the reader is cold in his pants. At first glance it seems doubtful
that such aspiration can be the subject of literature. But still,
if horror authors put aside teeth, claws and guests from
hell, but if they take up psychology, then from the depths of the subconscious
something like this could crawl out... And something from the depths of the unconscious is already
subject of literary creativity. Plus horror and pornography
differ favorably from a detective in that they are not squeezed into tight
framework of a deterministic plot.
   FANTASY. Of all the types of near-literary movement, this is the most
more popular and rich in internal capabilities. The author is not here
limited either by plot (as in a detective story) or thematically (as in
horror and pornography). There are no restrictions imposed by laws
nature (as in science fiction) or society and everyday realities
liami (as in realistic literature). The only requirement
- psychological reliability within the framework of the assumptions that are made
lal the author himself. Afurther - complete freedom.
   This is where it becomes clear how poor the imagination is.
current apologists of the genre. The same ones migrate from novel to novel
monotonous magical worlds, identical sorcerers with identical
staffs, faceless heroes making a continuous excursion with
obstacles, monotonously dazzling beauties, sometimes touching
completely helpless, sometimes perfectly armed, but always thirsty
loving caresses of the main character. In short - the whole gentleman's set is all
vdoculture. The only shining exception (also obligatory)
telny in our system) - Tolkien's epic, today it is already finished -
thoroughly buried under a mass of later layers.
   This means that this is where the garbage dump is located, where it grows.
Here are the flowers of true poetry. What will they be like? But this one, even
even if I knew, I wouldn't tell anyone. And without that, I revealed the sex
Polichinelle, pointed out the main path of development of Russian literature
plans for the next decade. It’s just a matter of small things: clear out the accumulated
mixed manure, to break the absurd but established forms of the pseudo-genre,
fill what happens with universal human content,
overcome the pain points in the life of tomorrow and create something great
something
   Hey, those who like to write their names on the tablets! Create is served
                       Ekaterina MURASHOVA

                "ONLY A REFLECTION IN REFLECTIONS..."

   The path of uncreated constellations
   Establish a blind connectionWith a pond of revenge overgrown with duckweed,
   Make an idol out of wax
   And melt in the tears of battles,
   Once again forgetting that I -
   Only a reflection in reflections
   Gone myths of existence...
                         Andrey Voronin, 16 years old

   Since over the past ten years it seems to have become clear that
there is nothing particularly bad about egocentrism, let me start with
yourself. Until everything changed again.
   For several years now, I, a developmental psychologist by profession, have been
I deal with children, teenagers and adults with something that
very conditionally can be called psychological counseling
knowledge, but in fact lies somewhere on the border between psychology and
psychotherapy.
   In turn, psychotherapy has long and quite successfully used
a method called fairy tale therapy is changing. In the most general
In its features it is based on the fact that the plots of ancient fairy tales, such as
"Kolobok", "Ryaba Hen", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Little Khavroshe- 
chka", etc., go back to Indo-European roots and reflect the basic 
the highest, deepest problems of the human psyche. All this is very in-
interesting, deep, and even a little scary, because when you lose,
using these stories in a special way in the process of fairy tale therapy
Surprising things really happen to intelligent adults.
telny things, but now we are not talking about that.
   As I already said, I work with both adults and children.
Adults, for the most partvery clumsily in their own way, but they can still
talk about your problems. Children and teenagers cannot. Remembering
reflection of basic problems in fairy tales (such as the problem of author-
theta, the problem of choice, relations between the sexes, children and parents, etc.
etc.), I thought: shouldn’t I use a fairy tale at least for diagnostic purposes?
nostics? And I began to ask children and teenagers to compose for me
fairy tale But alas, my children and teenagers did not write fairy tales. What you have
eventually it worked out for them (if I managed to distract them from
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Ghostbusters" and Space 
wars), lay somewhere at the junction between fantasy and science fiction
and the fairy tale itself, with the lion's share of the area of this junction
belonged to "fantasy". Having experienced such disappointment, I will consider-
asked the question from a theoretical point of view, meaning purely practical
tical application of findings.
   Works in the fantasy genre are usually based on
a different set of myths, qualitative and quantitative diversity
which lies entirely on the conscience of the author. For me, as for a psycho-
log, what is interesting here is that myths, like fairy tales, reflect in the
without the same tasks and problems that he solves in his life
man (naturally, both in myths and in psychology, does not solve them
only an individual, but also a population, class, ethnic group and
etc. - let's remember Jung's “collective unconscious”. However,
this is a separate topicconversation).
   But myths, in addition to their common function with fairy tales - to reflect, also have
another function is to form (For example, “Kolobok”, “Chicken”
Ryaba" - they do not form anything, do not call for anything. Not so 
- with myths).
   And if there is a formative role, I, as a psychologist, can use it
use it in your own psycho-correctional interests. Explain about
Most notably with an example:
   A twelve-year-old boy made a young man the hero of his “fairy tale”
twenty-five years old, average in all possible indicators, one
but who lives in a hut in the middle of a huge forest and earns his living
hunting and gathering. The young man has no social contacts
had, did not regret anything and did not strive for anything. With wild bellies
he was connected by a “hunter-game” relationship with domestic animals (cats,
dogs, horse) - “master-servant”. In this story, the boy reflected
their personal problems, the desire to hide, to escape from the world, restrictions
protect your inner world from the encroachments of other people, absent
lack of interest in people, trust in them.
   One day (because I insisted on developing the plot) in the forest
a flying saucer descended, taking the unlucky man on board
hunter and delivered him to his home planet of space travel
parents There they began to ask the young man about the Earth. And it turned out -
he doesn't know anything. Neither about people, nor about the planet, nor about life in general.
The aliens were surprised, returned the young man to his native forest, and promised
fly alsoasked to collect more information next time
ny. The young man promised and, although it was not easy for him, he left the forest and took...
for completing the task. Year after year he traveled to different
foreign countries, learned more and more about people and their lives. That
what I couldn’t remember, I wrote down in a thick book, which always
lay in his shoulder bag. Soon he knew so much that
people loved listening to his stories, and when he came to a new place,
before asking his questions, he spoke about those regions where he had already
visited, and about the life of the people of those regions. He himself also fell in love with people,
now they seemed interesting to him - just as he became interested
hay for them. During the first years he was still waiting for the aliens to return and
was ready to give them an account, but gradually life itself took over him
on his own, and he forgot about them.
   I think there is no point in commenting on what exactly is in the development of this
The meaning of this “fairy tale” had the meaning of psychocorrection. This is already clear.
   Having discovered such possibilities written by my patients
"fairy tales", I thought about the need for a formative role
myth has not gone away, and, consequently, the legends about the Gods and Ge-
swarms should still exist. Where are they now, what are they like?
They are and what is their role today in the life of a person entering the world?
   Let's look at this issue from the very beginning. The first Gods and Ge-
for a child, his own parents are the swarms. And it is they
put into the soulchild's first, basic moral imper-
Tiv. They lay down not only (and not even so much) words, but also
blunts. For example, parents can tell their chap every morning:
do not steal, but if mom brings home food every evening,
you're from the canteen, and dad's radio components are from the factory, then sooner or later
the child will understand...
   But years pass, mom and dad turn into ordinary people.
act with their merits and demerits, but the need for Gods and
The heroes remain, the little man goes out into the world, and that’s where
there comes a moment when an immature personality can swallow (and
most often swallows) the bait of “super authority”, “super valuable idea”
and others like them. (We, of course, have a “special” path, but still
In most of the various barricades, young people are fighting for the idea.
And this is not at all because old people are worse at holding weapons...) So
happened, is happening, and will probably happen, but this,
Of course, not everything, and the main human need for this is
growth remains formation (clarification, confirmation, correction)
PERSONAL moral and ethical complex.
   For centuries, myths and religion have been in more or less close harmony.
country coped with and satisfied the needs of a growing people
century. What is the formative function of myth? What are they, exactly?
but, formed? (We won’t talk about what they reflected - this
cultural rather than psychological problem).
   Herethe most general and far from complete list of the topics covered by them
questions (each, in essence, is a training program):
   1) respect for elders (attitude towards authorities),
   2) how to build gender relations (gender role settings),
   3) the meaning of life (or what one should live for),
   4) attitude towards death (for what or in what cases should one not live?
follows), 
   5) attitude towards the environment (if this seems surprising)
significant, remember the episode from “Kalevala”, where Väinämöinen left 
he lays a birch tree for the eagle at the edge of the field). 
   (The versatility of myths allows not only to continue, but also
change this list completely depending on your point of view, but 
These points are important to me for further presentation). 
   Since now in “civilized” countries ancient myths are not
which is not particularly formed, but the need, as already mentioned, is
(after all, more and more generations are entering life), then,
therefore, something had to replace the ancient myths in
our lives and in the lives of our children (and for atheists something must
was to replace religion).
   So, the roles (functions) that something had to take on:
   1) REFLECTION (problems, tasks, questions) - for young children
fairy tales are doing well now, but what next?..
   2) FORMATION (skills of social behavior and PERSONAL ethics)
ical principles) 
   3) CORRECTION (deviations and age dynamics).
   Let's try nowlist all the main tools of modern
social society that have any relation to the discussion
our functions:
   a) books,
   b) cinema or video,
   c) TV or radio,
   d) theater in all its forms,
   e) religion in all its forms,
   e) computer,
   g) psychology and psychotherapy, not as a science, but as a practical
what discipline. 
   Of course, between all the announced points there is infinite
infinite number of connections and transitions, and since it does not seem
possible to discuss the dependence of everything on everything, let us narrow the topic to
mock declared.
   I choose practical psychology as my professional field.
national interests, and fantasy as a genre of literature, because
within the framework of my practical experience, it was this genre that turned out to be the
most closely connected with the “mythological” part of my consciousness
clients (of course, I realize that my choice is completely artificial
natural, since a theater, for example, or a news program too
completely mythological).
   So, from the very beginning - the difference: psychotherapy is a tool
individual, for the third, correctional role. She steps on
scene when all other instruments for some reason failed,
managed to fulfill their adaptive functions.
   Science fiction, on the contrary, is a mass instrument. Like in ancient times
not a single teenager passed by the myths of his tribe, so this
hour no teenager passes by fiction(even if
video form).
   My personal experience as a practicing psychologist says: fantastic,
especially based on undistorted myths, is a very powerful thing,
can help in psychotherapy, and maybe even in some cases
replace it in psychocorrectional work. (We always remember that
its “penetration into the masses” is greater than that of psychology and psychotherapy
fii combined). So why isn't this happening? What if
is happening, it is clearly not enough? And why are all literature teachers
ry are completely horrified by what this is doing to the souls of their children
the most popular fantasy? (The Old Guard - Jules Verne, Green, Be-
Lyaev, Wells is still in honor, but the world has changed...) Teachers - 
snobs? Are the authors mediocre or, worse, malicious?
   I thought about it. And I came to the conclusion that the matter was completely
not in the snobbery of teachers and not in the mediocrity of authors. Third role
it turns out to be such a poorly executed fantasy because it was not completed
The first two are missing (or not played at all) - REFLECTION and FORMATION.
Why, in fact, should science fiction play these roles?
   Whatever the writer’s vanity may say, but now
The new reader of the main number of fantastic works is
is a teenager or young man. Exactly for these categories
For readers, fiction may be their primary reading volume. Approaching
towards maturity, a person turns to other genres and finds others there
problems and othersanswers. A teenager can spend years "va-
plunge into the cauldron of the fantastic genre and look there
REFLECTION of your problems, opportunities to FORM absent ones 
while skills, and answers to ALL questions that interest him.
   And now - the similarities. Both science fiction and psychotherapy PUT
ere a person has his problems. Psychotherapy limits a person to
xia, and fiction puts them in front of a group of people and in front of a nation,
and before the humanity of the Earth as a whole (in this last, the merits
science fiction is huge, but that’s not what we’re talking about now). Psychotherapy pre-
tends to try to solve identified human problems
ka. Science fiction also takes on this, but often, in the ecstasy of global
grandeur or amusement displayed for all to see
problems, somehow forgets about a person, making him either a tool
knowledge, or an instrument of accomplishment. Yes, feeling, thinking,
suffering, loving, but an instrument.
   Thus, fantasy (and, often, other literary genres)
ratury) does not solve a person’s problems, and sometimes takes him into the world
“super-authorities”, naked (like the king in a famous fairy tale) ideas.
Neither the idea of communism, nor the idea of God, nor the idea of
subspace movement, nor the idea of the Universal Mind.
Each in their own way, but still very similar, they rush through life and
workers, and communists, and astronauts. Any emerging person
(at leastsubconsciously) he feels it and looks for it in his
first of all, not a system, but a personal ideal (Timur, Christ, Rambo),
and only then - “super authority” in the form of an idea (the idea of communism,
the idea of a suffering God, the idea of “justice with fists”). Estes-
Consequently, the image that a person chooses for himself largely depends on
sits from the moral and ethical habits already formed in him
performances (remember the parents). But it also depends on the set of offers -
th.
   That is, I want to say that in literature in general and in science fiction
ke in particular the young man is looking for (as he once looked for in the myth)
not an idea, but a reflection of HIS problems in the face of the Hero, who Feels
Acts, Thinks, and Performs Actions. I would like to emphasize that
it should not be an Ideal, but simply a Hero (it’s interesting that the moral
actions of most mythological characters,
to put it mildly - doubtful - let us remember the heroes of the Iliad, the Russians
epics, "Kalevals"). That is, a hero who initially has a flawless
river ethical instinct, always winning in the fight with oneself and with
struggling only with unfavorable conditions with varying success
environment, for a young (or old?) person it is not only uninteresting
sen, but also unproductive (in the sense of formative, inherited from
function myth). And yet he must be a Hero, and not a negative
telny character. Like this! But the myths succeeded. Their heroes
committed terrible acts and still remainedalive and attracted
casative, and yet - taught! And also in order for this to become possible -
possible, a fantastic world different from reality was created, and
The heroes also found themselves in surreal circumstances. But fantastic
the reality of this world was secondary, essentially forced (in
in the real world with real people, any experiments with moral
ity - immoral). A testing ground for moral and
ethical paradigms, choices that promote human survival,
population, the species as a whole and screening out the unsuitable - that’s what it is, essentially
Ty, the space of myth. This is what I was looking for and found in the myths I enter-
a person coming into life and already moving through life. And it’s he who is looking for those
feather in fiction (Respect for the Path, in all its shapes and forms.
Absence of taboo topics and forms of behavior. Unconditional Honesty
in reflecting the consequences. You can laugh, but it’s grace
By observing all these conditions of the Mahabharata, in essence,
war work). And in its best examples, science fiction -
a worthy successor to the myth!
   But such works are few, few, few! And books that take away chi-
tator from HIS problems into the world, not even the problems of the author (this is still
yes, here), but into the world more or less carefully invented by the author
SITUATIONS - many, many, many! 
   Maybe someone already has the impression that I am
I call upon the potential author of a work of fiction to attentively
thoroughly studysome book on teenage psycho-
logy and several collections of myths, and then sit down at the table and drink
to say something, if possible without going beyond the ideological boundaries of
read.
   No, ladies and gentlemen, science fiction writers! I'm talking about something else. Yes,
science fiction is read by special people, people who are on the threshold of
social life and moral maturity. But they write science fiction
ku people are special. All writers, to one degree or another, are maladjusted
you (a person who has accepted the world, and is completely accepted by the world, do not become
no try to describe this world on paper. It will just live in
him). Science fiction writers are even more maladaptive. Im
It’s not enough to ask questions and show yourself to the real world. To say
say about themselves, they need another world and other listeners or interlocutors
(naturally, I’m talking specifically about the urgent need for external
sense of the fantastic element, and not about decoration or demand
conditions). A writer's work with a problem can be compared
unhappy with the work of a psychotherapist. It’s just aimed at everyone who
will want to read and understand it. And the writer has only one “client”
- himself.
   So my call, to put it mildly, is my request as a practitioner
The psychologist’s message to you, ladies and gentlemen of science fiction, is simple:
   Carry yourself into your Heroes, into the world of your works, don’t
rushing under the umbrellas of real or fictitious “super-authorities”. And
your readers, my clients, with gratitude andadmiration for
mute you as you are. And your courage will serve them
example and lesson of self-disclosure, self-analysis and self-correction
                          Nick. PERUMOV
                            FANTASY:
               Bridgehead? Highway? Reserve?

   ...And we are not in the world at all, but somewhere
   On the outskirts of the world between the shadows...

   ...Every road here is so dusty,
   Every leaf wants to be dry,
   What won't bring a unicorn
   The white seraphim is coming to us...

   ...Where all the sparkle, all the movement,
   All singing - you and I live there.
   Here is only our reflection
   Filled with a rotting pond...
                                                Nikolay Gumilyov.
                                           Sat. "Pillar of Fire"

   Fantasy walks on Russian soil. And that's wonderful. Nako-
Well, after almost eight decades, Russian writers are again
started working in this genre. True, “pure”, “classical”
Almost none of them write fantasy (with the possible exception of
lol, only the authors of the series “Asta’s World” - Mazin and Grigoriev). Prec-
a brilliant and subtle author, Svyatoslav Loginov, from whose pen you
there was a powerful and pure “Honey of Life”, perhaps the strongest in the world.
Today's fantasy is the art of our science fiction, also refers to the genre
ru rather as a literary device. And he is not alone in this.
   Before starting any research, it is necessarycome to an agreement
about terms. Unfortunately, we still don’t have a clear definition of fantasy.
not yet. In general, genre boundaries are very blurred, that’s understandable.
but when the genre award “The Sword in the Stone” was finally created, it was awarded
May, as stated in the regulations, "for the best fantasy", elementary
scientific integrity requires agreeing on what
strictly speaking, consider this fantasy itself. Possible - in a wide range
sense - any work where there is an element of inexplicability
mystical, not amenable to rational interpretation in
within the framework of both current scientific ideas and in line with the forecast
planned development of scientific knowledge. Then in the category of fantasy
everything from Mary Shelley and Edgar Poe to
Stephen King or Dean Koontz. Along the way, a similar bulldozer loaded up 
bet and "The Master and Margarita", and "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka",
and even - it’s scary to say - “Ruslan and Lyudmila.” And from abroad
nogo - Meyrink, and Dunsany, and Addison, and Williams, and Lovecraft, and
Howard and Alexander Lloyd and Tolkien and W. Le Guin and Umberto 
Eko, and Kenzaburo Oe, and Kobo Abe, and even Gore Vidal. I have listed 
the first names that came to mind, without consciously making any selection
ra - neither in time, nor in the trace left in literature.
   This is one approach. If we apply it actually to fantasy
tic, then Andrei Nikolaev is obviously right, who once noted that
suggests countingfantasy any work where interference
divine powers. In this case, "The Epistle to the Corinthians" or
“Monks under the Moon” by A.M. Stolyarov will definitely fall into this genre, 
together with my "Ring of Darkness", "Thundering Wings" by S. Ivanov and
"Black Wall" by L. Kudryavtsev. 
   Yes, this approach undoubtedly has a right to exist. Ho-
It seems to me that by combining works according to such a general
mu, albeit a fairly clear criterion (supernatural powers
yes/no) we will get, in my opinion, something like an obscure
mixtures.

                              * * *

   In the epigraph of the article I included the lines of the great Russian poet Niko-
barking Stepanovich Gumilyov, who gave, in my opinion, absolutely 
an explanation for why literary fairy tales remain popular
are still in use today, despite the flourishing of critical realism in the 19th century.
lism, which created recognized masterpieces, starting from "War and Peace" and
ending with "David Copperfield", despite all the ups and downs of literature
of our century (“The Gulag Archipelago”, “The Master and Margarita”, “Aves-
Salom, Absalom!”, “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” etc. The list can be 
complement endlessly). Moreover, under a literary fairy tale, or,
to put it “in an imported way”, I call “fantasy” a strictly defined
new type of works. This is a medieval world, swords and other things are in use.
whose edged weapons, the magicians are conjuring with might and main, and somewhere on the horizon
the figures of the omnipotent loom vaguely(or not so much) power -
body gods.
   The cliches of this genre are very witty and quite rightly
ridiculed A. Sviridov in his “Small Typical Set”, without giving,
yes, explanations why with such a high level of “organization”
Literature of this kind has continued to find its way for decades.
th reader - mainly for now in the West, but gradually conquered
giving us a place in the sun too. Svyatoslav Loginov on the phone
in a conversation with the author of these lines, I suggested that the whole point is in the effect
the effect of recognition, plus the desire to slightly tickle one’s nerves, pre-
knowing full well that everything will end well in the end. At the same time
S. Loginov referred to the phenomenon of “women’s novels”, in which 
Tuyu varies “only the color of the heroine’s hair.”
   Thus, it is this “classical” that is subject to discussion.
fantasy, but not its countless derivatives. In my opinion-
According to us, there is a stable genre with fairly strict canons.
Everything else is “at the junction”, “on the verge”, etc. - from the evil one.
In Western literature there is a clear division -
fiction/fantasy; the first is, so to speak, “solid” SF (space,
future, alternative history, etc.), the second - in a huge
in most cases this is the same “solid” fantasy that was discussed
above. And they also have horror and thriller - all with their own features.
what genre boundaries. We have a big basket with the inscription
"fantasy" (otherwiseand somehow they will be perverted. I somehow even
"fantasy" gotcha...) everyone is knocking down where there are no starships. Although
works built on the invasion of our everyday life,
real life of something otherworldly, supernatural speed
It should be classified either as a "mystery" or a "horror" genre (if
this can be posed and resolved in works as desired
complex philosophical problems).

                              * * *

   Our world is completely stitched with iron threads of unfreedom. This concerns
of all states without exception - both East and West. Modern
civilization, providing an ever-increasing volume of material
benefits, severely limits the manifestations of personality. And it's not about
vulgar problem of "daily bread". No. "In this crazy mi-
between white people, a person can neither travel, nor eat, nor 
drink, nor sleep, if he does not have colored pieces of paper that 
are called "money-gi". 
   But this is not enough - after all, in the end, commodity-money relations
tions did not arise today or yesterday. Narrow personality specialization
- the second of the reasons for lack of freedom. Remember, from Efremov: “Man of the Era
The Disunited World was quite a versatile personality. He could 
build a house or a ship with his own hands, he could, if necessary, with a sword 
in our hands to fight in the ranks of the army..." We have become specialists. Co- 
which, as is known, are similar to fluxes.
   But the dream of a world of personal freedom remained."ideal" Average
centuries, which, of course, had very little in common with reality,
a person could travel freely from end to end of the slave
Ecumene; could be himself without looking back at the Law, which
prohibits much more often than it allows. Himself, relying only on
his own strength, a person could achieve a lot - for example,
to lie to the king...
   Fantasy grew from here. From a chivalric romance, from a hero-
ical songs-gesture; it has absorbed a huge layer of European
skaya literary tradition and precisely by its traditionalism it
strong today. Tales of Secondary Worlds are good in themselves -
if written with love, imagination and talent. As for
the problems raised in them... It is not at all necessary that they, these
problems must be identical in all respects to moral and ethical problems
lemams of our days, our time. There are “eternal” topics and “eternal”
questions that can be answered in different ways. Fantasy, with its og-
romny arsenal (what is the problem of relationships worth
God/Man, in my opinion, is not adequately resolved within the framework of reality.
literary literature), provides unlimited possibilities
tee. But! She retains her charm only if she follows
traditions.  "Modernization" leads to going beyond the genre. We
we get either mysticism, or horror, or the so-called. "science fantasy" -
but in no way what initially, at the beginning of the article, I personally forse-
I call myself by this word.

                              * * *

   Fantasy is good in itself. Its meaning is the creation of Secondary Mi-
ditch But, often, it is used as a literary device - for
working out the problems of our world. Examples: S. Loginov “Honey of Life”,
A. Stolyarov "Album of an Idiot".  Things are quite strong. True, to 
fantasy have nothing to do with it. Only the surroundings were used.
It's a shame to cry - good writers create powerful and rich worlds,
and then, realizing that it turned out to be “unartistic,”
with the help of moralizing staples they begin to nail these worlds to ours.
reality. Let's take "Honey of Life". What characters! What team
coming to liberate the sacred drink! A wide variety of types and
characters. You can write a novel about everyone, what is one forest worth?
knight! And then... To be honest, there is no need to drive
I didn’t see our reality there. Just like in the "Album of Idioms"
ta". Like a stone around her neck, she, this reality, dragged the beautiful 
new things to the bottom.
   I don’t think it’s entirely correct to “modernize” fantasy in this way. peace,
in my opinion, there should be one. Without any "guests" from our
XX century. And the writer’s task, in my opinion, is not to mechanically transfer
in the fantasy world of the problems of our reality, and solve them with special
digital, original problems of another reality, so that they
made us think about things closer to our lives.
   So fantasy -this is not a nature reserve. It's hard to wait for a breakthrough
a deliberately conservative genre. However, this is "conservative"
The “stagnant” genre has been alive for a century, loved by millions of readers
and gives rise to new genres - such as "science fantasy".
Breakthrough? A breakthrough towards modernity is hardly needed by the traditional
different in nature to the genre.
   And finally. Doesn’t it seem to dear readers that one of
the best things by the Strugatskys "It's hard to be a god" - this is a classic
fantasy? The field synthesizer "Midas" is a purely magical thing. Yes-
in the distant future it will not be possible to cancel the fundamental laws of physics
ziki, prohibiting that easy transformation of sawdust into gold. And, gla-
anyway, make Anton not an earthling, but, say, a firstborn
elf - how will everything change?

                              * * *

   That is, according to my ideas, fantasy is magic
trawl. A highway with its own laws and orders. She doesn't pretend
blows towards inclusiveness, towards global character, but it, if possible,
but so to speak, “warmth”. A warm, distant light emanates from her.
fairy tales Andrey NIKOLAEV

      ABOUT FANTASY, WRITERS, READERS, KINGS AND CABBAGE...

   At all times, most people expected Neve-
home. Interesting - something that is not in the surrounding everyday life.
In the evenings we listened with bated breath to terrible stories about pranks
Beelzebub and his associates, about sorcerers and dragons, aboutall kinds of
evil spirits and the dead risen from their graves, while in the light
languished in the castle, the gentleman enjoyed the singing of a minstrel (or there is a bar-
yes, a guslar), whose ballad told about knights and beautiful
vitsa, about noble deeds, about gods and lords of the seas, le-
owls and winds - and all about the same sorcerers and dragons...
   Listeners, and later readers, wanted first of all to satisfy the
interested in the Unknown (roughly speaking, to have fun) and not particularly interested
were concerned about the psychological reliability of incentive motives
actions of characters and philosophical (psychological, semantic)
depth of the story. However, if all this was present in
story, it did not at all interfere with the listeners, moreover, it enhanced
(and repeatedly) impression. But if this depth was self-sufficient -
now, and the plot did not attract the enthusiastic attention of listeners, then
and could have been beaten.
   This was a long time ago, in the Middle Ages.
   Times have changed. But the craving for the Unknown has not gone away -
the majority (and the vast majority) of ordinary consumers want
What they get from literature is, first of all, entertainment, first of all - Neve-
home. This is probably bad in our time when there is Big Li-
literature, but it’s not for me to judge those readers who almost
They are contemptuously called escapists. I myself grew up reading Dumas' books.
Sabatini, Belyaeva, Jules Verne, Conan Doyle, Wells, Martynov and 
Strugatsky. It is precisely because of the craving for the UnknownI took it as a schoolboy 
the hands of their books, and not those recommended by the eighth grade curriculum
wonderful "Dubrovsky" and "Till Eulenspiegel". Before Pushkin and
I reached other Masters much later, when the craving for the Unknown
was largely satisfied and interest in
People, Characters and relationships of people. Then I needed
Depth of storytelling. And, to my surprise, it turned out that in
most (not all, but most) of my favorite works
Deniya has all this in full. And those books where this was not the case -
and I can’t remember. That is, I remember the authors: Boussenard, Kazantsev,
Nemtsov, even some titles of works (and illustrations, for example 
example for framed books by Kazantsev and Boussenaard or colored cards
teenagers to the gray stories in "Technology-Youth") I remember - but the contents
the idea completely flew out of my head...
   It is obvious to me: for the work to become popular, so that
as many people as possible read it, carried it through the years and recommended
recommended to be read to children, it should equally combine
two qualities: the depth of the portrayal of characters, the fate of the real
person in the real (albeit fantastic, but reliable in its
fantastic) reality - and the Unknown, interestingly-
attractive. It was not I who discovered this truth, remember repeatedly
the words of B.N. Strugatsky about the indispensable triad: Miracle, Mystery,
Credibility. But what is perceivedbrains, not always a prize
is heartfelt, and over the past thirty years...
   However, first things first.
   In relation to the realities of Russian science fiction (and under this te-
By definition I mean the science fiction of the USSR and all the countries that formed -
after his death) in the mid-nineties, my thoughts now
hour are separated into two questions: what should the Unknown be like,
so that it attracts the attention of the greatest number of modern
important readers, and how to combine two texts in one work
quite contradictory demands - like, using the words of Vyaches-
Lava Rybakova, “to reconcile the irreconcilable.” 
   (I’ll make a reservation right away - the paths of development and the history of science fiction over the past
In this case, I am not interested in the affairs of our Motherland. Let's accept
it is a given that English-language fiction has traveled a path that
we still have some way to go. But, firstly, our fiction is unlikely
will repeat the path of the English-speaking one for one - we don’t have foreign authorities
example, we have our own face, our own character and our own mentality, so it would be
from time immemorial and it will be so, despite efforts to instill in us
American way of thinking. And secondly, we cannot piss now
rely on the American experience in the development of science fiction, because we have no
given the proper amount of information, did not “cook” in that cauldron and are doomed
either to incorrect or superficial judgments in this matter).
   The unknown has always beckoned. At the beginning of the century, the unknown was
science, shesupplanted the previous miracles that set the teeth on edge, from her
they were expecting something that they had never expected from gods and demons.
But then it turned out: there is a radio, but life has not become any happier.
All the gazes of the seekers of the Unknown were directed to Space. Only there
it was possible to find something that would not be found in reality
the silence that awakened the imagination and gave rise to hopes. The beginning of the sixties
tenths Efremov, Strugatsky, Snegov... The vastness of the Universe, mastered
tion, work is real Work... And Miracles. And Adventures.
   I remember reading Martynov's "Starfarers" in the third
class. Accidentally opening the book further than I was reading, I saw a picture -
ku with unsightly three-fingered creatures - Venusians! I read, dro-
the thrill of excitement: will the astronauts really see creatures of a different plane?
no?! Nowadays this won’t surprise even a first-grader: Autobots and de-
Cypticons, Voltrons and Drules with terrible robotic beasts have
a step of several parsecs and throw planets at opponents...
Back in the late seventies, my classmate, having taken a newspaper at breakfast,
that and seeing the first page, entirely dedicated to the heroic
space flight, remarked: “It’s high time to write on the second
page below: five arrived, seven flew away..." Several 
years ago I watched the American science fiction film "Moonlight"
trap" (quite reliably - without crap - filmed) about the flight 
expedition to the moon and finding aliensartifacts. Boring.
I barely finished watching it. What is the Moon to us if we have already conquered Perseus,
have resorts been established on Pandora for a long time, if the "Pros-Eaters"
travel" roam the expanses of the Universe?..This is in the domestic fan- 
tastic, but what can we say about the world of American
SF, where "Cosmic Lark" started more than half a century ago?!
   Interest in space fiction as a carrier of the Unknown in
to a large extent, the mass Russian reading public uses
this way. Indeed: well, what new can you come up with after the amazing
imaginative worlds of Efremov, Strugatsky, Azimov, Van Vogt and
many other masters? Example: just published and very
Evgeny Filenko’s good novel “The Galactic Consul” was received
is now considered by many as a nostalgic stylization in the spirit of six-
twenties. But the author of such a goal, as I understand it, does not set himself
put. True, the novel was written a long time ago, about ten years ago: in the collection
ke "Poisk-88" a fragment called "Epicenter" was published,
and he looked simply amazing then. And the novel, for all its
obvious advantages, was late... Another example from the sensational
works of recent years - "Odysseus leaves Ithaca" by Vasily
Zvyagintseva. The author was very careful about the topic of space and foreign 
Lanetians, devoting most of the novel to people, but - in my opinion -
Indeed, the look - if anything “pulls out” the novel, it’s not the alien -
no, butparts dedicated to alternative history. Remove travel
twiya in time (and plot-wise it could be completely constructed, not
they are so vital there) and the novel will simply stop
deserve attention.
   This does not mean that space science fiction will not be read and
write in future. They will. And masterpieces in this subgenre will still appear -
there are no rules without exceptions. But the former expectation of something like this
there is no more science fiction. She quietly, out of self-sufficiency,
precise direction turns into a technical technique, applying
washed either to create a costume action movie or works
Great Literature. Readers no longer know the unknown from outer space
waiting. Just as they wouldn’t expect him, say, from a detective.
   Again, I’m not saying that in recent decades
In all of our science fiction, the theme of Space was predominant. Not at all. There were also travel
reality in time, and parallel spaces, and everyday fiction -
ka, and parables, and harsh sur with abstruse avant-garde, and utopias with an-
dystopias. But the greatest number of those who were remembered, reached
Xia, works that made their way to the reader’s heart are written either in
space material, or were dystopias (mainly in the post-
last decades). The Strugatskys have almost all of their works (for
with a few exceptions) are somehow related to space and
aliens - even if in the background, like the alien Cons-
tantin. Bulychev has a powerful story -"Pass". At Mikhailov's -
"The Door on the Other Side" and "Captain Uldemir". Larionova - "Leo- 
pard from the top of Kilimanjaro" and "Centaur Chakra". I'm not even saying 
about Efremov and Snegov, whose best works are about Space. U
Rybakova one of the best things is “Trust”. But in recent years about 
almost no one writes about space (or, more correctly, does not publish?)
obviously - neither writers nor readers.
   Yes, it would be stupid to discount dystopia. But I let
I like to quote Vyacheslav Rybakov: “... when danger
obvious, describe worlds in which it was not possible to escape from it and 
thereby subconsciously convincing that it is inevitable here too... 
using high language, this means even more whipping up the fear of the storm 
future and, therefore, general paranoia in the present. Speaking pop 
growth, this is boring to read. And it’s not for nothing that the creators of such works 
ny (I won’t name anyone so as not to offend) in every possible way 
are trying to disguise emotional monotony and moral 
the vacuum of their worlds using the most complicated ways of describing them - 
nia. You can see how Piit gnaws his pen in an attempt to give everything 
a total massacre like no one else has done before..." 
   Utopia... Actually interesting (for a wide range of people, not for
interested in sociological reasoning and long-term
forecasts) it is difficult to write a utopia: in a problem-free future
there are no problems, and thereforethere is no sharp plot and we have
pinkish fog of the last pre-perestroika decades, planting
given by the "Young Guards". Moreover, it is firmly in our brains
The image of the future created by the Strugatskys was imprinted. This is how B.N.
characterizes him: "A world in which a person does not know anything necessary -
it is more useful and SWEETER than creative work. A world where everyone has freedom 
This is a condition for the freedom of all others and is limited only by one’s own 
butting the rest. A world where no one does anything to anyone else, 
something he wouldn’t want done to him. A world where human education 
the human child has ceased to be a rare art and is made 
science..." Of course, nothing brighter, fairer and more attractive 
A more complete world than this has not yet been invented. The trouble here is
that the very word “communism” is hopelessly discredited. Damn
knows what nonsense (and abominations) are meant today by
the term "communist future". A cruel, stupid dictatorship.
Culture twisted into a ram's horn. Beer pipeline "Zhiguli-Moscow".
Peace for free... A beautiful and strong idea was covered in blood and covered
crap. Truly - "...an idea thrown into the masses like a girl,
thrown into the regiment."
   Here it is - “nothing could be more attractive.” But in general it would be great-
It would be if someone offered readers a utopia that would actually describe
reflecting on the current situation, and besides, it is interestingly twisted
new... I'm afraid it's unreal - in our headscomplete mess. All that
What we want now is to survive with as little loss as possible. But when
Yes, someday we have utopias (well-made) that are necessarily explained
hang around - the Russian people will not tolerate the “holy place” of Svetly
The future remained empty for a long time. But I'm afraid - in the next thousand -
anniversary...
   In the coming years, I believe, replacements will continue to be created.
most popular works in the genre of "everyday fiction" and "fantasy"
ical detective", but they never aroused widespread interest,
there is no Unknown in them.
   But, as if in defiance of what was lost, in Russian science fiction there appeared
a new promising direction has emerged (and in the West it is still
quite young) - alternative fiction. What would happen if...
Oh, this is incredibly interesting! Space for imagination and for auto-
ditch, eager to write Great Literature. And new opportunities
torams of militants. But to create “costume entertainment” the mathematics
rial is complicated. The mass reader in alternative fiction is not
finds the Unknown: “I’d rather read a detective story than solve the puzzles -
pose a puzzle like “what would have happened if Lenin had been strangled in 
in infancy..." 
   But sorcerers and inexplicable magical phenomena have been reborn in fantasy.
some superhuman forces. Fantasy and horror. Horror attracts...
not a horror story, but usually the action takes place in a familiar
environment, in modern realities. Scary - yes. Interesting - yes.
But imagination doesn'tamazes. Doesn't make you exclaim with delight
but: wow!
   Fantasy is amazing! Yes - not a very qualified reader.
Because there is no decent fantasy yet. There is Tolkien's epic
singing - everyone treats her with respect. There is something else from an-
Glo-American fiction, which the esthete does not look at at all
grimacing. But the reader, precisely in search of the Unknown, buys and
buys books on trays with images of muscular warriors with
swords or gray-bearded elders with staves. This is the reader of the same
warehouse that a quarter of a century ago I was looking for books about Kos-
Mose. He has a pronounced need for the Unknown, fantasy
Zi has become fashionable in Russia. Consequently, writers who wish to have
the mass reader is forced to write fantasy. After all, the writer is
Tells the reader how often this is forgotten! Not everyone forgets
fortunately. Something in this genre has already appeared in Russian fandom.
tastic. Timid sprouts, but they are there. And what do we see? Strong and professional
The sensational novel by Nikolai Perumov, made in 2000, is a continuation
the story of Tolkien's famous trilogy. Completely and completely attached
novel to the Professor "Ring of Darkness" to Russian science fiction
It is relevant only in the sense that it is written in Russian.
And books by Yuri Nikitin... And the "northwestern" series "Worlds
Asty"... You can mention them, but I don’t want to discuss them. Because 
that "there is no content." Because ifthey will ask what the thing is about - and
It’s hard to remember... But - judging by at least network conferences -
they are read. While they are reading - until something appears, made on
at a decent level, with decent content... But it will be done,
There will certainly appear in fantasy authors who know how to combine content
pity and plot.
   Why should I worry, it would seem? Only the writers
declared themselves in the late eighties - early nineties, very
I really like (to be scrupulously precise - their works,
but also their worldview, aesthetics, personality - also and not least
her degree). And I am far from indifferent to their creative fate. I
I mean the members of the St. Petersburg seminar of B.N. Strugatsky. And - wider
- the so-called “Maleevites”. Everyone whom the fandom respects, whose pro-
The works appear today in the Bronze Snail nominations...
   Since 1988, I have had the good fortune to attend the Seminar of B.N. Strugatsky.
How many smart thoughts, deep discussions about the meaning of life, ways
Great Literature, about the world, about power and history. There's not one there
heard almost - about the reader.
   Let's remember - writing "unprokhodnyak" on "Maleevka" was considered honorable
a great, almost feat! The sharper and bolder the better. But after
suddenly the desire to write an accusatory work entered the blood
(why else would Lazarchuk and Uspensky jump up in response to the re-
Legostaev’s cry about “kicking a dead lion”?) In se-
minara and those close to themin spirit, it is not customary to think about the ease of reading
nia - on the contrary. The more complex the better. A. Stolyarov said in sep-
minare during a discussion of Loginov's story "Private's Miracle"
of the day": "First of all, I would like to note that the story is good. This 
I must say clearly and clearly - it is well written. This story is 
child was read with delight by a very large audience...But the story 
there is one major drawback... It is written in classical format 
meh... now this form has died - it is completely exhausted, in it 
I can’t write anymore.” 
   Once at a seminar I broke down, saying: “In six years I
I heard a lot of reasoning from you here, Boris Natanovich. But neither 
Not once have you talked about an interesting plot, about the surroundings, about intrigue. 
In the Strugatskys’ texts this is an indispensable condition, for you it is us- 
only it is self-evident that you have never even spoken about it. And, 
as a result, your students did not think about it." B.N. was very 
surprised, he even asked if he was like a cook who
spends an hour explaining to the cook how many and what spices to put in the roast,
but forgets to say, as if it were obvious, about meat, and as a result
radiates... It turned out to be a heated and interesting debate. Including
about Great Literature. The seminar participants do not want to write anything,
except Great Literature. At B.N. there is even a metaphor - a closet
with books: Dumas and Green are standing below, but on the most prominent shelf
Dostoevsky andTolstoy. At the same time, the definition of Big was given 
Literatures: real destinies of real people in real settings
(a fantastic setting does not interfere with reality if it
reliable). And then it was said that Bondarev, Ivanov, Markov
write Great Literature. I remember Stolyarov was surprised. A Strugatsky
said: “Andrey, you still haven’t understood that in Bolshoi Literatu-
“Can there be bad works?” 
   They don’t think at all about the ordinary reader, the consumer. Coming out from behind
desktop or from behind a machine, a person wants to rest - this is
so natural. And he is deliberately forced to work - and not at all
no less than the author worked! But the books of the Teachers, the Strugatskys,
have never been taken by the novice reader to solve any
problems. Once, when asked why Mymra in the City speaks
unknown language and what it means, B.N. brought a wonderful
comparison that the content of a science fiction novel is important for writing
Torah, for the reader is like a bitter but necessary medicine.
For the reader to swallow this medicine, a sweet wafer is required
- the “meat” of the novel: intrigue and ambiance. Mymra is an element of this "oblat-
ki", and don’t rack your brains, guys, why she speaks in an unfamiliar language
in my language...
   Forgetting about the “wafer” is considered good manners. Such an impressive
the idea that authors write not for the reader, but for “their own kind”
nykh" - writers, critics and literary scholars. With all our mighthundred
they strive for “the work to be included in the historical literary
process". There's probably nothing wrong with that. Only from here
follows the requirement of a special, “qualified” reader.
   I like the works of the workshop members. I really like it. But
I’m not sure that I’ll be able to persuade my boys in twenty years
read my favorite books. That is, the Strugatsky books are beyond all
anyone in doubt. But I don’t know about Stolyarov’s books...
   How indignant we were at one time at S. Shcheglov’s article in “Sisyphus”
(#4 for 1990). "Realistic grayness, praising and denouncing - 
sharing the same wretchedness of our reality of catastrophes, mafias and demons 
enlightenment, instilled in Soviet science fiction for years, allowed 
metastases are so deep that we are already repeating like parrots “Right” 
marvel... Ideologically... Oh, Literature! " over the works, read co- 
which are Sisyphean work." Then we thought - give us the opportunity to 
our authors will publish and the reader will sort everything out for himself
places, despite all the malice. There is freedom of publication, there is a market
there is - but there is no happiness. There is no need to proclaim that “ours” are better than “theirs”
them”, but to fight for the reader. The books of the Strugatskys are still quite
competitive, despite the avalanche of Western super-action films.
   But you really want to be good, both “ours” and “yours” - something...
I wish I could enter Greater Literature and be read avidly. Prizes,
By the way, I want it too.
   Do we want orno, but historically there has been a stigma
"FANTASTIKA" is a trademark. It is attractive to the reader.B 
while Great Literature - for the mass reader - is
much less medicinal. And by all writers, even if subconsciously
On a physical level, this is certainly felt. And the authors of the Great Litera-
rature precisely because of the lack of such a wide audience of contempt
are considered science fiction writers. Science fiction writers want to enter
Great Literature is commendable. But they don’t want to lose readers either.
dude...
   Lord, it's possible!  The Strugatskys wrote only
FICTION and entered Great Literature, despite all the enemies 
machinations. They just combined the incompatible.
   And this - sooner or later - will be done by others.
   I don’t encourage anyone to do anything and, God forbid, I don’t teach HOW and ABOUT
WHAT to write. I just stated my observations.
   Writers of the “Fourth Wave” flared up at the end of perestroika -
and they were forgotten. They were quickly replaced by others, pushing them into nomination
lists of awards. It's a shame for the writers I love. Times have changed
They were flying fast, no one was interested in fighting a dead lion.
But I don’t want to rebuild, and we are resuscitating a dead man,
like in King's horror stories...
   However, I’ll make a reservation that I by no means meant all writers
en masse. Each writer is an individual, each goes his own way -
topics Many authors even without me reached such simple thoughts -There is already evidence of this. And I was talking about trends in darling
to my heart Russian-language fiction - I want it to go
forward and developed. And I read as much as possible
people. So that there is no need to cultivate a “special Soviet reading
la".
   And surprisingly, this is possible in fantasy. Combine Unknown-
mine and the real destinies of real people - even if they exist only
on paper, but as alive as Gorbovsky, Komov, Kammerer...
   In fantasy, everything is possible, even a reflection of our recent past.
a logo that is so hard to forget.
   I'll try to amuse you, gentlemen, one last time. At twenty
in the BSF volume dedicated to fairy-tale fiction, in the preface
it is shown how the legend of King Midas is easily transformed into a “hard
NF". The opposite is also true. Remember the wonderful movie "The Elusive"
Avengers"? Now imagine a well-written novel (or 
story), where in a conventionally medieval world the “bright” leader is reset
forces from the throne of the old "black" tyrant and the armies of the "light" are fighting
across the country with the undead followers of the former ruler. And the plot
the movie doesn’t even need to be changed - just a little fantasy with dragons
add. True, the scene with the train hijacking in the finale will have to be changed.
But these are technical difficulties, that is, surmountable ones. And what's int-
Sure, if such a thing appeared, maybe no one would figure out the fundamental
woo. But that doesn't matter. It is important that all thoughts are sonecessary for
us are preserved. But it is possible to further comprehend it, to complicate it not in
damage to the action, put in a bunch of this... Or you can come up with it yourself
stories that pose and allow us to comprehend the problems of our day.
   But for me this is not important either. It always seemed to me that literature
RA is designed to reflect people's relationships to each other. Fantasy pre-
provides all the possibilities for this - there are no restrictions.
   But everything new is perceived with hostility. Yes, new, because Russian
fantasy (even written on conditionally medieval material,
having roots in the English-French-Arab knighthood) all
it will never be like Western fantasy. Russian men-
talent will not allow tracing a copy of the sample of the American mass
literature (naturally, I’m talking about Writers, not crafts)
kah). And writers don’t want to give up the old, dear ones. And
Now in Russia the same heated debates are arising that surrounded the SF in
The USA in the twenties - or, say, here in the sixties. In "MEGA" #3 for
1993 contains a polemic between A. Siletsky and E. Drozd. Siletsky oli-
represents here an extreme point of view - complete rejection ("non-in-
dwarves and dragons are interesting!"): "This is poorly written, purely entertaining
an adjective and devoid of any meaning type of application 
adventure genre - it is completely unclear who and why she was 
classified as fantasy. Decently written in the fantasy genre - not 
it happens. Where it's good- no longer fantasy, but something, at least somehow 
sideways involved in literature." Doesn’t it remind you of anything? Doesn’t it 
they said that about SF, didn’t they take away “Masters and
Margarita" and "The Nose", as they are now taking away from the fantasy trilogy Tol- 
kina? Didn’t they just ruin everything: in SF there can’t be something on- 
reminiscent of literature, this is reading material for idiots! History repeats itself-
Xia. And there are graphomaniacs who quickly spank new and new
volumes, like Doc Smith, and didn’t give a damn about good memory and
terature process. And they will go down in history only because they turned out to be
first, and again it will be a shame... And adherents of the genre are trying to
to separate fantasy from literature, as Gernsback once fought for
purity of the genre: “you cannot go beyond the boundaries of tradition!” And seethes
fandom, and critics argue, and writers think...
   Fantasy is a part of science fiction, which, as is known, is part of literature.
ratures. And, as is typical for literature, she sneezed at everything that killed her.
scientific forecasts and attempts to place it on a Procrustean bed. Her
read - that's the main thing. And it will develop in Russia as
deems it necessary. And will give birth to creations equivalent to the “Nebula”
Andromeda", "Afternoon" and "Snail on the Slope". No doubt about it. 
   By the way, you haven’t read Uspensky’s “Where We Are Not” yet