Kevin Reese has been studying the Strugatskii brothers for twenty years. At UNC, he developed a course on Soviet science fiction centered around their works. Currently, he is translating the Strugatskiis' final works-their novel Those Burdened by Evil and their play The Yids of the City of Peter.
"...Combining biographical insights with wide-ranging literary
analysis, Celestial Hellscapes is an outstanding asset to
scholars of science fiction. Reese’s book is particularly timely
now, as the Strugatskiis’ best novels are finally re-translated and
re-issued in English." —Muireanne Maguire, University of
Exeter, Slavonic and East European Review (vol. 99, no. 3,
July 2021)“Such a detailed, extensive study of the Strugatskys’
major works offers both academic and lay readers a window onto the
events and ideas that influenced the brothers’ “Pushkinian
cosmology…” One of only a few such studies of the Strugatskys’
works, Celestial Hellscapes shows just how integral Russian
literature and culture, as well as the field of astronomy in the
mid-twentieth century, were to the brothers’ literary imaginations…
Reese’s study of the Strugatskys’ sf constitutes an important
contribution to the field of Russian speculative fiction in
particular and twentieth-century speculative fiction in general.
The Strugatskys stand as authors of some of the most distinctive,
thought-provoking novels and stories to have come out of the
traumas of the twentieth century, and their work should be read and
taught more widely in the Anglophone world.”—Rachel Cordasco,
Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts“This engaging study sheds new
light on key works by the Strugatskys and provides many useful
insights for students and scholars alike… In each chapter, Reese
deftly weaves close readings of the particular text with
biographical, scientific and cultural context to expand the
critical understanding of the Strugatskys’ works, and their place
in the science fiction tradition in general. As a result, Celestial
Hellscapes serves as valuable, engaging reading for students,
scholars and Strugatsky fans alike.”—Benjamin Jens, University of
Arizona, Slavic and East European Journal“This book is a first-rate
contribution to scholarship on the Strugatskys. The brotherly duo
of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky combine the best of the sciences and
the humanities—what the late Soviet intelligentsia called
‘physicist’ and ‘lyricist.’ As a literary scholar and an amateur
astronomer, Kevin Reese is well-positioned to explore their
universes. … Reese has written an intelligent and enjoyable study
that will speak to scholars, students, and fans of the worlds of
the Strugatsky brothers.” —Sofya Khagi, University of
Michigan, Russian Review“Crowning two decades of research on the
nearly 30 science fiction works of 20th-century writers Arkadii
Strugatskii and Boris Strugatskii, this book presents detailed
analyses of the brothers’ symbolic, subtextual, and literary
sources. Reese (also the Strugatskiis’ astute translator) writes
that the authors’ experiences (biographical, political, and
emotional) under the Soviets were at the heart of their work—be
they in disguise or evident; in fact, they were communicating the
human trauma Stalin (or any totalitarian ruler) created. … This
book is interesting reading. … Recommended. Upper-division
undergraduates through faculty.” —D. Hutchins, CHOICE
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