I picked this up in bookstore because I was intrigued by the cover. And I have to admit this was very interesting SF story that reads like blend of Time Patrol and Foundation. We follow agents from very advanced humanity civilization from planet Earth (years in the future from now) as they try to subtly guide the humans living on distant planet (this seems to be a colony that is completely cutoff from Earth and is not aware of its very existence). Goal is to direct that society from existing medieval-like state towards the advancements in science and society in general so they can prosper and develop into enlightened society that can (re)establish links with Earth.

Authors excellently portray the dilemma these agents have on how to properly direct this society when one has access to advanced technology and knowledge (they are gods in this society for all the means and purposes) but needs to remain in shadows and must not use full powers overtly. All the agents are very emphatic and first and foremost they are humans, meaning they cannot live outside their surroundings and they get touched by all the violence and hard-living conditions of the locals. When they see how society slowly starts to degrade and spiral into reminiscent of Earth's [very] dark age (all caused by unknown variable that popped up unexpectedly - person very similar to Mule from Foundation series) they have to chose whether to continue their undercover guidance from the shadows, trying to save as many people with skills and knowledge as possible, or take active role. And they know that taking active role in leading the society (organizing peasants, fighting wars and revolutions) while that same society can be easily influenced, swayed and forced on the wrong path is something that will only bring more conflict and wont solve anything in the long run.

While they try to guard the civilization they are aware that single-mindedness, superstition and complete social inflexibility cannot be so easily overcome. How does one communicate with non-compromising people that are used to violence and living under the iron ruthless rule of aristocracy. How can people that are kept under very bad conditions of life, constantly on the lookout for ruler's spies and snitches, chased because of knowledge or because of thinking that contradicts the established dogma .... how can one expect people to approach the life from different perspective. Once tyranny puts people into the ground it takes generations to create free thinking society back again.

In all honesty I did not expect the book to be so contemporary. But again considering that authors come from Russia they are more than aware how society can be easily degraded and how difficult it is to recover.

Excellent novel, translation was so good it was pure joy to read the story.

Highly recommended to all fans of SF and especially SF readers that enjoy social aspects of the story. ( )

The outline of the story is pretty much a TNG episode; advanced human civilization observing life on another colony stuck at an earlier stage of development. On a deeper level, it's directly attacking Beria (almost by name, as the afterword suggests) and the faults of the soviet union, which while interesting from a nonfictional context doesn't make that good a story in itself. You can follow how they've tried to walk a line with what they can say without running afoul of censors, so as polemic it's also hamstrung.
Roadside Picnic remains their best so far. ( )

Don Rumata de Estor es un aristócrata con una posición de privilegio en la corte de Arkanar, un prohombre cuya compañía es tan codiciada como su alcoba y de quien se cuentan hazañas milagrosas. Pero mientras que se desenvuelve con soltura entre duelos e intrigas palaciegas, se siente impotente a la hora de entender los mecanismos de represión que embrutecen el reino. Y su tragedia personal es que, como observador, sabe que no puede ni debe influir en el curso de los acontecimientos.

This is my third Strugatsky work (The Dead Mountaineer's Inn and Roadside Picnic) and likely not the last. The premise is the future (violence and political turmoil are a thing of the past) with space travel and concern to help prevail. Having come across a planet so earth-like as to be virtually identical (homo sapiens top of the food chain) but mired in medieval chaos, 'historians' are sent to 'observe' and where possible tweak things in the direction of enlightenment. The soviet way has prevailed in this future world, and the initial story was meant to be apolitical and fun--except in the USSR of the early 1960's (when the book was written)--that was not an option. The protagonist/hero, Don Rumata (Anton) has been in this world for three years, posing as a powerful and wealthy aristocrat in a very class/caste oriented society, top dog. He isn't a god, but he might as well be with his unlimited gold and impervious armour. Rumata has been trying to save anyone who shows any spark but even the best are not ready to progress beyond their own personal situation/salvation. He feels increasingly hopeless, intuiting a situation beyond anything that ever happened on earth, that any of their "Basis Theory" of history encompasses. The man behind this, Don Reba (oddly resonant with Beria) has seized control of the area Rumata is observing, but Rumata cannot figure him out--no motivation or purpose is perceivable, just ever increasing violence and chaos which moreover Reba doesn't even, really, seem to relish but is compelled to keep on with even to his own downfall. Knowing great violence will erupt the next day, Rumata ponders: "Two hundred thousand people! To a visitor from Earth they all had something in common. It was probably the fact that almost without exception, they were not yet humans in the modern sense of the word, but blanks, unfinished pieces, which only the bloody centuries of history could one day fashion into true men, proud and free." This passage, on p 145 of my copy, lies at the heart of where the story, meant once to be light-hearted adventure, turned into an exploration of the constant tension between pure self-interest and working for the benefit of the aggregate. Kind of timely. Or perhaps always timely. Not an SF light read. As with like Roadside Picnic a book with so much in it, humor, imagination, heart and soul and seriousness. The greatest flaw is that, apparently, in the future, women don't play much of a part in the big affairs. The Strugatskys' were men of their time in that regard after all. **** ( )