Hard to Be a God
First hardcover edition in English, 1973
Hard to Be a God (1964) is one of the most celebrated works of Soviet science fiction, written by brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky during the political thaw following Stalin's death. The novel follows Anton, an operative from a future Earth embedded on a distant planet whose civilization is passing through a medieval stage. Under the identity of the aristocratic Don Rumata, he is bound by strict orders not to interfere in the planet's affairs, however brutal the conditions around him. When the kingdom of Arkanar falls under the grip of Don Reba, a spymaster who systematically purges the literate and the learned, Anton's ability to remain a passive observer is put to the test.
The novel operates on two levels simultaneously. On the surface it is a swashbuckling adventure in the tradition of Alexandre Dumas. But beneath that it is a political allegory. Don Reba was originally named Rebia, a thinly veiled anagram of Beria, head of Stalin's secret police, and Arkanar's campaign against intellectuals and books is an unmistakable portrayal of Stalinist repression. The novel examines what inaction makes of a man who has the power to intervene but is forbidden to do so.
This is the scarce first English translation, which precedes the UK edition published by Methuen two years later. It is translated by Wendayne Ackerman by arrangement with her husband Forrest J. Ackerman, the prominent science fiction agent and editor through whom much Soviet SF reached American audiences during the 1960s. The novel was later the basis for Peter Fleischmann's 1989 film version, as well as Aleksei German's acclaimed and long-delayed 2013 film, which circulated at festivals for several years before receiving wider distribution in 2015.
Hardcover. First British Edition, First Printing. Octavo, black boards with silver lettering on spine. New York: The Seabury Press, 1973. ISBN: 0816491216. #11457.
Near fine in a very good dust jacket, slightly rubbed, with short closed tears and nicks. Small college library stamp on the front endpaper and top page edges, otherwise no other library markings.
The novel operates on two levels simultaneously. On the surface it is a swashbuckling adventure in the tradition of Alexandre Dumas. But beneath that it is a political allegory. Don Reba was originally named Rebia, a thinly veiled anagram of Beria, head of Stalin's secret police, and Arkanar's campaign against intellectuals and books is an unmistakable portrayal of Stalinist repression. The novel examines what inaction makes of a man who has the power to intervene but is forbidden to do so.
This is the scarce first English translation, which precedes the UK edition published by Methuen two years later. It is translated by Wendayne Ackerman by arrangement with her husband Forrest J. Ackerman, the prominent science fiction agent and editor through whom much Soviet SF reached American audiences during the 1960s. The novel was later the basis for Peter Fleischmann's 1989 film version, as well as Aleksei German's acclaimed and long-delayed 2013 film, which circulated at festivals for several years before receiving wider distribution in 2015.
Hardcover. First British Edition, First Printing. Octavo, black boards with silver lettering on spine. New York: The Seabury Press, 1973. ISBN: 0816491216. #11457.
Near fine in a very good dust jacket, slightly rubbed, with short closed tears and nicks. Small college library stamp on the front endpaper and top page edges, otherwise no other library markings.
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