Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
writer, who began writing in 1986 and was first published in the early 1990s.
His work is influenced by that of the Strugatsky brothers, and he has stated a preference for the
social science fiction
Social science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction, usually (but not necessarily) soft science fiction, concerned less with technology/space opera and more with speculation about society. In other words, it "absorbs and discusses anthropol ...
genre. He writes primarily in his native Russian language.
Gromov lives in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
, and is an
amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers ...
and former
electronic engineer
Electronics engineering is a sub-discipline of electrical engineering which emerged in the early 20th century and is distinguished by the additional use of active components such as semiconductor devices to amplify and control electric current ...
.
Gromov's works
''Soft Landing''
''Soft Landing'' (original Russian title: ''Myagkaya posadka'') was published in 1995. The novel is set in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
, approximately at the end of the 21st century. The novel centers on the life of an ordinary man fighting for survival while new subspecies of ''
Homo sapiens
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
'' wage war against normal humans. ''Soft Landing'' received a Belyaev Award and Interpresscon Award in 1996.
''Year of the Lemming''
''Year of the Lemming'' (original Russian title: ''God Lemminga''), was published in 1997. It is a prequel to ''Soft Landing'' and is set in the year 2040. In the novel, the appearance of contagious diseases and unexpected technological failures has caused the establishment of four services that harshly monitor the life of humankind. The protagonist Michail Malakhov is faced with a suicide epidemic, the cure for which is being hidden by scientists.
''Master of the Void''
''Master of the Void'' (original Russian title: ''Vlastelin Pustoty'') was first published in 1997. The plot involves the transition of a nation in peaceful harmony with the natural world on a distant planet, to a phase of industrial dictatorship created to defend against outer aggression.
"Saint Vitus' Minuet"
St. Vitus' Minuet (russian: Менуэт святого Витта, Menuet Svyatogo Vitta, Minuet of Saint Witt), published in 1997, is a novella which deals with an emerging society on an unexplored planet, and the psychological aspects of survival. ''Saint Vitus' Minuet'' won a Fancon Award in 1997.
Genres and themes
While most of his novels have a well-defined hard scientific background, Gromov's stated main interest is
social science fiction
Social science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction, usually (but not necessarily) soft science fiction, concerned less with technology/space opera and more with speculation about society. In other words, it "absorbs and discusses anthropol ...
:
''I still have to tell a couple of words about my works — not about each one, but about all of them. Most of the things I wrote can be considered social science fiction (not in the sense of "capitalism-socialism" — this topic does not interest me). The recipe of it, worked out by
Two of Gromov's books focus on a theme of power in a social context: his novella ''Saint Vitus Minuet'' (''Menuet Svyatogo Vitta'', 1997), deals with an emerging society; the novel ''Master of the Void'' discusses the transition of a peaceful nation in harmony with nature to an aggressive
industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
dictatorship. The latter examines the surrounding mechanisms of power in the fictional government as well as the protagonist's rise to leadership.