The dystopian tradition in the early prose of brothers A. and B. Strugatsky. Article two

This article is devoted to the analysis of the works of the Strugatsky brothers from the second half of the 1960s within the context of the evolution of their literary creativity. The aim of the study is to identify the features of the reinterpretation of the dystopian tradition in “Predatory Things of the Century” and “The Second Invasion from Mars”. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that, for the first time in domestic literary studies, the early prose of these writers is examined through the lens of dystopia. The study reveals, firstly, that both works, referencing through certain motifs (the arrival of aliens) and narrative techniques (stylistic imitation of the protagonist’s diary) “The War of the Worlds” by H. G. Wells and “We” by Yevgeny Zamyatin, address the theme of control over the individual. However, while “Predatory Things of the Century” warns against the emergence of a consumer society, “The Second Invasion from Mars” narrates the threat to the inner life of a person posed by the cultivation of contentment with comfort. Secondly, the position of the dystopian protagonist changes: from an antagonist of the totalitarian world who perceives it as “alien” (“Predatory Things of the Century”), he becomes part of the dystopian world that has reached the highest stage of progress (“The Second Invasion from Mars”). Thirdly, whereas “Predatory Things of the Century” contains clear allusions to the political realities of the contemporary world conveyed through allegory, the chronotope of “The Second Invasion from Mars” is abstract.