The Molecular Cafe: Science-Fiction Stories

This book contains stories published by Soviet science-fiction writers. Of course, neither the selection of the authors, nor the stories themselves can offer a comprehensive idea of Soviet Science fiction, which is so diverse and multiform. Ilya Varshavsky is one of the most interesting Soviet, Science-fiction writers. His stories are paradoxical and fresh. "Wanderers and Travelers" is the only short story published by the author. "Crabs on the Island" is a felicitous combination of an antiwar pamphlet, and a technical picture of the vast potentialities of cybernetics. "The Secret of Homer" is interesting and original, devoted to the ways of knowledge and the strange and contradictory fates of discoveries. Poleshchuk's heroes are gifted and forceful, and always follow the unbeaten track. "The Secret of Homer" is unusual for Soviet science fiction, and for that very reason, perhaps, has particularly special interest. "The Crew of the Mekong" is a lively and thrilling adventure story. "The Black Pillar" is about ideas of internationalism and friendship between peoples, and the authors' predilection for exciting subjects, their humour, and their quite exceptional scientific knowledge. In this small anthology the foreign reader will detect the main features of present-day Soviet science fiction: humanism, variety, and its close links with the real problems exercising mankind today.