Customer Reviews

Far Rainbow / The Second Invasion from Mars

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Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's "Far Rainbow" represents that strangest of amalgams -- an eerily beautiful story of a planetary disaster. From a population of millions, only a handful could be saved. Paradoxically, the event brings out the best of the inhabitants, who set about selecting those among their number who represent the best of its people, work, and aspirations. Among the greatest works of all postwar Soviet fiction irrespective of category, the sci-fi books of the Strugatsky brothers deserve to be reprinted and disseminated to a new generation.

Both of these stories are well written and focus on human beings, and characters, rather than technologies.

"The Second Invasion of Mars" is a rather brilliant and humorous tale about the invasion of Earth by Martians. The Martians are taking over the Earth through commerce. This story cleverly parallels our own world, and cultures who feel their loss of identity through corporate giants, or through the immigration of "aliens". The Martians in this story remain largely mysterious entities that the humans rarely see, so the focus is mostly on the humans' reactions to being taken over as they notice small changes here and there in their lives as the "invasion" is taking place.

"Far Rainbow" is a story about a planet of people trying to escape their world which is about to be destroyed. First they must battle their own doubts about the mounting veracity of the ominous observations, and then there is the gradually mobilization of the people. The story focuses on individuals and feels true in the way they respond to adversity.

Far Rainbow is about a planet that finds it self facing the end. It has to make some choices. Choices on who will live and who will die. The Second Invasion From Mars is about Martians coming back to take over the Earth using different methods. Both stories deal mostly with the human condition and have little to do with science or technology. It is a must for any sci-fi library.