La obra de los hermanos Strugatskiciencia ficción y censura en la Unión Soviética

Abstract

This doctoral thesis seeks to explain the evolution of Soviet science fiction in a hostile environment strongly marked by state censorship, as well as to analyse the work of the brothers Arkadi and Boris Strugatsky as two of the most relevant authors in the genre of their times.It begins with an explanation about the science fiction genre and its development both in the West and on the Russian-Soviet side. The historical and political context are essential to understand the different stages of the genre’s evolution in the Soviet Union and the influence of the State on the work, leading to the wide development of certain topics. An example would be the topic of the conquest of space by the Soviets, remarkably popular from the fifties onward, as one of the tools of communist propaganda regarding the space race against the USA.In addition to talking about literature, it is essential to understand the functioning of government control over literary works and publications. Censorship as a restriction for freedom of expression has marked Russian literature practically throughout its history, however, in Soviet times numerous state organisations were created to ensure that literature had a utilitarian-propagandistic function and stands at the service of communist party interests. However, this strict control also led to the introduction of many hidden messages, with the science fiction genre being, without a doubt, the one that could best transmit those critical messages about the lack of freedom of expression or decision.