Hard to Be a God
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| Author | Arkady and Boris Strugatsky |
|---|---|
| Original title | Трудно быть богом. |
| Translators | Wendayne Ackerman (1973), Olena Bormashenko (2014) |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Language | Russian |
| Series | Noon Universe |
| Genre | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Seabury Press |
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Publication date
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1964 |
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Published in English
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1973 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 481252 |
| 891.7/3/44 | |
| LC Class | PG3488.T73 T713 |
| Preceded by | Far Rainbow |
| Followed by | Disquiet |
Hard to Be a God (Russian: Трудно быть богом, Trudno byt' bogom) is a 1964 science fiction novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky set in the Noon Universe.
The novel follows Anton, an undercover operative from the future planet Earth, in his mission on an alien planet that is populated by human beings whose society has not advanced beyond the Middle Ages. The novel's core idea is that human progress throughout the centuries is often cruel and bloody, and that religion and blind faith can be effective tools of oppression, working to destroy the emerging scientific disciplines and enlightenment. The title 'Hard to Be a God' refers to Anton's (known as his alias Don Rumata throughout the book) perception of his precarious role as an observer on the planet, for while he has far more advanced knowledge than the people around him, he is forbidden to assist too actively as it would interfere with the natural progress of history. The book pays a lot of attention to the internal world of the main character, showing his own evolution from an emotionally uninvolved 'observer' to the person who rejects the blind belief in theory when confronted with the cruelty of real events.
The prologue shows a scene from Anton's childhood, in which he goes on an adventures with his friends Pashka (Paul) and Anka (Anna) and plays a game based on melodramatic recreations of events on the unnamed medieval planet. The children live in a futuristic utopia, and the teenagers feel drawn to adventure. While children play they find an abandoned road with a road sign reading "wrong way". Anton decides to go further and discovers remnants from World War II – a skeleton of a German gunner chained to his machine gun.
Later, Anton and Pashka grow up to be observers on the aforementioned planet, Anton in the Arkanar Kingdom and Pashka in the Irukan Duchy. Anton has taken the role of Don Rumata. He visits the Drunken Den, a meeting place for observers working in the Lands Beyond the Strait (Запроливье). He has the current task of investigating the disappearance of a famed scientist, Doctor Budah, who may have been kidnapped by Don Reba, the Prime Minister of Arkanar. Don Reba leads a campaign against all educated people in the kingdom, blaming them for all the calamities and misfortunes of the kingdom. Rumata feels alarmed, as the kingdom is changing into a fascist police state which would never have developed in equivalent medieval societies on Earth. Rumata has attempted to save the most talented poets, writers, doctors and scientists, smuggling them abroad into neighboring countries. However, Reba's régime murders or breaks most of his native friends.
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