At the Literary Club of the National Centre RUSSIA, experts discussed why the Strugatsky brothers are adapted for the screen while Yefremov is not

Ivan Yefremov's science fiction has long been considered a classic, yet the worlds of the Strugatsky brothers continue to appear on screen far more often. Why is this? Is it because of the complexity of Yefremov's writing, the author's requirements for his characters, or the demands of contemporary cinema? These questions were discussed at a meeting of the Literary Club "What to Read?!" at the National Centre RUSSIA.

According to historian and writer Nikolai Smirnov, the main obstacle lies in the very nature of Yefremov's prose and the kinds of people he portrays: "Let me say right away: where would you find people like that? He describes specific people in great detail: their height, weight, measurements. That is not accidental. Contemporary cinema is geared towards a completely different direction, towards reproducing different ideas and meanings. The works of the Strugatsky brothers are much more amenable to reinterpretation and creative adaptation. Ivan Antonovich's works are much more difficult in this respect."

Nevertheless, the historian believes that a screen adaptation of Ivan Yefremov's work is entirely possible today — provided the right work is chosen and the source material is treated with care.

"What could be filmed today? The best choice would be "At the Edge of the Oikumene". That is something that could be made with modern resources. Perhaps "Thais of Athens" could also be adapted, but then, of course, the obvious question arises: where would you find a Thais? These are all very delicate stories. Works about the future are difficult to film today — they could not be done successfully in Soviet times either. The existing film, directed by Sherstobitov in the late 1960s, was harshly criticised by Ivan Antonovich himself. He said: no, it is just some kind of propaganda film; that is not what I wrote about," Nikolai Smirnov recalled.

Writer, editor-in-chief of the Komsomolskaya Pravda media holding and associate professor at the Russian State University for the Humanities Yevgeny Sazonov joined the discussion. He stressed that there will always be a gap between a book and its screen adaptation, but that this should not discourage new attempts.

"As in the joke about two mice gnawing on a film reel. One asks: "So, what do you think of the film?" — "Well, it was much better in the printed version." It will always be like that: there is a book and there is a screen adaptation. But I would be delighted to watch a new version of "Andromeda Nebula" today, because we grew up with this " Nebula"," the expert said.

According to him, despite Ivan Yefremov's criticism of the earlier adaptation, the film played an important educational role.

"Despite all the criticism from its creator, the film still taught us to become the best version of ourselves. And I think I would love to see "The Bull's Hour" as a series. "The Bull's Hour" is ideally suited to a series format," the expert stressed.

The meeting of the Literary Club "What to Read?!", held at the National Centre RUSSIA on 20 August, explored how the ideas and predictions of the great science-fiction writer, author of such famous novels as "Razor's Edge" and "Thais of Athens", relate to the challenges of the modern world, including the rapid development of artificial intelligence. The event was moderated by philologist, cultural scholar, writer and well-known populariser of art and literature Nikolai Zharinov.

The Literary Club "What to Read?!" is an educational project of the National Centre RUSSIA dedicated to reading culture and public discussion of important contemporary issues. Participation in the club's events is free of charge with prior registration at russia.ru. The latest event schedule is available in the "Events" section.