Sergej Lukianenko
Sergej Lukianenko, born in 1968 in Karatau, Kazakhstan, is considered the most popular Russian fantasy and science fiction writer today. After studying medicine he briefly worked as a psychiatrist before he gave up his career in favor of writing. In the beginning of the 1990s he was an active member of the Russian fantasy and science fiction fan base and published his first stories. He names Robert A. Heinlein, the Strugatsky brothers and Wladislaw Krapiwin as his literary influences.
His first international attention came from the novel »Rytsary Soroka Ostrovov« (1990; Engl: »The Knights of Forty Islands«, 2004). He quickly developed a distinct narrative style.Then in 1998 he attained international breakthrough with »Nochnoi Dozor« (Engl: »Night Watch«, 2006), and the following books in the tetralogy »Dnjevnoi Dozor« (1999; Engl: »Day Watch«, 2007), »Sumerechnij Dozor« (2001, Engl:»Twilight Watch«, 2007) as well as »Poslednij Dozor« (2006; Engl: »Last Watch«, 2009). The international success of the books has been supported significantly by the filming of the first two volumes, whose screenplays Sergei Lukianenko also co-wrote. »›The Night Watch‹ is inventive, sardonic and imbued with a surprising sense that, for this author and his audience, much of this stuff is new-minted« asserted Roz Kaveney in »The Independent« in 2006. Time and again the author uses his novels to also discuss existential individual as well as communal basic situations with socially critical undertones and a satirical edge. In his latest young adult book »Nedotepa« (2009) he not only presents a new narrative voice, but also an interesting combination of rogue yet educational book in the fantasy genre. Robbed by a coup of his parents and his kingdom, the young prince Trix Solier swears revenge and begins magician’s training. Poor minotaurs, confused fairies and a princess to be rescued before her forced marriage are only some of the acquaintances that he meets on the way back to the throne.
Sergei Lukianenko has received numerous national and international awards including in 1999 being the youngest author to date to win the Aelita Literature Prize for achievements in the science fiction genre and receiving the renowned Corine Prize in 2007 for his young adult novel »Tanzi na Snegu« (2000; tr: Serpent Sword). Today Sergej Lukianenko lives as a freelance writer and screenwriter in Moscow.
Trinadtsatyj gorod
Izdatelstwo AST
Moskau, 1990
Das Schlangenschwert
Beltz & Gelberg
Weinheim, 2009
[Ü: Ines Worms]
Die Wächter-Trilogie
Heyne
München, 2008
[Ü: Christiane Pöhlmann]
Die Ritter der vierzig Inseln
Heyne
München, 2009
[Ü: Matthias Dondl]
Trix Solier. Zauberlehrling voller Fehl und Adel
Beltz & Gelberg
Weinheim, 2010
[Ü: Christiane Pöhlmann]