The ‘Night Watch’ novel also received an English translation in 2006. The book became a record-breaking Russian movie that eventually made the leap to the United States. However, it stood out all the same because of Sergei’s unique settings and gloomy tone. The book was safer than many of the fantasy novels on the market at the time because it was urban fantasy. ‘Night Watch’ was his first serious attempt at writing fantasy. While he had occasionally experimented with fantasy, Sergei was primarily known for his science fiction. All that changed when he wrote ‘Night Watch’. This created a surprisingly strong demand for his printed stories.Įven though Sergei had thrived while his peers faltered, his fame was still restricted to Russia. He was also fortunate enough to distribute his works in electronic format via networks like FidoNet. Those readers remained loyal to him in the years that followed. He was already popular among readers of Russian science fiction. They refused to invest in local writers.īut Sergei Lukyanenko thrived. But most publishers in the country chose to favor pulp literature, which was more lucrative. Russia was initially expected to undergo a creative boom. Many authors fell through the cracks because they couldn’t survive in the free publishing system that had emerged. The dissolution of the Soviet Union should have changed his fortunes. Sergei wasn’t the biggest name in publishing. He wasn’t the only author that was, more or less, thriving. Sergei wrote coming-of-age tales that tackled themes like friendship and loyalty. At the time, most of his contributions to the publishing industry were short stories and novellas. He was a common sight at literary seminars. More importantly, science fiction authors like Sergei Lukyanenko could count on the support of the state to advance their careers.

The perception towards science fiction was more benevolent. When he published ‘Misconduct’, his first short story, the attitudes towards the genre were starting to change. Science fiction was a complicated business in the Soviet Union because it was viewed as a political tool rather than a form of artistic expression. Sergei was still a student when he started writing. He joined the medical institute in 1986 with the intention of pursuing psychotherapy. He had moved to Alma Ata following his graduation.

Sergei lukyanenko books in order