The Noon Universe is a fictional future alternate universe that serves as a setting for a book series written by Strugatsky brothers. The universe is named after "Noon, XXII Century", the chronologically first novel from the series. While the Noon Universe shares many utopian qualities with the early Star Trek universe (such as world peace and high standards of living), it has its share of problems and internal conflicts. A parallel universe, also sometimes called an alternate universe, is a hypothetical universe which exists separately from our own. ... Boris and Arkady Strugatsky The two brothers Arkady (Арка́дий, August 28, 1925 – October 12, 1991) and Boris (Бори́с, born April 14, 1933) Strugatsky (Струга́цкий; alternate spelling: Strugatski) are Russian science fiction authors who collaborated on their fiction. ... Utopia, in its most common and general meaning, refers to a hypothetical perfect society. ... The Enterprise boldly going where no man had gone before. ...

The victory of communism and the advance of technological progress on the Earth of the Noon Universe resulted in an over-abundance of resources and eliminated the need for most types of manual labor. This, in turn, effectively rendered traditional credit-based currency obsolete. Knowledge became the most valuable commodity. This article is about communism as a form of society built around a gift economy, as an ideology that advocates that form of society, and as a popular movement. ... Earth, also known as the Earth, Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third planet outward from the Sun. ...

The most striking difference between Noon Universe and most of the other fictional sci-fi universes (most famous include Dune, Star Wars and Babylon 5) is a complete denial of imperialism. This means that no sentient race of Noon Universe builds an inter-planetary state (republic, empire etc.) or has ever built one. Instead, most of them keep to their own planets and the only space-faring ones (humans and, probably, Wanderers) have chosen a selfless assisting in scientifical development of less advanced civilizations ("progressing") rather than building a galactical empire based on their technological advantage. Sci-fi is an abbreviation for science fiction. ... The fictional Dune universe is the political, scientific, and social setting of author Frank Herberts six-book Dune series of science-fiction novels. ... For the film originally released under the name Star Wars, see Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ... The Babylon 5 Station Babylon 5 is an epic science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ... A cartoon portraying the British Empire as an octopus, reaching into foreign lands Imperialism is a policy of extending the control or authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct territorial or through indirect methods of exerting control on the politics... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people who do not base their political power on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... An empire (also known technically, abstractly or disparagingly as an imperium, and with powers known among Romans as imperium) comprises a set of regions locally ruled by governors, viceroys or client kings in the name of an emperor. ... Humans (люди) of the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers are mostly identical to homo sapiens. ... Wanderers (Странники - pronounced: stranniki) are a fictionary alien race from the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers. ... Progressors in sci-fi literature are people (or other sentient beings) of an advanced space-faring civilization who progress less technologically advanced civilizations and races, i. ...

The Earth of Noon Universe is governed by a global technocracy. The main governing body is the World Council, a legislative/executive body composed of the brightest scientists, philosophers, historians and strategists. The Council primarily deals with matters of global and interstellar policies. The local matters are handled by the regional versions of the council. In the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers Earth is one of the planets populated by humans as well as their assumed origin. ... Technocracy can refer to: A bureaucratic technocracy (this derogatory use is the most common). ... In the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers Earth is one of the planets populated by humans as well as their assumed origin. ...

While the knowledge-based society managed to successfully provide all human beings with the most basic necessities, it created a class of people who weren't bright enough to join the elite yet too smart to settle for low-level jobs. Many of them took to space exploration, traveling to previously uncharted worlds, exploring them, and in some cases, establishing contact with whatever sentient races happened to reside there. While the practice is generally frowned upon, the government tends to let it slide and even legalized it in the period between 2114 and 2193 AD (so called Freelance Search Group) In the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers Earth is one of the planets populated by humans as well as their assumed origin. ...

The universe is populated by a number of sentient races. Some of them are humanoid, while others are so alien that humanity didn't realize that they were sentient for decades. Several sentient races maintain diplomatic relations with Earth's government. Many planets in Noon Universe are inhabited by races identical to humans in all but minor genetic differences. It has been speculated that they were humans who wound up on other worlds due to the Wanderers' manipulations (as "Beetle in an Anthill" shows, that is hardly unprecedented). The term humanoid refers to any being whose body structure resembles that of a human. ...

The Wanderers are, without a doubt, the most mysterious race in the Noon Universe. Incredibly technologically advanced and highly secretive, the Wanderers manipulate sentient beings throughout Noon Universe for their own purposes. While those purposes were never clarified, it was hinted that they try to "progress" various sentient beings. Wanderers (Странники - pronounced: stranniki) are a fictionary alien race from the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers. ...

Novels

These novels by brothers Strugatsky are set in the Noon Universe (listed chronologically):

• Noon: 22nd Century (Полдень. XXII век)
• An Attempt to Escape (Попытка к бегству), also known as Escape Attempt
• Faraway Rainbow (Далекая Радуга), also known as Far Rainbow
• Hard to be a God (Трудно быть богом)
• Disquiet (Беспокойство) - the initial variant of the Snail on the Slope (Улитка на склоне) ¹
• Inhabited Island (Обитаемый остров), also known as Prisoner of Power in British translations.
• The Little One (Малыш), also known as Space Mowgli
• A Guy from the Purgatory (Парень из прейсподней)
• Beetle in an Anthill (Жук в муравейнике)
• The Time Wanderers (Волны гасят ветер), also known as Waves Put Out Wind

¹ Despite having a similar plot "Disquiet" and "Snail on the Slope" are completely different works with different ideas and characters. The former is set in the Noon Universe and features some well-known characters like Leonid Gorbovsky, the latter - in an abstract sci-fi universe with no connection to other books about Noon Universe. Inhabited Island is a novel written by famous Russian sci-fi authors Boris and Arkady Strugatsky. ... The Time Wanderers (Волны гасят ветер), also known as Waves Put Out Wind, is a 1985 science fiction novel by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky, set in the Noon Universe. ... Leonid Gorbovsky is a fictional character in Strugatsky brothers series of science fiction novels set in the Noon Universe. ...

There are loose connections of early stories "The Land of Crimson Clouds" ("Страна багровых туч"), "The Way to Amalthea" ("Путь на Альматею"), "Space Apprentice" ("Стажеры"), "Hishchnye veshchi veka" (through Ivan Zhilin), "Ispytanie SKIBR", "Chastnye predpolozheniya", mainly through Bykov's family. The Way to Amalthea (in Russian, Путь на Амальтею) is an early scifi story by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky written in 1959. ...

In the early 1990s, the Strugatsky brothers began writing what they intended to be a final Noon Universe novel. It would have tied up some of the plot threads that were left unresolved in previous novels. However, following the death of Arkady Strugatsky, the surviving brother, Boris, felt that he could not bring himself to finish the novel.

In the late 1990's, a collection of fiction by notable Russian scifi writers, titled The Time of the Apprentices, was published in Russia (with an endorsement of Boris Strugatsky). The pieces in the collection build upon Strugatskys' ideas and works, and many of them are set in the Noon Universe.

Personalities

• Lev Abalkin (Абалкин, Лев)
• Leonid Gorbovsky (Горбовcкий, Леонид)
• Maxim Kammerer (Каммерер, Максим)
• Gennady Komov (Комов, Геннадий)
• Rudolf Sikorski (Сикорски, Рудольф)

For more information about people of Noon Universe, see the list of minor personalities. Lev Abalkin (2138 - 2178) is a fictional character in Strugatsky brothers series of science fiction novels set in the Noon Universe. ... Leonid Gorbovsky is a fictional character in Strugatsky brothers series of science fiction novels set in the Noon Universe. ... Maxim Kamerrer is a fictional character in Strugatsky brothers series of science fiction novels about the 23rd century (Russian fans tend to refer to it as Noon Universe). ... Gennady Komov (2103 - ?) is a fictional character in Strugatsky brothers series of science fiction novels set in the Noon Universe. ... Rudolf Sikorski (2075 - ?) is a fictional character in Strugatsky brothers series of science fiction novels set in the Noon Universe. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of characters who were not of vital importance to the XXII century, like Leonid Gorbovsky or Maxim Kammerer. ...

Planets

• Ark (Ковчег)
• Arkanar (Арканар) ¹
• Earth (Земля)
• Garrota (Гаррота)
• Giganda (Гиганда)
• Hope (Надежда)
• Leonida (Леонида)
• Pandora (Пандора)
• Pant (Панта)
• Rainbow (Радуга)
• Ruzhena (Ружена)
• Saraksh (Саракш)
• Saula (Саула)
• Tagora (Тагора)
• Tissa (Тисса)
• Vladislava (Владислава)
• Yayla (Яйла)

¹ Although the planet was never officially named, this is the name commonly used by Russian fans. Ark (Ковчег - pronounced: kovcheg) is a fictionary planet described in The Little One (Малыш) by Strugatsky brothers. ... Arkanar is the capital of Arakanar Kingdom on a fictionary unnamed planet described in Hard to Be God (Трудно быть богом) by Strugatsky brothers. ... In the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers Earth is one of the planets populated by humans as well as their assumed origin. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... Rainbow (Радуга - pronounced: raduga) is a fictionary planet described in Faraway Rainbow (Далекая Радуга) by Strugatsky brothers. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... Saraksh is a fictionary planet described in Inhabited Island (Обитаемый остров) by Strugatsky brothers. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ...

Races

• Ark Megaforms (негуманоиды Ковчега)
• Garrotian Snails (слизни Гарроты)
• Headies (Голованы)
• Humans (люди)
• Leoniders (леонидяне)
• Tagorians (тагоряне)
• Wanderers (Страники)

Other possibly sentient species mentioned in the books are septoids (see "Noon: 22nd Century") whose sentience is not really confirmed, semi-sentient pre-historic molluscs katapumoridako (see "The Time Wanderers") and the unidentified sentient creature killed by Paul Gnedyh in the Krux solar system ("Noon: 22nd Century"). Ark Megaforms (негуманоиды Ковчега) are a fictionary alien race from the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers. ... The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers featured a number of planets that were not covered extensively over the course of the narrative. ... Headies (голованы) are a fictionary alien race from the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers. ... Humans (люди) of the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers are mostly identical to homo sapiens. ... Leoniders (леонидяне) are a fictionary alien race from the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers. ... Tagorians or Tagoryans (тагоряне) are a fictional, lizard-like alien race from the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers. ... Wanderers (Странники - pronounced: stranniki) are a fictionary alien race from the Noon Universe created by Strugatsky brothers. ... The Time Wanderers (Волны гасят ветер), also known as Waves Put Out Wind, is a 1985 science fiction novel by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky, set in the Noon Universe. ...

See Also

• Noon Universe Chronology

This chronology is based on the one compiled by Sergei Pereslegin, using works Vsplesk v tishine by Tim Vanderer, XXII vek by Vadim Kazakov and The Chronicles of the XXII Century by Michael Shavshin. ...

External links

• History of Noon Universe (In English)
• Noon Universe character bios, history, alien races list and trivia (Russian Only)