The greedy things of the century

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The Greedy Things of the Century ( Russian Хищные вещи века / Chishchnye weschtschi weka ; scientific transliteration Chiščnye vešči veka ) is a science fiction novel by the Arkadi brothers and Boris Strugazki from 1965.

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Iwan Shilin (already known from the episodic novel Praktikanten ) is entrusted with a mission: He is to identify the manufacturer of a new intoxicant, of which initially only its high addictive potential and its deadly effects are known - a task that others before him have already failed .

As a tourist, he travels to a country that at first glance seems like paradise, but quickly reveals itself to be a haven of superficiality. He meets the “philosopher” Doctor Opir, whose “neo-optimism” paints a picture of the local ideals: People are freed from all hardship, do not have to think or work and can finally indulge in unlimited enjoyment. The task of science is to find new sources of enjoyment and to ensure that material needs are satisfied.

The protagonist soon finds a trace: "Sleg" is only mentioned behind closed doors, is "indecent" and almost a swear word , but at the same time seems to be the ultimate in enjoyment for those who already know everything else. In his search Shilin gets to know many facets of this world: the general disdain and rejection of any kind of education , the nocturnal streets and bars where everyone is on the hunt for quick pleasure, large events with collective intoxication from the "dream generator", thrills of the special (and mostly deadly) kind in old subway shafts, "patrons" who destroy the remnants of culture by all means , and also his predecessor Riemaier, who succumbed to the temptations of this world. The few bright spots include the “Intels”, a group of intellectuals who use guerrilla methods to fight excessive pleasure, and the (as yet unspoiled) children.

The result of Shilin's search is surprising: there are no secret laboratories in which devices or drugs are manufactured. A combination of misappropriated everyday things, probably discovered by chance, brings the "ultimate kick", quickly leads to addiction and the recipe for it spreads via word of mouth . There is no secret organization, a concept or even a manufacturer that one could fight. The quintessence traces the origin of the general decadence favored by the super drug. The development of the misery described in the book is not to be ascribed to a staged social catastrophe, which affects mankind from “outside”, but arises from purely human nature. The material abundance suppresses the striving for ideal, intellectual wealth and forces people to constantly amuse themselves, to "kicks". The science of synthetics and the philosophy of Neohedonism lead man into a deep pathological satisfaction.

German editions

  • The greedy things of the century. Fantastic novel , translated from Russian by Heinz Kübart, Volk und Welt Verlag, Berlin 1981
  • The greedy things of the century. Fantastic novel , translated from Russian by Heinz Kübart, Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt / Main 1982. ISBN 3-518-37327-7 ( Fantastic Library , vol. 78)
  • Billions of years before the end of the world. The greedy things of the century , Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1983 ( spectrum , vol. 141)
  • First complete German edition (reconstructed and uncensored version based on the manuscripts) in: Werkausgabe, Fifth Volume , Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Munich 2013. ISBN 978-3-453-31028-5 . (Pp. 107–321)