Yuri Nikitin (born in 1939) is a Russian science fiction writer, also known to his admirers under the pseudonym Guy Julius Orlovsky.
It was under this name that from 2001 to 2004 the writer published a series of science fiction novels about Richard Long Hands.
Yuri Nikitin: biography
A native of Kharkov, whose childhood fell on the terrible years of World War II, and his biography repeats the fate of most Soviet people, he spent his youth in the Far North (Far East, Primorye, Ussuri taiga, Sikhote-Alin), working there on logging and exploration who mastered the wilds of the Sikhote-Alin Range. Nikitin, who nearly died from physical stress, returned to Ukraine as a prominent and strong man in 1964, and went to work at the plant as a caster. In Kharkov, he engaged in canoeing, became a master of sports, received the first several categories in sambo, athletics and boxing.
He took part in the formation and activities of science fiction clubs and in the same period began to write fantastic stories and publish them.
How it all began
Perhaps the fascination with mythology comes from childhood, when relatives often told little Yurochka interesting stories about evil spirits, ghouls, dead bodies, houses and witches crawling out of the graves. By the way, the future writer did not work out with school education: at first he was left in the second year for constant absenteeism, in the eighth grade he was expelled three times for hooliganism and fights from school. Therefore, Yuri was forced to receive secondary education in absentia, in his native Kharkov. Trying to find a worthy application for his creative abilities, Yuri Nikitin (photos are presented in the review) worked as an artist and learned to play the violin.
Then he decided to test himself in the field of writing, starting his career with science fiction, which was his favorite reading.
The first steps in the literature
For some time he was a member of a group of science fiction writers, later transformed into the "School of Efremov." “The Man Who Changed the World” is the first publication of Yuri Nikitin, which includes a collection of fantastic stories and immediately attracted the attention of the readership.
Official recognition came to the author 3 years later, after the publication of the production novel “Fire worshipers” (about the harsh everyday life of foundry workers). It was for this work that Yuri Nikitin was admitted to the Union of Writers of the USSR and awarded high literary prizes. The adventurous and historical novel “The Sword of Alexander Zasyadko” published in 1979 provoked the persecution of Yuri Nikitin. The reviews of Soviet censorship led to his expulsion from literary life for seven whole years, before perestroika began.
Metropolitan life
In Moscow, where the writer Yuri Nikitin moved from Kharkov, he graduated from the Literary Institute's higher literary courses. In 1985, he published another book, “The Far Light Tower,” which included light, sad, nostalgic stories. He worked for some time in the publishing house "Fatherland" as the chief editor.
In the early 90s, together with his wife Liliya Shishkina, he organized his own publishing house “Serpent Gorynych”, which was engaged in publishing foreign fiction and gradually began to print works of Yuri Nikitin himself. Currently, the publishing house is not functioning, and Nikitin’s books are published by Eksmo and Tsentrpoligraf.
At the peak of popularity
On the account of Yuri Nikitin - a writer, with a total circulation comparable to the famous science fiction writers Sergey Lukyanenko and Vasily Golovachev, more than 60 published books. In addition to fantasy, in which Nikitin is an ace, the writer made a bright appearance in the genre of a philosophical novel ("Strange Novels"), historical fantasy from a classic series ("Three Kingdoms"), and an acute political thriller (a series of "Russians Go"). The most popular works of science fiction are the first publications from the series “Three from the Forest”, written in the genre of Slavic fantasy and laid the foundation for its all-Russian glory. Nikitin sold the rights to the studio "Santa Claus" to shoot films on this cycle.
In the work of the writer, whose admirers often call him SAN among themselves, in addition to science fiction novels, among which there is also a children's series, there is a textbook “How to become a writer” and an autobiography “I am 65”.
Based on the works of Yuri Nikitin, an online computer game "Three Kingdoms" was created. This is a browser-based role-playing product, the game universe of which is designed in the old Russian style, and a significant part of the world belongs to the warring states of Kuyavia and Artania.
Books by Yuri Nikitin
The cycle "Three from the Forest" brought the author the greatest fame. It began in the style of adventurous heroics, eventually grew into mythological fiction. In the center of the plot are the adventures of three heroes who come from a forest tribe and expelled from it. This caused them to go see the world.
The cycle "Megamir". Solid science fiction about the development by scientists of technology to reduce humans to the size of insects in order to prevent overpopulation of the planet. Created megaworld poses a large number of dangers and opens up a lot of new opportunities. The cycle touches upon problems of a moral, ethical and scientific-practical nature.
Cycle of Hyperborea. Historical science fiction, including the Golden Sword, Ingvar and Alder, Prince Vladimir, and Prince Rus, conditionally interconnected novels. The author in his own way interprets the history of Russia in its various periods.
The cycle "Russians are coming." Works of an alternative patriotic nature, closely associated with the historical events of Russia in the recent past.
The cycle "Princely Feast". Two novels in the style of historical fantasy, the action of which takes place in Kievan Rus, which is under the rule of Prince Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko. This is the time of such heroes as Dobrynya, Muromets and a couple of hundred others like them, ready to defend their land from countless hordes of cruel and treacherous steppes.
The cycle "Teeth wide open." In it, the author in a humorous style parodied the cliches of commercial fiction, Hollywood action movies and computer games.
The cycle of "Three Kingdoms." Adventure-epic fantasy.