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| Author | Alexei Tolstoy |
|---|---|
| Original title | Аэлита |
| Translator | Lucy Flaxman |
| Language | Russian |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Foreign Languages Publishing House |
Publication date | 1923 |
| Publication place | Soviet Union |
Published in English | 1950 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
Aelita (Russian:Аэлита) also known asAelita, or The Decline of Mars is a 1923science fiction novel by Russian authorAleksey Tolstoy.
In 1935–1938 the author considerably reworked it into a novel suitable for children andyoung adults, published in 1938 byDetizdat, "School Library" series.[1]
The story begins in theSoviet Union, just after the end of theRussian Civil War. An engineer Mstislav Sergeyevich Los', designs and constructs a revolutionarypulse detonation rocket and decides to set course forMars. Looking for a companion for the travel, he finally leaves Earth with a retired soldier, Aleksei Gusev.
Arriving on Mars, they discover that the planet is inhabited by an advanced civilization. However, the gap between the ruling class and the workers is very strong and reminiscent of early capitalism, with workers living in underground corridors near their machines.
Later in the novel, it is explained that Martians are descendants of both local races and ofAtlanteans who came there after the sinking of their home continent (here Tolstoy was inspired byHelena Blavatsky's books). Mars is now ruled by Engineers but all is not well. While speaking before an assembly, their leader, Toscoob, says that the city must be destroyed to ease the fall of Mars. Aelita, Toscoob's beautiful daughter and the princess of Mars, later reveals to Los' that the planet is dying, that the polar ice caps are not melting as they once did and the planet is facing an environmental catastrophe.
While the adventurous Gusev takes the lead of a popular uprising against the ruler, the more intellectual Los' becomes enamored with Aelita. When the rebellion is crushed, Gusev and Los' are forced to flee Mars and eventually make it back to Earth. The trip is prolonged with the effects of high speed andtime dilation resulting in a loss of over three years. The exact fate of Aelita herself is unknown. It is hinted that she actually survived, since Los' receives radio messages from Mars mentioning his name.
The novel was adapted in theSoviet Union tosilent film underthe same title shot byYakov Protazanov in 1924, and by Hungarian directorAndrás Rajnai in 1980.[2]Andrija Maurović (artist) and Krešimir Kovačić (writer) inYugoslavia adapted it into a comic, published 1935–1936, titledLjubavnica s Marsa (Mistress from Mars).[3]
