Red Star (novel)
A 1908 novel about a communist society on Mars.
Red Star (Russian: Красная звезда, romanized: Krasnaya zvezda) is a science fiction novel by Alexander Bogdanov, a Russian scientist and writer. It was first published in 1908 in St. Petersburg, with later editions appearing in Moscow and Petrograd in 1918 and again in Moscow in 1922. The story follows Leonid, a Russian scientist-revolutionary, who travels from early Russia during the 1905 Revolution to a fictional socialist society on Mars. His purpose is both to learn about the Martian system and to teach Martians about his own world. Along the way, he grows fascinated by the people and the technological efficiency he encounters. An English translation by Charles Rougle came out in 1984.
**Plot summary**
**Part I** Leonid, the narrator and a Bolshevik revolutionary and mathematician, lives in St. Petersburg. The novel opens with him explaining his few connections within the revolutionary movement and his relationship with his love interest, Anna Nikolaevna. Despite their intimacy, Leonid states that ideological differences over revolution and polyamory proved too great for him to bridge. At this point, a Martian in disguise named Menni visits him. Soon after meeting, Menni invites Leonid to join a project studying and visiting other planets, including Venus and Mars. Menni initially hides the true purpose: that Leonid will teach his own culture to Martians while experiencing theirs. This is only revealed after Leonid has begun the journey.
Travel is via the "etheroneph," a vehicle combining a nuclear rocket with an anti-gravity device. En route to Mars, Leonid is gradually introduced to the Martians and their society. He meets the other travelers, such as Netti and Sterni, noting that they have very few individually distinguishing features, even between genders. With help from Menni and Netti (his doctor), Leonid learns the Martian language by the time they arrive. During an attempt to get to know the crew, Leonid participates in a scientific experiment with an elder Martian named Letta. The experiment fails, puncturing the etheroneph's hull, and Letta sacrifices himself by plugging the hole with his body. Leonid feels responsible for Letta's death. This event also triggers the first notable strong emotional response from the crew, who are deeply saddened—especially Netti. Part I ends with their arrival on Mars.
- Author
- Alexander Bogdanov
- Published
- 1908
- Original language
- Russian
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Setting
- Early Russia during the Revolution of 1905 and a fictional socialist society on Mars
- First edition location
- St. Petersburg
- English translation published
- 1984
Lore & Background
As Leonid recovers, he learns that Martians practice fluid relationships and multiple lovers. He discovers that the Martian council is considering colonizing Venus or Earth to solve overpopulation, with Sterni arguing for Earth's colonization and the eradication of its human population. Distraught, Leonid murders Sterni and returns to Earth in a hopeless mental state. Back on Earth, he is treated by Dr. Werner, who dismisses his Martian memories as delirium. However, Leonid finds a scrap of a letter in Netti's handwriting, convincing him she is on Earth. He eventually leaves the clinic and rejoins the revolutionary fight, and the novel ends with a letter suggesting he and Netti have returned to Mars together.
Reader's Guide
Red Star is significant as an early science fiction novel that uses a Martian setting to explore socialist ideals, including collective labor, lack of private property, and fluid personal relationships. Published in 1908, it reflects the revolutionary currents in Russia and the author's own Bolshevik sympathies. The novel's depiction of a technologically advanced communist society influenced later utopian and dystopian science fiction. Its English translation in 1984 brought it to a wider audience, allowing scholars to examine its themes of overpopulation, colonization, and the ethical dilemmas of progress. The work remains a key text for understanding the intersection of early 20th-century Russian political thought and speculative fiction.
Did You Know?
- The novel was first published in St. Petersburg in 1908, then republished in Moscow and Petrograd in 1918, and again in Moscow in 1922.
- The Martian society in the novel has no professional specialization; individuals can switch jobs based on societal need.
- The protagonist Leonid murders a Martian named Sterni after learning of a plan to colonize Earth by eradicating its human population.
- An English translation by Charles Rougle was published in 1984.
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