I think Urfin Dzhus, Semj Podzemnyh Korolej, and Ognennyj Bog Maranov were actually my favorites (I was an Urfin Dzhus fangirl, I guess...), along with a kind of conflicted fondness for Tajna Zabroshennogo Zamka, because while I (even then) felt that adding aliens to a fantasy series was kind of a cheat, I rather liked the aliens (the mean, military ones -- I forget what they were called).
(It's weird, since doing this meme, I've been thinking of all these other Russian books I read and loved as a kid -- Dosvidaniya, Ovrag (narrated in first person by a stray dog) and these stories with animal protagonists that were translated from English, I think -- there was a grizzly cub, and an alley cat named, I think, Domino, and a black fox. And there was this story about a boy who made friends with an otter only to find out it was the otter actually killing his bird friends. And Kir Bulychev! It's making me all nostalgic now...)
And you totally should read the Strugatskys! -- especially Ponedeljnik -- I suspect it would be even funnier for
( ... )
I remember my sister timing how quickly I read & comprehended to Semj Podzemnyh Korolej because she taught me the rhyme to remember the rainbow colors: кажди охотник желает знать где сидит фазан. :)
And yeah, the aliens were cool. So were the constructed horses.
I probably need to re-read... don't remember the constructed horses :(
кажди охотник желает знать где сидит фазан
I've actually been wondering lately whether that mnemonic is universal or some kind of regional thing. I definitely knew it, growing up, but not too long ago I recited it for my son's preschool teacher, who is Russian but from somewhere other than Kiev (Moscow, I think? Or possibly even elsewhere in Ukraine... like Donetsk or something) and she had never heard it, despite being an elementary school teacher over there. So, I was surprised...
I was thrilled to discover the English equivalent, actually, via Artemis Fowl, of all random things: "Richard of York gave battle in vain" -- which I guess is the *English* English mnemonic -- 'cos I never could see how "Roy G. Biv" worked as a mnemonic, not being an actual meaning to help you remember things...
(I'm actually quite fascinated by how different mnemonics get adapted in different places. Like, do you know the "knuckle method" for remembering which months have 31 days
( ... )
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And I do need to read the Strugatskys. It's really sad that I haven't yet.
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(It's weird, since doing this meme, I've been thinking of all these other Russian books I read and loved as a kid -- Dosvidaniya, Ovrag (narrated in first person by a stray dog) and these stories with animal protagonists that were translated from English, I think -- there was a grizzly cub, and an alley cat named, I think, Domino, and a black fox. And there was this story about a boy who made friends with an otter only to find out it was the otter actually killing his bird friends. And Kir Bulychev! It's making me all nostalgic now...)
And you totally should read the Strugatskys! -- especially Ponedeljnik -- I suspect it would be even funnier for ( ... )
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And yeah, the aliens were cool. So were the constructed horses.
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кажди охотник желает знать где сидит фазан
I've actually been wondering lately whether that mnemonic is universal or some kind of regional thing. I definitely knew it, growing up, but not too long ago I recited it for my son's preschool teacher, who is Russian but from somewhere other than Kiev (Moscow, I think? Or possibly even elsewhere in Ukraine... like Donetsk or something) and she had never heard it, despite being an elementary school teacher over there. So, I was surprised...
I was thrilled to discover the English equivalent, actually, via Artemis Fowl, of all random things: "Richard of York gave battle in vain" -- which I guess is the *English* English mnemonic -- 'cos I never could see how "Roy G. Biv" worked as a mnemonic, not being an actual meaning to help you remember things...
(I'm actually quite fascinated by how different mnemonics get adapted in different places. Like, do you know the "knuckle method" for remembering which months have 31 days ( ... )
Reply
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