METRO 2033

By Dmitry Glukhovsky

Het is 2033. Twintig jaar geleden heeft een nucleaire oorlog de beschaafde wereld in puin gelegd. In Moskou heeft een klein deel van de bevolking zijn toevlucht gevonden in de grootste atoomvrije schuilkelder op aarde: de metro.

Hier, diep onder de grond, overleven een paar duizend mensen op enkele tientallen stations, verdeeld over een handvol kleinere en grotere confederaties van verschillende signatuur – communistisch, fascistisch, liberaal-kapitalistisch – die in staat van Koude Oorlog met elkaar verkeren en worden verbonden door gevaarlijke, geheimzinnige metrobuizen. Boven de grond heeft de straling elk menselijk leven onmogelijk gemaakt en nieuwe levensvormen doen ontstaan. Nu dreigen deze onmensen de metro binnen te dringen, om wat resteert van de mensheid te vernietigen.

De 24-jarige Artjom woont op het station dat het eerst wordt aangevallen. Hij krijgt de opdracht op reis te gaan naar het hart van het Moskouse metrostelsel, de Polis. Daar moet hij hulp zoeken om de gevaren van buiten te stoppen. Hij en de lezer leren telkens nieuwe betekenissen van de tekst die elke metropassagier in Moskou overal op bordjes en deuren tegenkomt: “Geen uitgang”...

– Meer dan 1 miljoen lezers van de internet-editie

– 500.000 exemplaren verkocht in Rusland, meer dan 1 miljoen wereldwijd

– EUROCON Encouragement Award van de European Science Fiction Society 2007

voor het meestbelovende debuut van het jaar


– Bestseller of the Year 2008 (Time Out Moscow)

– Voorjaar 2010: lancering door THQ van een computerspel gebaseerd op de roman.

Gloechovski’s cultroman bevat een groot aantal helden die stuk voor stuk kernmerken vertonen van de wereld zoals we die nu kennen, maar die ook de gevolgen van de nucleaire winter aan den lijve hebben ondervonden. Het maakt de werkelijkheid in Metro 2033 des te angstaanjagender, een straf voor de mensheid, die de wereld niet heeft kunnen redden en daarom opgesloten zit in een stralingsvrije gevangenis.

Metro 2033 is een uniek fenomeen dat literatuur combineert met de mogelijkheid tot interactiviteit op internet, een verhaal dat laat zien dat de huidige maatschappij een levendige belangstelling heeft voor de problemen die een verregaande ontwikkeling van kernwapens met zich meebrengt. Gloechovski’s science fiction thriller heeft geleid tot een golf van imitaties, waarin wordt voortgeborduurd op de wereld zoals die geschetst wordt in Metro 2033.

***

Vertaald uit het Russisch door Paul van der Woerd,

Geredigeerd door Els de Roon Hertoge,

Maxim Hodak - Максим Ходак (Publisher), 

Max Mendor - Макс Мендор (Director), 

Yana Kovalskaya.

• Language: Nederlands
• Publisher: Glagoslav
• Release date: Jun 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9789491425431

Dmitry Glukhovsky

Dmitry Glukhovsky is geboren in Moskou in 1979. Hij is afgestudeerd in Journalistiek en Internationale Betrekkingen aan de Hebreeuwse Universiteit van Jeruzalem. Ondanks zijn relatief jonge leeftijd heeft Glukhovsky al een indrukwekkende carrière als verslaggever achter de rug. Hij werkte als stafjournalist voor de televisiezenders EuroNews in Frankrijk en Russia Today in Moskou, en heeft verslag gedaan voor Deutsche Welle Radio, Sky News en de Israëlische openbare radio. Hij was anchor voor Ruslands meest gerenommeerde publieke radiozender Mayak. Als verslaggever heeft hij overal gereisd, van Marokko en Guatemala tot IJsland en Japan.

Book preview

Reviews for METRO 2033

[eviltak · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The setting of Metro 2033 is very compelling - post apocalypse, the Moscow Metro system has become a microcosmic refuge for survivors. The political and economic interactions of the different groups, as well as the fates of those who are social misfits for one reason or another, form a depressingly apt metaphor for our present society.

I found the protagonist's journey to be slightly excessively capricious and Homeric, and I can't decide whether it's clever or pretentious that the author contrived to embed his argument in a mysterious conversation halfway through the book. However, the only thing that really detracted from my enjoyment of and immersion in the story was the poor (English) translation - it left the narrative feeling clunky and the characters feeling simplistic and wooden.

[woutergil · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book is action packed and the atmosphere in the subways is wonderfully presented. However, I found the plot development rather slow and the characters other than the protagonist were a bit shallow.

[guide2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting world creation exercise but with way too many unanswered questions and plot holes/coincidences.

[wilwarin_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Bleh.

No. Interesting concept that wasn't used to its fullest.

Boring main character - don't care what happens to him or what he has to say and what he thinks.

Awful, boring, unengaging language. The dialogue was laughable, the writing all in all was... meh. I don't know how much it is due to the translator but, didn't work at all.

Info dumps. While it is necessary to present the metro and the stations and the like it was confusing and not done very well.

Too much babbling and rambling of unimportant stuff.

I read a few chapters in the beginning and the last chapter and felt that I understood everything and hadn't missed anything. The ending was a tiny bit interesting and food for thoughts

but just meh.

This book had been very hyped and I had expected more.

[aadyer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting premise, that never really quite works. Essentially the thought of setting a post apocalyptic story in the Moscow Metro was a good one. However, the quest of the young protagonist and his journey through the Metro is long, convoluted and not necessarily well paced although some of this could be due to the translation. There's some interesting concepts but the story arc is long, and a t times too protracted. This was worth investigating but not, I feel, worth following any further.

[sciss0rs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This got from borderline interesting to a tight-gripping pageturner in about half way the book.

[henrimoreaux · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This dystopian / post-apocalyptic novel is set in the Moscow subway / metro system. Dripping in typically dark Russia prose it paints a miserable yet captivating picture.Whilst the imagery is vivid, I found it rather difficult to get into the writing style of the author.

[autumnturner76 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Just started this book and it is beyond excellent. If you like alternate history or post apocalyptic stories, I highly recommend.

[nhalliwell-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

METRO 2033: The Gospel According to Artyom is a bridge to METRO 2034. It is only twenty-seven pages but well worth the $2.99 price. Artyom illustrates the consequences of the events the ended METRO 2033. But this short piece also gives significant background into his life before and during the apocalyptic event. It really is worth the price.

[bdtrump · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The imagery is powerful, and the ending is fantastic, with strong allegories and moral lessons built in. Even so, I couldn't help feeling I wanted a bit more from this work, which darts so quickly from one scene to the next after the first few chapters.

Nevertheless, a very enjoyable work by Glukhovsky.

[taurus454_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Metro 2033 contains a rare and unique look into a new science fiction reality where people are forced to live in the Moscow tunnels. The author creates a unique world of the future where humans barely exist and hang onto the bad habits that brought an end to their world. Unique creatures, fears, and beliefs confront the reader throughout the book. The ending even is unexpected and will leave you thinking. The book does tend to be long winded at times but that is consistent with Russian writing. The fresh content is what drives this rating up and easily makes up for the style of writing that faces the reader.

[veeralpadhiar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Though this book seems too long and repetitive at times, it stayed with me for a long time. So, as a result, I included it on my 'favorites' shelf.

Imagine a post-nuclear apocalypse Moscow, where mankind survives by living in the vast and legendary underground metro system of the city. And it is considered dangerous even to go 500 m from your settlement in the dark tunnels. Artyom, a young man living in VDNKh (northernmost inhabited station), must go to the center of the Moscow line (Polis) to warn everyone about the new danger (the infiltration of black creatures - who become so by radiation on the surface). We follow the journey of Artyom in the underground metro system. As I said earlier, the book is slow sometimes, but it is unique.

And the end was more meaningful than I expected it to be.

[sheilacornelisse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel follows the quest of a young Russian, Artyom, who was orphaned as a child and brought up in the Soviet metro system after the world is devasted by nuclear war.Artyom possesses a special ability to "communicate" with the dark spirits lurking within the tunnels and metro stations. Sent on a mission to reach the station at Polis and deliver a secret message, Artyom meets and loses many acquaintences along the way. He also encounters an assortment of mutant and deadly creatures who have evolved from the effects of radiation exposure.I found this story to be more interesting in the first half but my interest began to dwindle near the end when the author begins to philosophy and, in my opinion, ramble. I also did not care for the ending.Overall, this is a pretty good read and, because there is now a video game based on the novel, a good bet for a reluctant reader.

[fothpaul · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another one that seemed to go other my head quite a lot, and also ending up annoying me.Firstly I enjoyed the premise of the book immensely. I usually really enjoy survival post-apocalypse style books and thought that the idea behind this one would make it a great read. Unfortunately it really didn't engage me and left me a bit confused. It took me a long time to get through as I wasn't finding myself particularly interested.I felt the translation to be quite poor, with many mistakes and a general lack of flow to the story, although having not read it in Russian it's hard to know if this was the translator's or the author's fault.I especially don't enjoy elements of magic being involved in stories out of the blue, and although I appreciate that many of the seemingly magical events might have mrely been in people's heads things like aggressive goop that eats people, hypnotising cannibals and dark things that get in people's heads just left me cross.The ending felt a little shallow as well and left me feeling even more annoyed with the book than I had been previously. Overall a massive dissapointment as I was hoping for so much more.

[johannes.roth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like the setting very much but a station map would have helped a lot and your mind constantly thinks of what is where and why instead of being able to think about the characters

[smg0jhayne · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not like this book, the constant references to the stations made it very hard to understand

[everfresh1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Started great but it got worse and worse. It took some effort to finish it. The translation also seems to be far from perfect.

[cerelin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Metro 2033 is a bit of mixed bag, though some of it may be due to the translation. The overall story and world building are pretty cool, with much of the world being inspired by the Fallout games. The atmosphere is well done, especially when Artyom (the protagonist) is walking in the dark tunnels or exploring the surface. Some horror elements come out during these chapters, and when Artyom is staring down hostile mutants. We don't see much of the politics of the stations, but several factions fighting each other add to the dangers of life in the metro.As mentioned, the translation may be causing some of the book's failings. Some sentences are worded awkwardly. Though the words are technically used correctly, they are being used in weird ways. An example is the flying creatures "describing" circles over an area. The dialogue also suffers a bit from this, especially during long speeches. This results in characters that seem a little flat and making it hard to keep track of the stations' locations. My edition of the book did not come with a map of the metro, making this even harder.Two major issues plotwise: The early chapters where Artyom is meandering around the metro felt a little sluggish (possibly from the translation and some long-winded dialogue) and two points where Artyom was about to be executed only to be saved at the last minute. The second time was more believable due to who saved him, but the first time was sheer coincidence by characters who never appear again.

[Jonathan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is not in English!! The game is great and closely follows the book, thus the 5 stars. I made the mistake of not sampling the book here on Scribd and was overly excited I had found the book that I immediately used a credit. Only to find out I can't understand a word it's written in.

[amsuko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dishearteningly bad translation/editing. Great story. Memorable ending. The storytelling has a slow reading 'tone' - but the story was interesting enough to keep me from putting it down.I don't know any Russian at all, but it was obvious that the poor slob who got stuck with this Russian to English translation job didn't give a flying rat's butt. A friend who knows a bit about guns and Russia enlightened me even more on some of the odd bits - which only made me realize the translation effort was even more lazy than I originally thought. The story is still completely understandable and enjoyable to read - it just bothered me. It's such a great story, it really deserves more effort.

[jamestomasino · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The writing is excellent but plodding. There are several moments that stood out as excellent and worthy of praise, but overall the book meandered and felt repetitive, eventually boring me.

[bencsi2560 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yes.

[telaara_dunwin · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Außer, dass mir dieser Buchtitel beständig als Werbung in den Lukianenko-Romanen entgegen sah und SF-begeisterte Freunde davon schwärmten, wusste ich überhaupt nicht, worum es geht und was mich erwartet. Vielleicht hätte ich ja doch vorher den Klappentext lesen sollen. Post-War-Storys mit Mutanten gehören zu einer Abteilung der Science Fiction, die ich üblicherweise meide. Unter diesem Aspekt war es aber gar nicht so übel. Das war es aber auch schon mit den Positivpunkten zur Handlung. Die fand ich nämlich unglaublich langweilig und zäh, teilweise überaus unlogisch und inkonsistent. Das Ende hat mich - obwohl durchaus überraschend - letztlich emotionslos zurückgelassen. Ich weiß nicht, ob das Hörbuch gekürzt ist - die Bezeichnung "Autorisierte Lesefassung" lässt es vermuten -, aber vielleicht liegt es ja daran. Die Lesung selbst war allerdings ausgezeichnet und der einzige Grund, warum ich es überhaupt geschafft habe, bis ans Ende durchzuhalten.

[high_enginseer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Metro 2033 is a bit of mixed bag, though some of it may be due to the translation. The overall story and world building are pretty cool, with much of the world being inspired by the Fallout games. The atmosphere is well done, especially when Artyom (the protagonist) is walking in the dark tunnels or exploring the surface. Some horror elements come out during these chapters, and when Artyom is staring down hostile mutants. We don't see much of the politics of the stations, but several factions fighting each other add to the dangers of life in the metro.As mentioned, the translation may be causing some of the book's failings. Some sentences are worded awkwardly. Though the words are technically used correctly, they are being used in weird ways. An example is the flying creatures "describing" circles over an area. The dialogue also suffers a bit from this, especially during long speeches. This results in characters that seem a little flat and making it hard to keep track of the stations' locations. My edition of the book did not come with a map of the metro, making this even harder.Two major issues plotwise: The early chapters where Artyom is meandering around the metro felt a little sluggish (possibly from the translation and some long-winded dialogue) and two points where Artyom was about to be executed only to be saved at the last minute. The second time was more believable due to who saved him, but the first time was sheer coincidence by characters who never appear again.

[josescott-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Hated this book, from start to finish. Boring and unimaginative.

[clfisha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Superb dystopian world building, average boys own adventureNuclear war has left the last dregs of humanity huddling in the Moscow metro, penned in by rats, radiation and strange mutations. Artoym lives at isolated VNKDh, but the station is under threat from the "dark ones", the undead seeping in from outside and so he must get the warning out but in a place with many warring political factions and constant dangers that's no easy task Dripping in atmosphere, we are immersed in a world not fully understood by its protagonists. We follow stories told around fires, old news spread by merchants and refugees and slowly, through experience, we begin to understand ourselves. The books main strength is this fabulous dystopian creation, detailed yet engaging, full of mystery and promise. The plot, however is uneven, or rather it depends what you like. After a perfect start it settles into an adventure tale, really an exploration of the world through a series of interlinked adventures as we follow Artoym on his travels flitting from one drama to the next. There is nothing wrong with this: ideas are exploding all over the place, the action's exciting, the characters good and really the world is so damn fine. However it's such a long book I found the pacing started to drag.. I loved the delicate walk between supernatural and science. The psychological problems and walking through a dank, dark tunnel with unknown dangers. I loved the small, claustrophobic world slowly expanding and the mental effect it has. I became a tad irritated by Artoym’s passivity and, good reason or not, all that luck he had. I was bemused by misogyny, no female characters? eh what? If the odd crying child, topless prostitute or hysterical mother hadn’t appeared I would have thought they had all died out. Recommended. Well worth seeking out for just for the setting but dystopian & horror fans (don’t worry it’s not gory) will lap this up.

[lillasmee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really wanted to like this book. Everything about it promised so much! The setting is the Moscow metro system in the year 2033. Above ground, it appears that humanity has been wiped out by nuclear war. The survivors live entirely in the underground tunnel system; stations have evolved into microcosms of the old social and political systems of Russia. The inhabitants are now into the second generation, and Glukhovsky touches on some of the adaptive changes humans have undergone as a result of living in a lightless world, believing themselves the last representatives of humanity. Strange mutations have resulted from the nuclear devastation, and frightening creatures are taking over the world above; some of them threaten life in the tunnel systems. The premise is simply fascinating, and begs for more attention by the author. But one of the main flaws of the book as I see it is that Glukhovsky simply does not pay enough attention to building a cohesive, believable world, and the promise in the premise is not fulfilled. Glukhovsky's primary concern is with relating the adventures of his 'hero' Artyom, a young man drawn ostensibly by chance into a strange quest to save the metro system. The structure of the quest is aimless and lacks, and I struggled to remain engaged with Artyom and indeed the fate of the metro system. About a quarter of the way through I simply stopped caring about what would happen to any of them.The novel rushes to a close in the last ten pages (after a build up of nearly 450 pages) and these last few pages throw the whole book into a new light - suddenly, I saw how the novel could have been a rich critique of modern humanity, an exploration of the madness and futility of war, and the destructiveness of anthropocentrism. I am so disappointed it failed!A factor that served only to exacerbate any issues I had with plot and character development was exacerbated by what is almost certainly a poor translation (I am giving Glukhovsky himself the benefit of the doubt, as I cannot read Russian and verify the quality of the original) , and some awful copy-editing.The [only:] good news is that this novel has been adapted into a PC game – and I think the story material is eminently suited to it! I actually bought the game, and I am looking forward to exploring it.

[otherland-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

30 MinutenEin Buch über das Leben nach einem Atomkrieg? Das soll ein Bestseller sein? Das kommt doch etwa ein Vierteljahrhundert zu spät, oder nicht? Es geht um das hoch gelobte Erstlingswerk von Dimitri Gluchovsky. Ich habe es eigentlich nur in die Hand genommen, weil mir sein Werk „Dämmerung“ so gefallen hat; und dann innerhalb kürzester Zeit durchgelesen. Der Erzähler schafft es, eine ordentliche Spannung aufzubauen. Ein paar zehntausend Leute haben sich in die Moskauer Metro gerettet, die ja auch als Atomkriegsbunker ausgelegt war. Das Buch erzählt die Geschichte einiger dieser Leute ca. 20 Jahre nachdem sie sich in die Metro geflüchtet haben, wie sie sich dort eingerichtet haben, wie sie sich im täglichen Überlebenskampf befinden, welche Sehnsüchte und Ängste sie haben. Artjom, der Held des Buches, plant eine Reise zu einer entfernten Station und versucht abzuschätzen, wie viele Tage er wohl dafür brauchen wird. Ein gefahrvoller Fußweg selbstverständlich, denn die Züge fahren nicht mehr und Licht gibt es auch nicht besonders viel und zusätzlich sind die Leute, die man unterwegs so trifft, nicht alle freundlich gesinnt. Zur heutigen Zeit braucht man dafür nicht mehr als 30 Minuten mit einmal Umsteigen. Da hat man den Vorteil, dass die Züge fahren und auch niemand einen versucht am Weiterfahren zu hindern. Die Beschreibung des Ganzen fand ich sehr realistisch und nachvollziehbar; 20 Jahre kamen mir für die Entstehung oder Entwicklung der beschriebenen neuen Arten in Fauna und Flora, mit denen man es in und außerhalb der Metro so zu tun bekommt, zwar etwas kurz vor, aber hier verweist der Autor auf das gemeinsame Wirken von Strahlung und biologischen Waffen. Na ja, glauben wir es ihm.Während des Lesens hat man sich schon darauf eingerichtet, dass unser Held auf dem richtigen Weg ist und dass er zielgenau zum Ende des Buches die gestellte Aufgabe erfüllt. Aber dann erwartet den Leser doch eine ziemliche Überraschung, die einiges noch einmal über den Haufen wirft... Es ist zwar mein erstes Buch über das Leben nach einem Atomkrieg, also habe ich keinen Vergleich, aber trotzdem empfehle ich es zum Lesen.30 minutes A book about the life after a nuclear war? This should be a bestseller? This is still about a quarter of a century too late, isn’t? It is about the highly acclaimed debut feature by Dimitri Gluchovsky. I have really only taken in hand, because I liked his book "Dawn" so much, and then I read through quickly. The narrator creates to build a proper tension. A few tens of thousands of people were rescued in the Moscow Metro, which was foreseen to be used as a nuclear war bunker. The book tells the story of some guys about 20 years after they have taken refuge in the Metro, as they have established there, as they are in the daily struggle for survival, what desires and fears they have. Artyom, the hero of the book, plans a trip to a remote station and tries to estimate how many days he will probably need it. A perilous walk of course, because the trains are no longer going and light is also not very much. In addition, not everybody you meet on the way is friendly. For today you need no more than 30 minutes for the envisaged way including one trains change. Since one has the advantage that the trains are going and no one tried to stop you on your way. The description of the whole, I found very realistic and understandable, I found 20 years for the creation or development of the described new species in fauna and flora, with which you can get it in and outside the Metro, a little too short, but here the author refers to the joint action of radiation and biological weapons. Well, we believe it to him. While reading, one has already established the fact that our hero is on the right track and that he by reaching the end of the book fulfills the given task. But then expects the reader an unexpected surprise, some of the throws to the winds again ... While it is my first book on life after a nuclear war, so I have no comparison, but still I recommend it for reading.

[lostrobot · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Moscow in the year 2033, almost 20 years after a cataclysmic war that turned the world to rubble and nearly wiped mankind of the face of the planet. The few remaining inhabitants of the city have fled underground to the Moscow metro, seeking shelter from radiation and the mutants who now roam the city. Life on the surface before the war is a distant memory and no one truly knows how much of mankind has survived beyond the boundaries of Moscow.Stations have turned into miniature city-states, many with their own politic agenda but most just places where people huddle together to survive and repel raiders and bandits.At VDNKh, the northernmost station in the Metro, a new threat emerges, as something horrible seeks to enter the tunnels and prey on its inhabitants. A young orphan living in VDNKh, Artyom, must brave the tunnels and venture to the center of the Metro, the legendary Polis, to find help and bring warning of the encroaching darkness.Along the way he is confronted by the best and, more frequently, the worst of a struggling mankind – Neo Nazis, religious fanatics, communist revolutionaries and depraved people doing anything to survive. Beyond the light of the stations lurks another kind of danger. Dark things snatching children in the night, mutant creatures from the surface preying on the weak and whispers in the dark that drive travelers insane. The odds are truly stacked against the inexperienced Artyom, yet the fate of his station and perhaps all of the Metro, rests heavily on his shoulders and at the same time, the fate of Artyom himself seems to be linked somehow to the mystery of the dark invaders.In Metro 2033 Mr. Glukhovsky paints a depressing and disturbing picture of a post-war society struggling to hang on while beset by dangers, human and otherwise, on all sides. Life in the tunnels is usually short, miserable and more often than not ends in a violent death and the author does an excellent job of conveying this mood of hopelessness and fear to the reader, as well as maintaining a feeling of tension throughout most of the book.The characters, especially Artyom himself, are for the most part well-written and believable. The author manages to communicate their motivations and feelings well, making them feel less like two-dimensional stereotypes and more like real people.Story-wise the plot is a slow burner, with plenty of sidetracks, many of which we never get to see resolved. This is a daring but commendable move on the authors part, as he's populating his world with a lot of interesting elements that he's not afraid to leave unresolved to avoid bogging the story down or drawing it out to much. This also serves to keep the reader guessing until the very last page whats really going on and how it will end, and ultimately left me wanting to know more.If I had to find something negative to say about Metro 2033, it would have to be the editing and language of the UK edition I read. With all due respect to the translator, the translation itself left something to be desired, especially in its choice of words and grammars, making it a bit hard to read in places and I found several typos and missing words. Overall this is a very minor complaint on such a marvelous piece of fiction!Summary:If you like post-apocalyptic settings and don't mind a bit of the supernatural mixed in, strap on your gas mask, load your rifle and give Metro 2033 a go. 10 out of 10

[gingerbreadman_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You can probably divide people into two groups. Those who get triggered by a map of the Moscow Metro divided into city-states and federations, with legends like "biohazard" and "Station occupied by mutants". And those who don't. I'm clearly part of the first group.To me, the premise for this high-paced post-apocalypse adventure is about as good as they come: After neo-aggressive Russia engaged in a nuclear war the entire surface was wiped out. Now the last surviving humans are living in the Moscow metro, growing fungus and albino pigs for their survival. The stations are forming city-states, some independent and some part of federations and alliances (The communist Red Line, fascist Fourth Reich and the capitalist Hansa circle line, to name but a few). The only way of getting from station to station is walking the dark and dangerous tunnels, and the metro is constantly under threat from the hostile mutants and monsters now inhabiting the surface. Stalkers, people with the skills and equipment to venture up there, provide the metro with fuel, scraps of technology and knowledge.Artiom is just old enough to have been born on the surface, but has lived his whole life at VDNCh, an insignificant independent station mostly known for it’s mushroom tea. They are at the northern border of the civilization however, and lately a new threat has begun emerging from the tunnels. A strand of jet black mutant with eerie psychic powers are trying to force their way into the metro – and much to his surprise Artiom is getting chosen by the investigating stalker to deliver an important message if he shouldn’t return. Which of course, he doesn’t. Artiom is forced to make his way through the scary tunnels of the metro, and underway discovers that perhaps he wasn’t chosen randomly after all.My experience with Russian Dystopia and Post-apocalypse is that the books tend to spend less energy building scientific plausible worlds, and more toying around with metaphors, satire and fairytale elements. This is no exception. The origins of the numerous strands of murderous mutants might not be addressed – but on the other hand there is a lot of debate on metro politics and the spiritual side of the tunnels. The plot is action packed to say the least (no such thing as an uneventful journey here!), with a couple of really nice twists to it. I loved every page of this book. The only thing keeping it from a full five stars is that with the all the people Artiom meets, Gluchovskij has managed to write a book without a single female character of any importance whatsoever. It’s not that it shows women as passive or victims or inferior – they mostly don’t seem to be around at all, other than far in the background. It’s stale and annoying. Apart from that, this is post-apocalypse at it’s absolute best.