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The Viper (Sapkowski)
''The Viper'' () is a 2009 historical novel with elements of fantasy by the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. It is set in the framework of the Soviet–Afghan War. The title refers to the golden viper which awakens the protagonist's suppressed paranormal abilities to see the past. However critics point out that an element of fantasy is far from being central in this mostly realistic novel. The novel received mixed reviews, with critics complaining that the novel from a famous writer did not meet expectations. Elements of fantasy The protagonist is a Soviet Army ''praporshchik'' of Polish descent, Paweł Lewart. Since the childhood he had paranormal abilities, but they were suppressed by a treatment in a psychiatric hospital. However he retained some abilities to see the future, which saved his life in Afghanistan several times. While at a remote outpost he finds a golden viper and feeds it with a dead rat. He visited the crevice with the viper several times and each time he has visi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Historical Novel
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other types of narrative, including theatre, opera, cinema, and television, as well as video games and graphic novels. An essential element of historical fiction is that it is set in the past and pays attention to the manners, social conditions and other details of the depicted period. Authors also frequently choose to explore notable historical figures in these settings, allowing readers to better understand how these individuals might have responded to their environments. The historical romance usually seeks to romanticize eras of the past. Some subgenres such as alternate history and historical fantasy insert intentionally ahistorical or speculative elements into a novel. Works of historical fiction are sometimes criticized for lack ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mir Fantastiki
''Mir Fantastiki'' (), officially abbreviated as ''MirF'', is a Russian monthly science fiction and fantasy magazine. The name also refers to the website run by the magazine, Mirf.ru. ''Mir Fantastiki'' literally translates from Russian as ''World of Speculative Fiction''. In Western media it is often referred to as ''World of Fantasy'' or ''World of Fiction''. Overview ''MF'' was published by Igromedia publishing house, along with video game magazine '' Igromania'', since September 2003. It is distributed in major ex-USSR countries via trade net and postal subscription, as well as through publisher-owned online shop Journalshop.ru. Its editorial office is situated in Moscow. The magazine was envisioned by , later best known as a board game publisher in the Hobby World publishing house. ''Mir Fantastiki'' used to be one of the main Russian periodical SF&F editions, along with '' Esli'' and '. Since 2013 it remains the only broadly circulated survivor in its niche after an ind ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2009 Fantasy Novels
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and Gupta started curving the bottom vertical line coming up with a -look-alike. How the numbers got to their Gupta form is open to considerable debate. The Nagari continued the bottom stroke to make a circle and enclose the 3-look-alike, in much the same way that the sign @ encircles a lowercase ''a''. As time went on, the enclosing circle became bigger and its line continued beyond the circle downwards, as the 3-look-alike became smaller. Soon, all that was left of the 3-look-alike was a squiggle. The Arabs simply connected that squiggle to the downward stroke at the middle and subsequent European change was purely cosmetic. While the shape of the glyph for the digit 9 has an ascender in most modern typefa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Novels Set In Afghanistan
A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ''novellus'', diminutive of ''novus'', meaning 'new'. According to Margaret Doody, the novel has "a continuous and comprehensive history of about two thousand years", with its origins in the Ancient Greek and Roman novel, Medieval Chivalric romance, and the tradition of the Italian Renaissance novella.Margaret Anne Doody''The True Story of the Novel'' New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1996, rept. 1997, p. 1. Retrieved 25 April 2014. The ancient romance form was revived by Romanticism, in the historical romances of Walter Scott and the Gothic novel. Some novelists, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Ann Radcliffe, and John Cowper Powys, preferred the term ''romance''. Such romances should not be confused with the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Books About The Soviet–Afghan War
A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, mostly of writing and images. Modern books are typically composed of many pages bound together and protected by a cover, what is known as the ''codex'' format; older formats include the scroll and the tablet. As a conceptual object, a ''book'' often refers to a written work of substantial length by one or more authors, which may also be distributed digitally as an electronic book (ebook). These kinds of works can be broadly classified into fiction (containing invented content, often narratives) and non-fiction (containing content intended as factual truth). But a physical book may not contain a written work: for example, it may contain ''only'' drawings, engravings, photographs, sheet music, puzzles, or removable content like paper dolls. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2009 Polish Novels
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and Gupta started curving the bottom vertical line coming up with a -look-alike. How the numbers got to their Gupta form is open to considerable debate. The Nagari continued the bottom stroke to make a circle and enclose the 3-look-alike, in much the same way that the sign @ encircles a lowercase ''a''. As time went on, the enclosing circle became bigger and its line continued beyond the circle downwards, as the 3-look-alike became smaller. Soon, all that was left of the 3-look-alike was a squiggle. The Arabs simply connected that squiggle to the downward stroke at the middle and subsequent European change was purely cosmetic. While the shape of the glyph for the digit 9 has an ascender in most modern typefa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FantLab
Laboratoria Fantastiki, or FantLab (, "speculative fiction laboratory"), is a Russian website dedicated to science fiction and fantasy literature. It was founded in 2004 by Alexei Lvov. Content The website contains an extensive user-populated database of books, annotations, and reviews. Unregistered users have access to author pages, ratings, news and awards. If users sign up, they can review and rate books, generate reading lists. They can also create their own bookshelves and publish articles. In June 2013, the site had over 88,000 members and over 244,000 works by authors had been added. Fantlab calls its mission: *To compile bibliographies for any author writing in Science Fiction or Fantasy genres, complete with maximum information about the author, and his or hers biography, including awards and nominations. *Fair rating for books and authors based on reader votes and book reviews. *Recommended titles list, based on individual profiling. *Classification system for books and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FantLab's Book Of The Year Award
The FantLab's book of the year award () are a set of awards given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works published in Russia during previous year. The awards are named after FantLab web site. It is organized and overseen by society of reader's registered at FantLab site, the awards are given each year. They were first given in 2007, and have been awarded every year since. Over the years that the award has been given, the categories presented have changed; currently FantLab Awards are given in 9 categories, and include works published on websites. For lists of winners and nominees for each category, see the list of award categories below. Award In 2007 as popularity of the site grew and when number of daily visitors reached 4 thousand a day, site decided to implement a voting system that allowed nomination of popular and best reviewed books. FantLab's Book of the Year Award is given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works of the previous year. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the latter was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan (Emir of Afghanistan), Dost Mohammad Khan. The war was part of the Great Game between the British Empire, British and Russian empire, Russian empires. The war was split into two campaigns – the first began in November 1878 with the British Raj, British invasion of Afghanistan from British Raj, India. The British were quickly victorious and forced the Amir – Sher Ali Khan to flee. Ali's successor Mohammad Yaqub Khan immediately sued for peace and the Treaty of Gandamak was then signed on 26 May 1879. The British sent an envoy and mission led by Louis Cavagnari, Sir Louis Cavagnari to Kabul, but on 3 September this mission was massacred and the conflict was reignited by Mohammad Ayub Khan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rzeczpospolita
() is a traditional Polish term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "rzeczpospolita", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage" "thing, matter" and "common" is analogous to the Latin ''rēs pūblica'' ( "thing" + "public, common"), i.e. ''republic'', in English also rendered as '' commonwealth'' (historic) and ''republic'' (current). In modern Polish, the word is used exclusively in relation to the Republic of Poland, while any other republic is referred to in Polish as a (e.g. Italian Republic – ). Origins The term has been used in Poland since the beginning of the 16th century. It was adapted for Poland, as it at that time had a unique republican system, similar to the former Roman . The famous quote by Jan Zamoyski, the Lord Chancellor of the Crown, on the importance of education is an example of its use: The meaning of is well described by the term '' commonwealth''. As a result, the literal meaning of is "Polish Com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexander The Great
Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II of Macedon, Philip II to the throne in 336 BC at the age of 20 and spent most of his ruling years conducting Wars of Alexander the Great, a lengthy military campaign throughout West Asia, Western Asia, Central Asia, parts of South Asia, and ancient Egypt, Egypt. By the age of 30, he had created one of the List of largest empires, largest empires in history, stretching from History of Greece, Greece to northwestern History of India, India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders. Until the age of 16, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle. In 335 BC, shortly after his assumption of kingship over Macedon, he Alexander's Balkan campaign, campaigned in the Bal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Praporshchik
(, , ) is a rank used by the Russian Armed Forces and a number of former communist states. The rank is a non-commissioned officer's and is equivalent to in the corresponding navies. It is usually equivalent to warrant officer class 1 or sergeant major in English-speaking armies. Within NATO forces, the rank is rated as OR-7 or OR-8. Russia is a rank in the Russian military, also used in other uniformed services of the Russian government such as the police. It was a junior officer rank in Imperial Russia, but was abolished following the Russian Revolution. In 1940, the rank was restored as a separate career group between non-commissioned officers and officers. Imperial Russia was originally an Oberoffizer rank, as first introduced in Streltsy New Regiments. The name originates from Slavonic ''prapor'' (прапор), meaning flag; the ''praporshchik'' was a flag-bearer in Kievan Rus troops. In the New Regiments of the Streltsy and the "new army" of Peter the Great, '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
