Definitely Maybe (novel)
A novel about a universe resisting scientific discovery.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Definitely Maybe (Russian: *За миллиард лет до конца света*, literally "A Billion Years Before the End of the World," also known as *Definitely Maybe: A Manuscript Discovered Under Unusual Circumstances*) is a science fiction novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, first published in 1977. The story is set in Leningrad, USSR, apparently during the 1970s.
The protagonist, astrophysicist Dmitry Alekseyevich Malyanov, is on official vacation but continues working on his thesis about the interaction of stars with diffused galactic matter. Just as he nears a revolutionary discovery, strange events disrupt his life. An attractive woman claiming to be his wife’s classmate arrives unannounced, and food and wine appear mysteriously prepaid. Then his neighbor dies in an apparent suicide, and Malyanov becomes a murder suspect.
Applying a scientific approach, Malyanov concludes that someone or something is deliberately preventing him from completing his work. His friends and acquaintances—working in fields from biology to mathematical linguistics—face similar obstacles. Malyanov’s friend and neighbor, mathematician Vecherovsky, proposes an explanation: the universe itself resists scientific progress. He hypothesizes a Homeostatic Universe that conserves total entropy and the capacity for reasoning, maintaining equilibrium by blocking advances that could lead to supercivilizations. Vecherovsky suggests this resistance can be studied and harnessed by science.
By the novel’s end, the other scientists, including Malyanov, abandon their research under pressure. Vecherovsky remains alone to continue battling the universe.
The novel inspired Aleksandr Sokurov’s film *Days of Eclipse* and Tapio Suominen’s 1986 Finnish film *Miljardi vuotta ennen maailmanloppua*. Mathematician Vladimir Voevodsky later described experiencing similar phenomena, citing the Strugatskys’ story. The character Vecherovsky is loosely based on mathematician Yuri Manin. Leszek Bugajski reviewed the Polish translation for *Fantastyka* (issue 8/84, p. 53).
- title
- Definitely Maybe
- original_title
- За миллиард лет до конца света
- authors
- Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
- published
- 1977
- genre
- Science fiction
- setting
- Leningrad, USSR, apparently the 1970s
Lore & Background
The protagonist, Dmitry Alekseyevich Malyanov, is an astrophysicist on vacation working on his thesis, 'The Interaction of Stars with Diffused Galactic Matter.' As he nears a revolutionary discovery, his life is disrupted by strange events: an unexpected visit from a woman claiming to be his wife's classmate, mysteriously paid-for food and wine, and the apparent suicide of his neighbor, which makes him a murder suspect. Malyanov and his friends, working in fields from biology to mathematical linguistics, each face similar obstacles from a powerful, selective force.
Reader's Guide
The novel's significance lies in its exploration of the Homeostatic Universe hypothesis, proposed by the mathematician Vecherovsky. He suggests that the Universe resists scientific progress to conserve total entropy and the capacity for reasoning, treating this resistance as a natural phenomenon to be studied. The story ends with most scientists abandoning their research, while Vecherovsky continues alone. The novel has inspired film adaptations, including Aleksandr Sokurov's 'Days of Eclipse' and Tapio Suominen's 'Miljardi vuotta ennen maailmanloppua.' Mathematician Vladimir Voevodsky cited the novel as reflecting his own experiences, and the character Vecherovsky is loosely based on mathematician Yuri Manin.
Did You Know?
- The novel's literal Russian title translates to 'A Billion Years Before the End of the World.'
- The character of Vecherovsky is loosely based on mathematician Yuri Manin.
- Mathematician Vladimir Voevodsky described having similar experiences to the novel's events from June 2006 to November 2007.
- The Finnish film adaptation 'Miljardi vuotta ennen maailmanloppua' was directed by Tapio Suominen in 1986.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Definitely Maybe (novel)?
Definitely Maybe is a 1977 science fiction novel by the Strugatsky brothers, originally titled *Za milliard let do ktsa sveta* (A Billion Years Before the End of the World). It follows an astrophysicist in 1970s Leningrad who is on the verge of a breakthrough in stellar physics when reality itself seems to conspire against him.
Who is the protagonist of Definitely Maybe?
The main character is Dmitry Alekseyevich Malyanov, an astrophysicist working on a thesis about how stars interact with diffuse galactic matter. He is technically on official vacation yet remains consumed by his research, which places him at the center of increasingly inexplicable events.
What is the central conflict in Definitely Maybe?
The novel's core idea is that the universe actively resists being fully understood by human science. As Malyanov closes in on a discovery that would reshape astrophysics, a series of bizarre and seemingly coordinated occurrences obstructs his progress, raising the question of whether the cosmos has a kind of self-protective will.
Where and when is Definitely Maybe set?
The story takes place in Leningrad, Soviet Union, during what appears to be the 1970s. The everyday Soviet backdrop of apartment blocks, institutes, and bureaucratic routines contrasts sharply with the cosmic-scale mystery unfolding around the protagonist.
Why is Definitely Maybe considered important in the Strugatsky canon?
It stands out as one of the brothers' most philosophically dense works, shifting the usual Strugatsky focus from social allegory to a metaphysical question about whether knowledge itself is a privilege the universe grants or withholds. Fans often cite it as a key text for understanding the duo's interest in the limits of human comprehension.
More in Novels by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky 1-18
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