In the Depths of the Great Crystal

In the sky of domestic science fiction, the planet of Vladislav Krapivin revolves in a special orbit. A special one since the early 1960s, when the writer Krapivin entered the realm of our reading and made a name in literature (readers of the older generation remember the emotional explosion after reading the short story «I Am Going to Meet My Brother» in the collection «Science Fiction 1963»). However, the name is for us, the readers. For those who awarded titles and ranked writers, reader recognition is not the law. Krapivin was eternally relegated to the department of children's literature. Externally, it is understandable. The main characters in Krapivin's books are boys. But the author set them sailing through the turbulent seas of life, giving them no concessions or discounts for their boyish age. Yes, there are wise Commanders, but the Commanders only guide. Each hero must navigate his own path, and he must do it alone while preserving himself. Because qualities such as Honor, Courage, and Justice never lose their luster, like a sword in a musketeer's hand. The cycle of the Great Crystal in Vladislav Krapivin's works occupies a special place. The works included in the cycle were written at different times but are united by a single thought; this is not just prose, it is a philosophy of valor. It is a philosophy of life as it should be. Fantastic, and no other way.