Metro 2035

I don’t usually spoil anything I write about. This book works better unspoiled but the way the world currently is this post has more value with spoilers. I will spoil the major plot points. Before I go to spoilers I say this is best book in Metro trilogy. Russia invaded Ukraine when I was listening the book. Book felt quite different after that. Don’t comment about supporting Russia or buying Russian goods. I got this before the invasion and was listening it before invasion. To spoilers.

Metro trilogy happens about 20 years after nuclear war. World has been destroyed. Only survivors live in Moscow metro. That is what we think after first two books. First book’s protagonist Artyom tries to contact other survivors. He is only one trying to do it. Others attempt to discourage him. Metro is divided into different factions which fight each other. You have fascists and communists who do most of the fighting. Other factions concentrate on other things.

Metro 2035 gives quite bleak picture of people living in metro. We meet communists’ prisoners who don’t want to escape because they think they might not be punished if they stay in prison. Everyone except Artyom rather stay where they are instead of leaving the metro. Even after they learn the truth. Artyom wants to lead people away from metro but people rather stay in metro.

We learn others survived too. Moscow has radiation problem because it was shot with nuclear missiles. But people can live normally away from Moscow. Or as normally as you can after nuclear war. Why people in metro think they are only survivors? There are jammers around Moscow which block all radio communication. Jammers are there because people running the metro assume war is still going on and enemy will launch nuclear attack if they knew there were survivors in Moscow.

After this we learn there really are no fascists or communists or any other factions. It is really just people behind the scenes trying to control metro population. They divide people into different factions and try to limit population with fighting. Factions’ leaders know what is going on into some extent and they provide resources to keep jammers running.

Why I wanted to spoil this? You need to know the situation before I talk about depressing ending. People of metro could leave anytime they want. They could if they weren’t fearing the enemy and thinking any change to current situation leads only to worse situation. In long ending Artyom wants to convince others to leave with him but everyone rather stay in metro than leave. They prefer their miserable life in metro to going outside. One mother rather let her child die than let him leave with Artyom. That ending hit really hard after reading from Twitter what is currently happening in Russia.

Metro 2034

Based on reviews this is the bad one of the trilogy. Can’t comment on last one yet. This doesn’t have anything making whole book better like first book’s last third. Nothing like Children of the Worm. This is better than first two thirds of first book but it doesn’t get any better like first book.

Artyom appears few times but this time we follow other characters. There isn’t as much world building and book feels mostly aimless wandering. Characters just go from one place to another and then they enter to finale. This time threat is deadly epidemia. Might have worked differently if not listened during pandemic. Book’s epidemia is deadlier than one we have real world. However it is not given too much time. Characters just wonder around trying to get to place where it currently is to stop it.

When I listened the book I thought it was made because of video game’s popularity but it was published previous year than the game and English translation of first book was published same time as the game. I got feeling there was nothing to say but book had to be published. There aren’t too many memorable parts. Just wandering around the metro. First book was quite similar until it got really good. This doesn’t get really good at any point.

Metro 2033

My Russian science fiction is always very optimistic. Tarkovsky’s Solaris and Stalker are not at all about people lost all hope wondering something philosophical. Roadside Picnic had people living next to alien landing site changing them into something else. This time it is world after apocalyptic war and last survivors who live in Moscow metro network. I have seen couple Soviet era movies which were closer to Star Trek but those seem to be harder to come by than books or movies where almost all hope is lost.

Book follows 24 old Artyom’s journey from one metro station through metro network and ultimately to confrontation against threat his station introduced at the beginning. Sounds like hero’s journey but this isn’t your western story. This is closer to those role playing games where you don’t necessary get the good ending. Artyom is like bad player who game needs to hand hold towards ending. This makes middle third bit drag. Book spends lot of time building world. It gets really good on last third when they go above ground first time and real plot starts. First two thirds are spent to getting to metro station where the story really starts.

Metro 2033 suffers from phasing issues. It spends too much time building the world while getting to metro station where the story really begins. World building doesn’t end there. It gets more interesting when we learn how apocalypse has changed the world and more interesting aspects of this world are introduced. Last third is really good. It makes listening or reading Metro 2033 worth it. Won’t go into spoilers but Metro 2033 has one of the best twists I have experienced.