Baxtiyor Sheraliyev: I Read “Galaktikada bir kun” (A Day in the Galaxy) in a Single Night

You may have heard that a “big bang” recently took place in Uzbek children’s literature. If you haven’t noticed it yet, this post is for you. The Akademnashr publishing house has just published “Galaktikada bir kun” (A Day in the Galaxy), a science-fiction novella by Sadullo Quronov. Although the novella is meant for children, I think adults can read it just as well. Hoshimjon in his magic cap — the hero of Xudoyberdi Toxtaboyev, until now regarded as the king of Uzbek children’s literature — will now have to make way for Ahmad, the owner of the “Kokkezar”. I read this novella while it was still in manuscript: the author had given it to me to hear what I thought. To be honest, I don’t much like it when people from literature poke their noses into serious science, and a scientist is not especially pleased when a science-fiction book is written by someone with no connection to science at all. But do you know what? I read the book in one sitting, in a single night. This young man — my peer, and a PhD in philology — began to take on an entirely different shape before my eyes. The book tells of a young Earth boy named Ahmad and his journey across the whole galaxy, accompanied by Margol from the planet Salmir. The novella in my hands was not simply a fantasy story — it was genuine science fiction. Without even waiting for morning, I wrote to the author in the middle of the night to share my thoughts. I was certain that in this novella a new star had been born in Uzbek children’s literature. Let me briefly set out my thoughts on the book:

1) If you look closely, you will notice that, overall, the author places at the centre of the work the principle of honouring the human being. Although this is stated nowhere, you sense it by the time you reach the end. You will see that almost all the characters have Islamic names and that the conduct of the protagonist, Ahmad, shows him to be a truly devout boy. In my opinion, the author was brought up with deep respect for Islam; otherwise it would not be reflected so naturally in the work. In this respect I liked the book very much.

2) I said that this is a science-fiction novella. It makes extremely precise use of knowledge from physics, astronomy and astrophysics. Had I not known the author beforehand, I would have thought it was written by a physicist or an astronomer. The book is reminiscent of Jules Verne. The fantastic events it describes are not purely the product of the writer’s imagination; on the contrary, it is plain that every episode rests on real scientific findings and discoveries. Throughout the book, the universe, the galaxy, existence, planets, stars, the speed of light and its measurement are described so skilfully — and without ever becoming tiresome — that there can be no doubt the author put an enormous amount of work into it.

3) In the novella the author turns to some very famous historical events: the apple falling on Newton’s head, the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the mysterious treasure that Mirzo Ulugbek entrusted to Ali Qushchi to hide, and so on. These events are woven into the story so naturally that you can’t help exclaiming, “Really?” Here I can’t resist a little boasting: I had a hand in including the episode of the apple falling on Newton’s head. It was on my recommendation that the author added precisely this episode to the book 😎.

4) At the same time, the author skilfully foresees the consequences that environmental problems — among the most global problems facing the world today — may lead to in the future. These aspects give a child who reads the novella a strong impetus to reflect on such matters.

The author links the events that take place in the galaxy he depicts logically and consistently. In short, the gun hanging on the wall in this story never fails to go off.

As usual, I won’t go into the plot. You really must read it yourself — I don’t want to deprive you of that delightful feeling of wondering what happens next)) Those who have known me for a long time may be surprised that I haven’t voiced any criticism of the book, so let me answer that too. When I read the book in manuscript, I pointed out to the author himself my thoughts, comments and recommendations on every part, along with the shortcomings I saw. Just the other day I reread the book as it came off the press. Taking my comments and suggestions into account, the author has polished it considerably.

If you still haven’t read this novella, I recommend it. One thing I can tell you in advance: when you finish it, you will want to meet the author and ask him one question: “Will you write a sequel?”