Metro 2033
by Dmitry Glukhovsky · first published 2011
75% recommend25% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Post-apocalyptic fiction set in the Moscow Metro after nuclear war, with mutants and a strong Russian atmosphere. Readers praise its storytelling and vivid setting, and say it stands out from the games based on it.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"The novel that gave birth to the video games 'Metro 2033' and 'Metro: Last Light.' ... In 2013 the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earth's surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age. The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside. Artyom was born in the last days before
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Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky. There's a series of games based on the books but I'm enjoying the storytelling in the book far more. Basic premise is after nuclear war survivors have built a new society inside…
on “Ask HN: What are you reading these days?” ↗…-- a strange way to put it, but, I think he does. But this is an extraordinary book on its own. For the ultimate in non-basic vocab, try Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun. The English translation of Metro 2033 is amazing. You can feel the stylistic differences originating in the Russian language, and it's a very evocative horror story with slightly longer sentences and richer language than ordinary books. Both…
on “To become a better writer, read as much as you can” ↗Some recent works: "Metro 2033" by Dmitry Glukhovsky - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_2033 "Night Watch" by Sergei Lukyanenko - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Watch_%28Lukyanenko_nove...
on “'Mountaineer' Is a Must-Read of Soviet Sci-Fi” ↗It’s driven by nuclear war, but check out Metro 2033 by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky. It takes place in the Moscow Metro where people live after a prolonged nuclear winter (with mutants). There is a subsequent video game series derived from the book.
on “Earth’s magnetic field broke down 42k years ago, caused sudden climate change” ↗This is also mentioned in Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_2033_(book) Amazing science fiction book.
on “Declassified Bunker of the USSR” ↗Dmitry Glukhovsky's Metro 2033
on “Ask HN: Which SciFi novel(s) would you want made into a TV series?” ↗Ok, I've added "A Young Doctor's Notebook" to my list. Thanks! Funnily enough, I'm currently reading a book by a Russian author. 'Metro 2033' by Dmitry Glukhovsky. It's post-apocalyptic and set in the Moscow subway.
on “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” ↗My favorite reads of the year: - Futu.re by Dmitry Glukhovsky (author of Metro 2033 series). Interesting take of how life would look like if humans became immortal. - Blackout by Marc Elsberg. A semi-realistic depiction of a 2-week long blackout in Europe caused by a terrorist attack.…
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗