Kake

The other book by the Strugatsky brothers I was attached to in my early teens is It Is Difficult To Be A God, and a have a copy in Russian. But somewhat hesitant to recommend it because it might have both racism and imperialism, probably with plenty of unconscious misogyny. Their books are sort of cultural cornerstones for my parents' social group and I am not sure to what extent that actually correlates with quality or how you might see them.