Gennady Malianov

Malianov is a "pathologically shy Ukrainian arms inspector and anti-James Bond", "neither dashing nor brave, not a killer, manipulator or even particularly clever". Within the context of technological progress, he is neither optimist, nor apocalyptic pessimist. Regardless of rises and falls in the world, Malianov works hard to clean up the mess, thus working towards progress. As Schroeder puts it: "Shooting radioactive camels in the Gobi desertShooting radioactive camels in China, as well as tracking the "Becquerel reindeer" carcasses in Norway, are mentioned in the setup of the story "To Hie from Far Cilenia". is one of the prices to be paid for our industrialist past, and somebody has to pay it. Gennady represents that side of technological progress that we in SF so rarely acknowledge: he's a trash collector,"[https://www.kschroeder.com/weblog/topics/Gennady%20Malianov "Gennady Malianov"], at Shroeder's blog "a world's janitor".

Malianov is a favorite of the writer.[https://boskoneblog.com/2018/01/06/b55-mini-interviews-with-victoria-sandbrook-robert-j-sawyer-flourish-klink-karl-schroeder/ "B55 Mini Interviews with Victoria Sandbrook, Robert J. Sawyer, Flourish Klink & Karl Schroeder"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017122201/https://boskoneblog.com/2018/01/06/b55-mini-interviews-with-victoria-sandbrook-robert-j-sawyer-flourish-klink-karl-schroeder/ |date=2021-10-17 }}, The Boskone Blog, January 6, 2018 In 2019 Schroeder tweeted that he was hoping to collect all Malianov stories in one book. [https://mobile.twitter.com/KarlSchroeder/status/1091370792418455552 A Feb. 1 2019 Karl Schroeder tweet]

; "The Dragon of Pripyat", 1999

Tesseracts 8 anthology, Tesseract Books, 1999.) {{ISBN|978-1-895836-61-5}}

Malianov enters the Chernobyl exclusion zone to investigate an extortionist's threat to breach the nuclear containment "sarcophagus" and dump the radioactive waste into the Pripyat River. Also there are rumors about a dragon in the area.[http://sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.php?id=4327 The Engine of Recall by Karl Schroeder], a review by Ernest Lilley

; "Alexander's Road", 2005

The Engine of Recall {{ISBN|0889953236}}

Malianov's search of missing stolen uranium leads him to a search of two stolen Soviet nuclear bombs, hidden under abandoned oil derricks in Azerbaijan.

Nominated for the Aurora Award for Best Short Fiction in 2006. {{cite web |url=http://www.sfadb.com/Aurora_Awards_2006 |title=2006 Aurora Awards |publisher=sfadb.com}}

; "To Hie from Far Cilenia", 2008

METAtropolis: The Dawn of Uncivilization

Malianov is tracking some stolen plutonium to be smuggled, and finds that the illegal deals are carried out in virtual states. The story is set in near future, with advanced developments in the area of virtual reality and information networking.[https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/21st-century-science-fiction-edited-by-david-g-hartwell-and-patrick-nielsen-hayden-book-review/ "21st Century Science Fiction edited by David G. Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden (book review)."]

; "Deodand", 2010

Originally published in METAtropolis: Cascadia

In the story, a deodand is an artificial intelligence that represents some system of the nature: a lake, a pack of wolves, etc. As such, the deodands try to optimize the interests of the systems they represent. [http://www.kschroeder.com/weblog/youtube-talk-on-deodands "YOUTUBE TALK ON DEODANDS"], at Karl Schroeder blog Malianov runs into them during a temporary gig after the events from the Cilenia story: a robotics company hires him to figure out why their AI misbehave.

; "Laika's Ghost", 2010

Engineering Infinity, edited by Jonathan Strahan, December 2010{{cite web |url=http://www.locusmag.com/Reviews/2010/12/lois-tilton-reviews-short-fiction-early-december/#enginfinity |title=Lois Tilton reviews Short Fiction, early December |work=Locus |first=Lois |last=Tilton |authorlink=Lois Tilton |date=December 7, 2010 |accessdate=January 6, 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://sciencefiction.com/2011/04/11/book-review-engineering-infinity-ed-jonathan-strahan/ |title=Book Review: Engineering Infinity (ed) Jonathan Strahan |first=Nigel |last=Seel |publisher=ScienceFiction.com |date=April 11, 2011 |accessdate=January 6, 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.tangentonline.com/print--other-reviewsmenu-263/anthologies-reviewsmenu-107/1528-engineering-infinity-edited-by-jonathan-strahan |title=Engineering Infinity, edited by Jonathan Strahan |first=Robert E. |last=Waters |website=Tangent |date=March 8, 2011 |accessdate=January 6, 2015 |archive-date=April 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413081542/http://www.tangentonline.com/print--other-reviewsmenu-263/anthologies-reviewsmenu-107/1528-engineering-infinity-edited-by-jonathan-strahan |url-status=dead }}

Paul Kincaid in his review of the 2012 "Best of the Year" anthologies called it one of the best stories in the reviewed collections. He sees it as a reflection of the growing pessimism in science fiction: [Malianov] "discovers that the only people ready to take up the dream of flight to other worlds are aged remnants of the former Soviet Union".[https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-widening-gyre-2012-best-of-the-year-anthologies/ "The Widening Gyre: 2012 Best of the Year Anthologies"], by Paul Kincaid, Los Angeles Review of Books, September 3, 2012 Schroeder disagrees with Kincaid's judgement: in the broader context of Malianov stories, the world is not exhausted in its energy, it merely shifts the gears.

The title alludes to Laika, a Soviet space dog.

; "Kheldyu", 2014

Reach for Infinity, edited by Jonathan Strahan, May 2014{{cite web |url=http://www.tor.com/2014/06/12/book-review-anthology-reach-for-infinity-jonathan-strahan/ |title=Step into the Stars: Reach for Infinity, ed. Jonathan Strahan |work=Tor.com |first=Niall |last=Alexander |date=12 June 2014 |accessdate=13 December 2015}}

An Achille Marceau builds solar updraft towers in Siberia, which generate electricity while taking CO₂ out of the air, thus supposedly helping to combat the global warming while profiting from the market in carbon. However, Malianov notices an environmental disaster in the area. With the help of an ally, who is Achille's sister and UN's arms inspector, the sinister design is thwarted in an action-packed story.[https://locusmag.com/2014/06/lois-tilton-reviews-short-fiction-late-june-4/ "Lois Tilton reviews Short Fiction, late June"], Locus Magazine

Shroeder describes "Kheldyu" as "my most pessimistic Gennady Malianov piece".[http://www.kschroeder.com/weblog/loosed-upon-the-world "Loosed Upon the World"], at Shroeder's blog

{{Reflist|group=nb}}

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• {{isfdb series|id=35083|title=Gennady Malianov}}
• [http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/schroeder_01_15_reprint/ Laika's Ghost], a reprint in Clarkesworld

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Category:Fictional private investigators

Category:Science fiction characters

Category:Nuclear safety and security

Category:Fictional Ukrainian people