Metro 2033
In the year 2033, the world is a wasteland, and the last remnants of humanity survive in the Moscow Metro. Artyom, a young man from the VDNKh station, must journey into the heart of the Metro to deliver a vital message. His mission could save his home, and perhaps all of humanity, from a new and terrifying threat.
A former military officer who adopts and raises Artyom at VDNKh station after his mother's death.
A veteran of the Order (the Spartan Rangers) who Artyom is sent to find, and who becomes a guide and mentor on his journey.
A hardened Ranger who tasks Artyom with carrying an urgent warning to Polis before setting off alone to confront the threat at its source.
An enigmatic wanderer with mystical leanings who accompanies Artyom for part of his journey through the tunnels.
This novel is the first entry in a trilogy that continues with Metro 2034 and concludes with Metro 2035. While the author has also written spin-off works and collaborated on a shared universe with other writers, these three books form the primary narrative arc for the protagonist.
There is no film or television adaptation of this story, as previous attempts to bring it to the screen were canceled during development. The story is famously associated with a series of video games, but these are separate interpretations of the setting rather than direct adaptations of the book's plot.
The author originally released the story in serialized chapters on a website starting in 2002, allowing readers to follow the development of the narrative online before it was ever printed as a physical book. This interactive process helped build an early community around the work and eventually led to its discovery by game developers.