Boris Strugatsky was a prominent Soviet and Russian science fiction author, best known for his collaborative works with his brother, Arkady Strugatsky. Born on April 14, 1933, Boris stayed in Leningrad with his mother during the siege of the city in World War II. He graduated from high school in 1950 and initially applied to study physics at Leningrad State University but ended up studying astronomy.

After his graduation in 1955, he worked as an astronomer and computer engineer at the Pulkovo observatory. In 1960, he participated in a geodetic and astronomical expedition in the Caucasus. In 1964, Boris became a member of the Writers' Union of the USSR. His collaboration with Arkady resulted in notable works such as Hard to Be a God (1964), Monday Begins on Saturday (1965), and Roadside Picnic (1971), the latter being adapted into the film Stalker (1979) by Andrei Tarkovsky.