Autumn Visits is a science fiction novel by Russian writer Sergey Lukyanenko, published in 1997 in book form. It is a novel written in a very unusual style for the author—shifting perspective of narrative. Plot introduction In a poor, downtrodden Russia, a vector of future development of the world is being decided. Six Forces send their champions—Envoys, copies of real people, typical of their kind; they are almost the same as their prototypes. An Envoy can do only that what prototype can, but unlike them, envoys believe in their own forces, and thus can change the world. The Envoys have a main directive—to survive. The last surviving Envoy is deemed to be the most fit for the world, and guides it in the future. Plot summary Six forces: Love, Growth, Knowledge, Power, Strength, and Art. Kindness This world (actually, the whole action takes place in Russia and the Ukraine) lacks love; but the love this Envoy would bring the Kindness of fervent religion - leading to witch hunts and crusades. The Original for this Envoy is a female doctor, who has seen the consequences of love, kindness and compassion neglected in her patients dying without access to medicines and treatments. She believes her Envoy to be God, or a divine messenger, but appears rather blind to her other aspects. Knowledge The force of Knowledge would create a better, more reasonable world, but is hampered by physical fraility, and always ends up subjugated by power. The Envoy of knowledge would change that, but his Original is an old scientist suffering from terminal cancer, who is intelligent and wise, but physically impotent. Knowledge remembers his past incarnations with clarity, unlike the other Envoys and can extrapolate the actions of the others much better. Art The force of Art is rarely able to take action, hampered by its own imagination of the consequences. When it does, however, the actions are impassioned, and the result is rarely savoury, like the actions of a certain painter Schicklgruber. Art is represented by a 'hack' writer, cranking out several fantasy and sci-fi novels a year for money. The novel implies that some of Lukyanenko's other books are actually written by the Original of this Envoy. Specifically, he makes numerous references to having written The Boy and the Darkness. Strength Strength is the force that guarantees peace and security. A country with a strong army, without crime; a