“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” Salmonella Men on Planet Porno is a collection of surreal, satirical, and often absurd short stories by Yasutaka […]
German literature
Simplicius Simplicissimus
“The world is a stage, and every man plays his part.” Book One: Simplicius’ Early Life The story begins with Simplicius, a naive peasant boy living in the […]
German literature
Look Who’s Back
“I opened my eyes. Unfamiliar ceiling. I sat up. Unfamiliar room. I stood up. Unfamiliar body.” Chapter 1: Awakening Adolf Hitler inexplicably wakes up in modern-day Berlin, disoriented […]
Russian literature
Generation “П”
“The world is ruled by signs and symbols, not by laws or strength.” Chapter 1: The Advertising Age The protagonist, Babylen Tatarsky, is a disillusioned Soviet intellectual turned […]
Russian literature
Telluria
“The world is a needle, and we are the thread.” Telluria by Vladimir Sorokin is a fragmented, surreal novel set in a post-apocalyptic future where Europe has collapsed […]
Russian literature
My Little Leniniana
“Lenin is always with us, especially when we drink.” My Little Leniniana is a satirical and absurdist work by Venedikt Erofeev, blending dark humor with Soviet-era ideological critique. […]
Russian literature
Walpurgisnacht
“There are two kinds of people in this world: those who drink and those who don’t. And the ones who don’t drink are the ones who make life […]
Russian literature
The Plummeting Old Women
“An old woman, driven by curiosity, leaned out of the window—and then she plummeted.” Chapter 1: The First Old Woman The story opens with an elderly woman peering […]
Russian literature
The Fatal Eggs
“The consequences of human folly are often more dangerous than any scientific experiment.” Chapter 1: The Brilliant Scientist Professor Vladimir Persikov, a renowned zoologist in Soviet Moscow, makes […]
Russian literature
Heart of a Dog
“A dog’s heart, gentlemen, is an altogether remarkable organ.” Chapter 1: The Stray Dog The story begins with a stray dog, Sharik, wandering the streets of Moscow, hungry […]