More of a future-history than true alternate history, but don't let that prevent you from getting a copy. Fantastic read, finally translated into English from a book I devoured when it appeared in original.
Sometime in the near future, Russia adopted neo-Tsarism and extreme xenophobic isolationism. Financially maintained by their gas reserves, and a close economic relationship to China, Russia is able to pretend it is a super power once again and walls itself off - literally.
The narrative depicts one day in the life of an oprichnik - a secret policeman - in New Russia. Oprichina is not a new word or concept. It was the secret police of Ivan the Terrible, and the new Tsar has decided to bring it back and use the original name.
Sorokin creates a modern Tsarist Russian state where corporal punishment is the norm, Russification has wiped out all major ethnic minorities, towns have remains of entire city blocks burnt down to the ground by the secret police for failing to pay them protection money, and all foreign concepts and words have been excised from memory. (Eg., the word computer is deemed to Anglo-influenced and is replaced by "thinking machine.")
Super markets are replaced by kiosks and taverns, where the number of food and drink brands have been reduced in number to just one so as not to "confuse" the populace by having them make choices. State censorship eliminated access to all foreign media. Popular music is Russian folk songs (submitted for pre-approval to secret police and various influential elements within the Court of the new Tsar).
The level of technology has improved, and harnessed to the power of the state. Mobile phones have 3D projection screens. Voice activated TVs. Food booths with programmable personalities of a friendly Cossack host takes your orders at airport while you wait for your flight, and keep you entertained by playing movies, songs, or just answering your questions.
The original oprichina dressed in all black, and rode into town on a horse, carrying a decapitated head on a broomstick as warning to all that they would sniff out the treason against their Tsar and sweep it away. The new oprichina prefers modern cars to horses. The car have a magnet on the back bumper depicting a small broom, and cut off dog heads are impaled on the hood ornaments.
The oprichnik dutifully goes about his day, nursing a hangover, sleep deprivation and cocaine withdrawal from the previous day's adventures. As this is a book by Vladimir Sorokin, the day's events include arson, murder, gang rape, torture, drugs, and an orgy. But this is not a bayonet in the gut torture porn of bad military fiction, it's clean and good writing used to create a fully realized functional fictional world.
However, be warmed there are two scenes that are there just to mess with your head. Firstly, the drugs. A new drug (discovered by the Japanese, and with Chinese knock-offs) is consumed by an anxious secret policeman. The drug is contained within a miniature snow globe with three tiny silver (or more rarely - gold) fish. The globe is placed against a vein, and the bio-engineered fish "swim" through the globe into your bloodstream, creating an acid trip of epic proportions.
That I could hack. The orgy that followed the drug scene on the other hand... But, such is Sorokin.
Real world events are vaguely alluded by the oprichnik within the story. He dimly remembers how the good people of Moscow came down from all over to burn their passports and foreign made cars in an outpouring of state forced patriotism. The neo-Tsarist revolution is deemed White Times of Troubles, with Communism called the Red Times, and Yeltsin's regime as Gray Confusion. The Tsar is not Putin, as Sorokin would not even do him the honor of being the chief villain of his tale. The tsar's last name is not stated, but the first name and patronymic match the head of FSB (the current Russian secret police).
The fact that same head of FSB once went on record once stating it'd be good for Russia to bring back tsarist originated aristocratic titles to reward those who serve the state, and is slightly more to the right of Mussolini probably inspired Sorokin to pen this tale. In which case, I thank the bastard.
This is the best written alternate/near-future novel I probably ever read. And it is the finest import from Russian science-fiction in the last decade.
Highly recommended.
Sometime in the near future, Russia adopted neo-Tsarism and extreme xenophobic isolationism. Financially maintained by their gas reserves, and a close economic relationship to China, Russia is able to pretend it is a super power once again and walls itself off - literally.
The narrative depicts one day in the life of an oprichnik - a secret policeman - in New Russia. Oprichina is not a new word or concept. It was the secret police of Ivan the Terrible, and the new Tsar has decided to bring it back and use the original name.
Sorokin creates a modern Tsarist Russian state where corporal punishment is the norm, Russification has wiped out all major ethnic minorities, towns have remains of entire city blocks burnt down to the ground by the secret police for failing to pay them protection money, and all foreign concepts and words have been excised from memory. (Eg., the word computer is deemed to Anglo-influenced and is replaced by "thinking machine.")
Super markets are replaced by kiosks and taverns, where the number of food and drink brands have been reduced in number to just one so as not to "confuse" the populace by having them make choices. State censorship eliminated access to all foreign media. Popular music is Russian folk songs (submitted for pre-approval to secret police and various influential elements within the Court of the new Tsar).
The level of technology has improved, and harnessed to the power of the state. Mobile phones have 3D projection screens. Voice activated TVs. Food booths with programmable personalities of a friendly Cossack host takes your orders at airport while you wait for your flight, and keep you entertained by playing movies, songs, or just answering your questions.
The original oprichina dressed in all black, and rode into town on a horse, carrying a decapitated head on a broomstick as warning to all that they would sniff out the treason against their Tsar and sweep it away. The new oprichina prefers modern cars to horses. The car have a magnet on the back bumper depicting a small broom, and cut off dog heads are impaled on the hood ornaments.
The oprichnik dutifully goes about his day, nursing a hangover, sleep deprivation and cocaine withdrawal from the previous day's adventures. As this is a book by Vladimir Sorokin, the day's events include arson, murder, gang rape, torture, drugs, and an orgy. But this is not a bayonet in the gut torture porn of bad military fiction, it's clean and good writing used to create a fully realized functional fictional world.
However, be warmed there are two scenes that are there just to mess with your head. Firstly, the drugs. A new drug (discovered by the Japanese, and with Chinese knock-offs) is consumed by an anxious secret policeman. The drug is contained within a miniature snow globe with three tiny silver (or more rarely - gold) fish. The globe is placed against a vein, and the bio-engineered fish "swim" through the globe into your bloodstream, creating an acid trip of epic proportions.
That I could hack. The orgy that followed the drug scene on the other hand... But, such is Sorokin.
Real world events are vaguely alluded by the oprichnik within the story. He dimly remembers how the good people of Moscow came down from all over to burn their passports and foreign made cars in an outpouring of state forced patriotism. The neo-Tsarist revolution is deemed White Times of Troubles, with Communism called the Red Times, and Yeltsin's regime as Gray Confusion. The Tsar is not Putin, as Sorokin would not even do him the honor of being the chief villain of his tale. The tsar's last name is not stated, but the first name and patronymic match the head of FSB (the current Russian secret police).
The fact that same head of FSB once went on record once stating it'd be good for Russia to bring back tsarist originated aristocratic titles to reward those who serve the state, and is slightly more to the right of Mussolini probably inspired Sorokin to pen this tale. In which case, I thank the bastard.
This is the best written alternate/near-future novel I probably ever read. And it is the finest import from Russian science-fiction in the last decade.
Highly recommended.