The List (Списанные)
by Dmitry Bykov
Synopsis
The List is the first installment in a grotesque fantasy trilogy chronicling the mores and morals of Russia in the Noughties (‘the zero years’ in Russian). The protagonist, Sviridov, a young TV script writer, finds himself on a secret list of 180 other Muscovites aged 16 to 60. Nobody knows who, or what, has put them on this list, or what it means for their livelihoods and lives. Sviridov seeks out other members of the list, who form a bizarre community united by their shared presence on and preoccupation with the list. The List is saturated with the realia of contemporary Russia and shot through with both humour and an acute historical consciousness: the result is a gripping novel that is part-thriller, part-fable, and part-satire.
Praise for The List
“Bykov’s novel should undoubtedly be read by anyone who wants to know what Russia was like under Putin.” Lev Danilkin, Afisha
“The author has managed to get across the moods and expectations that predominated in fairly wide sectors of society and show an interesting cross-section of society, which is no small achievement.” World of Fantasy