The Fatal Eggs And Other Soviet Satire Apr 2026

The story lampoons the "bungling political control of science" and the dangers of placing immense power in the hands of the ignorant. Critics often view Persikov as a surrogate for Lenin—a man who unleashed a powerful force he could not ultimately control. A Broader Look at Soviet Satire

When a mysterious plague wipes out Russia's poultry, the state seizes Persikov's untested invention to repopulate the chicken farms. A bureaucratic mix-up leads to the hatching of monstrous, aggressive snakes and crocodiles instead of chickens, which soon march toward Moscow. The Fatal Eggs and Other Soviet Satire

is a classic anthology that offers a biting, darkly comedic window into the absurdity of post-revolutionary Russia. Anchored by Mikhail Bulgakov's eponymous novella, the collection serves as both a landmark of science fiction and a savage critique of the early Soviet state. The Centerpiece: "The Fatal Eggs" The story lampoons the "bungling political control of

The collection, often translated and compiled by , features 17 bold writers who managed to slip their critiques past Soviet censors using allegory, fantasy, and irony. The Fatal Eggs and Other Soviet Satire eBook - Amazon.in A bureaucratic mix-up leads to the hatching of

Written in 1924, Bulgakov's novella follows Professor Persikov, a myopic zoologist who discovers a "red ray" that causes organisms to grow and reproduce at terrifying speeds.