Description

Omon Krivomazov sees a cosmonaut poster and dreams of space. Soviet state claims shape his hopes as he grows up. His name also points to the Egyptian god Amon. He joins the space programme and learns its hidden cost. He must pilot a Moon mission in secret, then kill himself. He must choose life or fame as a dead hero.

Viktor Pelevin uses satire, dark humour and things that defy sense. His novel mocks the Soviet space programme, but values the urge to explore. It asks how a state can seize and destroy private dreams. Space holds out freedom, but Omon finds a new prison. The book speaks to dreamers, most of all those whose rulers crushed their hopes. It argues that children should stay free to dream.

Pelevin draws on Russian tales of strange and twisted things. His work blends national myths with pop culture. He names Bulgakov, Kafka and William S. Burroughs as writers who shaped his work. He was born in Moscow in 1962. He studied energy to avoid serving in the army. He took classes in creative writing at the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute. He later worked on ads and for the journal Nauka i relighiia. His first story came out in 1989. Omon Ra helped make him known around the world. He won Russian book awards, among them the National Bestseller and Big Book prizes.