Yefim Zozulya (1891–1941)

Review of eBook

A decree declares each person in the city is to be evaluated in order to determine that they are worthy of living. If the Board of Supreme Determination decided that a resident was unnecessary for life, that person had twenty-four hours to leave life. If they refused to comply, relatives, friends, neighbors, or special armed squadrons would carry out the Board’s judgment.

There was panic in the streets until the people learned that Ak was presiding over the Board. Ak was known to be luminous and everyone was certain that only human rubbish would be forced to leave life. Justice would prevail.

Profiles of the unnecessary were stored in the Gray Cabinet. One day, Ak was found sitting there, contemplating the catalog of the unnecessary, studying the slaughtered.

Ak now had doubts. And he disappeared.

With Ak gone, the city fell into chaos.

Then new posters went up. What will they declare? What will happen to the residents of the city? And will Ak return?

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Written a little more than a year after the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia, this satirical critique of the regime helped establish the anti-utopia genre. But as censorship became more stringent, publishing his writings became more and more difficult; nevertheless, Zozulya continued to write.

The rediscovery of Zozulya’s works in the 1990s led to the publication of several collections of his fiction and his influence on dystopian fiction is readily apparent.

Here, the indefensible, yet apparently unquestionable, actions of those in charge are the focus of the story. The absurdity of the edict is readily apparent; Zozulya’s critique of the power of the Bolshevik regime is obvious. Readers will find this short story remains thought-provoking and relevant.

Recommended.… (més)