{"product_id":"the-undead-by-svetlana-satchkova","title":"The Undead by Svetlana Satchkova","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Undead: A Novel of Modern Russia\u003c\/em\u003e, was released by Melville House in January 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this darkly funny and emotionally resonant novel of contemporary Russia, a young filmmaker unexpectedly finds herself targeted by an authoritarian regime—despite her best efforts to stay out of politics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Undead\u003c\/em\u003e is a layered and sharply observant portrait of an artist caught in the machinery of state power, and the choices one faces in a system where even indifference can be dangerous. Written with the intimate insight of an émigré from Putin's Russia, \u003cem\u003eThe Undead\u003c\/em\u003e is both a compelling narrative and a chilling reflection of how repression operates today—not just against dissidents, but against anyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Maya, a young Russian filmmaker, makes a low-budget horror movie, it seems like a promising start to her indie film career. But her jokey lo-fi picture soon attracts the attention of the autocratic state, and Maya is swept into a nightmarish system where logic breaks down and no one is safe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003eWith all the absurdity of our current reality, \u003cem\u003eThe Undead\u003c\/em\u003e is the story of a campy horror movie director who gets caught in the monstrous maw of the state. This novel, hilarious, disturbing, and remarkable, shows us Russia and America, the personal and the political, what's happening now and what's waiting in the darkness ahead. Get ready for the ghouls to grab you and not let go.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eJulia Phillips\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eDisappearing Earth\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBear\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eThe Undead\u003c\/em\u003e has the force of an undertow, pulling us relentlessly away from safety. Svetlana Satchkova has written a gripping, haunting portrait of a world coming undone.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eMadeleine Thien\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Records\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDo Not Say We Have Nothing\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eThe Undead\u003c\/em\u003e is a courageous and witty book about art and politics. With keen insight and wry humor, Svetlana Satchkova evokes Maya's devastating artistic and moral reckoning. This fascinating, propulsive novel will stay with me.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eHelen Phillips\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eHum\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Need\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Undead\u003c\/em\u003e, the career and well-being of Maya, a young filmmaker in Moscow, unravels in the most bizarre, realistic way, showcasing the insidious, absurd nature of a totalitarian state. Deeply informative and engrossing, \u003cem\u003eThe Undead\u003c\/em\u003e examines how bizarre and horrific human nature can evolve under the pressure of the desire to live unharmed rather than free. A moving examination of the meaning of home, the horror of a dictatorship, the hilarity and joy of movie making, and one woman's political coming of age in Putin's Russia. Truly important reading for our times.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003ePaula Bomer\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Stalker\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003eThere is nothing supernatural about the zombies in Svetlana Satchkova's savvy, frightening novel. They are all of us, wherever we are, who keep looking away when authoritarian forces crush expression. Witty and unsettling, \u003cem\u003eThe Undead\u003c\/em\u003e is a cautionary tale about, among other things, never quite admitting where the danger lies until it's too late.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eSam Lipsyte\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eNo One Left to Come Looking for You\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Ask\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003eWith razor-sharp prose of Nabokovian dexterity, Satchkova shows us the absurdity at the heart of one of the most viciously inventive autocratic systems of the new century. The more inventive artist, of course, is always what such a system fears most. In this propulsive page-turner fusing the political thriller with the portrait of an artist backed into a poisonous corner with only her creative wiles as defense, Satchkova creates a love letter to the difficult process of creation and captures the difficulties that most young artists only encounter in their most neurotic nightmares. A thrilling read that may jolt readers and artists of all sizes to see the process of creation anew as a subversive force that gains its power from its irreverence.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eErnesto Mestre-Reed\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eSacrificio\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Lazarus Rumba\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003eSvetlana Satchkova's \u003cem\u003eThe Undead\u003c\/em\u003e is a literary thriller that ensnares the reader from the start and doesn’t let go until the very end. It’s about trying to make art in a time of repression, about the compromises people make to pursue their dreams. The novel is set in Russia, but it will have particular resonance for American readers. It’s hard to imagine a more timely book.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eJoshua Henkin\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe World Without You\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eMorningside Heights\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Prismatic Pages","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51601812783415,"sku":"11028","price":239.0,"currency_code":"NOK","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/3097\/1447\/files\/9781685892197_17888fa60ac2b431e19d749004b36bf3.jpg?v=1769083746","url":"https:\/\/shop.prismaticpages.com\/products\/the-undead-by-svetlana-satchkova","provider":"Prismatic Pages","version":"1.0","type":"link"}