July 07, 2025

Fiction Stranger Than Life


Fiction Stranger Than Life
Z symbol, Krasnodar Military School Russian Ministry of Defence, Wikimedia Commons

“Z literature” continues to grow.

Named after the “Z” symbol – a letter that has come to represent support for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the genre refers to Russian books that push nationalistic sentiment through fantasy and science-fiction. 

Within Z literature is a trope known as popadantsy, “accidental travel.” In this trope, a central character travels back in time to a historical period to intervene and alter the trajectory of Russian history. The books are known to be crude, often not written by professional authors, and usually ending in the glory and triumph of Russia over the rest of the world. The popularity of Z literature, especially popadantsy, is growing among male Russian teens.

The genre might most closely resemble wartime fanfiction. Translations of the works seldom exist, but summaries by scholars and reporters studying the phenomenon can be found.

Sergej Sumlenny, political scientist and founder of the European Resilience Initiative Center, took to X in 2022 to call out dangerous trend. One example Summlenny cited was the book "Tsar of the Future," in which “a guy wakes up in a body of the Russian emperor Nicholas II, prevents the Russian Revolution, defeats Great Britain, and conquers Istanbul.”

An article by Mediazona exploring the genre offered a few summaries of other books. One, "Studies in Black," written by AI entrepreneur Olga Uskova, follows a character (with the same name as the author) who develops AI versions of Russia’s leaders, including Putin. In this universe, Putin is recovering from an assassination attempt while all other prominent leaders have conveniently been poisoned.

These time-travel alternate-universe fantasies allow authors to imagine ludicrous triumphs for the Russian state. Most frightening is their appeal to teens – the demographic most needed for enlistment.

Clearly the genre is part the rise of intense Russian nationalism, warping time and space to create an adventure narrative, while warping the "hero" story so as to glorify the Russian state and paint the rest of the world as antagonists.

You Might Also Like

A Pro-War Childhood?
  • October 31, 2024

A Pro-War Childhood?

Russian children are being instilled with militant patriotism through plays, stories, cartoons, and toys.
Lord of War's Fandom
  • July 25, 2024

Lord of War's Fandom

Russian teenagers continue to idolize PMC Wagner’s Yevgeny Prigozhin, even after his death.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955