Let's Put the Future Behind Us
Encyclopedia
Let's Put the Future Behind Us is a speculative fiction
novel
by Jack Womack
set in post-Soviet Russia
and released in 1996. It chronicles the transition of bureaucratic apparatchik
s into an endemically corrupt Russian quasi-capitalism in the early 1990s dominated by oligarch
s, criminals and ultra-nationalist
political groups.
The novel arose when Womack's friend and fellow author William Gibson
had been collaborating on a screenplay with Kazakh
director Rashid Nugmanov
after an American producer
had expressed an interest in a Soviet-American collaboration to star Russian-Korean star Victor Tsoi. Despite being occupied with writing a novel, Gibson was reluctant to abandon the "wonderfully odd project" which involved "ritualistic gang-warfare in some sort of sideways-future Leningrad
" and sent Womack to Russia in his stead for a week in March 1992, immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union
. Rather than producing a motion picture, a prospect which Tsoi's death in an automotive accident put paid to, Womack's experiences in Russia ultimately culminated in the novel, which he began writing in 1994 and finished in September 1995.
The novel has been hailed by Charlie Stross as a "brilliant and vitriolically funny apocalypse geek novel about life in Russia", while Wired
commended its "brilliant aperçus and well-aimed jokes", calling the novel "the best Russian gangster
thriller ever written by a guy who's not Russian", and Entertainment Weekly
rated it a B+.
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Jack Womack
Jack Womack
Jack Womack is an American author of fiction and speculative fiction. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter, and works as a publicity manager for the Orbit and Yen imprints of Hachette Book Group USA....
set in post-Soviet Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and released in 1996. It chronicles the transition of bureaucratic apparatchik
Apparatchik
Apparatchik is a Russian colloquial term for a full-time, professional functionary of the Communist Party or government; i.e., an agent of the governmental or party "apparat" that held any position of bureaucratic or political responsibility, with the exception of the higher ranks of management...
s into an endemically corrupt Russian quasi-capitalism in the early 1990s dominated by oligarch
Oligarch
Oligarch may refer to:* A member of an oligarchy, a form of government* Business oligarch* Russian oligarch...
s, criminals and ultra-nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
political groups.
The novel arose when Womack's friend and fellow author William Gibson
William Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
had been collaborating on a screenplay with Kazakh
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
director Rashid Nugmanov
Rashid Nugmanov
Rashid Nugmanov is a Kazakh film director, dissident, political activist and founder of the Kazakh New Wave cinema movement.- Film career :...
after an American producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
had expressed an interest in a Soviet-American collaboration to star Russian-Korean star Victor Tsoi. Despite being occupied with writing a novel, Gibson was reluctant to abandon the "wonderfully odd project" which involved "ritualistic gang-warfare in some sort of sideways-future Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
" and sent Womack to Russia in his stead for a week in March 1992, immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Rather than producing a motion picture, a prospect which Tsoi's death in an automotive accident put paid to, Womack's experiences in Russia ultimately culminated in the novel, which he began writing in 1994 and finished in September 1995.
The novel has been hailed by Charlie Stross as a "brilliant and vitriolically funny apocalypse geek novel about life in Russia", while Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
commended its "brilliant aperçus and well-aimed jokes", calling the novel "the best Russian gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
thriller ever written by a guy who's not Russian", and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
rated it a B+.