Available as softcover, hardcover, or ebook at all major retailers globally.
BOOK DETAILS:
Pages: 208
Softcover: 978-1-0687677-0-8
Hardcover: 978-1-0687677-2-2
eBook: 978-1-0687677-1-5
"Deleted Scenes from the Bestselling Utopian Novel" is a surreal mosaic that transports readers into the heart of a dystopian world that is terrifyingly close to our own.
In Novo Tsarstvo, a remote northern island buried under snow, the senile Tsar rules with lies, an evil professor turns people into pig-faced demons, snow angels become acts of rebellion, black cats are outlawed, television knocks on your door in the morning, and nightmares claw their way into reality. We follow fractured lives of ordinary people: the disillusioned, the resistance, and those caught in between as they navigate the twisted totalitarian landscape and try to stay human in a dehumanising environment. Through their struggles, we confront the nature of truth, violence, and freedom, whilst witnessing the enduring capacity of the human spirit and childlike imagination in the face of oppression.
Experimental in form yet rooted in dystopian tradition, "Deleted Scenes" explores the psychological toll of tyranny through a kaleidoscope of perspectives. The author's prose blends gut-wrenching psychological horror with dark absurdist humour, creating an unsettling yet unforgettable experience.
Vanya Bagaev crafts a narrative that is as politically charged as it is psychologically complex. Poignant, visceral, and uncompromising, "Deleted Scenes" is an act of reflection, an adaptation of lurid dreams that poses the question: amidst the darkest nightmare, is there still hope?
Table of Contents
- I
- №1.1: Lacuna
- №1.2: Schism
- №1.3: Embrasure
- №1.4: Luft
- №1.5: Penumbra
- II
- №2: Monsters
- №3: It's Beginning to Thaw
- №4: Training Memory
- №5: Fluffislav The Fearsome
- №6: Dream (free sample)
- №7: Soon
Reviews
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"A really good book from very talented Vanya Bagaev. It's strong and dark like a morning coffee and sudden and unapologetic like a slap in the face. Grab it while it’s hot." — Konstantin Asimonov on Goodreads
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"Excellent on so many levels." — Jeanne S on Substack
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"The world Vanya's characters inhabit is grim, grotesque but incredibly believable. The real tragedy of the aptly named Utopia is that it is, in fact, real for so many people." — Oleg V
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Haunting and thought-provoking
"Bagaev’s “Deleted Scenes from the Bestselling Utopian Novel” is a haunting and thought-provoking collection of interconnected stories that explore the dark underbelly of a supposedly perfect society. With vivid prose and surreal imagery, the author crafts a chilling portrayal of life under an oppressive regime. Each vignette offers a unique perspective on themes of freedom, identity, and the human spirit’s resilience in the face of tyranny. Bagaev’s writing is both beautiful and unsettling, drawing readers into a world that feels eerily familiar yet disturbingly alien. This book will linger in your mind long after you’ve turned the final page, challenging your perceptions of utopia and the cost of societal perfection." — Michael Rothwell on Amazon