The Undead

A Novel of Modern Russia

by Svetlana Satchkova

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Pub Date Jan 13 2026 | Archive Date Jan 23 2026

Melville House Publishing | Melville House

Entertainment & Pop Culture | General Fiction (Adult) | Literary Fiction

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Description

"[An] exquisite balance between contentment and foreboding, tranquility and chaos." —Vogue

In this gripping tale of contemporary Russia, a young filmmaker and her friends run afoul of a government that ruthlessly oppresses artists who dare to satirize the regime . . .

When Maya, a young Russian filmmaker, makes a low-budget horror movie with her friends, it seems like a promising start to a career in indie film. Little does she know that her jokey lo-fi film will soon attract the attention of the autocratic censors at the highest levels of the Russian police state.

What follows is a propulsive narrative of an artist being crushed by state power, and the choices that one makes within a system where free expression is literally illegal. Written with the undeniable voice of a emigre from Putin's Russia, The Undead is a tense, piercing story that serves as a parable, and a warning, about political oppression.