An inspired work of science fiction and a biting political allegory, Bulgakov's The Fatal Eggs tells of a brilliant scientist whose experiments with life spiral terribly--and fatefully--out of control. Foreword by Doris Lessing.
Quite by chance, Professor Persikov discovers a new form of light ray whose effect, when directed at living cells, is to accelerate growth in primitive organisms. But when this ray is shone on the wrong batch of eggs, the Professor finds himself both the unwilling creator of giant hybrids and the focus of a merciless press campaign. For it seems the propaganda machine has turned its gaze upon him, distorting his nature in the very way his "innocent" tampering created the monster snakes and crocodiles that now terrorize the neighborhood. Russian novelist and dramatist Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940) is one of the foremost satirists of the 20th century.
Since its U.S. launch in 2003, Hesperus Press has enjoyed a growing reputation for its inspired selection of short classic works. Written by illustrious authors, and often unjustly neglected or simply little known in the English-speaking world, these works have been made accessible via a completely fresh editorial approach and new translations. Now, in addition to the Hesperus Classics, Hesperus Press is introducing a new series: Modern Voices. Drawing from the very best of 20th-century literature, Modern Voices will retain the exceptional quality of the Hesperus Classics, with a new series look that reflects the more modern nature of the list. Among the first authors will be Carlo Levi, Katherine Mansfield, and Graham Greene, and Hesperus has already secured prominentcontemporary writers like Anita Desai, William Boyd, and Colum McCann to introduce the books--again retaining one of the key successes of the Hesperus Classics.
