Victor Pelevin facts for kids

Victor Olegovich Pelevin (born November 22, 1962) is a famous Russian writer. He writes fiction books. Some of his well-known novels are Omon Ra (1992), The Life of Insects (1993), Chapayev and Void (1996), and Generation P (1999).

Victor Pelevin has won many literary awards. These include the Russian Little Booker Prize in 1993 for his short story collection The Blue Lantern. In 2004, he won the Russian National Bestseller award. In 2011, he was even nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. His books often mix ideas from pop culture with spiritual philosophies. They also use elements of science fiction.

About Victor Pelevin's Life

Victor Olegovich Pelevin was born in Moscow, Russia, on November 22, 1962. His mother, Zinaida Efremova, was an English teacher. His father, Oleg Pelevin, taught at a military university.

Victor grew up in Moscow. He went to an excellent high school with a special English program. He finished high school in 1979.

After high school, he studied electromechanical engineering. He graduated from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute in 1985. He worked there as an engineer for a short time. Pelevin also served in the Russian Air Force.

Victor Pelevin loves to travel in Asia. He has visited countries like Nepal, South Korea, China, and Japan. He is interested in Buddhist practices. He is not married.

Victor Pelevin is a very private person. He does not use social media. He rarely appears in public or gives interviews. This has led to some interesting rumors about him. Some people even joked that he might not be a real person!

Victor Pelevin's Writing Journey

Victor Pelevin started his writing career in 1989. He attended a creative writing seminar. During this time, he met other young writers.

He also worked for a magazine called Face to Face. He edited articles about eastern mysticism for another journal. In 1989, his first short story, "The Sorcerer Ignat and People", was published.

Early Works and Awards

In 1991, Pelevin released his first collection of stories. It was called The Blue Lantern. This book won the Russian Little Booker Prize two years later. It also received other awards.

His first novel, Omon Ra, came out in 1992. It was noticed by many literary critics. It was even nominated for the Booker Prize. In 1993, his next novel, The Life of Insects, was published.

Famous Novels

In 1996, Pelevin's novel Chapayev and Void was released. Some critics called it "the first Zen Buddhist novel in Russian." The writer himself said it was "the first novel which takes place in an absolute vacuum." This book won a science fiction award.

In 1999, his novel Generation P became very popular. More than 3.5 million copies were sold worldwide. It won several awards, including Germany's Richard Schoenfeld Prize.

In 2003, Pelevin published The Dialectics of Transition Period from Out of Nowhere to Nowhere. This novel also won awards.

Later Works

In 2006, his novel Empire V was published. The text of this book appeared online before it was officially released. Some people thought it was a marketing trick.

His novel t came out in 2009. It won an award and was a favorite among readers. In 2011, S.N.U.F.F. was released. It won the "Prose of the Year" award for e-books.

Pelevin's eleventh novel, Batman Apollo, came out in 2013. It was a sequel to Empire V. He continued to write many more novels. These include "Love for Three Zuckerbrins" (2014) and "The Caretaker" (2015). Other novels are "Methuselah's Lamp, or The Last Battle of the Chekists and Masons" (2016) and "iPhuck 10" (2017).

In recent years, he has released a new book almost every year. These include "Secret Views of Mount Fuji" (2018) and "The Art of Light Touches" (2019). "The Invincible Sun" was published in 2020.

In 2021, he released "Transhumanism Inc.". This book is a collection of stories about transhumanism. In 2022, its sequel, "KGBT+", was published. The novel "Journey to Eleusin" (2023) is also a sequel to these books.

In 2022, a documentary film about Victor Pelevin was released. It explored his life and works. In October 2024, his new novel "Krut'" was released.

Pelevin's Writing Style

Victor Pelevin's books are known for mixing fantasy with reality. They often combine historical events with made-up stories. His writing style is called postmodernist. This means his books often have hidden meanings and references to other works.

He mixes different ideas in his books. You might find Buddhist symbols next to occultism. European philosophy can be found with mysticism. He combines teaching moments with funny parodies. He also includes modern culture alongside ancient ideas.

Pelevin's works often blend different types of stories. They can be like an adventure novel or a parable. They might feel like a fairy tale or a funny anecdote.

Pelevin once said that the book The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov greatly influenced him. He felt it was very different from other Soviet books. However, he prefers not to list authors who influenced his writing. He believes that a true Russian writer should create something new and unique.

See also

In Spanish: Víktor Pelevin para niños