Victor Pelevin facts for kids

Victor Olegovich Pelevin (Russian: Виктор Олегович Пеlevin, IPA: [ˈvʲiktər ɐˈlʲeɡəvʲɪɕ pʲɪˈlʲevʲɪn]; born 22 November 1962) is a famous Russian writer. He is known for his unique stories that mix different ideas. His popular novels include 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. He also won the Russian National Bestseller in 2004. In 2011, he was even considered for the Nobel Prize in Literature. His books often blend elements of popular culture with spiritual ideas and science fiction.

About Victor Pelevin

Victor Olegovich Pelevin was born in Moscow, Russia, on November 22, 1962. His mother, Zinaida Semenovna Efremova, was an English teacher. His father, Oleg Anatolyevich Pelevin, taught at a military university. Victor grew up in Moscow and went to an excellent high school. This school had a special program for learning English.

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

His Travels and Interests

Victor Pelevin enjoys traveling, especially to Asia. He has visited countries like Nepal, South Korea, China, and Japan. He is interested in Buddhist practices. However, he does not call himself a Buddhist.

Pelevin is a very private person. He does not have public social media accounts. He rarely appears in public or gives interviews. This has led to some interesting rumors about him. For example, some people have wondered if he is a real person or a group of writers.

His 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. In 1989, he began working for a journal called Nauka i Religiya (Science and Religion). There, he edited articles about Eastern spiritual ideas. His very first short story, "The Sorcerer Ignat and People", was published in this journal.

Early Books and Awards

In 1991, Pelevin published his first collection of stories. It was called The Blue Lantern. This book won the Russian Little Booker Prize two years later. In March 1992, his first novel, Omon Ra, was published. This novel got a lot of attention from critics.

In April 1993, his next novel, The Life of Insects, came out. In 1993, he became a member of the Russian Union of Journalists.

Famous Novels and Recognition

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

In 1999, his novel Generation P became very popular. More than 3.5 million copies of this book have been sold worldwide. It also received several awards.

In 2003, Pelevin published The Dialectics of Transition Period from Out of Nowhere to Nowhere. This book won the National Bestseller award in 2004.

His novel Empire V was published in 2006. In October 2009, the novel t was released. This book won a reader's choice award. In December 2011, his novel S.N.U.F.F. was published. It won an e-book award.

Recent Works

Victor Pelevin continues to write new books regularly. In March 2013, his eleventh novel, Batman Apollo, was released. This book was a sequel to Empire V. Other novels followed, including Love for Three Zuckerbrins (2014) and The Caretaker (2015).

In 2017, the novel iPhuck 10 was published. It won the Andrew White Prize. In 2018, Secret Views of Mount Fuji was released. The Art of Light Touches came out in August 2019. In August 2020, the novel The Invincible Sun was published.

In the fall of 2021, the book Transhumanism Inc. was published. This book is a collection of stories. They are all connected by the idea of transhumanism, which explores how technology might change humans. In September 2022, the novel “KGBT+” was published. This book is a sequel to “Transhumanism Inc.”

In 2023, the novel “Journey to Eleusin” was released. It also continued the stories from “KGBT+” and “Transhumanism Inc.” His latest novel, "Krut'", was released on October 3, 2024.

In November 2022, a documentary film about Victor Pelevin was released. The film explored his life and works.

His Writing Style

Victor Pelevin's books are known for their unique style. He often mixes fantasy with reality. He also blends historical events with made-up stories. His writing includes hidden references and clever jokes. He combines spiritual ideas like Buddhism with European philosophy. He also uses elements from modern culture and ancient beliefs.

His books often mix different types of stories. These can include adventure stories, parables (stories with a moral lesson), fairy tales, and even jokes.

Pelevin has said that the Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov's book The Master and Margarita was an early influence on him. He believes that the best Russian writers create something new and original.

See also

In Spanish: Víktor Pelevin para niños