This is the only book, Russian or Western, that provides a comprehensive survey of developments in Russian prose over the last fifteen years of the Soviet regime. Deming Brown examines the work of established writers, such as Fazil Iskander and Andrei Bitov, together with many new figures who emerged during this period. Special attention is given to the evolving patterns of publication during the period: the rehabilitation of suppressed writers and the first publication of writings that had formerly belonged to the literary underground. This is an excellent introduction, of interest to scholars and students alike, to the varied writings of some eighty contemporary Russian authors, and to trends in literary criticism and publication.