Post Exoticism in Ten Lessons, Lesson Eleven

“Clever and incisive.“—New York Times”All of this seems unreal and hyperreal. But this is a book signed by Antoine Volodine—and this is what we have come to expect of anything bearing his name . . Irreducible to any single literary genre, the Volodinian cosmos is skillfully crafted, fusing elements of science fiction with magical realism and political commentary. It is an unnavigable matrix whose inhuman face is pockmarked by linguistic and narrative black holes, which force the reader to critically rethink the boundaries of literature and language itself.“—Nicholas Hauck, Music & Literature”His quirky and eccentric narrative achieves quite staggering and electric effects… . Dazzling in its epic proportions and imaginative scope.“—The Nation”His talent surfaces time and again in luxurious, hypnotic ways.“—Publishers Weekly”Volodine’s characters struggle against humankind’s demise, managing to cling to their full names and little else, and in the process they reveal their compelling histories and strange presents, all of them concerned that their stories be told.‘“—Tim Feeney, Review of Contemporary Fiction

Antoine Volodine is the primary pseudonym of a French writer who has published 20 books under this name, several of which are available in English translation, including Minor Angels, Naming the Jungle, and Writers. He also publishes under the names Lutz Bassmann (We Monks and Soldiers) and Manuela Draeger (In the Time of the Blue Ball). Most of his works take place in a post-apocalyptic world where members of the “post-exoticism” writing movement have all been arrested as subversive elements. Together, these works constitute one of the most inventive, ambitious projects of contemporary writing.

J.T. Mahany is a graduate of the masters program in literary translation at the University of Rochester. He is currently translating several books by the enigmatic and intriguing French author, Antoine Volodine.