Anatolii Kim achieved almost immediate critical acclaim in Moscow literary circles after the publication of his short novel Lotos (Lotus) in the journal Druzhba narodov (The People's Friendship) in 1980; it appeared the following year in the collection Nefritovyi poias (The Jade Belt). The work, which Druzhba narodov awarded its annual literary prize in 1980, was palpably different from the transparently realistic writing of Soviet establishment authors and firmly placed Kim among the voices of the new generation. His mythological approach, whereby the East and the West are united in a single vision, was a novelty for literature of this period. Kim's flirtation with Buddhism--his startling ventures into the area of immortality and reincarnation--as well as his fascination with the irrational are all indicative of a dramatic shift in Soviet writing as well. When the book first appeared, bemused Soviet critics berated Kim for its naturalism, symbolism, and stylistic experimentation...