What do you think?
Rate this book
Let's Put the Future Behind Us
Ex-bureaucrat-turned-successful Moscow businessman Max Borodin confronts the trials and tribulations of post-Soviet Russia as he copes with a nagging wife, exhausting mistress, troublesome brother, and the Russian mafia.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
17 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Jack Womack
37 books142 followers"Womack's fiction may be determinedly non-cyber, but, with its commitment to using SF as a vehicle for social critique, it definitely has a punky edge. William Gibson once said that he thought he was more interested in basic economics and politics than the average blue sky SF writer. That counts double for Womack, whose fiction is packed with grimly amusing social satire and powerful little allegories exploring urban breakdown, class war and racial tensions".
--Jim McClellan (from an interview with Jack Womack, 1995).
--Jim McClellan (from an interview with Jack Womack, 1995).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 25, 2015
Jack Womack is one of America's most underrated writers; his Dryco series is among my all-time favorites of science fiction. This is his only novel that is not science fiction and it is among his best work. The facility with language he displayed in his cyberpunk-like sci-fi serves him well here because the voice is so convincingly Russian and the story completely grounded in the world of 1990s post-Soviet Russia after the fall of communism and the rise of organized crime, unscrupulous financiers, their corrupt government lackeys, and all the other virulent ills of unrestrained capitalism, a brave new world order of tooth-and-claw free enterprise. The Russian mafia as portrayed by David Cronenberg in "Eastern Promises" are pussycats compared to these guys. As darkly satiric as any of Womack's work, this is by turns hilarious and horrific and, ultimately, as grim as his Dryco series prequel, Random Acts of Senseless Violence. Highly recommended; a must-read.
July 14, 2020
Jack Womack is a painfully underrated writer. This book, I hear, is not his best but that is saying something as his characterization and voice here is incredibly strong. Strong enough that the extremely violent satire loses any cartoonish feel because the voice is so convincingly Russian and completely grounded in the world of 1990s post-Soviet Russia. Admittedly the conception of new Russia is that of early 1990s, and Putin's Russia is probably not a good analogue for the background. It is also a fairly interesting send up of both attempting to be an honest businessman in a fundamentally dishonest society and attempts to return to romantic pasts. While I will try to avoid spoilers: Superficially the plot seems to develop towards victory, but on deeper reading, the end can actually be quite haunting despite the seeming victory of the protagonist.
January 13, 2023
"A", dark humor, well-done. Here's a good contemporary review at Kirkus:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
Love the cover art!
Hard to believe that 20 years have gone by since the book was published -- and 25, since the USSR fell. Time flies....
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
Love the cover art!
Hard to believe that 20 years have gone by since the book was published -- and 25, since the USSR fell. Time flies....
August 25, 2017
I get the sense that you're supposed to read Womack's take on post-collapse (Yeltsin era) Russia in the spirit of William Gibson, but to me, it read a lot more like Ellmore Leonard, with the larger-than-life characters, the broad schemes, and the general mendacity of most of the characters. And I like Leonard and Russian stories, so this should be a real winner for me.
But this novel didn't really work for me-- I won't say it's overwritten, because the pompous roccoco style is clearly deliberate, and might be a genuine expression of the protagonist's psyche. But it's purple in a way that resembles beaurocrat speak, and Womack is a little too in love with describing the gaudy creations he has Max encounter. The book sort of waffles between being wildly over-the-top and wanting us to think it represents reality more clearly than it does. It also asks us to somehow accept or at least be interested in Max's love life to the degree that we want him to be happy, which wasn't something I found myself doing.
There's a lot here that I thought I would like, but in the end, reading this felt like a chore.
But this novel didn't really work for me-- I won't say it's overwritten, because the pompous roccoco style is clearly deliberate, and might be a genuine expression of the protagonist's psyche. But it's purple in a way that resembles beaurocrat speak, and Womack is a little too in love with describing the gaudy creations he has Max encounter. The book sort of waffles between being wildly over-the-top and wanting us to think it represents reality more clearly than it does. It also asks us to somehow accept or at least be interested in Max's love life to the degree that we want him to be happy, which wasn't something I found myself doing.
There's a lot here that I thought I would like, but in the end, reading this felt like a chore.
February 4, 2014
I am totally hooked on Jack Womack. His talent with language is amazing. He's writing in English but it feels like Russian. This book is about post-Soviet Russia range from petty bureaucrats to full fledged Russian gangsters. It's depiction of capitalism gone totally mad reminds one of ...
June 28, 2017
A fairly twisted if slow-moving comedy about scheming Russians, written in the style of a (compressed) Russian comic novel. Womack might not be Gogol, but dammit, he's fun.
March 20, 2025
I have been putting off reading this book in fear that the experience would ruin the positive feelings I had about “”. My fears were correct, feelings were ruined, past, future, and present.
I would like to start with praise. This book is excellent at bringing together every single negative stereotype propaganda has managed to produce in the 100+ years about Soviet Union/Russians. Bloody Stalin, mass graves, disappeared undesirables, vodka, balalika, AND a bear! Amazing! What is more, dear reader, the author takes the time to explain that all the troubles that characters face in the book are just the product of these people being the way they are. Because you see Russians just have the sort of mentality that welcomes abuse from governments and militia and fellow citizens. If they didn’t welcome it, they would have done something about it but they spend all their time being drunk and ineffectual. Except for the women, those are just whores. Except when they are harpies, set on making men around them unhappy.
Arguably shallow propaganda and casual racism does not a bad author make. Which brings me to the next issue I have with this book. Factual errors.
In the afterword the author mentions visiting Moscow and having many conversations with people in and from Russia that taught him the intricacies of the Russian mind. Having read the book I now wonder if the author was super drunk during those conversations or if those he spoke with were playing a joke on him. A little Russian humor if you will.
“Poshlaia” is an adjective the author constantly uses it as a noun. If he wanted a noun he should have used “Poshlost’” or “Poshlyatina.” In any case I have never heard that word used even towards sexually explicit cheap crap that flooded the markets in the ‘90s. If people called it anything they would have called it “hren’.”
I was super confused about the use of Kazakhs as bodyguards. Did the author mean people from Kazakhstan? Or did he mean cossacks? Because those are two different people/cultures. Cossacks would make more sense, but the author used Kazakhs so I am unsure of what he meant.
“Pizda” the word that should never be spoken literally means ‘cunt’. You can either use it as an insult or an exclamation when things are going horribly for you. You don’t just yell it out randomly during a fight. “Pizdastradatil” and “pizdyetz” come from the same root and the protagonist does not seem to be as upset over those words. “Pizdyetz” is also used incorrectly by Petrenko.
I can go on and on, from fashion choices to burial practices so many factual mistakes that made me think the author was just making things up on the spot. Then again, why would he do that? What would be the point? Did someone play a joke on him because it would be amusing to read an American author share made up facts as unadulterated truth/secret knowledge?
My last complaint about this book, trying to keep things short, is how everyone is a moron. I guess if the author was trying to make a point that all Russians are morons it tracks, but in my opinion it makes for a very bad reading experience.
I could go on and on, picking apart every issue I had with this book, but it would be pointless. It would not serve to inform future readers nor would it be cathartic for me. This book was a great disappointment for me especially because I loved “Random Acts of Senseless Violence” so much.
I would like to start with praise. This book is excellent at bringing together every single negative stereotype propaganda has managed to produce in the 100+ years about Soviet Union/Russians. Bloody Stalin, mass graves, disappeared undesirables, vodka, balalika, AND a bear! Amazing! What is more, dear reader, the author takes the time to explain that all the troubles that characters face in the book are just the product of these people being the way they are. Because you see Russians just have the sort of mentality that welcomes abuse from governments and militia and fellow citizens. If they didn’t welcome it, they would have done something about it but they spend all their time being drunk and ineffectual. Except for the women, those are just whores. Except when they are harpies, set on making men around them unhappy.
Arguably shallow propaganda and casual racism does not a bad author make. Which brings me to the next issue I have with this book. Factual errors.
In the afterword the author mentions visiting Moscow and having many conversations with people in and from Russia that taught him the intricacies of the Russian mind. Having read the book I now wonder if the author was super drunk during those conversations or if those he spoke with were playing a joke on him. A little Russian humor if you will.
“Poshlaia” is an adjective the author constantly uses it as a noun. If he wanted a noun he should have used “Poshlost’” or “Poshlyatina.” In any case I have never heard that word used even towards sexually explicit cheap crap that flooded the markets in the ‘90s. If people called it anything they would have called it “hren’.”
I was super confused about the use of Kazakhs as bodyguards. Did the author mean people from Kazakhstan? Or did he mean cossacks? Because those are two different people/cultures. Cossacks would make more sense, but the author used Kazakhs so I am unsure of what he meant.
“Pizda” the word that should never be spoken literally means ‘cunt’. You can either use it as an insult or an exclamation when things are going horribly for you. You don’t just yell it out randomly during a fight. “Pizdastradatil” and “pizdyetz” come from the same root and the protagonist does not seem to be as upset over those words. “Pizdyetz” is also used incorrectly by Petrenko.
I can go on and on, from fashion choices to burial practices so many factual mistakes that made me think the author was just making things up on the spot. Then again, why would he do that? What would be the point? Did someone play a joke on him because it would be amusing to read an American author share made up facts as unadulterated truth/secret knowledge?
My last complaint about this book, trying to keep things short, is how everyone is a moron. I guess if the author was trying to make a point that all Russians are morons it tracks, but in my opinion it makes for a very bad reading experience.
I could go on and on, picking apart every issue I had with this book, but it would be pointless. It would not serve to inform future readers nor would it be cathartic for me. This book was a great disappointment for me especially because I loved “Random Acts of Senseless Violence” so much.
April 14, 2021
What Womack does beautifully, for an American providing a glimpse of life in the aftermath of the demise of the Soviet Union, is lay bare the myriad contradictions and absurdities of the late Soviet era as well as the descent of the vultures, both internal and external, upon the carcass of the late polity at the apex of the gleefully imposed neoliberal shock therapy. Chanel and Prada are readily available; obtaining bread on the other hand, involves standing in long lines.
Our protagonist is no wistful nostalgic of Soviet society, nor are any of the characters in it. Theirs is a fierce determination to rise to the opportunity of unabashed swindling at the global scale without the impediments of the Soviet bureaucracy to contain their aspirations. Of course, many of them were in the said bureaucracy and the muffling of their aspirations was only so because the opportunities kept themselves at bay so long as the end of history was not officially proclaimed. The advent of democracy and the free market was a welcome corrective to such anachronistic constraints.
In many ways, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Our protagonist is no wistful nostalgic of Soviet society, nor are any of the characters in it. Theirs is a fierce determination to rise to the opportunity of unabashed swindling at the global scale without the impediments of the Soviet bureaucracy to contain their aspirations. Of course, many of them were in the said bureaucracy and the muffling of their aspirations was only so because the opportunities kept themselves at bay so long as the end of history was not officially proclaimed. The advent of democracy and the free market was a welcome corrective to such anachronistic constraints.
In many ways, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
January 1, 2022
Really funny book, made me laugh out loud many times, which is something of a rarity these days. Has a lot of truths about the life in the post-Soviet 90s. For those who think the characters are too unbelievably unreal, I have met and known many like them and worse. This was a world with unrestrained, brutal capitalism forced upon itself overnight, only the most vicious and cunning rose to the top. Pretty accurate in everything described.
I think what's more impressive is that Womack collected all the material/experiences for this in only a short time in Russia. I'm guessing he must have had a lot of help from his hosts, that or he has done a lot of research since. It's really impressive regardless. The writing is top notch too, as expected for an associate of William Gibson.
An amazing crime-world dark comedy-drama, with all the absurdities of real Russian life. Would recommend to anyone to read. And I will certainly be reading more of Womack.
I think what's more impressive is that Womack collected all the material/experiences for this in only a short time in Russia. I'm guessing he must have had a lot of help from his hosts, that or he has done a lot of research since. It's really impressive regardless. The writing is top notch too, as expected for an associate of William Gibson.
An amazing crime-world dark comedy-drama, with all the absurdities of real Russian life. Would recommend to anyone to read. And I will certainly be reading more of Womack.
May 27, 2025
Stuff the future, I’m putting Jack Womack behind me. I was unimpressed by Random Acts of Senseless Violence, but this book is a step backwards from that, and is a DNF for me. I won’t be reading any other books by him.
The actual writing in this book is an improvement on the last book. There are some great turns of phrase, but a book needs a plot. There is none that I could find. The book is described as a post-Soviet alternate near-future. It is allegedly very funny black humour/satire. After reading 20% I hadn’t found a single thing to even smile at. It’s taken cliché capitalist tropes and added some Russian terminology and scenery. The closest thing to humour was some bad farce when I guy urinates out his apartment window.
As with the last book I read it borrows heavily from Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, but this time it’s mixing in a large slab of George Orwell’s 1984. And is inferior to both these in every respect.
The actual writing in this book is an improvement on the last book. There are some great turns of phrase, but a book needs a plot. There is none that I could find. The book is described as a post-Soviet alternate near-future. It is allegedly very funny black humour/satire. After reading 20% I hadn’t found a single thing to even smile at. It’s taken cliché capitalist tropes and added some Russian terminology and scenery. The closest thing to humour was some bad farce when I guy urinates out his apartment window.
As with the last book I read it borrows heavily from Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, but this time it’s mixing in a large slab of George Orwell’s 1984. And is inferior to both these in every respect.
June 26, 2020
Αυτό το βιβλίο με προβλημάτισε. Υπήρχαν σημεία του που λάτρεψα, σημεία που βαρέθηκα, σημεία που περίμενα εναγωνίως τι θα γίνει, σημεία που σκεφτόμουν να το αφήσω (αν και αυτά δεν ήταν πολλά ομολογουμένως). Είχε σίγουρα ενδιαφέρον να ταξιδέψεις στη Ρωσία και να αντιληφθείς διαφορές και ομοιότητες τώρα και τότε. Από την άλλη θεωρώ ότι υπήρχε ασ��νέπεια στα συναισθήματα του Max αλλά και της Sonya πριν και μετά τα κεντρικά γεγονότα του βιβλίου.
April 15, 2018
Another read-aloud. There were some really good lines and scenes in this book, but I didn't find it that compelling overall.
December 4, 2019
Looking back on it, because I read this book ages ago? There's a lot of foreshadowing about where we are now.
February 23, 2020
It's a Russian National Lampoons adventure with Sovietland replacing Wally World.
July 28, 2022
Good book
September 10, 2023
A brutal fantasy of capitalism, crime, and relationships in post-Yeltsin, pre-Putin Moscow.
April 7, 2014
Salvaje s��tira ambientada en la Rusia post-comunista, "Let��s put the future behind us" es el retrato de una sociedad cyberpunk de ahora mismo, tan demenciada que a veces parece una distop��a enloquecida. Narrada a ritmo de thriller vertiginoso, resulta una novela divertid��sima, cruel y sarc��stica que reparte estopa para todos y acaba ri��ndose de s�� misma y de quien busque la esperanza en un futuro mejor.
Resulta interesante comparar el retrato que Womack realiza de la sociedad rusa con la sociedad norteamericana en descomposici��n que aparece en "Ambiente", su primera novela plenamente cyberpunk. Muchos se��alaron err��neamente que las situaciones presentadas en "Ambiente" resultaban exageradas e incre��bles, leyendo "Let��s put the future behind us" uno se da cuenta que Womack se limitaba a imaginar c��mo ser��a una sociedad cyberpunk en los Estados Unidos. Algo para lo que no hay que esforzarse demasiado, simplemente hay que fijarse en pa��ses devastados por se��ores de la guerra como Somalia, por la corrupci��n, como Zimbabwe y sus billetes de cien billones de d��lares que apenas sirven para pagar un billete de autob��s, o esta misma Rusia enloquecida.
Resulta interesante comparar el retrato que Womack realiza de la sociedad rusa con la sociedad norteamericana en descomposici��n que aparece en "Ambiente", su primera novela plenamente cyberpunk. Muchos se��alaron err��neamente que las situaciones presentadas en "Ambiente" resultaban exageradas e incre��bles, leyendo "Let��s put the future behind us" uno se da cuenta que Womack se limitaba a imaginar c��mo ser��a una sociedad cyberpunk en los Estados Unidos. Algo para lo que no hay que esforzarse demasiado, simplemente hay que fijarse en pa��ses devastados por se��ores de la guerra como Somalia, por la corrupci��n, como Zimbabwe y sus billetes de cien billones de d��lares que apenas sirven para pagar un billete de autob��s, o esta misma Rusia enloquecida.
August 6, 2008
So my second read by this guy is really making me a fan of his work. A lot more lighthearted than Random Acts of Senseless Violence.
The story takes place in current-ish day Moscow, a city which is governed in equal parts by by organized crime, random chance, proper forgeries, and paranoid secrecy. The buildings are falling apart, petty crime is everywhere, and even getting a proper burial cant occur without numerous bribes.
Although the general storyline is pretty typical - semi-decent businessman gets unknowingly involved in something way over his head involving all kind of bad thing and people - it is made very entertaining by the sheer absurdity afforded by the city and its inhabitants.
The main character has a similar combination of cynical resignation, determination, and humanity that you might find in a Kurt Vonnegut novel.
It took me about 80 pages to get into this book, but after that I couldn't put it down.
The story takes place in current-ish day Moscow, a city which is governed in equal parts by by organized crime, random chance, proper forgeries, and paranoid secrecy. The buildings are falling apart, petty crime is everywhere, and even getting a proper burial cant occur without numerous bribes.
Although the general storyline is pretty typical - semi-decent businessman gets unknowingly involved in something way over his head involving all kind of bad thing and people - it is made very entertaining by the sheer absurdity afforded by the city and its inhabitants.
The main character has a similar combination of cynical resignation, determination, and humanity that you might find in a Kurt Vonnegut novel.
It took me about 80 pages to get into this book, but after that I couldn't put it down.
June 1, 2014
I enjoyed this one a lot. It's an interesting story, and Womack pulls off something challenging with the narrative voice, making his main character a not-quite-parody of a businessman in contemporary Russia. It's a crime drama with some violent moments and a hefty dose of tragedy, but there's also a lot of humor in it. It's challenging to think about why/how the author uses Russia as a setting, too, especially since he doesn't claim any great expertise in Russian culture, as far as I know - there's a point about capitalism and the general West, here, and the use of setting is intriguing. (Within this story set in a 'cartoonized' Russia, there's also a subplot about an even-more absurd "Sovietland" theme park, so Womack clearly isn't shy about calling attention to the caricature.) So, recommended, and I look forward to reading more Womack novels.
June 5, 2014
Womack went to Russia in the early 90's to lay the groundwork for a Viktor Tsoi/William Gibson movie collaboration. After Tsoi died in a car crash, Womack stayed and got a good feel for the insanity that was Russia after Communism.
A big part of this book's charm lies in the shock value. If you've read anything about Russia's wild 90's, you know what to expect, more or less. The only problem is that a lot of these shocking things (pre-pubescent gangsters, ultra-nationalist politicians, strange Soviet-era psychoactive drugs) are presented in such a way that one never really gets a good look at them. If the book was perhaps 15% longer (to give it time to wrap up a few of the plot arcs that either never really got going or died abruptly) it would be a great novel. As it stands, it's merely good.
A big part of this book's charm lies in the shock value. If you've read anything about Russia's wild 90's, you know what to expect, more or less. The only problem is that a lot of these shocking things (pre-pubescent gangsters, ultra-nationalist politicians, strange Soviet-era psychoactive drugs) are presented in such a way that one never really gets a good look at them. If the book was perhaps 15% longer (to give it time to wrap up a few of the plot arcs that either never really got going or died abruptly) it would be a great novel. As it stands, it's merely good.
October 23, 2014
This is not really a "Sci-Fi" book, as such, unless the real-but-surreal world of post-Soviet Russia counts as an SF locale--and maybe it should. Apparently Womack went to Moscow, and as he says in the acknowledgements, he saw the meeting of the world as he imagines it and the world that is. His usual themes of endemic greed, corruption, and institutional inhumanity are on display but with a lighter touch than in his "Dryco" novels. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to his fans or to those who enjoy black humor or surreal tales of totalitarian states, like Terry Gilliam's "Brazil," or perhaps "The Master and Margarita." If you are interested in Womack's work (And you should be) I would start with "Ambient" or "Elvissey" and then try this one if you like what you've read so far.
May 17, 2013
I enjoyed the pacing of this book, very detailed but not boring; If you like to learn or understand a bit more about Russian society or enjoy a fun book and well paced book, with mafia, bad decisions, inept capitalists and unlikely outcomes, this book may be a good choice.
August 22, 2016
Set in mid-'90s post-Soviet Russia, it tells the tale of a former bureaucrat who is a relatively honest businessman: he provides government files. If you want to show Lee Harvey Oswald received KGB training, he will provide documentary evidence. If you want to show the opposite, no problem. Unfortunately, his mistress's husband gets him involved in a criminal scheme with Georgian gangsters and a fascist movement leader, and it will take all of his cleverness to survive.
The prose really delivers the atmosphere of corruption, decay and dogged perseverence of the era. Strongly recommended.
The prose really delivers the atmosphere of corruption, decay and dogged perseverence of the era. Strongly recommended.
July 26, 2011
Russians run amuck drunk with capitalism in a world where you have to bribe damn near everyone.
Had I ever read a James Bond novel I would say it probably would read the same. Looking back I want to call it a Spy novel even though there was no espionage in it. I would also want to call it VERY funny because I found myself in the unfortunate circumstance of laughing in an otherwise silent room.
Had I ever read a James Bond novel I would say it probably would read the same. Looking back I want to call it a Spy novel even though there was no espionage in it. I would also want to call it VERY funny because I found myself in the unfortunate circumstance of laughing in an otherwise silent room.
March 27, 2008
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book - it was right up my alley. I was sucked in (but not insanely so) by Womack's desciptions. An excellent tale of post-communist Russia, and a lovely break from the normal brain-info-stuffing that I usually read.
Want to read
December 28, 2009This book was recommended to me by Bloodhag, and I can't say no to them. You wouldn't either if you'd met them.
November 15, 2014
A Russian take on the same kind of culture that led to American Psycho. Surreal plot beats and hilarity abound.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews