SCHLOCK Featuring Russia Cop

SCHLOCK Featuring Russia Cop is a collection of four “dark and satirical” stories woven around Russia. The stories involve several interactions between foreigners and citizens and the perceptions of each about the other. Tsoi Lives—the first story—depicts a high-spirited group and its memorable trip from Japan to Russia, which gets initiated when a diehard fan of Viktor Tsoi’s music suggests it. The second story narrates a male American teacher’s violent encounter with a jealous boyfriend in Russia. The main character in Russia Cop is a supernatural policeman, who was conceived “by Russian Soul” and does not require sleep nor sustenance. The last story is about some Americans who pretend to be Australians in Russia and face some daunting challenges as a result. Each story is infused with great humor and jaw-dropping surprises that guarantee numerous belly laughs and an addictive read.

What did I just read? Just when I thought the stories couldn’t get any more outrageous and hilarious, they did. I’m talking about wild ideas—like a substance designed to stop women from defecating, a policeman with supernatural strength, and a popcorn belt. Whatever I predicted as the endings in the stories were completely far from how they actually ended. SCHLOCK Featuring Russia Cop provides a great deal of information about Russia and the reality of living in the country from the perspectives of American characters, albeit obviously comical. For example, an American character observes that the Russian gnat is “more aggressive and bloodthirsty than their American counterparts.”

“Russia Cop” is definitely my favorite narrative. It was quite entertaining to read about the inhuman strength of the main character and the chaos that erupts around him everywhere he goes, like when he breaks two of a perpetrator’s arms before handcuffing him; such startling and comical developments, which the book abounds of, remind me of television series like Angie Tribeca and Murderville.

I strongly recommend SCHLOCK Featuring Russia Cop to readers who fancy an unapologetically frank satire of Russian culture and politics. It’s the sort of book that is best read with an open mind, and if you’re someone who laughs at serious issues—like war, prejudice, and dictatorship—you will find yourself doing just that throughout the time you spend reading the book. Readers who enjoy entertaining stories with complex characters and an intriguing plot will also appreciate the book.

When it comes to satirical books about Russia, it can’t get any more humorous and frank than SCHLOCK Featuring Russia Cop. I assume it would be accepted as a masterpiece for generations to come, and I’m glad to be one of its earliest readers.