Aleksandra Zywert
A b s t r a k t
This article examines the problem of human self determination amid the accelerating technologization of everyday life and networking of contemporary society. A central concern within this context is the extent to which digital avatars determine individual autonomy. To explore this issue, the article analyzes selected works by two contemporary Russian prose writers, Viktor Pelevin and Anna Starobinets. A chronological reading of these texts reveals a growing alignment with the pessimistic assessments voiced by experts who warn of the risks inherent in unchecked technological dependence and immersion in virtual environments. In their fictional worlds, the human creator of the machine (the demiurge) ultimately becomes its slave, a puppet manipulated by higher forces.