Beyond Science Fiction: Vladimir Odoevskijʼs the Year of 4338 as a Hybrid Text

The epistolary tale The Year 4338: Petersburgian Letters is Vladimir Odoevskiiʼs contribution to the “Petersburg text”. It is an unusual story that features a Chinese protagonistʼs observations on geographical, cultural and social aspects of Petersburg against the backdrop of an impending comet collision. Contrary to what the title may suggest, the work is not an aesthetic product independent of its time. This article contextualizes the work by discussing Odoevskii in relation to writers and traditions of his time and by analyzing significant tropes in the text. The Year 4338ʼs dialogic relationship with various literary traditions and genres – science fiction, utopian text, apocalyptic fiction and city text – compel us to read it as a hybrid text.