The Heart of a Dog

The Heart of a Dog is a satirical novella with science-fiction elements by Mikhail Bulgakov. Written in 1925 and officially published in 1987, it looks at Soviet society through a sharp, ironic lens and focuses on the idea of the “new man” rather than on plot mechanics. Bulgakov uses a compact form and a very direct premise to question the gap between ideology, language, and human behavior, so the book reads as both a literary experiment and a period-specific critique.

It suits readers who like short fiction with a political edge, dark humor, and a strong sense of argument behind the story. If you prefer books that work through irony and ideas rather than through suspense or big emotional arcs, this is a good fit. What makes it stand out is the mix of satire and speculative fiction: it is grounded in a very specific historical moment, yet it still connects to broader kinds of literary satire and to stories that use science fiction to test social ideas.