Almost Erotic Stories

By Marina Markina

When fiction imitates life, people are bound to ask, “Is this story about me?” It’s human nature to see ourselves in fictional characters—possibly because, sometimes, fiction is nothing but a tenuous façade between what we imagine and what is real.

In Almost Erotic Stories, Russian author Marina Markina shares a collection of humorous stories about modern life in her home country. Whether based on fact or flights of fancy, we can all chuckle at the irony of human foibles and weaknesses inherent in us all.

Through thick and thin—and even through the isolation of COVID lockdown—Marina Markina always takes an interest in happy people, and her scintillating short stories share her view on the algorithm of wish fulfillment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Jan 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665718042

Marina Markina

Marina Markina, PhD, is an associate professor at Lobachevsky State University in Russia. Having started her literary career in 2018, she was the third place winner in the Open Eurasia-2019 international competition in the Short Prose category. She was a finalist in Russia’s “Writer of the Year” national literary competition in 2018, 2019, and 2020. She is a member of the Russian Union of Writers.

Book preview

����abook_preview_excerpt.html�Z[�ܶ� ��T����dgjR#ɶT�F��J*�I� 7 P�T�+��O��md)YIι٭�(U�����>�9�B���?��uI��_��������k������xu9^]����QM8�f�n�uHʷ*u6�����QUFM�4���o��U�e6�j0�ō�=v��(ӛ:��3�L�i�������ƺ�;�|�M��2[0���ڻ����+&5as ���7 "������ [$����K��j8�ƌƏ=,oF[�|�s�Wv@H�`��e?��y^�M��.���FN����!�a�I�r�律l~����ō�?��z��_�8r��:����7߫�>�x�����Ńg�]|�~����1�/�ߘu�>h,�����]�����4 )�����GO��dB�mU���^�p���{�~2�{xu E��K3\qz�|�������=������:���v`�^"]�Q�y�q?,���ᭇ��sJ���a2��˚xk�+?���;C|Uף�{{"���`�) �\���B���C&����z��W7U7o����_޾,�������o~����o���1�4l����ɳ�϶���%�z��Y���O��a���`�
�� �x���q��v�V������D��#��,�N5XO��f#���0E��l/�}�"�D��V�NR���n��#���vHCfV64�ͺ��v����?2���G�iw��� �u���#J�c�dL�0���c�YG_�D�k�\��M����`D� 8A��ML�l��oe2���Ĭـ��3w�B�=RO'��'�q qhZ�
C���&`�J-l����cº#ւ$��7Dzl���9nT%$��^���UR�C�g�"r��5t$�m!��٘=7�]X���G>,,��v�����8.<"�K�҆U?� ���`��t�8
�'@�d��N�{DA��Q̳��_�8w57�2w��$��f,��2���i�Wc���f'"�mk��;��1A|=��.Z�[1��q5�4;��^&�p�!�����m�A����lr*��|�h��}�N���y��@S *�3�qg%�X��%!]�Cf>�����2�Y�Gi��B�\��"�²�j�}�F��48�A\�U��)�L��!�1Ř��(��d@6�Ț�u`̓3r.��
Z���1�{e>Z �3z_�^!@m�^#}ZpT���cNq�g:h�3�?8��{9�y��t������Fܪ�E�� ��J7؅Ģ�= ��Y����^Pұ�"��'9�#N8Ӡ��RI��X��G-�,^�t����~����@ߘ�� ]#�UBꆋv�M�˨d~���R�˼;��ꚸ���� �2Hs�ŭ��_M��?���/���*K��I�B�Z������Τ�?L�^4#$��K�A]K���ΐ1=˴�H�D��[�+�
����;���Dx9Ɏ�(��p�4�q\�m+R��ڲ�4��?b�_��&�h{C��`wEx�ز*E��8�c�eP���b-€�PЮ��0#��(�umdiK���~ʵ)����8��V�݅3��r @ք1���>p�����?0<۰���̶f2�Cg�3�F�hC��b��"�)sCH T��L�\��b��e���0V�j�c;�9�E��b�D�V��’/��*�ʤ�d[��-S��~+��+�K��$�h�;_·E
��)��'��K� �n�*�/2|�,�A�Xݯ�`.���Z��P(�'s�b� �3 �B8cS�2���@yJÓ�]�34��C��� ɞ�������O_� ��s�=���� �7v��ć�I��[9+k�w>'�$�&�t�ML\����Z�+껥:DHp �[ ��C�5��y�s� �Bv���c]*�VjN������
�e�̪�N�(l�Џ�
cV�'�RВ*��j��,V]�� %ęZo�(D��Em�!�D-�����
�a�y�P����[�}���4� ����Jd��2 ���?�����r�]��� �r@L��TFe��_���H�#��nW���g��תA�U�-�";V��@Az�w{C�:}�x���x�.%C{�.W��DT�`-����Q3� iecJ�8�}?N6������mQc�2�< #�M�3��ϡ�B�:a�M.��y���p��{]�����Ӫ+�|� ;8A� [)M�N�B&�Y5�zo�;�� ک��jb🠣M���H�������,K��İ�$E���egD&��]����O�4��q�]�`��1l��*�!�*M��o��6K�Q�m�’�l*�e
5F����=����b�QK���}�(9�����$��Sb?,�ATZ���t��'����N
�xO7��셦�g�H����|��(�I9*8��AN���ҳ�\ܹ��]o���$��[55�P�4hr��vb�ԝܿ��� �禖�%�+�2�����]Ȧ�hԭh�� �1�a(j�B)1V���K�Ɉc���� �x.K�C����hTV'eU�[j.T@� Z�ci�.�ܻ
K$�$m�orɆ�Y%�;�r�m�F��J��� ���N��JB6/�cQ ��#�-<�T�~
Q ���g��y��\��^M�5K�(W��<�ߦ0 ry���!��)-��ab�W��� *����I$��Y����62J�f#-������'�nJ.s�.�<�;�J�w�� ��G)�2�nNe怄=�j)�7R���,�9�~�ke�"�-d'�� !$)�rNU�ϧz�w/� �xѲLP
bK�Fy�r���i�Z ���(��A�A�͜ɾ\EاQ��`>�� r���^�9���`,��/�Jдl�I�$�S\����cKGR��l��n�k���3��R��xҢ�����1��IF�-(�rt��.W.w7l�l�T� ��aQ���?\�K~d�:�钏�����0�tO�� 5Wb��/~ ��X�ɩ�=Ir|ms�7�N�>M �T:�8@��׈H:� ��6�@;�m�4��fq��!�V���� �+�E��b�%��<�f���,B%�$�r_@��~��x�L�b���vvݙ�7f�¢F��/;�pi�n�g��B��񹇳ؗ��d�Zks�Hخ�9�#��%�cѪ��Rˋx9�D��ˈ�q�U(�Jss/�G�k>�CK_]��$ ��rӐ��l/e�|/}�ϟC31�r��}�-v�~�oó�ͥd�-��="�`D[�;��4s��U4/�:��3��U�ui�v�w�[�[n�f�K,2 ro��譈i�W/���іRS��*5�� ~�:D�o��C�b��R��2�����]���hf�˽w��nNm�(�z�@���]/њ��ʤ����l{y��ع^C5Ȥ����O��!81�ir՗�u�����(�R��l;{��rB6d%