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Abstract: Although surrogacy is a relatively recent phenomenon, it is rapidly becoming a significant topic in social and cultural discussions. This article explores Russian and English-language novels addressing surrogacy, written between 2010 and 2023. The study takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining ethical and legal research on surrogacy with historical and literary analysis, particularly focusing on how the scientific and technological revolution is depicted in literature. The urgency of the article can be attributed to the need to comprehend scientific achievements in contemporary fiction, and it is the first Russian study to focus on surrogacy in modern novels. The topic appears in the works by popular authors like T. Ustinova, A. and S. Litvinovs, and T. Carver, in the so-called external action novels such as detective novels, thrillers, and melodramas, as well as in novels written in the genre of courtroom drama. In addition to the sensational elements, these works also serve an educational purpose, providing legal infor-mation on surrogacy, including quotations from laws and references to real medical and judicial cases. The study examines in more detail S. Spindler’s “Surrogate Mother” (2021) as a psychological novel about a modern woman's life and priorities and J. Ramos’s “The Farm” (2019), a dystopian novel, depicting surrogacy as a widespread, legal, and profitable business. Ramos connects the issue of surrogacy with contemporary concerns like gender, social, and racial inequality, turning parts of the novel into a sharp social critique. The publication of the novel became a salient literary and socio-cultural event. The undertaken analysis shows that surrogacy is gaining increasing attention in modern fiction, featured in both popular novels and more complex works across different genres. This theme holds considerable artistic potential and is likely to be further explored in the future.

About the author(s) :

Irina G. Polyakova
Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin (Ekaterinburg, Russia)
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9619-2152

Olga G. Sidorova
Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin (Ekaterinburg, Russia)
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2813-7514

Publication Timeline:

Date of receipt: 29.07.2024; date of publication: 30.10.2024

References:

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