Venedikt Yerofeyev -

In 1985, Yerofeyev was diagnosed with throat cancer and lost his famously "beautiful baritone" voice, eventually speaking only through an electrolarynx .

Yerofeyev lived much of his life on the margins of Soviet society, often without a residence permit ( propiska ) and working low-level jobs like stoker or cable-layer. Venedikt Yerofeyev

His writing masterfully employs surrealism, grotesque imagery, and "drunken narration" to explore universal themes of alienation, the search for meaning, and the human condition under oppression. In 1985, Yerofeyev was diagnosed with throat cancer