Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940) was a Russian writer and playwright known for his satirical and often fantastical works that critiqued Soviet society. A medical doctor by training, he turned to literature and gained fame with his novel "The White Guard" and the play "The Days of the Turbins." However, his magnum opus, "The Master and Margarita," a bold, imaginative story that flits between Soviet Moscow and Biblical Judea, was published posthumously due to censorship. Despite struggles with officials and a ban on many of his works, Bulgakov's legacy as one of the 20th century's literary geniuses endures.