Russia, however, is suffering an extraordinary and seemingly unending mortality crisis, in which health conditions are deteriorating and are further fueling high death rates.

FORBES: Russia's Population is Growing For The First Time Since The Early 1990's

"You get this phone call one day and someone says, 'Congratulations you won the lottery that you never entered, ' " said Mr. Sanderson, 37, who discovered the series in high school and credits it for fueling his own aspirations as a writer.

WSJ: A Last Turn for Wheel