Alexander Belyaev (1884-1942)
is a Soviet science fiction master.
He was born in Smolensk, a closed provincial city in the Tsarist Russia era. Because "in the dream-like remoteness and isolation of this provincial city, the only way for the human soul to be alive is fantasy", he has been addicted to fantasy since he was a child. This is the science fiction novel by Jules Verne and Wells. fan. He studied law and music, and worked with children for many years after the October Revolution. Being with innocent and fantasy-filled children further stimulated his imagination. Things in the world are often accidental and inevitable. In his childhood, he dreamed of flying into the sky and jumped from the house into the air with the naivety of a child. As a result, he became ill and bedridden at the age of 25.
He was confined to bed for three whole years, and paralysis threatened him. He felt that he had "only a head without a body alive." This sudden disaster brought him extraordinary difficulties and inspired his perseverance to fight. He read medical and biological books written in Latin and flipped through various journals. The ravages of the disease further activated his imagination, which eventually led him to embark on the path of creating science fiction works. From the time he published his full-length science fiction novel "The Head of Professor Dole" in 1925 until his death, in a short period of 15 years, he created 17 full-length science fiction novels, dozens of short and medium-length science fiction works, and a large number of works that reflected his ideas. The Era of Life - Notes on the Construction of Socialism in the Soviet Union, its achievements are amazing.
If Jules Verne’s science fiction works pay more attention to science (some researchers call it “hard science fiction”), Wells’s works pay more attention to society (some researchers call it “hard science fiction”). (as "soft science fiction"), then Belyaev's science fiction novels are both. Belyaev's science fiction creations are based on a solid scientific foundation and are never made up out of thin air. He made it clear that "the social role of Soviet science fiction works should also have a precise scientific basis, just like other fields of science and technology." For this reason, the human head transplant imagined in his "The Head of Professor Dole", the perfection of human beings discussed in "The Amphibious Man", returning to the second home of human beings - the ocean, and "The Man Who Regained His Face" talked about the human head transplantation. The transformation of the human body discussed in "People" has been turned into reality to a considerable extent by today's science. His "Leap into the Sky" (1933), "Spaceship" (1935), "Blind Flight", and "Concai Star" (1939) are based on the research results of Tsiolkovsky, the father of Soviet space navigation. The works formed. These works have proven their scientific validity as humans have landed on the moon and headed toward Mars and the wider universe.
Tsiolkovsky himself wrote to Belyaev after seeing these works: "There are people who engage in assumptions and calculations, others who demonstrate these designs very well , and the third person narrates it in the form of a novel, all of which are valuable." This is very insightful, because Tsiolkovsky himself was "a first-rate scientific visionary" (Belyaev said).
The greater charm of Belyaev's science fiction novels lies in the profound philosophical thinking reflected in his works. These reflections are based on the combination of natural science and social science (this is also the characteristic of philosophy itself), and are serious reflections on the process of human history. Because of this, his works are highly penetrating and leave you with endless aftertaste.
What is the crime of Ihejandel in "The Amphibious Man"? All he wants is a person's basic freedom, even the freedom to stay away from the hustle and bustle, return to the ocean, and be friends with dolphins and fish. However, the evil forces want to use him as a tool to collect treasures. If he fails to achieve this goal, he will be put to death. He had no choice but to disappear forever in the vast ocean... "Eternal Life Food" and "The Man Who Found His Face" also contain the same philosophy. Human progress and the development of science and technology must not deviate from the right path. To untie the bell, one needs to tie the bell. The destiny lies in human beings themselves. As we enter the 21st century, mankind needs to think seriously about this major issue.
Looking at Belyaev's works, they all have vivid plots and exciting artistic characteristics, not to mention his long novels, such as "Amphibian Man" and "The Head of Professor Dole". Even his short stories "On the Abyss" (which has been selected into the selection of children's literature in colleges and universities in my country) and "The Snowman" are also popular. Any reader will be fascinated by his extraordinary imagination and superb artistic handwriting. This is another reason why his works are so popular.
The main works of Alexander Belyaev include: Ariel the Flying Man, Hoity-Toity, Master of the World, Amphibian Man, Professor Dowell's Head, Professor Wagner's Inventions , leaping into the void.