Amphibian Man

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The Amphibian Man is perhaps the most well-known novel by Alexander Beliaev, a talented Russian science fiction writer who lived in the early 20th c. First published in 1928.

The book tells a story of a young man named Ichtiandr (literally "Fish Man" in Greek) who as a child received a life-saving transplant - a set of shark gills. The operation was performed by his father, a scientist and a maverick surgeon, in an attempt to save his son's failing lungs. The experiment was a success but it limited the young man's ability to interact with the world outside his ocean environment. Similar to other Beliaev's works, the book investigates the possibilities of physical survival under extreme conditions, as well as the moral integrity of scientific experiments. It also touches on socialist ideas of improving living conditions for the world's poor.

Set in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the book also presents an adventurous love story brought in 1962 to the large screen for the entire Soviet Union. The Amphibian Man film (Russian: Человеκ-aмфибия, Chelovek-Amphibia), was directed by Vladimir Chebotaryov. In 1962 the movie recorded 65 million ticket sales (the actual ticket revenue is unknown) quickly becoming one of the most admired movies in the USSR. Filmed on the South Coast of the Crimea and featuring a cast of beautiful young actors, the film features some popular song and dance numbers and has certain characteristics of a musical. The first song and the musical theme of the movie - "The Sea Devil" became a hit that was sung well into the 90s.