Yulian Semyonov
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| Yulian Semyonov | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 8, 1931 |
| Died | September 5, 1993 (aged 61) |
| Occupation | novelist |
| Notable work(s) | Seventeen Instants of Spring |
Yulian Semyonov (Юлиа́н Семёнович Семёнов, pronounced [julʲɪˈan sʲɪˈmʲonəvʲɪtɕ sʲɪˈmʲonəf]) (October 8, 1931 - September 5, 1993) was a Russian writer of spy fiction.
[edit] Career
In 1968, Semyonov wrote the ideologically unorthodox novel The Seventeen Instants of Spring, a story of a Russian spy, "Stirlitz", during 17 days at the very end of World War II. It was published in English initially under the title The Himmler Ploy, but later published again under the title Seventeen Instants of Spring. It was also produced as a TV series Seventeen Instants of Spring which became immensely popular and created Stirlitz jokes which survived the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The novel and the screenplay gave unprecedented humanity and depth of character to its Nazi characters. This was helped further by the exceptional performances by the 1st-rate actors cast in the series.
Semyonov also wrote several novels about a White émigré spy sent to the Soviet Union. After the success of Seventeen Instants, Semyonov created a large cycle of political detective novels featuring Stirlitz, as well as a series of novels about Felix Dzerzhinsky.
[edit] Bibliography
- The Seventeen Instants (Moments) of Spring (ISBN 1589635469) (originally published as The Himmler Ploy (ISBN 0445040718)
