Alexander Beliaev is a Russian author of science fiction whose body of work from the 1920s and 1930s made him a highly regarded Russian author in that field. His published works include Professor Dowell's Head, Amphibian Man , Ariel, and The Star KETs, The Air Seller and many more.
Born in Smolensk, young Alexander dreamed of flying and one day climbed to the roof of a barn. In his leap from there, he severely injured his spine. By his mid-twenties, Beliaev suffered constant pain from the injuries and would become paralyzed for months at a time. In his convalescence, he turned to the work of Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and began to write novels in earnest.