Amphibian Man: Chelovek-Amphibiya

Amphibian Man is a science fiction adventure novel by the Soviet Russian writer Alexander Belyaev, first published in 1928. Argentinian doctor Salvator, a scientist and a maverick surgeon, performs a life saving transplant on his son, Ichthyander. The experiment was a success but it limited the young man’s ability to interact with the world outside his ocean environment. He has to spend much of his time in water. Pedro Surita, local pearl gatherer, learns about Ichthyander and tries to exploit boy’s superhuman diving abilities. Similar to other works by Beliaev, 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.