Ivan Yefremov (1907-1972) was a well-known Soviet scientist, a professor of paleontology and a talented writer of science fiction. "No writer did as much as Yefremov for science," wrote one reader, "and no scientist did as much as Yefremov for literature." Andromeda is a novel about the future of mankind. It depicts with truly fantastic scope the unparalleled bloom of science and technology and the rise of a new social order, and portrays the Universe in the so-called Era of the Great Circle, when Earth will have constant communication with space. Written in 1956, on the eve of the first attempts at space exploration - when the word "cosmonaut" still belonged exclusively to the domain of science fiction - the novel has long since become widely known throughout the world. It is symbolic that, on the day of the launching of the first Earth satellite, readers congratulated Yefremov on the dawning of the Era of the Great Circle.

Ivan Yefremov (1908 - 1972) was a Soviet writer and paleontologist. In addition to introducing a new paleontological field taphonomy - the study of fossilization patterns, Yefremov has written a series of novels and short stories, including science fiction, historic fiction, adventure and drama. Yefremov is frequently ridiculed for his enthusiasm and faith in the viability of a communist society, as described in his best known science fiction novel "Andromeda Nebula." What is frequently overlooked is Yefremov's tremendous knowledge of history and profound understanding of psychology. His future society, while highly evolved, is not impervious to mistakes. His future humanity, having learned and discovered much, is not pausing to rest on its laurels - it continues to learn and explore. It is not widely known that his more mature works such as "Hour of the Bull" and "Razor Blade," had the writer blacklisted by the Soviet government, as Yefremov's interpretation of a fair and balanced society deviated sharply from the government propaganda of the time. To Yefremov's fans he is known for his thorough scientific analysis, study of art and history, emphasis on physical and intellectual balance and strong female characters.

Professor Ivan Yefremov (born 1907) is well known both as a tireless fossil hunter and a talented science-fiction writer. His fantasy ranges between the mysteries of times long bygone and the distant future. His novels include The Land of Foam, where the scene is set in ancient Egypt and Greece, and the world-renowned Andromeda, in which his fantasy roams two thousand years ahead. The Heart of the Serpent, given in this volume, was written in 1959. Its subject is related to that of Andromeda. Anatoly Dnieprov (born 1919), the author of Siema, which he wrote in 1958, is a distinguished physicist who works at an institute of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences. His first book appeared in 1946. His favorite subject is cybernetics - its amazing achievements to date and its breathtaking potentialities. Scientific authenticity is a salient feature of his writings. Victor Separin (born 1905), a journalist by profession, is editor of the Soviet popular geographic magazine Around the World. His fiction, which treats of present-day scientific and technical problems, is amazingly realistic. In this volume he is represented by The Trial of Tantalus, a story dealing with prospects of microbiology. Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, authors of The Six Matches, are frequent contributors to Soviet popular science periodicals. Few readers know, however, that the two brothers are not professional writers. Boris Strugatsky (born 1933) is an astronomer and works at the computer laboratory of Pulknovo Observatory. Arkady (born 1925) is a linguist and translator specializing in Japanese. Valentina Zhuravleva (born 1933) is a comparatively recent graduate of the Azerbaijan Medical Institute. She was probably promptedto try her hand at scientific fiction by the almost fantastic possibilities offering in the field of medicine. The bold flights of fancy in her scientific thinking make her stories particularly noteworthy. Bio-automation is the theme of her Stone from the Stars, written in