“Ariel” by Alexander Belayev is the last—and, according to many critics, the best—novel by the master of Russian science fiction, adapted into a film in 1992.
In the mysterious esoteric school of Dandarat, hidden deep in India, people with unusual abilities are trained: through harsh trials, meditation, and ascetic practices, hidden forces of the spirit are awakened. Among the students is a young man named Ariel, whose fate turns out to be even more astonishing than that of the others.
Having become the subject of a mysterious experiment, he gains an incredible ability—he can fly. Wings are not given to him by nature, but now the sky becomes his element. However, the gift of flight brings not only freedom: Ariel encounters the greed, envy, and covetousness of a world where his unique nature is not a miracle, but a commodity.
Belyayev weaves a fantastic story together with deep reflections on human nature, freedom, and justice. “Ariel” draws you in from the very first pages: it is an exhilarating journey full of dangers and discoveries, where the dream of flight leads the hero through trials to an understanding of himself. The novel reminds us: true freedom is not in the ability to soar above the earth, but in the ability to remain human, even when you’re above everyone else.